CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.88° N · 86.82° W · GEOID 0171201

Smoke Rise

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

Limited data population under 5,000

AlabamaSmoke Rise, ALSmoke RiseSmoke Rise

The short answer

Smoke Rise is home to 1,471 people. Median household income is $85,882 a year and median rent is $975 a month, 13.6% 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 $201,700, about 2.4x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$975
29% below the median place
Median household income
$85,882
7% above the median place
Median home value
$201,700
37% below the median place
Unemployment
5.0%
2% above 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 Smoke Rise

  • Between the 2019 and 2020 surveys, rent rose 12.5% a year while household income rose -1.9%, so rent outran pay by more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 119 Alabama places.
  • 93% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 95% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 120 Alabama places.
  • Households average 3.16 people, larger than in 93% of places its size. It is the highest of 120 Alabama places.
  • The median rent takes only 13.6% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 90% of places its size.
  • The median home is worth 2.4 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 88% of places its size.
01

Moving to Smoke Rise

Blount County gains about 3.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in2,502
Moved out2,356
Net+146

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Alabama, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within AlabamaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$53K
Leavers$53K

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

Who moves here
4.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Blount County report $53,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $52,900.
Income you would need
$39,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $975 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,652 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $201,700.
Getting to work
38 minutes each way on average; 6.1% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Genoa, IL matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving out7
$52,909
25% below the median place
Income of households moving in7
$53,480
24% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSmoke RiseAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.0%29% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure3.2above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$53,48024% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$52,90925% below
02

What it costs to live here

Homeownership is 93.3%, 41% above the median place.

Smoke Rise13.6%
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
$39,000
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
13.6%
33% below the median place
Home price to income
2.4x
38% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
14%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$77,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Smoke Rise, $975 a month, and local prices for everything else (95.7 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Smoke Rise? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
93.3%
41% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$823
75% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.4%
55% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSmoke RiseAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$97529% below
Rent to income113.6%33% below
Property tax rate10.4%55% below
Home price to income12.4x38% 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$82375% below
Median home value1$201,70037% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure-0.7%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure44.4%14% below
Homeownership193.3%41% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure42.3%16% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,65212% below
Vacant homes1County figure11.0%56% above
Median year built119770% below
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%)
Mean commute1
38 min
53% above the median place
Income per person1
$35,703
11% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSmoke RiseAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$85,8827% above
Income per person1$35,70311% below
Unemployment1County figure5.0%2% above
Average annual pay6County figure$47,84227% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.7%27% above
Jobs6County figure9,22994% below
Poverty rate1County figure12.9%19% above
Mean commute138 min53% above
Works from home1County figure6.1%51% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 78.3%, 15% below the median place.

Homes with broadband1
78.3%
15% below the median place
Household size1
3.2
26% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
15.5%
52% below the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureSmoke RiseAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,4716646th largest
Median age135.98% below
Bachelor's or higher115.5%52% below
High school or higher190.3%2% below
Household size13.226% above
Born abroad1County figure5.0%43% below
No health insurance1County figure10.3%61% above
Homes with broadband178.3%15% below
05

Life in Smoke Rise

5 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k27.2 2.9×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
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.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars10.2 −51%
Shops22.3 −26%
Arts, recreation and fitness1.3 −68%
Doctors' offices and clinics7.6 −62%
Child care centers1.8 −22%

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

Restaurants and bars per 10k8
10.2
51% below the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
1.3
68% below the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
7.6
62% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureSmoke RiseAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure20122% above
Public school students11County figure8,98083% above
Students per teacher11County figure18.319% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure10.251% below
Shops per 10k8County figure22.326% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure1.368% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure7.662% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.822% below
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k927.2189% above
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 trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure562% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Annual precipitation is 57.2 in, 31% 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 Smoke Rise. Larger places are fetched first.

Annual precipitation12
57.2 in
31% above the median place
Natural hazard risk13
68.5
26% below the median place
Good air days14
43.0%
37% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSmoke RiseAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure90°F3% above
January average low12County figure32°F28% above
Average temperature12County figure62°F12% above
Annual precipitation12County figure57.2 in31% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure68.526% below
Hurricane risk13County figure63.011% below
Tornado risk13County figure92.013% above
Wildfire risk13County figure65.06% above
Heat wave risk13County figure69.523% below
Median air quality index14Metro figure5221% above
Good air days14Metro figure43.0%37% below
08

Smoke Rise in 2030: where the trends point

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.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$85,882 (2024)$106,000$89,500 to $125,000+3.5%
Median home value$201,700 (2024)$282,000$204,000 to $388,000+5.7%

The median home would be worth 2.7 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.3 now.

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

09

Places like Smoke Rise

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

PlaceRentIncome
Genoa, IL$940$82,128Compare
Fort Stockton, TX$974$84,784Compare
Troy, MO$1,033$79,012Compare
Excelsior Springs, MO$975$72,609Compare
Excelsior Springs, MOTroy, MOFort Stockton, TXGenoa, ILSmoke Rise, ALSmoke RiseGenoaFort StocktonTroyExcelsior SpringsSmoke RiseGenoaFort StocktonTroyExcelsior Springs

Common questions

Is Smoke Rise a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2020 surveys, rent rose 12.5% a year while household income rose -1.9%, so rent outran pay by more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 119 Alabama places. 93% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 95% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 120 Alabama places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Smoke Rise expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 13.6% 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 $201,700.

What salary do you need to live in Smoke Rise?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $39,000 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Smoke Rise?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Genoa, IL, Fort Stockton, TX, Troy, MO and Excelsior Springs, MO.

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 Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 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
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. 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 Smoke Rise with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Smoke Rise itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/smoke-rise-alabama

Citytistics. “Smoke Rise, Alabama.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/smoke-rise-alabama/

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