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Top 50 rank: 47
Population: 22,297
This Birmingham suburb is a town on the rise. With new residents attracted by its steady job growth and low property taxes, Pelham's population has more than doubled over the past 20 years. The local unemployment rate, at 4.5%, is one of the lowest on the list.
Tucked up against Oak Mountain State Park, Alabama's largest, where visitors can bike, fish, go boating, and more, the area offers no shortage of outdoor adventure. --S.M.
Pelham, AL
Town stats
| Median family income (per year) | $78,027 |
| Job growth % (2010-2012) | 5.80% |
| Median home price (2012) | $135,000 |
| Reading test scores (% above/below average) | 10.4% |
| Math test scores (% above/below average) | 12.3% |
| Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) | 1 |
| Property crime incidents (per 1,000) | 18 |
Financials | |
| Median family income (per year) | $78,027 |
| Family purchasing power (annual, cost-of-living adjusted) | $88,136 |
| Sales tax | 8.00% |
| State income tax rate (highest bracket) | 5.00%I |
| State income tax rate (lowest bracket) | 2.00%I |
| Auto insurance premiums (Average price quotes, for the state) | $1,214 |
| Job growth % (2010-2012) | 5.80% |
Financials
Housing |
| Median home price (2012) | $135,000 |
| Average property taxes (2012) | $1,055 |
Housing
Education |
| Colleges, universities and professional schools (within 30 miles) | 11 |
| Reading test scores (% above/below state average) | 10.4% |
| Test scores math (% above/below average) | 12.3% |
| % students attending public/private schools (located within town limits) | 99.9/0.1 |
Education
Quality of life |
| Air quality index* (% of days AQI ranked as good) | 86.2% |
| Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) | 1 |
| Property crime incidents (per 1,000) | 18 |
| Median commute time (in minutes) | 24.3 |
| % population with commute 45 mins. or longer | 15.2% |
| % population walk or bike to work | 1.9% |
Quality of life
Leisure and culture |
| Movie theaters (within 15 miles) | 20 |
| Restaurants (within 15 miles) | 1,355 |
| Bars (within 15 miles) | 147 |
| Public golf courses (within 30 miles) | 53 |
| Libraries (within 15 miles) | 54 |
| Museums (accredited by AAM; within 30 miles) | 2 |
| Ski resorts (within 100 miles) | N.A. |
| Arts funding (Dollars per person of state funds spent on arts) | 0.8 |
Leisure and culture
Weather |
| Annual rainfall (inches) | 53.99 |
| % clear days in the area | 58% |
| High temp in July ° F | 93.6° |
| Low temp in Jan ° F | 30.8° |
Weather
Meet the neighbors |
| Median age | 35.2 |
| Completed at least some college (% of residents) | 69.7% |
| Married % | 53.9% |
| Divorced % | 9.2% |
| Racial diversity index (100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity) | 87.3 |
Meet the neighbors
