Birmingham, Alabama Income Statistics
Birmingham Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of an area's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Birmingham Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Birmingham | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $49,175 | $64,544 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $47,545 | $52,756 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.5% | 4.7% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 7.5% | 9.6% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 6.3% | 7.8% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Birmingham is about 24% lower than in Alabama. Income has been growing slower in Birmingham (4.5%/yr) than in Alabama (4.7%/yr).
About 8% of adults in Birmingham earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Alabama average of 10%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Birmingham, Alabama grew by 49.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $49,175 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.5% per year.
Birmingham has been far below the U.S. median household income in every year from 2009 to 2024. Even at its closest, in 2010, its income was 35% lower. The gap has widened from 36% in 2009 to 39% in 2024.
Income Distribution in Birmingham
How incomes are spread across brackets, compared with the U.S. Pick a range to count who falls in it.
Households by income, 2024
Income range calculator
About 19,965 households (21.9% of all households) have an income of $100,000 or more.
Across the U.S.: 40.2% of all households.
In 2024, 37.6% of households in Birmingham had an income under $35,000 and 10.8% had $150,000 or more. Across the U.S., those shares were 21.6% and 22.8%.
Compared with the U.S., Birmingham has a larger share of households earning $25,000 to $34,999 (11.4% vs 6.7%) and a smaller share earning $200,000 or more (6.3% vs 13.2%).
| Household income | Households | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $10,000 | 7,819 | 8.6% | 5.1% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 6,015 | 6.6% | 3.5% |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 10,070 | 11.1% | 6.4% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 10,380 | 11.4% | 6.7% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 11,817 | 13.0% | 10.1% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 15,744 | 17.3% | 15.5% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 9,269 | 10.2% | 12.6% |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 10,102 | 11.1% | 17.4% |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 4,150 | 4.6% | 9.5% |
| $200,000 or more | 5,714 | 6.3% | 13.2% |
Shares are of all 91,080 households, one per occupied home whatever its size. Households with zero or negative income are counted in the lowest bracket. Source: ACS 5-year estimates ending 2024 (table B19001).
Residents 15+ by personal income, 2024
Income range calculator
About 13,036 residents (7.5% of residents aged 15 and over) have a personal income of $100,000 or more.
Across the U.S.: 13.9% of residents aged 15 and over.
That is 8.7% of residents who have any income.
In 2024, 13.0% of Birmingham residents aged 15 and over reported no personal income, 36.7% had some income but less than $25,000, and 12.9% had $75,000 or more. Across the U.S., those shares were 12.8%, 28.7% and 22.0%.
Compared with the U.S., Birmingham has a larger share of residents earning $10,000 to $14,999 (10.0% vs 7.0%) and a smaller share earning $100,000 or more (7.5% vs 13.9%).
| Personal income | Residents | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| No income | 22,479 | 13.0% | 12.8% |
| $1 to $9,999 | 22,970 | 13.3% | 11.2% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 17,231 | 10.0% | 7.0% |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 23,185 | 13.4% | 10.5% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 20,197 | 11.7% | 9.5% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 22,348 | 12.9% | 12.6% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 22,075 | 12.8% | 14.3% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 9,276 | 5.4% | 8.2% |
| $100,000 or more | 13,036 | 7.5% | 13.9% |
Shares are of the 172,795 residents aged 15 and over, the only people the Census Bureau asks about income, and include those who reported none. A share of the whole population would count children as people without income, while a share of earners alone would hide the 13.0% with no income; the calculator adds that second share whenever your range leaves out people with no income. Source: ACS 5-year estimates ending 2024 (table B19325).
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Birmingham
| Metric | Birmingham | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.559 | 0.560 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $52,949 | $62,840 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $46,308 | $47,036 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 12.5% | 25.1% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Birmingham, it is 0.559, about the same as Alabama's 0.560, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 14% more than women's income in Birmingham, Alabama. Over a 35-year career, a 14% wage gap accumulates to roughly $232,435 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Birmingham, Alabama has narrowed from about 14% to 13% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 20% in 2018, and was narrowest at 12% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,836 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Birmingham | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.7% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 10.4% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 20 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 5,818 people are unemployed in Birmingham, Alabama.
The average commute time in Birmingham is 20 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Alabama.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Birmingham, Alabama has fallen from 13.0% to 5.7% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 14.7% in 2013.
Birmingham has stayed well above the U.S. unemployment rate in every year from 2011 to 2024 and has never dropped below it. The gap has narrowed from 4.3 points in 2011 to 0.5 points in 2024, the closest it has been.
Birmingham, AL Wealth Compared With Nearby Cities
Birmingham, AL is the largest of the 4 cities compared here, 207,255 residents against a local median of 27,106. The measure that sets Birmingham, AL apart most is unemployment: 5.7%, 125% above the local median of 2.5%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $49,175 against a local median of $112,165, 56% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Birmingham, AL reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The cities themselves sit within 0.8% of each other on unemployment, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Birmingham, AL, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Birmingham, AL has the 4th lowest unemployment of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | 207,255 | $49,175 #4/4 | 4.5%/yr #2/4 | 5.7% #4/4 | 0.559 #3/4 |
| Homewood, AL | 27,106 | $89,778 | 4.1%/yr | 2.5% | 0.575 |
| Mountain Brook, AL | 23,287 | $160,102 | 6.2%/yr | 2.7% | 0.514 |
| Vestavia Hills, AL | 32,245 | $112,165 | 4.4%/yr | 1.9% | 0.551 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Birmingham, Alabama has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Alabama, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Birmingham, Alabama.
How Rich Is Birmingham, Alabama?
Birmingham has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $49,175, about 24% lower than the Alabama average of $64,544.
Are incomes growing in Birmingham, Alabama?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Birmingham, Alabama rose 49%, from $32,952 to $49,175. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Alabama as a whole: +49% against +56%.
What was the median household income in Birmingham in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Birmingham, Alabama was $47,111, up 4% from $45,447 in 2022. The Alabama median that year was $62,326.
What was the median household income in Birmingham in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Birmingham, Alabama was $40,541. By 2024 it had risen 21% to $49,175.
What is the Gini coefficient in Birmingham, Alabama?
The Gini coefficient in Birmingham is 0.559. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Birmingham, Alabama?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Birmingham, Alabama has narrowed from about 14% to 13% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 20% in 2018, and was narrowest at 12% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,836 since 2009.
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