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City · 13,253 residents · Jefferson County, Alabama

McCalla , Alabama

In McCalla, a typical home is worth $279,900 and typical rent is $1,777 a month. Compared with all of Jefferson County, typical rent is 49% higher, typical household income is 32% higher, and the share of households that own their home is 26 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $279,900

    17% above the county

    33% above Alabama

    • McCalla
    • Jefferson
    • Alabama

  • Typical rent

    $1,777a month

    49% above the county

    76% above Alabama

    • McCalla
    • Jefferson
    • Alabama

  • Typical household income

    $87,468a year

    32% above the county

    37% above Alabama

    • McCalla
    • Jefferson
    • Alabama

  • Households that own their home

    90%

    26 points above the county

    20 points above Alabama

    • McCalla
    • Jefferson
    • Alabama

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

McCalla is in Jefferson County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Jefferson County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets McCalla apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. McCalla has the 2nd highest typical rent of the 117 cities in Alabama with more than 5,000 people ($1,777).

  2. 90% of households in McCalla own their home, against 64% in Jefferson County.

  3. Nearby, in Midfield, the typical home value is $107,600: 62% less than in McCalla ($279,900).

  4. Nearby, in Bessemer, the typical rent is $961: 46% less than in McCalla ($1,777).

  5. The typical household income in McCalla is $87,468, 32% more than in Jefferson County as a whole ($66,388).

  6. The typical home in McCalla is worth $279,900, 17% more than in Jefferson County as a whole ($240,000).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in McCalla

What homes there are in McCalla, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

The detached house rules in McCalla: 86% of homes, more than in Jefferson County (69%).

Year built

The typical home in McCalla was built in 2003, 28 years after the typical one in Jefferson County.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,637 a month

Jefferson County: $1,619 a month

Without a mortgage

$509 a month

Jefferson County: $533 a month

Owners with a mortgage

67%

Jefferson County: 60%

In McCalla, 67% of owners have a mortgage; their typical cost is $1,637 a month, about the same as in Jefferson County.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

McCalla does not have the same boundaries as in 2015–2019: that is why there is no change to compare. For reference, in Jefferson County the typical home value rose 51%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureMcCallaJefferson CountyAlabamaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate7.0%7.2%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate1.2%1.1%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.6%1.7%3.4%
People per household 2.552.402.482.53
Drive alone 80%77%81%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate8%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%0%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate2%1%3%
Work from home 14%11%9%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

More people live in each home here: 2.55 on average, against 2.40 in Jefferson County.

To get to work, 80% of workers in McCalla drive alone; in Jefferson County, 77%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in McCalla?

A typical home is tight for the typical income

We start with a typical home in McCalla, worth $279,900, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 31% of the typical household income in McCalla, which is $87,468 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $95,593 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Jefferson County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in McCalla. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $9,797 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$2,231

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$274,830
Total interest
$395,416
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $4,727 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,041 a month

  • Tight

    $2,041 to $2,624 a month

    Your payment · 31%

  • Hard

    more than $2,624 a month

Compared with the typical household income in McCalla ($87,468 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$2,231
Principal & interest$1,862
Property tax$128
Home insurance$117
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$124

You need at least $9,797 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

McCalla and Jefferson County

McCalla is in Jefferson County, Alabama. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

McCalla's own numbers

Typical home value
$279,900
Typical monthly rent
$1,777
Typical yearly household income
$87,468
Households that own their home
90%
Effective property tax rate
0.55%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Jefferson County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,375
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+38%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
2.3%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Jefferson County.

Everything about Jefferson County

Buying

Buying a home in McCalla

A typical home in McCalla is worth $279,900: 17% above the county and 33% above Alabama. With the typical household income in McCalla ($87,468 a year), a typical home costs 3.2 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • McCalla 3.2 years
  • Jefferson 3.6 years
  • Alabama 3.3 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Jefferson County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Jefferson County rose 73% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Jefferson County.

Period County Alabama U.S.
Last year (2025) +2.2% +2.5% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +38% +47% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +73% +77% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

McCalla next to Jefferson County, Alabama and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • McCalla $279,900
  • Jefferson $240,000
  • Alabama $209,900
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • McCalla $1,777
  • Jefferson $1,193
  • Alabama $1,007
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • McCalla $87,468
  • Jefferson $66,388
  • Alabama $63,999
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
McCalla next to Jefferson County and Alabama
Measure McCalla Jefferson County Alabama U.S.
Typical home value $279,900 $240,000 $209,900 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,777 $1,193 $1,007 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $87,468 $66,388 $63,999 $80,734
Households that own their home 90% 64% 70% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,549 $1,409 $788 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.55% 0.59% 0.38% 0.94%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Jefferson County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in McCalla

For a typical $279,900 home in McCalla, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, McCalla's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $2,231a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $9,797
    Cash to close
    $18,194
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $124

  • Conventional, 5% down $2,179a month

    Down payment
    $13,995
    Cash to close
    $22,392
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $133

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,762a month

    Down payment
    $55,980
    Cash to close
    $64,377
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $2,021a month

    Down payment
    $41,985
    Cash to close
    $50,382
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for McCalla and for Jefferson County.

