Close-in villages
Moving to Mountain Brook, Alabama?
A small, close-in city built around villages, creek-side parks, and its own school system. Start with the price of entry and the route you repeat.
Start here
Small footprint, high price of entry.
Mountain Brook facts at a glance.
| Measure | Mountain Brook |
|---|---|
| Population | 21,661 (July 1, 2025 estimate) Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts ↗ |
| Median household income | $201,479 Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts ↗ |
| Median gross rent | $1,456/month Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts ↗ |
| Median home value | $916,300 Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts ↗ |
| Homes that are owner-occupied | 89.9% Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts ↗ |
| Average commute to work | 16.4 minutes Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts ↗ |
| Sales tax | 10% (4% state, 2% Jefferson County, 4% city) Source: Alabama Department of Revenue local tax rate file ↗ |
| Public schools | Mountain Brook Schools: Brookwood Forest, Cherokee Bend, Crestline, and Mountain Brook elementary schools; Mountain Brook Junior High; Mountain Brook High School Source: Mountain Brook Schools ↗ |
| Named shopping areas | Cahaba Village, Crestline Village, English Village, Mountain Brook Village, and Overton Village Source: City of Mountain Brook visitors page ↗ |
| City parks and trails | Jemison Park, Watkins Trace Trail, Overton Park, Canterbury Park, Rathmell Sports Park, and Alabama Veterans Memorial Park Source: City of Mountain Brook parks ↗ |
| Grocery stores | Publix at Lane Parke, Publix on Overton Road, and Piggly Wiggly in Crestline Source: Google Maps business listings |
| Drive to downtown Birmingham | About 13 minutes (5.6 miles) Source: Google Maps driving estimates from each city hall, light Saturday-afternoon traffic |
| Drive to UAB Hospital | About 10 minutes (3.4 miles) Source: Google Maps driving estimates from each city hall, light Saturday-afternoon traffic |
| Drive to BHM airport | About 14 minutes (5.4 miles) Source: Google Maps driving estimates from each city hall, light Saturday-afternoon traffic |
Checked October 2026. Census figures are American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024, except population. Drive times are light-traffic estimates; weekday rush hours take longer. Taxes, utilities, and school assignment depend on the exact address, so confirm them before you sign.
Why put it on your list?
Mountain Brook sits just over Red Mountain from Birmingham. From City Hall, Google Maps put downtown, UAB Hospital, and the airport each 10 to 14 minutes away. The city says about 98% of its land is residential, so daily life runs through a handful of village shopping districts rather than big commercial corridors.
The Census median home value here is more than double Hoover’s, while the median rent is almost the same. That gap is the first thing to plan around: renting can be a way to test the city before buying into it, and buyers should budget for the age of the homes, which often means updates, roofs, drainage, and big trees.
Tour the villages at the times you would actually use them. Parking, school traffic, and the hills between the villages shape the week more than the map suggests.
Villages, schools, and creek-side parks.
The city lists five shopping villages: Cahaba Village, Crestline Village, English Village, Mountain Brook Village, and Overton Village (City of Mountain Brook visitors page ↗). Each one has its own mix of shops, restaurants, and groceries, so the village nearest a home tends to become its errand run.
Mountain Brook Schools runs four elementary schools, one junior high for grades 7–9, and Mountain Brook High School for grades 10–12. Elementary zones follow the address, so confirm the assigned school with Mountain Brook Schools ↗ before you make an offer.
Jemison Park follows Mountain Brook Parkway along Shades Creek, and Watkins Trace Trail starts on the same parkway (City of Mountain Brook parks ↗). Sales tax is 10%: 4% state, 2% Jefferson County, and 4% city (Alabama Department of Revenue local tax rate file ↗).
Verify the address before deciding.
Current inventory, taxes, insurance, zoning, schools, utilities, inspection findings, and commute times belong to the exact property and your actual routine.
- A short drive to UAB, downtown, and the airport
- Families who want a city school system
- Buyers ready for older-home upkeep and a high price per house
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