Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.02,061 homes sold in Birmingham in the last year, at a typical $175K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Birmingham homes are listed.
Every place Birmingham homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Birmingham.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
10% of Birmingham’s sales are condos, at $96K more than a house
1782 houses and 207 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 1782 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $104AL $155
- Days to sell
- 61
- Sold over asking
- 21%
- Listings with a price cut
- 26%
typical sale · 207 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $239AL $349
- Days to sell
- 74
- Sold over asking
- 10%
- Listings with a price cut
- 18%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 34 sold, typical $186K
Townhouses: 38 sold, typical $294K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.5 times the 2016 price
2,061 sales in the last year, against 2,985 in 2021 and a low of 1,826 in 2013. The typical sale went from $120K in 2016 to $175K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $150K buys in Birmingham
Check a listing against what Birmingham homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Birmingham are rarer than before the pandemic, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Birmingham’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 2,061 sales.
If you’re buying in Birmingham
- Shop in October. It brings about 244 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (24% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 24% of listings have cut their price, against 16% before the pandemic.
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 95.6% of the list price on average; 19% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 27% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 62 days.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
April has the most new listings (about 302 a month), but June is the most competitive: 32% of June sales close over asking. September and October offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (26%). December has the least competition (21%) but only about 168 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like Alabama as a whole
| Birmingham now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | AL now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 19% | 26% | 35% | 17% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 27% | 28% | 41% | 26% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 24% | 16% | 13% | 23% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 95.6% | 95.7% | 98.4% | 97.4% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 62 | 63 | 46 | 66 |
981 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.6 times the 2012 low (596) and 21% more than in 2017–19.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
24% in the last year, against 16% in 2017–19 and 23% across Alabama. More sellers are pricing high and coming down.
Since 2019, houses are up 33%, condos 30%
A house typically sold for $164K in the last year (1782 sales), a condo for $260K (207).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Birmingham ranks 42nd of 119 busy Alabama markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Birmingham is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Birmingham home costs about $1,005 a month
Price: Birmingham’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Birmingham’s 0.6% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Birmingham is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in April
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 168.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $175K home, about $1,100 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Birmingham, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in BirminghamTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Birmingham.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Tarrant and Forestdale sell for less a square foot; Mountain Brook, Homewood, Fultondale and Vestavia Hills for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Birmingham, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 2,061 | $175K | $115 | 19% | 62 |
| Vestavia Hills | 629 | $566K | $219 | 35% | 45 |
| Homewood | 357 | $545K | $315 | 37% | 35 |
| Mountain Brook | 348 | $981K | $320 | 49% | 19 |
| Fultondale | 145 | $255K | $144 | 27% | 62 |
| Forestdale | 109 | $172K | $96 | 29% | 78 |
| Tarrant | 48 | $82K | $64 | 17% | 84 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Birmingham, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Birmingham. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Birmingham with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Birmingham
What do homes sell for in Birmingham, AL?
2,061 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $175K, $115 a square foot. Houses sold for about $164K, condos for about $260K.
Is Birmingham a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 952 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 177 sold, about 5.4 months of supply. Buyers paid 95.6% of asking on average, and 24% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Birmingham?
April brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Birmingham?
About 0.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $175K home that’s near $1,100.
Where can I see homes for sale in Birmingham?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Birmingham’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Birmingham.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).