Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 62/100
C
Median home value$252,600
Birmingham $240,200
Median rent$1,299/mo
Birmingham $1,172/mo
Cost-burdened households21%
Birmingham 27%
Gardendale
Jefferson County16,534 residentsJefferson County
55
C−
Suburbgrade score
12th of 22 Birmingham suburbs. Strongest on cost of living, held back by amenities.
55
Birmingham median 55
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Gardendale yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 55 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What Gardendale is like to live in, by category
Bars show Gardendale against Birmingham. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 41/100
D−
Within-state proficiency24th pct
Birmingham median 69th pct
Student–teacher ratio18.2
Birmingham median 17.0
Graduation rate93%
Birmingham median 93%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 71/100
B−
Housing cost index106
Birmingham 100
Eff. tax rate0.46%
Birmingham 0.48%
Local sales tax9.46%
Birmingham median 9.46%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 54/100
C−
Mean commute26.2 min
Birmingham 27.0 min
Under 30 minutes67%
Birmingham 59%
Transit stops / sq mi0.0
Birmingham median 0.0 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 39/100
D−
Restaurants & cafés27
Birmingham median 12 · within 2 miles
Groceries2
Birmingham median 2 · within 2 miles
Parks3
Birmingham median 7 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 63/100
C+
Median household income$82,192
Birmingham $71,498
Unemployment3.4%
Birmingham 4.5%
Professional occupations46%
Birmingham 42%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for Gardendale yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than Gardendale on amenities
Gardendale's weakest grade is D−. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same six inputs.
SuburbAmenitiesOverall
Homewood15 mi from GardendaleB+ 78 B+ Hoover21 mi from GardendaleB 71 B− Birmingham10 mi from GardendaleB 51 D+ Vestavia Hills15 mi from GardendaleD+ 72 B− Mountain Brook13 mi from GardendaleD 75 B Bessemer23 mi from GardendaleD 37 F Restaurants & cafés: OpenStreetMap Sep 2026 · Groceries: OpenStreetMap Sep 2026
Common questions about living in Gardendale
Is Gardendale, AL a good place to live?
Gardendale scores 55 out of 100, 12th of 22 Birmingham suburbs. It is strongest on cost of living and weakest on amenities. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is Gardendale expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades B−. The median home is $252,600, 5% above the Birmingham median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.46%. $1,299/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Gardendale?
Schools grade D−. The districts serving Gardendale sit at the 24th pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 93% graduation rate and a 18.2 student–teacher ratio. Gardendale is served by Jefferson County. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Gardendale?
The mean commute is 26.2 min, with 67% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 12% working from home. Transit density is 0.0 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Gardendale?
Within two miles there are 2 groceries, 27 restaurants and cafés and 3 parks, which grades D− on amenities.
Are the homes in Gardendale old or new?
The median home in Gardendale was built in 1988 — newer than the Birmingham median of 1983. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 77% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.