Gardendale Civic Center, 2015
Gardendale’s story
201 years in pictures
Census counts: 4,712 in 1960, 16,044 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1904 on.
- 1825Gardendale is settled
GardendaleAL
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Amcannally · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
16,425
2025 Census estimate · +0% since 2020
Typical home
$268K
+2.2% in a year
Household income
$82K
median
Median age
38.0
years
Jobs based here
4,724
A commuter town
TownGrade
C+
#67 of 187 in AL
Is Gardendale a good place to live?
Gardendale grades C+ overall, 67th among Alabama's 187 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $82K. It also does better than most on health: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 70% of the country. Its lowest everyday mark is in schools: its schools rank behind 69% of the state's. A typical home there costs about $268K, 3.8 years of the Birmingham metro’s $71K median household income. 4.3% of residents live below the poverty line in Gardendale, where Alabama’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The biggest park or preserve is Clemons Complex, at 30 acres. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 71% of U.S. towns.
What makes Gardendale stand out
Where Gardendale beats most towns.
A growing town
Gardendale has grown 16% since 2010
13,893 counted in 2010 and 16,044 in 2020; an estimated 16,425 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 15.5% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Gardendale grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Gardendale is from typical.
Jobs & income4,724 jobs based hereA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.5 of 20; 4.9% of households have no car; 0.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →HealthSt. Vincent's East 10.3 miles awayB+Open →SchoolsCOpen →SafetyCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 43% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 0% conserved landDOpen →History1 notable person born hereCOpen →Civic life3.8 library visits per resident; 2.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 31 attractions →Legion Field and 19 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Gardendale. Close and well known come first.
12 mi Stadium & arenaLegion Field
10 mi Stadium & arenaProtective Stadium
11 mi MuseumSloss Furnaces
11 mi Stadium & arenaLegacy Arena25 mi LakeLewis Smith Lake
11 mi Stadium & arenaBirmingham–Jefferson Convention ComplexSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Legion Field: USGS, Public domain · Protective Stadium: Unknown, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sloss Furnaces: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Legacy Arena: AuburnShuffle, CC0 · Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex: Chris Pruitt, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Gardendale: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gardendale, and how to reach them.
PowerAlabama Power17.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCentral Alabama Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Gardendale’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Alabama you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereJefferson - Bessemer County Circuit ClerkJefferson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP codes35071, 35117, 3521735071 91% · 35117 8% · 35217 1%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Gardendale.
Gardendale is healthier than Mount Olive and its other neighbors and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more, but it has little public open land.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
About one in three of Gardendale’s working residents commute to Birmingham
Most working residents leave Gardendale for work: only 5% work in town. The top destinations are Birmingham (37%), Hoover (6%) and Homewood (6%). Half commute less than 12 miles.
5%work in town
| Gardendale | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 12% | 6.7% | 11% |
| Median household income | $82,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.5% | 10% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Gardendale5%
Birmingham37%
Hoover6%
Homewood6%
Bessemer3%
12 mi
median commute distance
4,724
jobs based in Gardendale
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 29% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsC
Gardendale earns a C for schools
Its public schools are run by the Jefferson County school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Gardendale High School, with 1,076 students.
31%of AL districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bragg Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 731 | B− |
| Gardendale High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,076 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
HealthB+
Gardendale earns a B+ for health
Its B+ for health tops all 3 graded neighbors; Mount Olive (B) comes closest.
34% of Gardendale adults sleep under 7 hours. Gardendale beats the Alabama average on 20 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 12% of Gardendale adults report frequent physical distress.
70%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Gardendale | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 40% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 39% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 24% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Alabama
20 better11 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Gardendale | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.8% | 19.2% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.7% | 8.2% |
St. Vincent's East
10.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
84th
percentile among AL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SafetyC
Crime per resident in Gardendale is higher than in 68% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 447 to 260 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within Alabama, it does better than 64% of towns.
32%of U.S. towns report more crimeCSafety Grade
| Gardendale | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.9 per 1,000 residents | 17 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Gardendale1.9
Alabama3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Gardendale13.9
Alabama15
U.S.15.5
32nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
64th
percentile among AL towns
31
violent crimes reported in 2025
229
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Gardendale
Gardendale has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Gardendale’s July high is 91°F.
1″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–56°
Spring50–74°
Summer68–90°
Fall51–75°
Nov 11
typical first frost
Mar 21
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B
Gardendale earns a B for cost of living
The median property tax bill is $1,277, against $788 across Alabama, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median rent in Gardendale is $1,299 a month. The typical Gardendale home is worth about $268,000, up 2.2% in a year, 12% above the Alabama typical home. 78% of households own their home in Gardendale.
$268KZillow home value
| Gardendale | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 78% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,299 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Gardendale$268K
Alabama$239K
Market temperature
36
days on market
99.1%
sale-to-list price
+2.2%
value change, 1 year
19
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
An age mix much like Alabama’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Alabama average. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 28% across Alabama.
38median age · AL 39.3
| Gardendale | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 25% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 23% | 29% |
| Median age | 38 years | 39.2 years | 40.5 years |
GardendaleAlabamaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school27%
Some college22%
Associate’s12%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
55% women, 45% men
About 82 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.7 points). Across Alabama, 51.4% of residents are women. Median age: women 37.4, men 39.1.
| Gardendale | AL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.9% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.7% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.3% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.7% | 12.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.6% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.6% | 10.7% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8% | 7.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8% | 11.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.9% | 30.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.6% | 20.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.3% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.3% | 17.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.9% | 11.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Gardendale
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1983, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Gardendale.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
8
paid flood claims since 1983
11
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsD
Gardendale has set aside 0.4% of its land for conservation
Just 52 of its 14,714 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Gardendale itself; its outdoors grade is D.
1.4 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
#105for trails in AL
| Gardendale | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 1.2% | 4.3% |
0.4%
conserved · 52 of 14,714 acres
1.4 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clemons Complex | 0.3 mi | 30 |
| 2. Lexington Park Trail Area | 0.3 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gardendale
20pages on Gardendale
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 69% of AL districts · 6 schoolsSafetyC1.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB+Better than AL on 20 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB$268K typical home · up 2.2% in a yearWork & commuteA−$82K median household income · 4,724 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 43% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of Gardendale
Jefferson State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Birmingham6.4 mi$5,100 in-state tuitionStrayer University-AlabamaUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Birmingham11.3 mi$13,920 tuitionUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamUniversity or college · Public · Birmingham11.9 mi$9,098 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Gardendale residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Gardendale for work
Where Gardendale’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
4,724jobs based in Gardendale
5%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Gardendale
City in Alabama, United States
Gardendale is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States and a northern suburb of Birmingham. The population was 16,044 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1825
- Area
- 23 sq mi
- Elevation
- 679 ft
- ZIP code
- 35071
- Area code
- 205
Gardendale’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Gardendale.
FultondaleMount OliveBrooksideGardendale
How the neighbors grade
| Town | AL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardendale | #67 | C+ | B | C | C | B+ |
| Fultondale | #95 | C | B+ | C− | C | B |
| Mount Olive | #47 | B | A | — | C | B |
| Brookside | — | — | A+ | C− | C | B− |
Brookside has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Mount Olive reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Gardendale with a neighbor →
Questions about Gardendale
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gardendale, AL a good place to live?
Gardendale grades C+ overall, better than 43% of U.S. towns and #67 of 187 in Alabama. It grades B+ for health, C for safety and C for schools.
Is Gardendale, AL safe?
Within Alabama, it does better than 64% of towns.
Is Gardendale, AL expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.