What it's like to live in Pike Road
Pike Road is a small city in Alabama with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Pike Road deals with rent well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, hot summers, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Air quality concerns
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Pike Road compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Pike Road
Based on Pike Road's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,306
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $66,120 a year
- 49% of Pike Road renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$76,320
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $38,160
- Homes cost 3.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 17% above US
$1,653/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,653 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $381,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $381,600 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in Montgomery County is 3.1%, 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.
Montgomery County (county-wide)
Safety
239 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Pike Road doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 1075/100k · Policed by Montgomery County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.6 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; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 93°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 42°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 54% above US
55% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site (24 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Pike Road's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,653/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low) and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Pike Road
All Alabama guides →Moving to Montgomery →
11 mi away · pop. 197,494
Rent $1,089/mo · Income $56,811
Compare with Pike Road →Moving to Millbrook →
22 mi away · pop. 17,189
Rent $1,111/mo · Income $70,313
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