Side-by-side comparison of Mobile, AL and Birmingham, AL — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: Mobile has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 5.78% compared to Birmingham's 5.54%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $155,000 in Mobile vs $185,000 in Birmingham, while rents come in at $980/mo and $1,120/mo respectively.
Growth & appreciation: Birmingham is growing faster at 0.3% annually vs Mobile's 0.1%. Birmingham leads on home value appreciation at 2.1% per year.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 0.44% in Mobile vs 0.42% in Birmingham. Vacancy rates of 7.5% and 7% are mixed — Birmingham has the tighter rental market.
Bottom line: Birmingham edges out Mobile on most key metrics. With a 5.54% cap rate, it offers solid cash flow potential. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Mobile or Birmingham.