Birmingham has one of the widest neighborhood price ranges among Alabama's major housing markets. Established areas such as Forest Park and Crestwood operate at much higher price points than East Lake, Roebuck, or Ensley, while neighborhoods near downtown and UAB have their own mix of housing and rental activity.
Current Birmingham market data shows a median listing price of $175,000, median rent of $1,222 per month, and 64 median days on market. Those citywide figures provide useful context, but neighborhood prices range from under $100,000 to more than $400,000 within the areas covered below.
Birmingham officially contains 99 neighborhoods, so property type, location, condition, and surrounding development can matter as much as the citywide market average.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this guide is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Always consult with a licensed professional before making any financial or investment decisions.
Key Takeaways
Birmingham spans a wide price range, with current neighborhood listing medians running from below $100,000 to more than $400,000
UAB is a major housing-market anchor, with more than 35,000 employees and nearly 21,000 students connected to the university and academic medical center
Central and eastern neighborhoods serve different property profiles, from apartments and condos near downtown to older single-family housing farther east
Several neighborhoods have active public or nonprofit redevelopment efforts, including Woodlawn, Central City, and the Ensley corridor
Neighborhood medians are starting points, while financing, property condition, rent comparables, insurance, taxes, maintenance, and management determine property-level economics
What Drives Birmingham's Housing Market?
Housing demand in Birmingham is supported by several large employment sectors, with healthcare and higher education playing particularly important roles.
UAB is Alabama's largest employer with more than 35,000 employees and nearly 21,000 students. Its university and academic medical center occupy a substantial part of central Birmingham and help shape nearby housing markets such as Five Points South, Glen Iris, and other Southside neighborhoods.
Birmingham is also actively planning for additional housing and redevelopment. The city's City Center plan calls for 5,000 mixed-income homes over the next decade alongside infrastructure, public-space, and adaptive-reuse projects.
Those employment and development factors provide useful market context, but they do not establish the performance of an individual rental property.
1) Crestwood
Current Crestwood market data shows a median listing price of about $380,000, a median sold price near $380,000, median rent of $2,325 per month, and 44 median days on market.
Crestwood sits east of Birmingham's central districts and includes Crestwood North and Crestwood South within the city's broader planning framework.
Investment Highlights
Higher rental benchmark: The current $2,325 median rent sits well above Birmingham's citywide rental median
Active sales market: More than 50 properties are represented in the current for-sale inventory
Established residential setting: Birmingham's Southern Area plan describes Crestwood as a primarily residential community with historic character
Green space: The city maintains Crestwood Park, a 12-acre public park within the community
Property Considerations
Crestwood's acquisition price is substantially above Birmingham's citywide median
Crestwood North and Crestwood South can have different property types and pricing
Current rental inventory is relatively small, so the neighborhood median can move as available properties change
Property condition, square footage, renovation level, and exact location remain important when comparing rent assumptions
2) Highland Park
Current Highland Park data shows a median listing price of $325,000, median sold price of $342,000, median rent of $1,100 per month, and 53 median days on market.
Highland Park is part of Birmingham's Red Mountain community and sits close to central Birmingham.
Investment Highlights
Mixed housing market: Current inventory includes both for-sale and rental properties across a relatively compact neighborhood
Established rental inventory: Realtor.com currently tracks nearly 50 rental properties in Highland Park
Historic housing: The city recognizes multiple historic districts within Highland Park
Green-space access: Birmingham's Red Mountain planning area contains multiple parks and other recreational amenities
Property Considerations
Condos and apartments can have different ownership costs from detached homes
Historic properties may have different maintenance and renovation requirements from newer housing
Some properties fall within historic districts where exterior changes can be subject to additional standards
The current median rent is below several other neighborhoods in this guide despite Highland Park's higher acquisition-price benchmark
3) Five Points South
Current Five Points South data shows a median listing price of about $275,000, a median sold price near $280,000, median rent around $1,600 per month, and roughly 70 median days on market.
Five Points South sits immediately beside UAB and contains a mix of residential, commercial, restaurant, and entertainment uses.
Investment Highlights
Major employment anchor: UAB has 35,000+ employees and operates its primary Birmingham campus and academic medical center nearby
Large student population: UAB serves nearly 21,000 students
Substantial rental inventory: Five Points South has one of the larger renter inventories among the neighborhoods covered here
City investment focus: Birmingham's City Center plan identifies Five Points South as a strategic opportunity area for public-space and mixed-income development
Property Considerations
Housing can range from apartments and condos to older houses, producing very different operating profiles
Properties serving students, medical employees, or conventional households may require different rent assumptions
Condos can add HOA assessments and building-specific expenses
A neighborhood-wide rental median should not be treated as the expected rent for every unit
4) Glen Iris
Current Glen Iris data shows a median listing price of $279,000, median sold price of $300,000, median rent of $1,550 per month, and 70 median days on market.
