Livibility
The cluster of communities that comprise the Birmingham region is not only a great place to live and raise a family; but, it’s also a major tourist destination – accounting for more than 22 percent of Alabama’s state lodging tax collected in 2007. For a comprehensive list of things to do, please visit To Do from A-Z.
The Birmingham region provides:
- Some of the largest and best museums in the United States
- A comprehensive art scene, including: symphony, ballet and opera
- A major urban park system and quick access to regional state parks
- Regional shopping amenities: Riverchase Galleria and The Summit
- Sport venues: Birmingham Barons, Talladega and Barber Motorsports Park
- Recreational amenities: Alabama Adventure theme park, Birmingham Zoo
- Two of Alabama’s eleven worldly renowned Robert Trent Jones golf courses.
- Nationally recognized dining
Cost of Living
| ACCRA Cost of Living for Major Southeastern Metros | ||
| Rank | Metro | Composite Score |
| 1 | Charlotte – Gastonia - Concord | 92.3 |
| 2 | Birmingham - Hoover | 90.3 |
| 3 | Nashville- Davidson- Murfreesboro | 88.7 |
| 4 | Atlanta - Sandy Springs - Marietta | 94.9 |
| 5 | Louisville | 89.7 |
| 6 | Tampa - St Petersburg - Clearwater | 99.3 |
| 7 | Jacksonville | 94.8 |
| 8 | Raleigh | 100.3 |
| 9 | New Orleans - Metairie - Kenner | 106.2 |
| 10 | Orlando - Kissimmee | 98.2 |
| 11 | Richmond | 106.4 |
| 12 | Virginia Beach-Norfolk - Newport | 106.8 |
| 13 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale- Miami Beach | 111.0 |
| 14 | Memphis | 86.8 |
A high quality of life coupled with a competitive cost of living gives the Birmingham region a competitive advantage for business and entrepreneurial development. According to ACCRA, the Metropolitan Birmingham has the third lowest cost of living among the top fifteen largest population centers in the eleven-state Southeastern region. ACCRA evaluates the cost of living for more than 300 U.S. metros regarding the following six categories: grocery items, housing, utilities, transportation, healthcare and miscellaneous goods and services. Factoring the cost associated with each category, all metropolitan areas are given a composite score. The U.S. average composite score is 100. A composite score above 100 indicates that the cost of living is above the national average; likewise a composite score below 100 indicates that the cost of living is below the national average.
Housing
| August 2008 Average Selling Price by Region | |
| Region | August 08 Avg. Price |
| U.S. | $245,400 |
| South Metro | $222,000 |
| Southern U.S. | $220,400 |
| Metro Total | $189,587 |
| North Metro | $155,000 |
| East Metro | $116,590 |
Housing cost in Metropolitan Birmingham was is considerably lower compared to the national housing cost. The Metropolitan Birmingham average home price for August 2008 was $189,587 compared to a U.S. average home price of $245,400. The southern metropolitan region posted the highest average housing cost at $220,400. Major cities in this region include: Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Hoover, Pelham and Alabaster. The western metropolitan region has the lowest average housing cost at $68,000. Major communities in this region include: western Birmingham, Fairfield, Bessemer, Hueytown and McCalla.
Leading Public School Systems
Metropolitan Birmingham has some of the best public schools in the nation. According to Newsweek, three of the nation’s top public schools are located in the Birmingham region. The Jefferson County IBS ranks 4th; Mountain Brook ranks 214 and Hoover’s Spain Park ranks 1,313.
The table below shows a ranking of school systems based on 2007 average ACT scores for leading public high schools and school systems in Metropolitan Birmingham. Eight metropolitan area school systems exceed the national average ACT score. Six metropolitan school systems have exceptional scores on the ACT. Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Hoover, Homewood, Shelby County and Oneonta school systems have an average ACT score of at least 22.
Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA)
Located in Downtown Birmingham, the Alabama School of Fine Arts is a partially residential public school authorized and funded by the Alabama Legislature to provide tuition-free instruction to impassioned students, grades 7-12. The school provides focused specialty instruction in Creative Writing, Dance, Mathematics and Science, Music, Theatre Arts and Visual Arts, plus core academic courses necessary to earn an Alabama high school diploma. In 2007 ASFA graduates were awarded over 4-million in college scholarships, grants and awards. The average ACT score was 27.6.
