Birmingham vs Columbia
The short version
- Birmingham is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Columbia area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $158,800 in Birmingham and $264,300 in Columbia.
- Households earn more in Columbia ($55,529 vs $46,051 median).
- Columbia is growing faster: +7.5% since 2020 vs -2.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Columbia (18 vs 21 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Birmingham, AL | Columbia, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 195,893 | 147,035 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.3% | +7.5% |
| People per square mile | 1,332 | 1,062 |
| Median age | 35.6 | 28.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31% | 46% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $46,051 | $55,529 |
| Median home value | $158,800 | $264,300 |
| Home value to income | 3.4× | 4.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,107 | $1,204 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 91.6 | 93.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 71.9 | 79.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,700 | $70,200 |
| Homeowners | 46% | 46% |
| Top state income tax | 5% | 6% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.46% | 7.49% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 20.8 | 17.7 |
| Work from home | 10% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.8% | 7.5% |
| Poverty rate | 24.7% | 24% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 55° / 35° | 57° / 35° |
| July high / low | 91° / 72° | 93° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 57 in | 45 in |
| Snowfall per year | 1 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 65 | 81 |
| Nights below freezing | 47 | 46 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 97.6 | 93.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 43% | 58% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.4% | +3.6% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +38.9% | +51.6% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Birmingham: September to November. Columbia: March to May and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Birmingham weather by month and Columbia weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,700 in Birmingham and $70,200 in Columbia. Moving from Birmingham to Columbia, you would need about $76,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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