Glen Iris is part of Birmingham's Southside community and sits southwest of the central UAB area.
Investment Highlights
Balanced inventory: Current data includes about 30 for-sale homes and a similar number of rental properties
Rental benchmark: Median rent is above Birmingham's citywide level
Central-city proximity: Glen Iris sits within Birmingham's broader Northside-Southside planning area
Different property formats: The neighborhood includes detached residential housing alongside smaller multifamily and rental properties
Property Considerations
Housing age and renovation condition can vary significantly from one address to another
Properties closer to major employment and education areas can have different rental comparables from those farther into the neighborhood
The current for-sale inventory is much smaller than Birmingham's broader citywide market
Purchase price, insurance, maintenance, and realistic comparable rents matter more than applying one neighborhood-wide return estimate
5) Forest Park
Current Forest Park data shows a median listing price of about $439,500, median sold price near $413,000, and 35 median days on market.
Forest Park sits within Birmingham's Red Mountain community and currently carries one of the higher acquisition-price benchmarks in this guide.
Investment Highlights
Faster sales pace: Current listings show a 35-day median time on market
Established housing market: More than 30 properties are represented in current for-sale inventory
Historic character: The city recognizes a Forest Park district
Central location: Birmingham's Southern Area plan highlights the Red Mountain community's proximity to downtown, parks, and cultural amenities
Property Considerations
Forest Park's current acquisition-price benchmark is considerably above Birmingham's citywide median
A neighborhood-wide median rent is not currently available from the same Realtor.com dataset
Period homes can have different maintenance and renovation requirements from newer properties
Historic-district status can affect exterior improvements for some properties
6) Central City
Current Central City data shows a median listing price of $332,000, median sold price of $305,000, median rent of $2,500 per month, and 83 median days on market.
Central City covers much of Birmingham's downtown core, giving it a more urban housing and rental profile than the city's predominantly single-family neighborhoods.
Investment Highlights
High current rent median: The neighborhood's $2,500 rental median sits well above the citywide figure
Downtown location: Central City contains residential properties alongside major employment, entertainment, cultural, and commercial uses
Housing expansion: Birmingham has added more than 4,500 housing units in the wider City Center since adoption of its current master plan
Additional housing planned: The City Center strategy calls for 5,000 mixed-income homes over the next decade
Property Considerations
Current rental inventory is relatively small, so the headline median may reflect a narrow mix of available units
Downtown housing can include condos, lofts, apartments, and adaptive-reuse properties with different cost structures
HOA or building assessments can materially affect condo economics
New housing supply should be considered when analyzing future rental competition
7) Woodlawn
Current Woodlawn market data shows a median listing price of $205,000, median rent of about $997 per month, and 102 median days on market.
Woodlawn sits east of central Birmingham and has been the focus of a long-running mixed-income housing and neighborhood revitalization initiative.
Investment Highlights
Ongoing housing investment: Woodlawn United has invested more than $31 million across its community initiatives
Housing improvements: The organization lists 128 owner-occupied homes renovated and 64 multifamily affordable units created
New housing: Its mixed-income strategy has also included market-rate single-family construction
Business activity: Woodlawn United says 20 new businesses have opened in the neighborhood since 2020
Property Considerations
Current market data covers only 17 active for-sale listings and six rentals, so medians can move quickly
Housing condition can vary across older residential stock
Community redevelopment is meaningful context but does not establish a future property return
Individual renovation scope and comparable rents remain especially important for older properties
8) East Lake
Current East Lake data shows a median listing price of $104,900, median sold price of $90,000, median rent of $1,097 per month, and 68 median days on market.
East Lake sits well below Birmingham's higher-priced central and southeastern neighborhoods on acquisition price.
Investment Highlights
Lower acquisition benchmark: The current median listing price is substantially below Birmingham's citywide figure
Meaningful inventory: Realtor.com currently tracks more than 60 active for-sale properties
Established rental market: Current data includes more than 20 rental properties
Major public green space: East Lake Park covers more than 60 acres
Property Considerations
Median listing prices have moved lower year over year, so recent appreciation should not be assumed
Property condition can materially affect renovation and maintenance costs
Different parts of the broader East Lake area have separate market characteristics
Rental assumptions should be based on similar nearby properties rather than the neighborhood median alone
9) Roebuck
Current Roebuck market data shows a median listing price of $129,900, median sold price of $99,500, median rent of $1,130 per month, and 80 median days on market.
Roebuck is part of Birmingham's Roebuck-South East Lake community in the northeastern part of the city.
