Tuscaloosa vs Hoover
The short version
- Tuscaloosa is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Hoover area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $255,500 in Tuscaloosa and $412,200 in Hoover.
- Households earn more in Hoover ($109,253 vs $51,464 median).
- Tuscaloosa has more scorching days: 89 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 65.
- Tuscaloosa is growing faster: +13.2% since 2020 vs +1.1%.
- Commutes are shorter in Tuscaloosa (20 vs 25 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Tuscaloosa, AL | Hoover, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 114,316 | 93,550 |
| Growth since 2020 | +13.2% | +1.1% |
| People per square mile | 1,828 | 1,883 |
| Median age | 27.2 | 38.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39% | 63% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $51,464 | $109,253 |
| Median home value | $255,500 | $412,200 |
| Home value to income | 5.0× | 3.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,055 | $1,457 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 87.7 | 91.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 58.2 | 71.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $65,800 | $68,700 |
| Homeowners | 43% | 71% |
| Top state income tax | 5% | 5% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.46% | 9.46% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.6 | 25.2 |
| Work from home | 8% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7.7% | 3.5% |
| Poverty rate | 25.1% | 5.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 56° / 35° | 55° / 35° |
| July high / low | 92° / 71° | 91° / 72° |
| Precipitation per year | 57 in | 57 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 89 | 65 |
| Nights below freezing | 47 | 47 |
| Comfortable months | 2 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 90.8 | 97.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 74% | 43% |
| Home prices, past year | -0.1% | +3.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +32.7% | +38.9% |
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: Tuscaloosa: May and October. Hoover: September to November.
Full monthly tables: Tuscaloosa weather by month and Hoover weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $65,800 in Tuscaloosa and $68,700 in Hoover. Moving from Tuscaloosa to Hoover, you would need about $78,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Tuscaloosa and Hoover
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Tuscaloosa and Hoover.
Which would you pick?
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