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Montgomery, AL

Government town · 25.8% of jobs are government, including public universities (U.S. 12.1%)

Tallassee is part of the Montgomery area. This page covers the whole metro.

Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Montgomery

Aerial view of Montgomery, Alabama
Aerial view of Montgomery, Alabama · Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
Alabama State Capitol, Montgomery, West view
Alabama State Capitol, Montgomery, West view · Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0
Carolyn Blount Theatre
Carolyn Blount Theatre · Photo: User:TantalumTelluride, CC BY-SA 3.0
Commerce St, Downtown Montgomery
Commerce St, Downtown Montgomery · Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0
Federal Building and US Court House, Montgomery
Federal Building and US Court House, Montgomery · Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0
First White House of the Confederacy, Montgomery, North view
First White House of the Confederacy, Montgomery, North view · Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0
Montgomery December
Montgomery December · Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium
Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium · Photo: User markcbrennan on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Union Station Montgomery
Union Station Montgomery · Photo: anonymous, Public domain
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Where it is
Montgomery
Montgomery in Alabama
Alabama in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of the center of the Montgomery area.

9
grocery stores
37
restaurants
5
coffee shops
53
parks
32
playgrounds
7
libraries
1
movie theater
5
live theaters
16
museums
8
bookstores
9
bars
4
pharmacies
5
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of the Montgomery area.

Bike lanes and bike paths
2.7 miles
about typical for a U.S. town
Walking and hiking trails
50 miles
more than most U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 48,723 rented homes in the Montgomery area, 96% rent for under $2,000 a month and 99% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 43%
$1,000 to $1,499: 43%
$1,500 to $1,999: 10%
$2,000 to $2,499: 3%
$2,500 to $2,999: 1%
$3,000 or more: 1%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in the Montgomery area rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $2,000 to $2,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $3,000 to $4,497 where landlords also ask for last month.

Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,000 to $1,499, that's a yearly income of about $36,000 to $53,964.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Moving to Alabama: before and after

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Alabama DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Alabama voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

2 public school districts in this county, with about 29,516 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Montgomery County · Montgomery
26,821 students · 19 students per teacher · 52 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Pike Road City · Montgomery
2,695 students · 19.5 students per teacher · 4 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Alabama keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$146/week
about $7,600 a year
$136/week
about $7,100 a year
Toddler (2)$138/week
about $7,200 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$125/week
about $6,500 a year
$130/week
about $6,800 a year
School-age$113/week
about $5,900 a year

For an infant at a center: $146/week here, $136 across AL, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 11% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in Alabama →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

6 colleges in the county around Montgomery. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

Auburn University at Montgomery · Montgomery
Public, 4-year · 5,189 students · $9,436 in-state, $20,092 out-of-state
Alabama State University · Montgomery
Public, 4-year · 3,870 students · $11,248 in-state, $19,576 out-of-state
Faulkner University · Montgomery
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 2,933 students · $23,920 a year
H Councill Trenholm State Community College · Montgomery
Public, 2-year (community college) · 1,907 students · $4,890 in-state, $8,700 out-of-state
Huntingdon College · Montgomery
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 869 students · $28,650 a year

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$214,806
What a typical home sells for across the Montgomery area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 10% below the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $90 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 89.7 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 1 hr 30 min at rush hour
To downtown Birmingham, AL, 95 miles. About 1 hr 30 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
24 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
None within 15 miles
No mapped data center buildings near the town center.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Homeowners insurance
About $3,633 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in AL. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
5 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
10.2 per 100,000 people a year
23 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. AL average: 16 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 12.4 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 492 people without housing in the Montgomery City & County area (5 counties): 236 in shelters and 256 outside, up from 340 in 2024. AL: 8 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$58,153
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.37% of home value a year
About $370 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 5%
AL's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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