What it's like to live in Gardendale
Gardendale is a small city in Alabama with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Gardendale deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, larger class sizes than the national average, above-average rainfall, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Gardendale compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Gardendale
Based on Gardendale's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,598
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $51,960 a year
- 50% of Gardendale renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$50,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,260
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,299/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,299 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $252,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $252,600 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Jefferson County is 2.9%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Jefferson County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 41% below US
194 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1398/100k · Gardendale Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 33°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 13% below US
31% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 31% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument (11 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Gardendale's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and above-average rainfall. A year of median rent ($1,299/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low) and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Gardendale
All Alabama guides →Moving to Center Point →
7 mi away · pop. 15,914
Rent $1,218/mo · Income $56,417
Compare with Gardendale →Moving to Birmingham →
10 mi away · pop. 198,173
Rent $1,107/mo · Income $46,051
Compare with Gardendale →Moving to Irondale →
12 mi away · pop. 13,464
Rent $1,320/mo · Income $72,343
Compare with Gardendale →Not sure Gardendale is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.