Birmingham, AL: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Birmingham ( BUR-ming-ham) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the third-most populous city in the state, with an estimated population of 196,357 as of 2024. The Birmingham metropolitan area, with over 1.19 million residents, is the largest metropolitan area in Alabama and 47th-most populous in the US. Birmingham serves as a major regional economic, medical, and educational hub of the Deep South, Piedmont, and Appalachian regions. It is the county seat of Jefferson County. Founded in 1871 during the Reconstruction era, Birmingham was formed through the merger of three smaller communities, most notably Elyton. It quickly grew into an industrial and transpor…

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From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Birmingham ranks

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#14Most walkable in AL #25Most conserved land in AL #36Shortest commute in AL All AL rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code35201, 35202, 35203

Area code205

Living in Birmingham

Housing in Birmingham

$137K▼ 2.4% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Birmingham home is worth about $137,000, down 2.4% in a year, 43% below the Alabama typical home.

A balanced market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market54

Sale-to-list96%

Sold in May177

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Birmingham

D⁻

Safety Grade D-

Birmingham reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 99% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Birmingham 12.4

Alabama 3.5

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Birmingham 43.8

Alabama 15

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Schools in Birmingham

All Birmingham schools →

D

School Grade D

The public schools Birmingham’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 94% of Alabama’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Birmingham’s schools compare in AL →

DistrictBirmingham CitySchools82

Glen Iris Elementary School DElementary · Grades PK–6 · 827 students Huffman Academy DElementary · Grades PK–5 · 779 students Hayes K8 D-Elementary · Grades PK–8 · 693 students Sun Valley Elementary School DElementary · Grades PK–5 · 678 students Washington K8 DElementary · Grades PK–8 · 617 students Phillips Academy B+Elementary · Grades PK–8 · 609 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within AL. Ratings are from neighbors.