Property tax

Effective rate in McCalla

0.55%of the home’s value each year

$1,549 a year for the typical owner in McCalla.

  • McCalla 0.55%
  • Jefferson 0.59%
  • Alabama 0.38%

What Alabama publishes Basic homestead exemption (type H-1) (Alabama Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Alabama

Flood risk in Jefferson County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Jefferson County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
2.3%
5,592
Of those, with NFIP insurance
13%
County Alabama U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 2.3% 3.2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 13% 29% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in McCalla

Typical rent in McCalla is $1,777 a month: 49% above the county.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Jefferson County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,375 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $26.44 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Jefferson County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,177 $22.63 $47,080
1 bedroom $1,263 $24.29 $50,520
2 bedrooms $1,375 $26.44 $55,000
3 bedrooms $1,727 $33.21 $69,080
4 bedrooms $1,941 $37.33 $77,640

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in McCalla

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). McCalla has 2 ZIP codes with their own.

For 2 bedrooms it runs from $1,210 in 35022 to $1,300 in 35111.

None is above the fair market rent for Jefferson County ($1,375).

  • 35022 $1,210$1,520
  • 35111 $1,300$1,630

2 of these ZIP codes cross the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for McCalla when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in McCalla

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 6 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Jefferson County; 2 say they serve in Spanish.

A man smiles on a bench outside his apartment building.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in McCalla

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for McCalla or Jefferson County. The ones below are statewide in Alabama: they work in McCalla the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Alabama

  • Step Up

    Statewide in Alabama

    Alabama state authority program with down payment assistance of 4% of the price (up to $10,000) as a 10-year second mortgage, alongside a 30-year fixed mortgage. Offered by Alabama Housing Finance Authority (AHFA).

    Repayable

    See the program Official page

  • First Step Mortgage Revenue Bonds

    Statewide in Alabama

    Alabama state authority 30-year low-rate mortgage, for first-time buyers and for people who have owned a home before, with down payment assistance of 4% of the price, up to $10,000, as a ten-year second mortgage. Offered by Alabama Housing Finance Authority (AHFA).

    Repayable

    See the program Official page

  • Affordable Income Subsidy Grant

    Statewide in Alabama

    Alabama state authority grant for closing costs with an HFA Advantage conventional loan: 1% of the loan if you earn up to 50% of the area median, or half a percent if you earn 50% to 80%. Offered by Alabama Housing Finance Authority (AHFA).

    Grant

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near McCalla

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of McCalla, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • NSC (naca Counseling Subsidiary) - Birmingham, AL

    529 Beacon Pkwy W Ste 204, Birmingham · 17 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (205) 942-8111

  • Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama

    200 6th Ave SW, Birmingham · 17 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 7 more
    (205) 942-5505

  • Birmingham Urban League, Inc.

    1229 3rd Ave N, Birmingham · 19 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 7 more
    (205) 326-0162

Every agency in Jefferson County All counseling agencies in Alabama

Help in Spanish near McCalla

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of McCalla

HUD’s record names them for McCalla or Jefferson County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Jefferson County Housing Authority Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (205) 849-0123

5 other authorities have an office in Jefferson County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Jefferson County

These cities are also in Jefferson County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Jefferson County Housing in Alabama
See 9 more cities in Jefferson County, with prices and rents

Every city has its own page with prices, rents and help.

Nearby cities

The cities closest to McCalla, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Jefferson County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in McCalla.

All guides
A mother holds hands with her two daughters on the beach at sunset.

Questions

Housing questions about McCalla

Short answers with the numbers for McCalla and all of Jefferson County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in McCalla?

The typical home value in McCalla is $279,900, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Jefferson County it is $240,000.

How much does it cost to rent in McCalla?

Typical rent in McCalla is $1,777 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Jefferson County is $1,375.

What is the FHA loan limit in McCalla?

McCalla uses the FHA limit for all of Jefferson County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in McCalla?

The typical homeowner in McCalla pays $1,549 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.55% of the home’s value; in Jefferson County, the rate is 0.59%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in McCalla?

There are 6 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Jefferson County. 2 say they serve in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).