Population
Bessemer
25,655
University
48,868
Median Income
Bessemer
$37,844
University
$36,483
Home Value
Bessemer
$129,800
University
$146,400
Rent
Bessemer
$922
University
$1,185
Crime Rate
Bessemer
17.44
University
N/A
Cost of Living
Bessemer
79.5
University
87.2
Avg Temp
Bessemer
N/A
University
N/A
Unemployment
Bessemer
8.8%
University
5.7%
How Similar Are Bessemer & University?
University is Bessemer's #19 most similar city
3 of 8 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Bessemer
25,655
University
48,868
University has a 48% larger population than Bessemer.
Political Leaning
Bessemer
44.2%
University
50.9%
Bessemer leans Democratic while University leans Republican.
Unemployment
Bessemer
8.8%
University
5.7%
Bessemer has a 35% higher unemployment than University.
Median Income
Bessemer
$37,844
University
$36,483
Both cities have similar median income — just a 4% difference.
Home Values
Bessemer
$129,800
University
$146,400
University has a 11% higher home values than Bessemer.
Education
Bessemer
10.1%
University
11.0%
Both cities have similar education — just a 8% difference.
Demographics
Bessemer
19.8%
University
35.6%
University has a 44% higher demographics than Bessemer.
Cost of Living
Bessemer
79.5
University
87.2
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 9% difference.
3 out of 8 key metrics match within 10%. Bessemer and University differ in most key areas.
At a Glance
0
Bessemer
0
University
University leads in 3 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Bessemer leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDBessemer has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,266 vs $1,977 in University (36% lower). Bessemer has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,155 vs $1,696 in University (32% lower). Bessemer scores 84.1 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 104.5 in University.
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 14.9% in University. Bessemer has a owner-occupied of 55.1% compared to 14.5% in University. University has a vacancy rate of 12.5% compared to 16.0% in Bessemer.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — University leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSUniversity: 25,412 vs Bessemer: 10,375 for labor force. University has a unemployment rate of 5.7% compared to 8.8% in Bessemer. Bessemer has a per capita income of $24,074 vs $20,209 in University (19% higher).
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
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauBessemer has a high school diploma or higher of 38.2% compared to 28.4% in University. University has a bachelor's degree or higher of 11.0% compared to 10.1% in Bessemer.
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 ACSUniversity has a population of 48,868, about 1.9x the size of Bessemer (25,655). University skews younger with a median age of 27.5 vs 42.8.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Bessemer
University
Healthcare — University leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareUniversity: 3.2 vs Bessemer: 2.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — University leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSUniversity has a bicycle of 1.0% compared to 0.0% in Bessemer. University has a public transit of 3.2% compared to 1.3% in Bessemer. Bessemer has a drive alone of 76.5% compared to 63.9% in University.
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.