Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Birmingham spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Birmingham’s city government spent $533.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $2,709 per resident. Water and other utilities ($123 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Birmingham is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Birmingham
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: birminghamal.gov ↗
Birmingham’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on birminghamal.gov ↗.
About $2,709 per resident a year, or $7.42 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$2,304 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Birmingham’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,304 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 200 Alabama cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $700, and the middle half spent $308–$1,281. Birmingham spent more than 96% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Alabama cities that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Birmingham itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Birmingham reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $2,304 · 2023: $2,571 · 2024: $2,709. Per resident it went from $2,304 to $2,709 (up 18%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 206,950 to 196,910.
full-time in March 2025, up from 3,959 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $997 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.63% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Birmingham’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Birmingham’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Birmingham →
One full-time city employee for every 48 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (196,910).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Birmingham City School District
Birmingham’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,894 per pupil, $8,632 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Alabama districts overall: 31% local, 53% state, 16% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Birmingham’s votes are counted by county
Alabama reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Birmingham alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jefferson County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat54.3%162,112 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican43.9%131,123 votesOthers: 1.8% (5,469 votes).
Most votes in Jefferson County: Kamala D Harris
Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%
99% of Birmingham lies in Jefferson County; the rest in Shelby County. Every 2024 race in Jefferson County is on the county’s page.
Jefferson County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Birmingham sends 12 representatives to the Alabama House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorRandall Woodfinas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Alabama HouseBirmingham is split between 12 districts
- 3Alabama SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Alabama
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Birmingham compares with the towns next door
Birmingham spent $2,304 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $629 to $2,139. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Irondale | $629 | $1,223 |
| Vestavia Hills | $1,292 | $4,105 |
| Mountain Brook | $1,768 | $8,005 |
| Trussville | $1,857 | $1,842 |
| Homewood | $2,139 | $3,478 |
| Center Point | estimate | $873 |
| Hoover | estimate | $2,486 |
| Leeds | estimate | $1,000 |
| Birmingham | $2,304 | $997 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Birmingham’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Birmingham’s government
How much does Birmingham spend per resident?
About $2,709 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,304 was more than 96% of 200 Alabama cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Birmingham?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $997 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.63% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see birminghamal.gov.
Who is the mayor of Birmingham?
Randall Woodfin, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on birminghamal.gov.
How did Birmingham vote in 2024?
Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Birmingham alone. Jefferson County, where 99% of Birmingham lies, voted Harris 54.3%, Trump 43.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Birmingham?
4,104 full-time and 177 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $27.4M (about $328.9M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Birmingham in the state legislature?
Birmingham is split among 12 State House districts and 5 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Alabama Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Birmingham’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →