Birmingham, AL Rental Investment Market: DSCR & STR Numbers (June 2026)
Where Birmingham stands for DSCR-loan investors: the prices, rents, and coverage math behind its #2 leaderboard rank.
Long-Term Rental Numbers
Median Price
$168,000
Avg Rent
$1,380
per month
Rent / Price
0.82%
monthly
Rent Growth
+3.5%
year over year
Property Tax
0.66%
effective / yr
DSCR Score
87/100
#2 of 15
Does It Pencil?
The median Birmingham deal, run through DSCR math
- Purchase price (median)
- $168,000
- Down payment (20%)
- −$33,600
- Loan amount
- $134,400
- P&I @ 7.53% / 30yr
- $943/mo
- Property taxes (0.66%/yr)
- $92/mo
- Insurance (~0.5%/yr of price)
- $70/mo
- PITIA (full payment)
- $1,105/mo
- Avg market rent
- $1,380/mo
Illustrative DSCR
1.25
Covers the payment, but below the 1.25 line where the best rate tiers start.
Illustrative only, not a quote or pre-qualification. Uses the median price and average metro rent from our June 2026 dataset, an indicative rate of 7.53% (10-year Treasury + a typical DSCR spread — see the live data dashboard), estimated insurance, and the metro's effective tax rate. Actual rents, taxes, insurance, and pricing vary by property and borrower.
The Read
What the numbers say about investing in Birmingham
Birmingham, AL posts a 0.82% rent-to-price ratio — solid, workable DSCR territory, though not a layup. With a $168,000 median price against $1,380 in monthly rent, the median deal can cover its payment, but the margin is thin enough that rate, taxes, and insurance assumptions decide which side of the qualification line you land on.
That ratio is above the 0.71% median of our 15-metro DSCR leaderboard, and Birmingham, AL currently ranks #2 of 15 with a composite score of 87/100. Rent growth of 3.5% year over year is among the stronger prints on the board, which means a deal that squeaks by today should have more cushion at the first lease renewal. A 0.66% effective property tax rate is genuinely low, and because taxes sit inside PITIA, that quietly adds basis points of coverage the headline rent number doesn't show.
The illustrative median deal pencils to about a 1.25 DSCR at 20% down — it covers, but sits below the 1.25 threshold where the best rate tiers start. Expect to either accept slightly wider pricing, put 25–30% down, or hunt for properties renting above the metro average to push the ratio up.
Birmingham isn't on our short-term-rental board — the opportunity we track here is the long-term rental engine: Alabama lease economics, DSCR qualification, and rent momentum. Treat every number on this page as a metro-level screen, not an appraisal: rents and prices vary block by block, so run your actual address through the calculator and get a real quote before you write offers.
Data as of June 2026 — refreshed monthly. Metro-level estimates for screening, not underwriting.
Next Step
Get a quote from a DSCR expert who lends in Alabama
Real pricing on your actual deal — no hard credit pull to see numbers, and the property's income does the qualifying, not your W2.
Birmingham investor FAQ
Is Birmingham good for DSCR loans?
Yes — Birmingham, AL scores 87/100 on our DSCR market index (#2 of 15 metros tracked). Its rent-to-price ratio of 0.82% (avg rent $1,380/mo vs $168,000 median price) pencils to an illustrative 1.25 DSCR on the median deal at 20% down, as of June 2026 data.
What is the average rent in Birmingham?
Average rent in Birmingham, AL is approximately $1,380 per month against a median home price of $168,000 (June 2026 metro-level estimate, refreshed monthly). Year-over-year rent growth is 3.5%.
Run the numbers yourself
Calculator
DSCR calculator — pre-filled for Birmingham
Median price, rent, and tax rate loaded. Adjust to your deal.
Live Data
Market data dashboard
10Y Treasury, indicative rate ranges, and both full leaderboards.
Browse
All 30 market profiles
Every metro on our DSCR and STR leaderboards, profiled.
Compare with similar-scoring markets
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Memphis, TN
85$162,000 median · 0.86% rent/price