Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Mobile, AL

    Is Mobile a good place to live?

    Watch Mobile

    Mobile ranks #21 of 24 Alabama cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (32/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population fell 0.7% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $170,300
    +7.5% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $1,029
    per month
    Household income
    $51,090
    median
    Unemployment
    5.9%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Mobile

    The median home value in Mobile is $170,300 and median rent is $1,029 a month, against a median household income of $51,090. Homes cost about 3.3× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Mobile crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Alabama the 2025 rate was 353 violent and 1,501 property crimes per 100,000 people — #23 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Mobile, AL

    Mobile has about 185,097 residents, 5.9% unemployment and 20% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Mobile with

    Mobile vs HuntsvilleMobile vs BirminghamMobile vs MontgomeryMobile vs TuscaloosaMobile vs HooverMobile vs AuburnMobile vs DothanMobile vs Madison

    More: Where to move in Alabama · Best counties in Alabama

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report