CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.38° N · 86.81° W · GEOID 0135896

Hoover

Jefferson County, Alabama · part of the Birmingham, AL metro

AlabamaHoover, ALHooverHoover

The short answer

Hoover is home to 92,642 people. Median household income is $109,253 a year and median rent is $1,457 a month, 16.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $412,200, about 3.8x annual median household income.

Hoover stands out on value for money. Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 98 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings. Also notable: The median rent takes 16% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 96% of places its size.

89OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Hoover scores better than 89% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 7th of 120 in Alabama.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%68
Economy 20%78
Safety 20%71
Amenities 15%48
Education 10%90
Commute 10%49
Growth 5%35
Median gross rent
$1,457
7% above the median place
Median household income
$109,253
36% above the median place
Median home value
$412,200
29% above the median place
Unemployment
3.5%
28% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Hoover

  • HousingHomeowners pay a median of about 0.6% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 87% of the 502 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Hoover

Jefferson County loses about 5.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in21,791
Moved out24,602
Net−2,811

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Alabama, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within AlabamaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$67K
Leavers$73K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Jefferson County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.8% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.9% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Jefferson County report $66,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $72,800, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$58,300 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,457 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,209 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $412,200.
Getting to work
25 minutes each way on average; 16.1% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Madison, AL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
1.9%
6% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
5.8%
1% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
-5.8
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureHooverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year15.8%1% above
Moved from another state11.9%6% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-5.8below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$66,6746% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$72,7514% above
02

What it costs to live here

After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $95,900 a year, more than in 83% of the 529 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Hoover16.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$58,280
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
16.0%
22% below the median place
Home price to income
3.8x
1% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
16%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$95,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Hoover, $1,457 a month, and local prices for everything else (95.7 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Hoover, but easier on the budget

Places that match Hoover on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Madison, AL9612.9% vs 16.0%$26,000Compare
Perrysburg, OH8712.9% vs 16.0%$5,000Compare
Urbandale, IA8512.9% vs 16.0%$9,600Compare
Papillion, NE8313.6% vs 16.0%$7,800Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Hoover.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Hoover? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
0.6%
34% below the median place
Median year built1
1994
1% above the median place
Median home value1
$412,200
29% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureHooverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,4577% above
Rent to income116.0%22% below
Property tax rate10.6%34% below
Home price to income13.8x1% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure91.69% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,37515% below
HUD area median income4County figure$104,1003% below
Property tax paid (median)1$2,48624% below
Median home value1$412,20029% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.2%31% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure38.3%26% below
Homeownership171.1%7% above
Renters paying 30%+147.0%7% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,20918% above
Vacant homes16.5%7% below
Median year built119941% above
03

Work and pay

Poverty rate is 5.1%, 53% below the median place.

Poverty rate1
5.1%
53% below the median place
Income per person1
$57,551
44% above the median place
Unemployment1
3.5%
28% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$109,253 +36%
Works from home16.1% +29%
Mean commute25 min +1%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureHooverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$109,25336% above
Income per person1$57,55144% above
Unemployment13.5%28% below
Average annual pay6County figure$75,00814% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.8%30% above
Jobs6County figure368,875145% above
Poverty rate15.1%53% below
Mean commute125 min1% above
Works from home116.1%29% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.6%33% below
04

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 62.6%, 95% above the median place.

