What share of people in Birmingham are on low incomes?

48.2% of residents of Birmingham had incomes below twice the poverty line in 2020-2024, 40th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 28.2%; Alabama: 34.4%).

Poverty and living standards in Birmingham, Alabama: official figures

24.7% of residents of Birmingham (46,738 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 48th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; Alabama: 15.6%).

Poverty rate

24.7%

2020-2024

Child poverty rate (under 18)

40.4%

2020-2024

Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent

55.6%

2020-2024

How many children live in poverty in Birmingham?

40.4% of children under 18 in Birmingham lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (14,886 children), 13th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 16.1%; Alabama: 21.3%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

What is the poverty rate for older people in Birmingham?

By age, the poverty rate in Birmingham was 37.6% for children under 6 and 19.3% for residents aged 60 and over in 2020-2024 (US: 17.2% and 11.0%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many people in Birmingham live in deep poverty?

23,451 people in Birmingham, 12.4% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 56th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many renters in Birmingham are cost-burdened?

55.6% of renting households in Birmingham spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (24,960 households), 294th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 51.1%; Alabama: 48.8%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many households in Birmingham spend half their income on rent?

29.9% of renting households in Birmingham spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 227th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

How many people in Birmingham are food insecure?

An estimated 32.0% of adults in Birmingham experienced food insecurity in the past year, 32nd highest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 23.6% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copy

How Birmingham compares with other cities in the United States

Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)

Birmingham ranks 48 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Residents below the poverty line
45	Harlingen	25.1%
46	Kalamazoo	24.9%
47	Macon-Bibb County	24.7%
48	Birmingham	24.7%
49	Waterbury	24.7%
50	Terre Haute	24.7%
51	Greenville	24.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Children under 18 below the poverty line (2020-2024)

Birmingham ranks 13 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Children under 18 below the poverty line
10	Jackson	40.9%
11	Dayton	40.6%
12	Troy	40.5%
13	Birmingham	40.4%
14	Harlingen	39.9%
15	Utica	39.4%
16	Reading	39.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Residents with incomes below half the poverty line (2020-2024)

Birmingham ranks 56 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Residents with incomes below half the poverty line
53	Canton	12.5%
54	Buffalo	12.5%
55	Springfield	12.5%
56	Birmingham	12.4%
57	Chico	12.2%
58	Waterbury	12.2%
59	Newark	12.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent (2020-2024)

Birmingham ranks 294 of 823, highest first.

Rank	City	Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent
291	Odessa	55.6%
292	Stockton	55.6%
293	San Leandro	55.6%
294	Birmingham	55.6%
295	Surprise	55.6%
296	Long Beach	55.6%
297	Bristol	55.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copy

Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) (2023)

Birmingham ranks 32 of 592, highest first.

Rank	City	Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate)
29	El Monte	32.5%
30	South Gate	32.4%
31	Paramount	32.2%
32	Birmingham	32.0%
33	Watsonville	31.5%
34	Elizabeth	31.2%
35	Santa Maria	31.1%

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copy

More on Birmingham: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · all cities in the United States

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: PLACES: Place Data (GIS Friendly Format), 2025 release: model-based age-adjusted prevalence among adults, for every place (data.cdc.gov API, columns used), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2174bcc660f…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B17020: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 e79a292f34605560506b7f4b5c8ea242c9d6e203c8e95ba675565ddb7758571e), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 41bab025d213…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C17002: Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 dc3dc675113683ec3ff2a0e29a840f43e03268151d7f14b922658d7306da5187), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 31aa364bfddf…)
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25070: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 862ccc17d913305d11e6f802ce4518d76b30585ea0b05b251cd8cf21f8661386), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4f8d499d9e95…)

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