The Town Files

Montgomery, Alabama

City in Montgomery County · population 200,603 (2020 Census)

Montgomery, Alabama
Photo: Carol M. Highsmith (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)
Median home
$161,900
Household income
$56,811
Jan low / Jul high
40° / 94°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
32
Median age
36.6

Montgomery is a city of 200,603 people in Montgomery County, Alabama. The median home is worth $161,900, close to the typical Alabama town ($161,250). It ranks more vibrant than 97% of Alabama towns, better for young professionals than 96% of Alabama towns, more walkable than 95% of Alabama towns.

Map: where Montgomery is in AlabamaMontgomery

How Montgomery ranks

Percentile among Alabama towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Alabama towns.

Montgomery lifestyle rankings vs other Alabama townsRetirement28th pctFamilies10th pctQuiet2nd pctWalkability95th pctFirst-time buyers63rd pctYoung professionals96th pctVibrancy97th pctHip & trendy90th pctCollege town69th pctUpscale76th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling89th pctTransit90th pctDriving20th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Montgomery is worth $161,900, close to the typical Alabama town ($161,250). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $56,811, which is more affordable than 56% of Alabama towns. Median rent is $1,089 a month. 54.4% of households own their home.

Montgomery vs Montgomery County vs typical Alabama townMontgomeryMontgomery CountyTypical Alabama townHome value$161,900$171,900$161,250Household income$56,811$59,386$56,250Monthly rent$1,089$1,092$834
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Alabama towns with 500+ people.
HousingMontgomeryTypical Alabama town
Median home value$161,900$161,250
Median rent$1,089$834
Median household income$56,811$56,250
Home value ÷ income2.8×2.8×
Homeownership54.4%71.3%
Median year built19781981
Seasonal / vacation homes0.3%—

Who lives in Montgomery

PeopleMontgomeryTypical Alabama town
Median age36.639.9
Age 65 and over16.0%18.1%
Under 1824.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher33.8%17.3%
Below the poverty line21.5%16.7%
Veterans8.5%—
Born outside the U.S.5.8%—
Work from home8.0%5.1%
Average commute20.7 min26.1 min
Homes with broadband90.3%86.7%

Weather in Montgomery

July highs average 94.2°F and January lows 40.0°F. About 51.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.3 inches of snow (typical Alabama town: 0.6 in). Expect about 92 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 40 nights at or below freezing.

Montgomery monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°100°60°40°Jan65°43°Feb72°50°Mar79°56°Apr86°64°May92°71°Jun94°75°Jul94°74°Aug89°69°Sep80°57°Oct70°46°Nov62°41°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue5.20.15.14.90.24.23.94.34.63.93.63.14.34.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Montgomery 6Sw station (6.8 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

32 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Montgomery since 1950, compared with 30 for the typical Alabama town. 10 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 3, 1984 about 7.7 miles from the town center and killed 5. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 9 deaths and 92 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on December 29, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Montgomery by decade11950s11960s31970s31980s61990s72000s32010s82020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 46 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on April 23, 1971.

Severe weather in Montgomery County since 1996

Storm events in Montgomery County since 1996 by typeHail87Heat65Flood8Drought70Tornado43Lightning11Flash Flood42Funnel Cloud5
NOAA Storm Events Database, Montgomery County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 13 deaths recorded.

Montgomery County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 26, 2024HurricaneEM-3618: Hurricane Helene
September 14, 2020HurricaneEM-3545: Hurricane Sally
March 29, 2020BiologicalDR-4503: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3472: Covid-19
October 12, 2018HurricaneEM-3407: Hurricane Michael

Jobs and pay in Montgomery County

Montgomery County had 132,903 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $61,610 a year. Unemployment was 2.8% in 2023; in Montgomery itself the ACS puts it at 6.4%.

Largest industries in Montgomery CountyManufacturing15,108 jobs · $73,013Health care & social assistan…12,310 jobs · $61,198Retail11,705 jobs · $38,368Hotels & restaurants10,522 jobs · $23,880Administrative & support9,688 jobs · $36,311Professional & technical serv…6,364 jobs · $93,394
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Montgomery County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Montgomery 2.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Montgomery

54 public schools with 27,549 students, about 19.2 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Johnson Abernathy Graetz High School9-121,59220.2
Percy Julian High School9-121,26019.4
Carver Senior High School9-121,11117.4
Park Crossing High School9-1287116.4
Brewbaker Middle School6-886120.5
Brewbaker Primary SchoolPK-275816.1
Goodwyn Middle School6-875722.3
Carr Middle School6-872520.1
Dalraida Elementary SchoolPK-566920.3
Capitol Heights Middle School6-861920.6
Bellingrath Middle School (charter)6-8615—
Halcyon Elementary SchoolPK-561517.1

Towns near Montgomery

Montgomery questions

Is Montgomery, Alabama a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Montgomery scores better for retirees than 28% of Alabama towns and quieter than 2%. 16.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.6).

How much does a house cost in Montgomery?

The median owner-occupied home in Montgomery is valued at $161,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $56,811, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $1,089 a month.

What is the weather like in Montgomery?

July highs average 94.2°F and January lows 40.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 51.8 inches of precipitation a year and 0.3 inches of snow.

Does Montgomery get tornadoes?

32 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Montgomery since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 3, 1984. The typical Alabama town has had 30.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Montgomery's Census boundary (GEOID 0151000). Comparisons use the median of Alabama towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.