Birmingham is home to 198,173 people in Alabama. Owners hold 46% of the housing stock. 24.7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $158,800. That trails the Alabama median by roughly 28%. Households take in $46,051 at the median, 44% less than the US figure.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $46,051, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.6
US median: 38.9
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 40%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Birmingham
What changed most since 1990
Population265,852 → 198,173(−25%)US over the same years: +35%
Homes owned by their occupants53.4% → 45.5%(−7.9 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
White share35.5% → 24.2%(−11.2 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Birmingham's population equals 30% of Jefferson County's. Its number of households without a car equals 57% of the county's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 47% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)21.1%(1,763)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.5%(1,544)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era39.5%(3,300)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3%(253)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.3%(191)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 8,362 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Birmingham, decade by decade
Birmingham population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
265,852
$46,065
$105,363
16.2%
59.2
2000
242,820
$48,702
$113,307
18.5%
51.1
2010
212,237
$45,785
$123,429
21.3%
52.3
2020
200,733
$47,066
$118,174
28.9%
60.1
2024
198,173
$46,051
$158,800
31.1%
61.7
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
