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Alabama›Jefferson County
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McDonald ChapelAL

A town of 651.

Population
651
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$62K
+0.8% in a year
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
26.9
years
Jobs based here
12
A commuter town

Is McDonald Chapel a good place to live?

Only one of the 166 Alabama towns we compare has a lower typical home value than McDonald Chapel. McDonald Chapel has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

651 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Pleasant Grove · 3 miMulga · 3 miFairfield · 3 miMaytown · 4 miMidfield · 4 miSylvan Springs · 5 mi
BirminghamEdgewaterPleasant GroveBirminghamEdgewaterPleasant GroveMcDonald Chapel
Nearby attractions

Legion Field and 22 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around McDonald Chapel. Close and well known come first.

All 29 attractions →
6 mi Stadium & arenaLegion Field8 mi Stadium & arenaProtective Stadium9 mi MuseumSloss Furnaces7 mi Stadium & arenaLegacy Arena31 mi LakeLewis Smith Lake10 mi Theme parkAlabama Adventure & Splash Adventure
Sources: 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

Getting set up

Moving to McDonald Chapel: who provides what

McDonald Chapel is unincorporated, so Jefferson County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerAlabama Power17.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCentral Alabama Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesJefferson CountyJefferson County provides services here
SchoolsJefferson County School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereJefferson - Bessemer County Circuit ClerkJefferson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP code3522435224 100%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 McDonald Chapel.

Housing

Homes in McDonald Chapel are worth about $62K, by Zillow’s estimate

In McDonald Chapel, 44% of households live in a home they own. Its midpoint rent comes in at $1,084 a month.

$62KZillow home value
McDonald ChapelAlabama townsU.S. towns
Households that own their home44%69%73%
Median rent$1,084 a month$940 a month$1,185 a month

Typical home value

McDonald Chapel$62K
Alabama$239K
+0.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Full pageMcDonald Chapel’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page
Prices over the yearsUp 0.8% in a yearYears of income to buyA typical home costs 1.1 years of incomeRents$1,084 a month · Median rentVs. the neighbors3 bordering towns

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Work & commute

McDonald Chapel has 0.0 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out

13% of McDonald Chapel residents live below the poverty line. In McDonald Chapel, the average trip to work is 30 minutes, above both Alabama’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). For half of commuters, work is under 10 miles away. The top destinations are Birmingham (39%), Bessemer (8%) and Hoover (5%).

0%work in town
McDonald ChapelAlabama townsU.S. towns
Average trip to work30 minutes25 minutes25 minutes
Median household income$57,000$62,000$80,000
Below the poverty line13%16%9.6%

Where working residents work

In McDonald Chapel0%
Birmingham39%
Bessemer8%
Hoover5%
Homewood3%
10 mi
median commute distance
12
jobs based in McDonald Chapel
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Full pageMcDonald Chapel’s work & commute pageOpen the page
The jobs here12 jobs based here · A commuter townWhere people work0% work in McDonald ChapelCommute times30 minutes · The average commuteHow far they goHalf commute less than 10 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

McDonald Chapel: mild winters and hot summers

The peak summer temperature is 91°F, against 91°F in Alabama’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns.

1″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter35–57°
Spring50–75°
Summer69–90°
Fall52–75°
Nov 10
typical first frost
Mar 23
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pageMcDonald Chapel’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 91°, January lows 33°Rain & snow1″ of snow a winter · 56 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingBoth heating and coolingThen and now+0.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazards

McDonald Chapel faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

FEMA puts 54% of McDonald Chapel’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 21% to tornadoes. Compared with 63% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is higher.

63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
63High riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
Full pageMcDonald Chapel’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesHigh riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters36 disaster declarations · Declared for the countyGet ready4.2 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Health

How healthy McDonald Chapel is

The share of adults in McDonald Chapel who have obesity: 42%. CDC measures, 32 in all: McDonald Chapel beats Alabama on 1 and trails on 15. In McDonald Chapel, 19% of adults have diabetes, and 30% worry about having enough food. Only 10 of the 188 Alabama towns we compare have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than McDonald Chapel.

McDonald ChapelAlabama townsU.S. towns
Feel lonely (CDC PLACES)41%36%33%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)19%15%12%
Food insecurity (CDC PLACES)30%19%14%
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)36%30%25%
32 measures vs. Alabama
1 better16 too close to call15 worse
What stands outMcDonald ChapelAL
Fewer adults who have had cancer6.5%8.2%
More adults facing food insecurity29.7%19.2%
Princeton Baptist Medical Center
5.5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
Full pageMcDonald Chapel’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore adults who get no exerciseHospitals & doctors nearby5.5 miles to an ER · Princeton Baptist Medical CenterHow adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor healthEvery CDC estimateBetter than AL on 1 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about McDonald Chapel

14pages on McDonald Chapel
The big questions
HealthBetter than AL on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of living$62K typical home · up 0.8% in a yearWork & commute$57K median household income · 12 jobs hereNatural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 63% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
PlacesAttractions29 nearby · Legion Field 6 miLibraryBirmingham Public - Wylam BranchCollegesMiles College is 3 mi away
The story
Climate91° summer highs · 1″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookTown SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

6 within 15 miles of the center of McDonald Chapel

Miles CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Fairfield3 mi$13,314 tuitionLawson State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Birmingham5.5 mi$5,040 in-state tuitionUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamUniversity or college · Public · Birmingham8 mi$9,098 in-state tuition

About 3 of every 100 McDonald Chapel residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

100% of working residents leave McDonald Chapel for work

Where McDonald Chapel’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

39% → Birmingham Birmingham 39% 8% → Bessemer Bessemer 8% 5% → Hoover Hoover 5% 3% → Homewood Homewood 3% 3% → Mountain Brook Mountain Brook 3% 3% → Vestavia Hills Vestavia Hills 3% McDonald Chapel · 0% stay
12jobs based in McDonald Chapel
0%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About McDonald Chapel

CDP in Alabama, United States

McDonald Chapel is a census-designated place in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. It is northeast of the Birmingham suburb of Pleasant Grove. At the 2020 census, the population was 739. Large portions of this area were damaged by violent tornadoes in 1956, 1977, 1998, and 2011. The 1977 and 1998 tornadoes were rated F5 on the Fujita scale.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
1.1 sq mi
Elevation
584 ft

Questions about McDonald Chapel

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is McDonald Chapel, AL a good place to live?

McDonald Chapel has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.