Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban Alabama? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Montgomery, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Alabama suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the 10 best suburbs in the Heart Of Dixie
Mountain Brook is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban Alabama.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in Alabama, we’ve got you covered.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in Alabama and the best places to raise a family in Alabama.
Best Suburbs In Alabama For 2024
/10
Population: 22,259
Median Income: $167,007
Average Home Price: $887,856
More on Mountain Brook: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Mountain Brook is located 4 miles east of Birmingham.
/10
Population: 38,600
Median Income: $127,582
Average Home Price: $517,867
More on Vestavia Hills: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Vestavia Hills is located 5 miles south of Birmingham.
/10
Population: 27,557
Median Income: $97,366
Average Home Price: $496,963
More on Homewood: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Homewood is located 4 miles south of Birmingham.
/10
Population: 56,967
Median Income: $118,132
Average Home Price: $371,983
More on Madison: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Madison is located 5 miles west of Huntsville.
/10
Population: 91,995
Median Income: $101,765
Average Home Price: $423,088
More on Hoover: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Hoover is located 10 miles south of Birmingham.
/10
Population: 21,036
Median Income: $107,360
Average Home Price: $344,616
More on Helena: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Helena is located 17 miles south of Birmingham.
/10
Population: 25,621
Median Income: $118,028
Average Home Price: $376,558
More on Trussville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Trussville is located 16 miles east of Birmingham.
/10
Population: 24,221
Median Income: $94,108
Average Home Price: $300,946
More on Pelham: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Pelham is located 14 miles south of Birmingham.
/10
Population: 33,417
Median Income: $89,423
Average Home Price: $288,633
More on Alabaster: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Alabaster is located 21 miles south of Birmingham.
/10
Population: 16,051
Median Income: $78,719
Average Home Price: $257,779
More on Gardendale: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Gardendale is located 10 miles north of Birmingham.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Heart Of Dixie
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Alabama. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Alabama, we looked at every town with at least 5,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in Alabama across these criteria from one to 34, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Alabama.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Alabama.
Read on to see why Mountain Brook is the ‘burb with the most, while Bessemer is probably not the best place to live in Alabama.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Alabama
If you’re measuring the locations in Alabama where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in Alabama are Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Madison, Hoover, Helena, Trussville, Pelham, Alabaster, and Gardendale.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in Alabama according to the data:
- Bessemer
- Tarrant
- Center Point
For more Alabama reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Alabama
- Cheapest Places To Live In Alabama
- Most Dangerous Cities In Alabama
- Richest Cities In Alabama
- Safest Places In Alabama
- Worst Places To Live In Alabama
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Alabama
The Best Suburbs In Alabama
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mountain Brook | 22,259 | $167,007 | $887,856 |
| 2 | Vestavia Hills | 38,600 | $127,582 | $517,867 |
| 3 | Homewood | 27,557 | $97,366 | $496,963 |
| 4 | Madison | 56,967 | $118,132 | $371,983 |
| 5 | Hoover | 91,995 | $101,765 | $423,088 |
| 6 | Helena | 21,036 | $107,360 | $344,616 |
| 7 | Trussville | 25,621 | $118,028 | $376,558 |
| 8 | Pelham | 24,221 | $94,108 | $300,946 |
| 9 | Alabaster | 33,417 | $89,423 | $288,633 |
| 10 | Gardendale | 16,051 | $78,719 | $257,779 |
| 11 | Hartselle | 15,414 | $64,876 | $231,775 |
| 12 | Pleasant Grove | 9,549 | $72,917 | $224,499 |
| 13 | Chelsea | 15,201 | $102,344 | $372,677 |
| 14 | Margaret | 5,294 | $83,814 | $259,656 |
| 15 | Moody | 13,235 | $77,680 | $257,342 |
| 16 | Fultondale | 9,756 | $72,741 | $220,246 |
| 17 | Irondale | 13,455 | $68,869 | $266,185 |
| 18 | Calera | 16,644 | $73,775 | $248,784 |
| 19 | Leeds | 12,292 | $67,159 | $237,534 |
| 20 | Clay | 10,315 | $74,198 | $244,802 |
| 21 | Montevallo | 7,288 | $56,500 | $225,034 |
| 22 | Athens | 26,179 | $57,444 | $292,471 |
| 23 | Smiths Station | 5,441 | $55,676 | $256,069 |
| 24 | Pinson | 7,209 | $83,673 | $206,702 |
| 25 | Decatur | 57,525 | $55,164 | $206,372 |
| 26 | Valley | 10,442 | $54,237 | $146,407 |
| 27 | Hueytown | 16,655 | $64,176 | $162,864 |
| 28 | Midfield | 5,159 | $48,219 | $81,363 |
| 29 | Arab | 8,552 | $56,471 | $218,349 |
| 30 | Fairfield | 9,975 | $45,646 | $89,729 |
| 31 | Lanett | 6,880 | $48,125 | $107,150 |
| 32 | Center Point | 16,279 | $49,886 | $152,646 |
| 33 | Tarrant | 6,077 | $37,768 | $66,566 |
| 34 | Bessemer | 25,890 | $34,953 | $113,657 |