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Place dossier plate
SheetAL-MONTGOMERY-AL · Montgomery, AL 198,440 pop · income 28th pct · 71 tracts
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 Montgomery
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Montgomery on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Birmingham · lowest
44,376
Birmingham · lowest
44,376 median HH income
41.2% of the leader · rank #1
New York Mills · near
55,682
New York Mills · near
55,682 median HH income
51.6% of the leader · rank #2
Montgomery · this city
55,687
Montgomery · this city
55,687 median HH income
51.6% of the leader · rank #3
Belleair Bluf… · near
55,688
Belleair Bluf… · near
55,688 median HH income
51.6% of the leader · rank #4
Cordes Lakes · near
55,691
Cordes Lakes · near
55,691 median HH income
51.7% of the leader · rank #5
Pine Hills · near
55,692
Pine Hills · near
55,692 median HH income
51.7% of the leader · rank #6
Hoover · highest
107,822
Hoover · highest
107,822 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 Montgomery 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: 198,440.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Montgomery - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Montgomery lands in the 28th percentile for household income and the 18th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
28th
percentile, household income
26th
percentile, home value
1st
percentile, median rent
18th
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: Montgomery, AL
Alabama's Montgomery is a mid-sized U.S. city, with 198,440 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Households in Montgomery report a median income of $55,687 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 17.7%. Montgomery's housing stock carries a median value of $148,500, and the median resident age is 36.2 years. Educational attainment runs 33.5% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 54.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 251 residential building permits were authorized in Montgomery (Stable), down 5% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Montgomery's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2829.7 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 66.4°F with 51.2 inches of precipitation per year.
Living costs in Alabama run below the national norm: the state registers 88.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $936 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $245 across Alabama, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in Montgomery report an average commute of 19.0 minutes, with 80.2% driving alone and 7.2% working from home. 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 Montgomery'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 housing and income to schools and households to work and mobility to reported crime to comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context to within-city variation to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Montgomery, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, local building permits, within-city Census tract profiles, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Montgomery?
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. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 17.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
What does the education layer cover for Montgomery?
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.
The NCES join finds 52 public schools within the city match. 33.5% 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.
Which cities make useful reference points for Montgomery?
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.
Within Alabama, the closest population matches are Birmingham (199,322 residents, $44,376 income); Mobile (185,097 residents, $51,090 income); Huntsville (218,814 residents, $70,778 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Grand Prairie, TX (198,564 residents); Sunrise Manor, NV (199,099 residents); Grand Rapids, MI (197,768 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.
What can 71 Census tracts reveal inside Montgomery?
PlainCities matches 71 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
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.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Montgomery?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 80.2%. The reported mean trip to work is 19.0 minutes.
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.
Drive alone
80.2%
Work from home
7.2%
Public transit
0.4%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 84,970 workers age 16+.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Montgomery?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2829.7 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 24% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
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.
Total reported rate
2829.7
Violent rate
594.6
Property rate
2235.1
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What physical conditions frame life in Montgomery?
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 66.4°F, with 51.2 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Alabama is 61.5 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
61.5
Annual precipitation
51.2 in
Mean temperature
66.4°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Is Montgomery growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -4,738 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -2.4% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 251 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
2020 estimate
200,038
2025 estimate
195,300
Period change
-2.4%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Below median income · poverty 17.7% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
88.8 (US=100)
Very affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Alabama average
D
City profile score · Montgomery, AL
40/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
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.
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.
Bachelor's+ share C+
33.5%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$55,687
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
17.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
595 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Montgomery profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 90/100 (A+) · 88.8 index
Bachelor's+ share: 64/100 (C+) · 33.5%
Household income: 28/100 (F) · $55,687
Poverty rate: 18/100 (F) · 17.7%
Violent crime: 10/100 (F) · 595 /100k
Where Montgomery sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Montgomery'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 - Montgomery highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Montgomery, AL (this city): home $148,500, crime 2,830/100k
Grand Prairie, TX : home $272,200, crime 1,822/100k
Grand Rapids, MI : home $225,500, crime 3,391/100k
Sioux Falls, SD : home $271,400, crime 3,442/100k
Overland Park, KS : home $384,400, crime 1,946/100k
Birmingham, AL : home $138,600, crime 5,278/100k
Mobile, AL : home $170,300, crime 2,427/100k
Huntsville, AL : home $263,100, crime 2,872/100k
Tuscaloosa, AL : home $236,600, crime 3,285/100k
Hoover, AL : home $391,300, crime 1,335/100k
Auburn, AL : home $342,400, crime 1,087/100k
How does Montgomery compare to other US cities?
Montgomery measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income28% higher than other cities
Home value26% pricier than other cities
Median rent1% pricier than other cities
Safety18% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Alabama alone, Montgomery ranks #158 of 222 Alabama cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Montgomery 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 Montgomery near the bottom of Alabama's cities
Among the 556 Alabama cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Montgomery ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Montgomery only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#237 of 530
55th percentile in Alabama
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 556
0th percentile in Alabama
Median Home Value
#241 of 517
53rd percentile in Alabama
Poverty Rate
#149 of 556
73rd percentile in Alabama
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#65 of 556
88th 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
28th percentile nationally for median household income · 18th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Montgomery's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Montgomery'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 Montgomery's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$148,500Among the most affordablemore affordable than 74% 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
Montgomery's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.7×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#4,857 of 15,516
More affordable than 69% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#61 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 2.7×, Montgomery sits in the affordable band:
national rank #4,857 of 15,516 and #61 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
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
$55,687Montgomery, AL median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Montgomery, 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 Montgomery, AL.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)33.5%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)17.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)54.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
198,440
Median Income
$55,687
Median Home Value
$148,500
Median Age
36.2
Poverty Rate
17.7%
Labor force participation
54.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
33.5%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2829.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
594.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2235.1
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.
Climate
Avg Temperature
66.4°F
Annual Precipitation
51.2"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
52
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Montgomery's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
200,038 residents
2021
198,395 residents
2022
197,141 residents
2023
195,923 residents
2024
195,872 residents
2025
195,300 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
251
housing units authorized
Single-Family
212
detached homes
Multifamily
39
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
263
257
6
$40.3M
2020
297
284
13
$43.3M
2021
282
261
21
$45.6M
2022
275
271
4
$52.7M
2023
331
227
104
$63.2M
2024
251
212
39
$46.5M
Permit volume decreased 5% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
19.0 minutes
Drive Alone
80.2%
Carpool
9.8%
Public Transit
0.4%
Walk
1.4%
Work from Home
7.2%
Other
1.0%
Based on 84,970 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 Montgomery. 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Montgomery 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, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.