Moving from Washington, DC to Birmingham, AL
Washington to Birmingham is a move of about 798 miles. Median rent is $1,172 a month in Birmingham and $2,027 in Washington, and the median home is $240,200 against $579,900. State income tax is up to 5.00% in Birmingham and up to 10.75% in Washington. Property tax runs 0.48% of home value in Birmingham and 0.91% in Washington.
Moving to Birmingham costs about
$1,140/mo
less than Washington each month, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
The move pays for itself in about 3 months
Moving costs somewhere around $2,426, and Birmingham runs about $1,140 a month cheaper. After roughly 3 months you are ahead.
Washington vs Birmingham at a glance
| Washington | Birmingham | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $579,900 | $240,200 |
| Median rent | $2,027/mo | $1,172/mo |
| State income tax | Up to 10.75% | Up to 5.00% |
| Property tax rate | 0.91% | 0.48% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 105 | 96 |
| Utilities | 107 | 84 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
Monthly cost of living: Washington vs Birmingham
| Monthly | Washington | Birmingham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent)Biggest factor | $2,027 | $1,172 | -$855 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $319 | $311 | -$8 |
| Local income tax (state average) | None | $7 | +$7 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $94 | $58 | -$36 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,922 | $1,767 | -$155 |
| Utilities | $436 | $342 | -$94 |
| Total | -$1,141 | ||
Cost to move from Washington to Birmingham
$2,000 to $4,600
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $550 to $850, against roughly $250 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 2-day trip yourself.
Housing and everyday prices here are for the metro area. Income and sales tax are set by state law and have no metro equivalent, so those come from District of Columbia and Alabama. Compare the whole states instead to see how each metro sits against the state it is in.
Run this with your own numbers
What jobs pay in Birmingham, after the cost of living
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Housing and price figures are metro-area medians or averages; income and sales tax are statewide. Neither will match any particular household.