Housing and tax tradeoff: Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama comes out ahead here on rent and home price. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Birmingham vs Portland on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 7 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
BirminghamPortland
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on climate comfort, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on rent burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 200,431 | 652,503 |
| Population Density | N/A | 4.8k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 614 ft(187 m) | 39 ft(12 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $131,872 | $516,539 |
| Median Rent | $1,296 | $1,722 |
| Median Income | $42,464 | $71,498 |
| Rent Burden | 37% | 29% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 312 days/yr | 262 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 73°F | 63°F |
| Avg. Low | 55°F | 46°F |
| Comfort Score | 81/100Great | 73/100Great |
| Temp Swing | 35°F | 39°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 58"(147 cm) | 36.92"(94 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 0"(0 cm) | 4.2"(11 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 482024 modeled avg · 31 days > 100 | Typical: 322024 modeled avg · 1 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Transit Score | 46 | 93 |
| Safety Score | 34 / 100 | 55 / 100 |
| School Rating | 7.7/10 | 5.9/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | moderateModerate Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | N/A | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 47%Cable: 94% | Fiber: 76%Cable: 99% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 35.9 years | 38.3 years |
| College Educated | 29% | 53% |
| Remote Workers | 8% | 22% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Birmingham. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Portland. One featured slot per city |
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