Cost of living in Pelham, Alabama

Pelham, Alabama has about 24,827 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.

A typical home is worth about $299,800.

HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Shelby County is $1,375 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Pelham. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.

In the Birmingham, AL metro area, prices sit at 91.6 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.

Alabama taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 9.5% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Pelham's exact store tax.

Some places in Alabama add a local wage tax. In 2023 the state average was about 0.07% of income. That is not a Pelham bill.

In July 2026, a typical Alabama home paid 16.40¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Pelham's bill.

EIA does not publish a Alabama gasoline price. For the week of October 12, 2026, the Gulf Coast (PADD 3) all-grades price was $3.954 a gallon. At 12,000 miles a year and 25 mpg, the index counts that as $1,897.92 a year. Those miles are our standard, not a Census figure, and every town in Alabama shares this price.

Among 290 places we list in Alabama with a rent figure, 12 have higher typical rent than Pelham.