Cost of living in Vestavia Hills research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Vestavia Hills is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Alabama, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Vestavia Hills is 126, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Vestavia Hills is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Vestavia Hills ranks as the #117 cheapest in Alabama out of 119.
Vestavia Hills ranks as the #4,776 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Vestavia Hills is $544,164.
The median income in Vestavia Hills is $129,171.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Vestavia Hills has an overall cost of living index of 126, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alabama, Vestavia Hills has a cost of living index that's 1.4x higher than Alabama's index of 90.
The standard of living in Vestavia Hills ranks as #117 most affordable out of the 119 places we measured in Alabama. By definition, that implies Vestavia Hills ranks as the #2 most expensive place in the Heart of Dixie.
For more reading on life in Vestavia Hills, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Vestavia Hills. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Vestavia Hills is 99.
The Groceries index in Vestavia Hills is 99.
The Health index in Vestavia Hills is 95.
The Housing index in Vestavia Hills is 186.
The Transportation index in Vestavia Hills is 93.
The Utilities index in Vestavia Hills is 109.
| Living Expense | Vestavia Hills | Alabama | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 126 | 90 | 100 | |
| Services | 99 | 97 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 99 | 98 | 100 | |
| Health | 95 | 86 | 100 | |
| Housing | 186 | 74 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 93 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 109 | 102 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Alabama, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Vestavia Hills is $544,164.
The Median Rent in Vestavia Hills is $1,455.
The Median Income in Vestavia Hills is $129,171.
The Home Value To Income in Vestavia Hills is 4.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Vestavia Hills is 0.14x.
| Statistic | Vestavia Hills | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $544,164 | $232,780 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,455 | $963 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $129,171 | $62,027 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 4.2x | 3.8x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.14x | 0.19x | 0.21x |
| Item | Vestavia Hills | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.33 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $12.54 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $16.37 | $18 |
| Haircut | $20.07 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $45.74 | $45.56 |
| Item | Vestavia Hills | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.01 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.66 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.54 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.23 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $10.99 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.4 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.76 | $3.7 |
| Item | Vestavia Hills | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $92.33 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $101.83 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $125.78 | $113.29 |
| Item | Vestavia Hills | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.13 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $54.52 | $59.92 |
| Item | Vestavia Hills | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $219.4 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $188.55 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Vestavia Hills. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Birmingham, AL has a cost of living index of 90, 0.7x Vestavia Hills.
Hoover, AL has a cost of living index of 111, 0.9x Vestavia Hills.
Homewood, AL has a cost of living index of 123, 1.0x Vestavia Hills.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Vestavia Hills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | 199,322 | 90 | 0.7x |
| Hoover, AL | 92,401 | 111 | 0.9x |
| Homewood, AL | 27,697 | 123 | 1.0x |
| Trussville, AL | 26,182 | 109 | 0.9x |
| Bessemer, AL | 25,655 | 88 | 0.7x |
| Mountain Brook, AL | 22,160 | 161 | 1.3x |
| Hueytown, AL | 16,541 | 91 | 0.7x |
| Center Point, AL | 16,125 | 89 | 0.7x |
| Chelsea, AL | 15,731 | 109 | 0.9x |
| Irondale, AL | 13,462 | 96 | 0.8x |