Bachelor's or higher1
62.6%
95% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
96.4%
4% above the median place
High school or higher1
96.6%
5% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance5.0% −22%
Median age38.4 −2%
Household size2.5 −0%
Born abroad8.9% +1%
All 9 people measures
MeasureHooverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population192,642387th largest
Population change since 202071.1%3% below
Median age138.42% below
Bachelor's or higher162.6%95% above
High school or higher196.6%5% above
Household size12.50% below
Born abroad18.9%1% above
No health insurance15.0%22% below
Homes with broadband196.4%4% above
05

Life in Hoover

OpenStreetMap shows 0.2 libraries per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 89% of the 530 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1850. 188 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents7.2 −29%
Playgrounds per 10k13.8 +47%
Grocery stores per 10k2.7 +27%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k11.3 +2%
Libraries per 10k0.2 −75%
Named paths and bike trails23 km 11.3×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.2 −5%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument 10 miles
  • Freedom Riders National Monument 56 miles
  • Horseshoe Bend National Military Park 69 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.7 +4%
Shops37.3 +23%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.7 −10%
Doctors' offices and clinics21.7 +7%
Child care centers2.3 +0%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site11
10.2
67% below the median place
Public school students14
13,632
178% above the median place
Public schools14
18
100% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureHooverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools1418100% above
Public school students1413,632178% above
Students per teacher1414.65% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure21.74% above
Shops per 10k9County figure37.323% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure3.710% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure21.77% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.30% above
Parks per 10k107.229% below
Playgrounds per 10k1013.847% above
Grocery stores per 10k102.727% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1011.32% above
Libraries per 10k100.275% below
Named paths and bike trails1022.5above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.25% below
Nearest National Park Service site1110.267% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1120% above
National Register listings12County figure188above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

The city police department reported 66 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of the 455 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track.

Violent crime per 100k
66
66% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
1,032
15% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Tornado risk16
99.5
22% above the median place
Annual precipitation15
56.4 in
29% above the median place
Good air days17
43.6%
36% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureHooverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure91°F5% above
January average low15County figure33°F31% above
Average temperature15County figure63°F14% above
Annual precipitation15County figure56.4 in29% above
Natural hazard risk16County figure97.66% above
Hurricane risk16County figure76.68% above
Tornado risk16County figure99.522% above
Wildfire risk16County figure79.129% above
Heat wave risk16County figure97.68% above
Median air quality index17County figure5221% above
Good air days17County figure43.6%36% below
08

Hoover in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 16% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 16% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Hoover does better than 67% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 39%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,457/mo (2024)$1,870/mo$1,540 to $2,280/mo+4.3%
Median household income$109,253 (2024)$138,000$116,500 to $163,500+4.0%
Median home value$412,200 (2024)$587,000$426,000 to $808,000+6.1%
Population93,550 (2025)94,67090,810 to 98,700+0.2%

The median home would be worth 4.3 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.8 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Hoover

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Overland Park, KS$1,515$104,834Compare
Wauwatosa, WI$1,438$101,138Compare
Blue Ash, OH$1,555$115,313Compare
Lenexa, KS$1,454$103,239Compare
Lenexa, KSBlue Ash, OHWauwatosa, WIOverland Park, KSHoover, ALHooverOverland ParkWauwatosaBlue AshLenexaHooverOverland ParkWauwatosaBlue AshLenexa

Places built like Hoover

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Hoover performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Hoover, AL16.0%4.1%/yr1.1%
Madison, AL12.9%6.3%/yr19.4%Compare
Edmond, OK15.6%4.8%/yr6.4%Compare
Hendersonville, TN20.4%6.0%/yr4.0%Compare
Collierville, TN14.6%4.0%/yr1.4%Compare
Vestavia Hills, AL13.5%4.2%/yr-2.4%Compare
Shawnee, KS14.4%4.8%/yr3.7%Compare

Common questions

Is Hoover a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 89 out of 100, better than 89% of the places we rate and 7th of 120 in Alabama. Homeowners pay a median of about 0.6% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 87% of the 502 places of 50,000 to 100,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 80 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Hoover expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 16.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $412,200.

What salary do you need to live in Hoover?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $58,280 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Hoover safe?

There were 66 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Hoover?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Overland Park, KS, Wauwatosa, WI, Blue Ash, OH and Lenexa, KS.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Hoover with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Hoover itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/hoover-alabama

Citytistics. “Hoover, Alabama.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/hoover-alabama/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.