Investment Highlights
Lower current pricing: Roebuck's median listing price remains below Birmingham's citywide benchmark
Active inventory: About 45 properties are currently represented in the for-sale market
Rental availability: Current data includes 18 rental properties
City planning coverage: Roebuck is included in Birmingham's Northeast framework
Property Considerations
Homes currently spend a median of about 80 days on the market
The median sold price is below the median asking price, highlighting the importance of actual transaction comparables
Current rent and listing prices have both softened from a year earlier
Housing characteristics differ across Roebuck, South Roebuck, and neighboring East Lake areas
10) Ensley
Current Ensley market data shows a median listing price of $97,250 and 111 median days on market.
Ensley has one of the lowest current acquisition-price benchmarks among the neighborhoods in this guide and is part of Birmingham's western corridor.
Investment Highlights
Lower price point: The median listing price remains below $100,000
Historic district: Birmingham recognizes a Downtown Ensley district
Economic-development planning: Birmingham received a $2 million grant to plan and prepare approximately 500 acres at the former U.S. Steel Ensley Works site and Birmingport
Broader corridor strategy: The city is positioning the western corridor for future logistics and manufacturing activity
Property Considerations
Current listings spend longer on the market than Birmingham's citywide median
Realtor.com's current neighborhood dataset does not provide a median rent for Ensley
The former Ensley Works initiative is an economic-development planning project rather than a residential appreciation forecast
Older housing stock can require property-specific renovation and maintenance analysis
How to Compare Birmingham Properties
Neighborhood statistics help identify broad differences, but they do not determine what an individual rental property may produce.
Useful property-level inputs include:
Purchase price and financing
Comparable rents for similar homes
Property taxes
Insurance
Maintenance and repairs
Renovation requirements
Property management
Vacancy assumptions
HOA costs where applicable
Expected holding period
A $110,000 property in East Lake and a $380,000 property in Crestwood can serve very different renter segments and carry different expenses even when both are located within Birmingham.
mogul's rental property calculator and real estate calculator can help model those variables for a specific U.S. address.
How mogul Extends Property Research
Birmingham's neighborhood data is useful for narrowing a search, but the economics ultimately come down to the individual property. The mogul platform approaches residential real estate from that same asset-level perspective.
Start With the Address
mogul's investment property calculator lets you model a U.S. address using property-level assumptions rather than relying on a citywide yield estimate.
That makes it possible to compare acquisition price, rent, financing, operating expenses, and holding assumptions in one model.
From Research to Selected Properties
mogul was founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate professionals with $10B+ investing experience.
Its property-selection process combines market research, proprietary underwriting, inspections, negotiations, and investment-committee review. Less than 1% of reviewed properties pass the full diligence process.
Ownership Remains Asset-Specific
Each mogul property is held through a property-specific investment-club LLC. Members purchase fractional membership interests associated with the LLC that owns the identifiable home.
The guide to fractional real estate explains the structure and how asset-level ownership works.
Property Operations Stay Managed
Professional property management handles normal property operations, including tenant coordination, maintenance, and day-to-day management.
Once a property is operational and has distributable net rental income, mogul makes monthly distributions based on property performance and ownership interests.
Current Scale and Protection
mogul has $90M in assets on the platform and more than 40,000 investors.
The historical average annual IRR across platform assets is 18.8%. Historical performance does not guarantee future investment results.
Qualifying new members can also receive up to $10,000 loss protection on qualifying investments made during their first seven days if the aggregate return on those investments is negative after the first year. mogul funds the protection from its own balance sheet, subject to the applicable promotion terms.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this guide is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Always consult with a licensed professional before making any financial or investment decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Birmingham's current median listing price?
Current Birmingham market data puts the city's median listing price at about $175,000, with median rent around $1,222 per month. Neighborhood-level pricing varies considerably, with some areas below $100,000 and others above $400,000.
Which Birmingham neighborhoods have lower listing prices?
Among the areas covered here, Ensley currently has a median listing price of about $97,250, while East Lake is around $104,900 and Roebuck is approximately $129,900. Those figures describe current asking-price medians rather than expected property returns.
Which Birmingham areas are closest to UAB?
Five Points South sits directly beside UAB, while Glen Iris and other Southside neighborhoods are also close to the university and medical district. UAB is Alabama's largest employer, with more than 35,000 employees and nearly 21,000 students connected to the campus and academic medical center.
Does neighborhood redevelopment guarantee higher property values?
No. Public and nonprofit investment can change housing supply, infrastructure, commercial activity, and neighborhood amenities, but it does not guarantee appreciation for an individual property. Purchase price, property condition, financing, rent, operating costs, and future market conditions still determine property-level results.
How can you compare Birmingham rental properties?
A useful comparison combines the specific property's purchase price, expected rent, financing, taxes, insurance, maintenance, renovation needs, management costs, vacancy, and holding period. mogul's investment property calculator can model those variables for an individual U.S. address.