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Place dossier plate
SheetAL-HOMEWOOD-AL · Homewood, AL 27,697 pop · income 82nd pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Homewood
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Homewood on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Bessemer · lowest
37,844
Bessemer · lowest
37,844 median HH income
31.3% of the leader · rank #1
Eagle Crest · near
108,382
Eagle Crest · near
108,382 median HH income
89.7% of the leader · rank #2
Ballenger Cre… · near
108,385
Ballenger Cre… · near
108,385 median HH income
89.7% of the leader · rank #3
Homewood · this city
108,386
Homewood · this city
108,386 median HH income
89.7% of the leader · rank #4
Dover · near
108,393
Dover · near
108,393 median HH income
89.7% of the leader · rank #5
Pine Knoll Sh… · near
108,393
Pine Knoll Sh… · near
108,393 median HH income
89.7% of the leader · rank #6
Trussville · highest
120,794
Trussville · highest
120,794 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Homewood on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 27,697.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Homewood - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Homewood places in the 82nd percentile for household income and the 30th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
82nd
percentile, household income
85th
percentile, home value
1st
percentile, median rent
30th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Homewood, AL
Homewood is a small city in Alabama, home to 27,697 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Homewood report a median income of $108,386 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.7%. Typical homes in Homewood are valued around $502,300, and the median resident age is 29.4 years. 69.9% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 66.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 73 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 70% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2105.1 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Alabama run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Alabama scores 88.8 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $936 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Alabama's average monthly utility costs around $245 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 61.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Homewood's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to housing and income to schools and households to population change to reported crime to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Homewood, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, annual population history, local building permits, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
Which cities make useful reference points for Homewood?
Within Alabama, the closest population matches are Athens (27,474 residents, $65,000 income); Daphne (28,673 residents, $86,479 income); Enterprise (28,990 residents, $68,306 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Alvin, TX (27,700 residents); Mount Pleasant, WI (27,694 residents); Tualatin, OR (27,710 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
How far does income reach against housing in Homewood?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 3.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The NCES join finds 5 public schools within the city match. 69.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Is Homewood growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +722 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +2.6% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 73 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Homewood?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2105.1 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, near the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 8% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
1954.5
Violent rate
150.6
Total reported rate
2105.1
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What does the journey to work look like in Homewood?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 77.3%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.2%
Work from home
11.9%
Drive alone
77.3%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 13,973 workers age 16+.
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share A+
69.9%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Cost of living A+
88.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Household income A-
$108,386
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate B
3.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime C
151 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Homewood profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 97/100 (A+) · 69.9%
Cost of living: 90/100 (A+) · 88.8 index
Household income: 81/100 (A-) · $108,386
Poverty rate: 74/100 (B) · 3.7%
Violent crime: 58/100 (C) · 151 /100k
Where Homewood sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Homewood's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Homewood highlighted among 12 peers.Read the chart values
Homewood, AL (this city): home $502,300, crime 2,105/100k
Alvin, TX : home $212,500, crime 1,863/100k
Mount Pleasant, WI : home $269,900, crime 1,846/100k
Tualatin, OR : home $595,800, crime 2,844/100k
East Haven, CT : home $274,900, crime 2,051/100k
Dodge City, KS : home $122,800, crime 1,341/100k
Athens, AL : home $253,700, crime 2,313/100k
Daphne, AL : home $309,700, crime 899/100k
Enterprise, AL : home $198,500, crime 3,003/100k
Trussville, AL : home $351,500, crime 2,110/100k
Bessemer, AL : home $129,800, crime 8,867/100k
Pelham, AL : home $278,900, crime 893/100k
How does Homewood compare to other US cities?
Homewood measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income82% higher than other cities
Home value85% pricier than other cities
Median rent1% pricier than other cities
Safety30% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Alabama and the picture shifts: Homewood ranks #124 of 222 Alabama cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Homewood against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Alabama only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Alabama-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Homewood near the bottom of Alabama's cities
Among the 556 Alabama cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Homewood ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Homewood only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#25 of 530
95th percentile in Alabama
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 556
0th percentile in Alabama
Median Home Value
#6 of 517
99th percentile in Alabama
Poverty Rate
#454 of 556
18th percentile in Alabama
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#4 of 556
99th percentile in Alabama
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Alabama only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
82nd percentile nationally for median household income · 30th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Homewood's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Homewood's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Homewood's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$502,30015th percentilemore affordable than 15% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Homewood's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.6×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#12,251 of 15,516
More affordable than 21% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,427 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 4.6×, Homewood sits in the moderate band:
national rank #12,251 of 15,516 and #2,427 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$108,386Homewood, AL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Homewood, AL median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Homewood, AL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)69.9%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)3.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)66.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
27,697
Median Income
$108,386
Median Home Value
$502,300
Median Age
29.4
Poverty Rate
3.7%
Labor force participation
66.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
69.9%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2105.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
150.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1954.5
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Homewood's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
27,396 residents
2021
28,070 residents
2022
27,895 residents
2023
27,828 residents
2024
28,001 residents
2025
28,118 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
73
housing units authorized
Single-Family
73
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.6
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
43
43
0
$20.0M
2020
44
44
0
$22.2M
2021
24
24
0
$18.7M
2022
26
26
0
$22.2M
2023
27
27
0
$22.7M
2024
73
73
0
$33.6M
Permit volume increased 70% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
77.3%
Carpool
7.7%
Public Transit
0.2%
Walk
2.5%
Work from Home
11.9%
Based on 13,973 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Alabama statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $245
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Alabama at $245 (electricity about $138 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Alabama statewide averages, not a meter reading for Homewood. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Alabama's BEA cost-of-living index is 88.8 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Homewood is $936/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Alabama statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 61.5 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Alabama statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Homewood sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Homewood compares to similar-size Alabama cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.