City profile · Alabama · Census ACS 2023

Mountain Brook, AL

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Mountain Brook - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

22,160
Residents
$191,128
Median income
$891,300
Median home
$1,266
Median rent (state)

Mountain Brook - the verdict

Mountain Brook ranks in the 98th percentile for household income and the 70th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

98th
percentile, household income
96th
percentile, home value
42nd
percentile, median rent
70th
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: Mountain Brook, AL

Alabama's Mountain Brook is a small city, with 22,160 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $191,128 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.3%. Home values in Mountain Brook run a median of $891,300, and the median resident age is 41.5 years. About 88.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 59.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 11 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 68% from five years earlier. Mountain Brook reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 837.8 in FBI UCR data, below 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: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Alabama at 88.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,266 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $245 across Alabama, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 97.6 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

22,160 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Alabama

Median Household Income

$191,128 /yr

Poverty 3.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

88.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Alabama average

How does Mountain Brook compare to other US cities?

Where Mountain Brook sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 98% higher than other cities
Home value 96% pricier than other cities
Median rent 42% pricier than other cities
Safety 70% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Alabama, Mountain Brook ranks #42 of 222 Alabama cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Mountain Brook against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Alabama only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Alabama-relative analysis

Median Home Value is Mountain Brook's strongest outlier among Alabama cities

Among the 517 Alabama cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Mountain Brook ranks #1 - the 100th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Mountain Brook only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#1 of 530
100th percentile in Alabama
Median Gross Rent
#39 of 556
76th percentile in Alabama
Median Home Value
#1 of 517
100th percentile in Alabama
Poverty Rate
#469 of 556
15th percentile in Alabama
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#1 of 556
100th percentile in Alabama

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.

98thIncome percentile
70thSafety percentile

98th percentile nationally for median household income · 70th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Mountain Brook's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Mountain Brook'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 66 Avg. percentile National median
Mountain Brook'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 Mountain Brook's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$891,300 4th percentile more affordable than 4% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Mountain Brook $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Mountain Brook, AL Mountain Brook, AL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Mountain Brook, AL-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Mountain Brook, AL median $191,128/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Mountain Brook, AL's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Mountain Brook, AL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 88.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 59.8%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
22,160
Median Income
$191,128
Median Home Value
$891,300
Median Age
41.5
Poverty Rate
3.3%
Labor force participation
59.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
88.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
837.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
65.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
772.6
per 100,000 residents

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
6
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
21,500 residents22,000 residents22,500 residents23,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 22,508 residents 21,661 residents ▼ -3.8%
Mountain Brook's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
11
housing units authorized
Single-Family
11
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 34
2020 37
2021 31
2022 26
2023 24
2024 11

Permit volume decreased 68% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
80.2%
Carpool
2.8%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.2%
Work from Home
16.5%

Based on 9,740 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Alabama - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$138
avg/month
Natural Gas
$62
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$245
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Alabama state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Alabama state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Mountain Brook sits in

Cost of Living Index
88.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,266/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
97.6 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Alabama

Oxford
22,063 people
Foley
22,330 people
Albertville
22,584 people
Helena
21,452 people
Anniston
21,377 people
Fairhope
23,360 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Mountain Brook's 22,160 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Camp Springs, MD
22,174 people
Bayou Cane, LA
22,143 people
Sunny Isles Beach, FL
22,125 people
La Porte, IN
22,125 people
West Puente Valley, CA
22,198 people
Clarksville, IN
22,121 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Mountain Brook's $191,128 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

West Simsbury, CT
$191,042 median income
Powell, OH
$191,250 median income
Cochituate, MA
$190,938 median income
Fairwood, MD
$191,319 median income
Smarr, GA
$190,921 median income
Bethesda, MD
$191,348 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Mountain Brook, AL Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Mountain Brook, AL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 96.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.8% White 96.5% Black or African American 0.4% Asian 0.8% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.2% Two or more races 2.0% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Mountain Brook compares to nearby Alabama cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Mountain Brook (this city) 22,160 $191,128
Oxford 22,063 $70,065
Foley 22,330 $67,346
Albertville 22,584 $57,103
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AL FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Mountain Brook, AL?

What is the population of Mountain Brook, AL? +

Mountain Brook, AL counts 22,160 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Mountain Brook, AL? +

Mountain Brook households earn a median of $191,128 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Mountain Brook? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Mountain Brook; the closest available measure is the Alabama state average, a cost of living index of 88.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Alabama vary by metro area.

Is Mountain Brook, AL safe? +

Mountain Brook has a total crime rate of 837.8 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Mountain Brook, AL? +

Homes in Mountain Brook carry a median value of $891,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.