For your next trip to Alabama's largest city, you want to know the areas to avoid and dangerous neighborhoods in Birmingham.
Birmingham, unfortunately, has gained a reputation as a dangerous city due to its high crime rate. However, it is important to note that crime rates can vary from neighborhood to neighborhood and area to area of the city.
This is why it is important to know where the dangerous areas and neighborhoods are that are best avoided.
This guide to neighborhoods in Birmingham Alabama was written by summarizing web data on the city's safety (newspapers, forums, rankings and statistics). Totally factual, it therefore contains no judgment or discriminatory remarks. And at the end of the article, I give you my hotel recommendation in a safe and interesting area for tourists.
Why is Birmingham known to be dangerous?
Birmingham has, for several years, acquired the reputation of being a dangerous city. Several factors contribute to this perception:
- One of the main reasons is the city's high crime rate. Birmingham consistently ranks among the nation's top cities for violent crimes, including homicides, robberies and assaults. This situation can be attributed to a combination of poverty, drug-related problems, and a lack of economic opportunities for many residents.
- The presence of gangs and easy access to guns also contribute to Birmingham's high crime rate.
- Another contributing factor to how dangerous Birmingham is is the socioeconomic disparity that exists in the city. Indeed, there is a very clear divide between affluent suburbs and inner-city neighborhoods. The poverty rate in Birmingham is significantly higher than the national average, which can lead to despair and criminal activity. Lack of access to quality education, health care and employment opportunities only exacerbates these problems.
In fact, according to the latest data released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the crime rate in Birmingham, Alabama, is higher than the national average, especially when it comes to violent crimes such as homicides and robberies . It was 1 incidents per 483 inhabitants in 100 while the national average is 000 incidents per 2020 inhabitants. Property crimes, including burglaries and thefts, are also above average.
But what is the situation now? According to many forums, the city has changed a lot in the last 10 years. So, let's see if Birmingham has become a safe city and if it still remains dangerous in 2024?
Is Birmingham safe in 2024?
In 2024, according to statistics and many publications, Birmingham is not a safe city. Indeed, on the ranking neighborhood scout of the 100 most dangerous cities in the United States, Birmingham is in 6rd position. Statistics indicate a violent crime rate of 20.6 per 1000 residents, which is extremely high compared to the average for American cities. From this table, we can see that Birmingham has a higher crime rate than dangerous cities that Cleveland, Milwaukee, Baltimore ou Kansas City.
This is also confirmed by the latest statistics from worldpopulationreview.com where the city is ranked 3rd most dangerous city in the United States. The site moneygeek.com also indicates this 3rd position. We can therefore say that Birmingham is not a safe city in 2024 compared to other American cities.
And at the global level, if we take the 2024 ranking Numbeo of the most crime-ridden cities in the world, we see that Birmingham has a crime index of 60.04. And if we compare this index with that of other dangerous cities, Birmingham would be more dangerous than Brasilia, Paris, Delhi. , Cancun ou Medellin en Colombia.
Is Birmingham safe for tourists?
Despite its reputation as a dangerous city, Birmingham has many attractions and cultural sites worth visiting. The city offers a vibrant arts and culture scene and historic sites such as the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
As for visitors, Birmingham has taken measures to ensure their safety. Tourist attractions and popular areas are often patrolled by law enforcement officers, providing a visible security presence. The city has implemented surveillance systems in key locations to monitor activity and deter criminal behavior.
In fact, as in the majority of large Western cities, in Birmingham tourists must remain cautious and avoid the least safe neighborhoods and areas, particularly at night. Indeed, as the article in the French newspaper says Le Figaro : “Tourists can be targets of crime.”
So, it is important for tourists to understand that crime rates can vary greatly depending on the specific area of the city. This is why it is essential to find out in advance about areas to avoid and dangerous neighborhoods in Birmingham Alabama.
Birmingham neighborhood map
Birmingham is organized into 9 Birmingham City Council districts which are divided into a total of 23 communities representing 99 neighborhoods.
To better identify the dangerous neighborhoods in Birmingham listed below, here is a map to easily locate them: Google map
Most dangerous neighborhoods in Birmingham
The most dangerous neighborhoods in Birmingham Alabama represent neighborhoods that have higher crime rates than the city average per population.
This list was made by cross-checking data published in 2024 on the most dangerous neighborhoods in Birmingham (FBI, areavibes statistics, city-data, roadsnaks article, neighborhoodccout and discussions on Quora).
Based on all this data, here are the most dangerous neighborhoods to avoid in Birmingham and the suburbs:
- Harriman Park
- Inglenook
- Collegeville
- Norwood
- East Birmingham
- North Birmingham
- North and East Avondale
- Wow
- Oak Ridge Park
- Five Point South
- Ensley
- Tuxedo
- Riley
- Jones Valley
- Hillman
- Garden Highlands
Safest neighborhoods in Birmingham
Still using the same sources of information, the safest neighborhoods in Birmingham are:
- New Hope
- Shoal Creek
- Meadowbrook
- Eagle Point
- Brook Highland West
- Watkins
- Highland Lakes
- Highland Park
- Veterans Park
- Mountain Brook
- Hoover
- Vestavia Hills
- Homewood
- Forest Park
- Crustwood
- Crestline Park
Best area to stay in Birmingham
Are you planning a trip or business trip to Birmingham and wondering where to stay? Although you should be careful throughout the city, the best area to stay in Birmingham is definitely the city center.
Indeed, downtown Birmingham located in District 5 offers visitors a perfect blend of history, culture and entertainment.
Staying in this area, you can walk to many of the city's top attractions, such as the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the Alabama Theater, the McWane Science Center, and the best boutiques for shopping. Without forgetting the numerous restaurants, bars and concert halls, art exhibition galleries.
Now it remains to be seen which neighborhood in District 5 of Birmingham to choose: Central City, Crestwood North, East Avondale, Eastlake, Eastwood, Five Points South, Forest Park, South Avondale, Fountain Heights, Gate City, North Avondale, Oak Ridge Park, Smithfield , Southside, South Eastlake or Wahouma?
As we have seen previously, the neighborhoods of Southside, Five Points South, Wahouma, Oak Ridge Park and certain parts of Avondale should be avoided. On the other hand, staying in Central City seems more prudent.
Which hotel in Birmingham?
Very well located in the heart of District 5, here is a hotel that I recommend for its location very close to tourist attractions and the Birmingham convention center: The Kelly Birmingham, Tapestry Collection By Hilton
Indeed, this beautiful hotel is located right next to the city's restaurants, bars and entertainment. And for tourists, know that the Alabama Theater, Regions Field, the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex are less than two miles from this superb hotel.
It is a well-renovated luxury hotel with a magnificent atmosphere reminiscent of the building's history beginning in 1902!
