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Montgomery vs Birmingham for Rental Property Investing

Side-by-side comparison of Montgomery, AL and Birmingham, AL — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.

Montgomery wins 4–3 across key metrics
Montgomery leads on cash flow (5.67% vs 5.54% cap rate) · Birmingham leads on population growth
Metric
Montgomery, AL
Birmingham, AL
Est. Cap Rate
5.67%
5.54%
Median Home Price
$165,000
$185,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,020
$1,120
1% Rule
0.62%
0.61%
GRM
13.5x
13.8x
Price / Income
3.7x
4.6x
Property Tax Rate
0.41%
0.42%
Vacancy Rate
7.2%
7%
Population Growth
0.2% / yr
0.3% / yr
Annual Appreciation
1.9%
2.1%
Population
200,603
197,575
Median Income
$44,600
$40,100

Montgomery vs Birmingham: Which Is Better for Investors?

Cash flow: Montgomery has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 5.67% compared to Birmingham's 5.54%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $165,000 in Montgomery vs $185,000 in Birmingham, while rents come in at $1,020/mo and $1,120/mo respectively.

Growth & appreciation: Birmingham is growing faster at 0.3% annually vs Montgomery's 0.2%. Birmingham leads on home value appreciation at 2.1% per year.

Costs & risk: Property taxes are 0.41% in Montgomery vs 0.42% in Birmingham. Vacancy rates of 7.2% and 7% are mixed — Birmingham has the tighter rental market.

Bottom line: Montgomery edges out Birmingham on most key metrics. With a 5.67% cap rate, it offers solid cash flow potential. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Montgomery or Birmingham.

Montgomery, AL
5.67% cap rate · $165,000 median · $1,020/mo
Full analysis →
Birmingham, AL
5.54% cap rate · $185,000 median · $1,120/mo
Full analysis →
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