CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.30° N · 87.03° W · GEOID 0145040

McCalla

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

AlabamaMcCalla, ALMcCallaMcCalla

The short answer

McCalla is home to 13,253 people. Median household income is $87,468 a year and median rent is $1,777 a month, 24.4% 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 $279,900, about 3.2x annual median household income.

McCalla stands out on value for money. Rent run 34% above what its fundamentals predict in the same metro area. Also notable: Owning with a mortgage costs about $140 a month less than the median rent, a rarer pattern than in 97% of places its size.

39OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

McCalla scores better than 39% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 61st of 120 in Alabama.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%46
Economy 20%65
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%19
Education 10%55
Commute 10%38
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,777
30% above the median place
Median household income
$87,468
9% above the median place
Median home value
$279,900
12% below the median place
Unemployment
3.9%
21% 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 McCalla

  • Life nearbyAbout 18 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, more than in 92% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
  • HousingHalf the homes were built after 2003, newer housing than in 92% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to McCalla

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
4.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.9% from another state. County figure.
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
$71,100 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,777 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,637 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $279,900.
Getting to work
27 minutes each way on average; 14.1% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Atoka, TN matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-5.8
below the median place (median -0.6)
Moved here in the past year1
4.7%
18% below the median place
Income of households moving in7
$66,674
6% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureMcCallaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.7%18% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.9%2% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-5.8below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$66,6746% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$72,7514% above
02

What it costs to live here

Compared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Oakland, TN, Atoka, TN and Oakbrook, KY), money left after rent here is lower: $69,100 against a typical $84,500.

McCalla24.4%
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
$71,080
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
24.4%
20% above the median place
Home price to income
3.2x
16% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
25%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$68,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in McCalla, $1,777 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 McCalla, but easier on the budget

Places that match McCalla 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
Atoka, TN9616.6% vs 24.4%$9,900Compare
Newcastle, OK9414.2% vs 24.4%$16,300Compare
La Plata, MD9415.4% vs 24.4%$33,100Compare
Spanish Springs, NV9318.5% vs 24.4%$38,900Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to McCalla? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
90.3%
36% above the median place
Median year built1
2003
1% above the median place
Property tax rate1
0.6%
40% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureMcCallaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,77730% above
Rent to income124.4%20% above
Property tax rate10.6%40% below
Home price to income13.2x16% 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$1,54953% below
Median home value1$279,90012% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.2%31% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure38.3%26% below
Homeownership190.3%36% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure53.5%6% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,63713% below
Vacant homes16.8%4% below
Median year built120031% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Unemployment1
3.9%
21% below the median place
Mean commute1
27 min
9% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Works from home14.1% +13%
Income per person$43,491 +9%
Median household income$87,468 +9%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureMcCallaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$87,4689% above
Income per person1$43,4919% above
Unemployment13.9%21% below
Average annual pay6County figure$75,00814% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.8%30% above
Jobs6County figure368,875145% above
Poverty rate1County figure15.7%46% above
Mean commute127 min9% above
Works from home114.1%13% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 98.0%, 6% above the median place.

Homes with broadband1
98.0%
6% above the median place
Born abroad1
3.2%
64% below the median place
Median age1
42.3
8% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher95.2% +3%
No health insurance7.9% +23%
Bachelor's or higher34.5% +8%
Household size2.5 +2%
All 8 people measures
MeasureMcCallaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population113,2533309th largest
Median age142.38% above
Bachelor's or higher134.5%8% above
High school or higher195.2%3% above
Household size12.52% above
Born abroad13.2%64% below
No health insurance17.9%23% above
Homes with broadband198.0%6% above
05

Life in McCalla

OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 120 Alabama places we track.

2 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Five Mile Creek Bridge listed 1973
  • Sadler House listed 1975

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents4.5 −55%
Playgrounds per 10k4.5 −52%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails18 km 8.8×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

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 19 miles
  • Freedom Riders National Monument 69 miles
  • Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail 73 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.

Public schools12
4
56% below the median place
Students per teacher12
17.9
16% above the median place
Nearest National Park Service site10
19.3
37% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureMcCallaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12456% below
Public school students123,46129% below
Students per teacher1217.916% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure21.74% above
Shops per 10k8County figure37.323% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.710% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure21.77% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.30% above
Parks per 10k94.555% below
Playgrounds per 10k94.552% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails917.6above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1019.337% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10150% below
National Register listings11285% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Tornado risk is 99.5, 22% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached McCalla. Larger places are fetched first.

Tornado risk14
99.5
22% above the median place
Annual precipitation13
56.4 in
29% above the median place
Good air days15
43.6%
36% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureMcCallaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure91°F5% above
January average low13County figure33°F31% above
Average temperature13County figure63°F14% above
Annual precipitation13County figure56.4 in29% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure97.66% above
Hurricane risk14County figure76.68% above
Tornado risk14County figure99.522% above
Wildfire risk14County figure79.129% above
Heat wave risk14County figure97.68% above
Median air quality index15County figure5221% above
Good air days15County figure43.6%36% below
08

McCalla in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 25% of the median income in 2030, up from 24% 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, McCalla does better than 45% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 51%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,777/mo (2024)$2,300/mo$1,890 to $2,810/mo+4.4%
Median household income$87,468 (2024)$111,000$94,000 to $131,500+4.1%
Median home value$279,900 (2024)$402,000$291,000 to $553,000+6.2%

The median home would be worth 3.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.2 now.

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

09

Places like McCalla

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

PlaceRentIncome
Oakbrook, KY$1,665$94,652Compare
Linglestown, PA$1,618$92,558Compare
Palmyra, NJ$1,696$89,574Compare
DeSoto, TX$1,666$82,782Compare
DeSoto, TXPalmyra, NJLinglestown, PAOakbrook, KYMcCalla, ALMcCallaOakbrookLinglestownPalmyraDeSotoMcCallaOakbrookLinglestownPalmyraDeSoto

Places built like McCalla

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 McCalla performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
McCalla, AL24.4%5.3%/yrn/a
Oakland, TN24.4%5.4%/yr20.6%Compare
Atoka, TN16.6%-0.4%/yr6.3%Compare
Oakbrook, KY21.1%2.9%/yrn/aCompare
Alexandria, KY14.0%4.7%/yr6.2%Compare
Hernando, MS20.3%-0.6%/yr9.8%Compare
Meridianville, AL16.6%3.9%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is McCalla a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 39 out of 100, better than 39% of the places we rate and 61st of 120 in Alabama. About 18 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, more than in 92% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. Half the homes were built after 2003, newer housing than in 92% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 58 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is McCalla expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 24.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $279,900.

What salary do you need to live in McCalla?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $71,080 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to McCalla?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Oakbrook, KY, Linglestown, PA, Palmyra, NJ and DeSoto, TX.

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. 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.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 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
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. 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 McCalla with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for McCalla itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/mccalla-alabama

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

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