Sales Tax Calculator, Birmingham, AL

What shoppers pay in Birmingham, AL

Birmingham is a major population centre in Alabama, the 2nd most populous city in the state, with roughly 200,733 residents. Alabama charges a 4.00% state sales tax, and counties, cities and special districts add their own levies on top. Across the state those local add-ons average 5.24%, bringing the typical combined rate to 9.24%.

Census figures (ACS 5-Year 2023) put median household income in Birmingham at $44,376, or about $853 a week. At the state's typical combined rate, a $500 purchase adds $46.20 in tax, and a $2,000 one adds $184.80. That larger figure works out to roughly 22% of a week's median household income here, which is why timing a big appliance or furniture purchase around a sales tax holiday can be worth the wait.

One caveat matters before you budget from these numbers. The 9.24% above is a statewide average, not a rate we can confirm for a specific Birmingham address. Because special districts draw their own boundaries, two addresses a few streets apart can fall under different combined rates. For a purchase where the difference matters, check the rate lookup published by the Alabama revenue department for the exact delivery address. Groceries are taxable in Alabama, so the rate applies to a weekly food shop as well.