Population
Bessemer
25,655
Oak Ridge
24,395
Median Income
Bessemer
$37,844
Oak Ridge
$53,389
Home Value
Bessemer
$129,800
Oak Ridge
$235,500
Rent
Bessemer
$922
Oak Ridge
$1,404
Crime Rate
Bessemer
17.44
Oak Ridge
N/A
Cost of Living
Bessemer
79.5
Oak Ridge
109.5
Avg Temp
Bessemer
N/A
Oak Ridge
N/A
Unemployment
Bessemer
8.8%
Oak Ridge
8.1%
How Similar Are Bessemer & Oak Ridge?
Oak Ridge is Bessemer's #16 most similar city
4 of 8 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Bessemer
25,655
Oak Ridge
24,395
Both cities have similar populations — Bessemer at 25,655 and Oak Ridge at 24,395.
Political Leaning
Bessemer
44.2%
Oak Ridge
42.5%
Both cities lean Democratic with similar vote shares — 4% difference.
Unemployment
Bessemer
8.8%
Oak Ridge
8.1%
Both cities have similar unemployment — just a 8% difference.
Median Income
Bessemer
$37,844
Oak Ridge
$53,389
Oak Ridge has a 29% higher median income than Bessemer.
Home Values
Bessemer
$129,800
Oak Ridge
$235,500
Oak Ridge has a 45% higher home values than Bessemer.
Education
Bessemer
10.1%
Oak Ridge
9.2%
Both cities have similar education — just a 9% difference.
Demographics
Bessemer
19.8%
Oak Ridge
26.1%
Oak Ridge has a 24% higher demographics than Bessemer.
Cost of Living
Bessemer
79.5
Oak Ridge
109.5
Oak Ridge has a 27% higher cost of living than Bessemer.
4 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Bessemer and Oak Ridge share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Bessemer
0
Oak Ridge
Bessemer leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Bessemer leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDBessemer scores 84.1 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 135.7 in Oak Ridge. Bessemer has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,266 vs $1,972 in Oak Ridge (36% lower). Bessemer has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,155 vs $1,731 in Oak Ridge (33% lower).
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Bessemer leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBessemer has a single-family homes of 76.3% compared to 42.0% in Oak Ridge. Bessemer has a owner-occupied of 55.1% compared to 34.1% in Oak Ridge. Bessemer has a median property tax of $876 vs $1,590 in Oak Ridge (45% lower).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Oak Ridge leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBessemer has a work from home of 9.6% compared to 4.8% in Oak Ridge. Oak Ridge has a median household income of $53,389 vs $37,844 in Bessemer (29% higher). Oak Ridge has a government sector of 54.8% compared to 39.7% in Bessemer.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety
Source: FBI UCRViolent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Bessemer leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauBessemer has a high school diploma or higher of 38.2% compared to 30.2% in Oak Ridge. Bessemer has a bachelor's degree or higher of 10.1% compared to 9.2% in Oak Ridge.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBessemer has a population of 25,655, about 1.1x the size of Oak Ridge (24,395). Oak Ridge skews younger with a median age of 33.3 vs 42.8.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Bessemer
Oak Ridge
Healthcare — Oak Ridge leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareOak Ridge: 3.7 vs Bessemer: 2.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Bessemer leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSOak Ridge has a bicycle of 1.0% compared to 0.0% in Bessemer. Bessemer has a work from home of 9.6% compared to 4.8% in Oak Ridge. Oak Ridge has a public transit of 8.1% compared to 1.3% in Bessemer.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Bessemer, AL
Compare Bessemer against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.