What salary do I need to afford a house in Birmingham in 2026?

What salary do I need to afford a house in Birmingham in 2026?

The cost of living has grown to historic levels since the pandemic, as home prices and the cost of everyday goods have far outpaced wages. A large portion of this increase has come from housing. The national median sale price hit a record in 2022 and has continued to set new monthly highs nearly every month since, pricing out buyers and sidelining sellers.

Thankfully, Redfin economists predict that affordability will begin to improve this year thanks to rising wages and slower price growth.

So, how much money do you need to make to afford a house in Birmingham, AL? Redfin Real Estate looked at the city's median income and median sale price to determine its overall housing affordability. All data represents the monthly average for January 2026.

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Housing affordability: Birmingham, AL

• Income needed to afford a home: $62,731
• Median household income: $79,932
• Share of income required to afford monthly housing payments: 23.5%
• Share of listings affordable for median earners: 66.1%

Housing affordability: National average

• Income needed to afford a home: $100,925
• Median household income: $87,935
• Share of income required to afford monthly housing payments: 34.4%
• Share of listings affordable for median earners: 44.0%

This story was produced by Redfin and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.