Neighborhood
East Lake
Birmingham, Alabama US
East Lake in Birmingham, Alabama has a high-yield profile with pricing 19% below Birmingham and 46% below Alabama, a gross yield of 8.7, and prices flat at -0.3% over the past year. The main strength is the gross yield of 8.7, while the main risk is a Red Flag score of 67. Walkability is 25 and education is in the 1st percentile, which creates a wide spread between income potential and school-district test-score percentile.
AI Summary•Updated May 2026
Area
4.01 mi²
ZIP Code
35206
County
Jefferson County
State
Alabama
Redfin — median sale & volumeZillow ZORI — asking rentFEMA National Risk Index v1.20OpenStreetMap — POIFBI UCR — state crimeEPA — radon zonesWashU ACAG — satellite PM2.5EPA FRS / BTS — hazard screeningUS Census ACS / TIGER 2024
Verified Price · Median Sale
$147,456
YoY-0.3%
Gross Rental Yield
8.7%
Listed rent · ZORI annualized
Red Flag Index
High
67 / 100
Walkability Score
25
OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile
Education Score
1 / 100
Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy
AI Score
56
DistrictScore attractiveness · national model
East Lake Property Prices & Rental Yield
Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for East Lake, Birmingham.
Unlock the East Lake 12-month price trend
See the full Verified vs Listed price history — free with a DistrictScore account.
Sign in to view — freeMarket Economics Snapshot
May 2026| Metric | Value | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $147,456 | -0.3% |
| Price / Sq Ft (Verified) | $84/sqft | +8.6% |
| Asking Rent (Median) | $1,063/mo | -1.0% |
| Gross Rental Yield | 8.7% | — |
| Liquidity Score | 24 / 100 | Low |
| Homes Sold (Period) | 54 | +0.0% |
Is East Lake Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk
FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited Alabama crime context.
Unlock the East Lake hazard breakdown
See all eight FEMA hazard scores — free with a DistrictScore account.
Sign in to view — free What Stands Out AI Insight
Above-average gross rental yield at 8.7%
Active transaction volume — 54 homes sold last period
Tornado risk is Very High (100/100)
Flood risk is Very High (80/100)
Insights are generated from East Lake's live DistrictScore metrics.
East Lake Environment & Safety
Satellite PM2.5 air-quality history, FBI UCR crime trend (Alabama-level, the finest official aggregation), EPA radon potential and point-source hazard screening.
Air Quality — PM2.5
2015–20244.4 µg/m³ Meets WHO guideline-20.8% since 2015
EPA 9WHO 5
20152024
Annual mean fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration at the East Lake centroid, satellite-derived (ACAG). References: WHO guideline 5 µg/m³ · EPA annual standard 9 µg/m³. Latest year ranks worse than 3% of U.S. neighborhoods.
Alabama Crime Trend
FBI UCR20132024
All crimes / 1k
Violent / 1k
| Year | Crimes / 1k | Violent / 1k | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 19.3 | 3.6 | -15.1% |
| 2023 | 22.8 | 4.2 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 22.7 | 4.4 | +25.6% |
| 2021 | 18.2 | 3.5 | -27.9% |
| 2020 | 25.9 | 4.5 | -16.9% |
| 2019 | 31.3 | 5.0 | — |
Reported at the state level — the finest official US crime aggregation; East Lake inherits the Alabama figures.
Radon Potential
EPAZone 2
Zone 2 — Moderate potential · East Lake
EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.
Environmental Hazards
EPA / BTSIndustrial odor2 nearbyVery High
Aviation noise54 dBLow
Point-source screening near East Lake: EPA Superfund National Priorities List & Facility Registry (2026), BTS aviation noise (2020, 24-hour average level). Superfund shows distance to the nearest listed site; odor shows detected sources within the screening radius. Only detected sources are listed; the bar shows severity vs. all U.S. neighborhoods.
Walkability & Amenities in East Lake
Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.
Walkability & Amenities
OpenStreetMap POI25
Car-Dependent
Walkability Score
2
Grocery
2
Dining
7
Schools
0
Universities
1
Hospitals
2
Pharmacies
3
Parks
0
Rail Transit
0
Coworking
POI counts are amenities within East Lake's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.
East Lake vs Birmingham vs Alabama
How East Lake benchmarks against its city and state medians.
Unlock the East Lake benchmark
Compare East Lake against Birmingham and Alabama medians — free with a DistrictScore account.
Sign in to view — freeBuying Property in the US as a Foreigner
Federal & Alabama tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest local market news.
Buying as a Foreigner
US Tax & OwnershipApplies to everyone7
Capital Gains (Federal)
Long-term capital gains taxed federally at 0/15/20%, plus a 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on higher incomes (2026).
Property Tax
Property tax: ~0.37% average effective rate (statewide average; set and collected locally).
State Income Tax
State income tax up to 5.00%; rental income is taxed at these rates.
State Capital Gains
Capital gains are taxed as ordinary income at state rates.
Transfer Tax
Real estate transfer tax: deed tax $0.50 per $500.
Assessment Cap
No Proposition 13-style assessment cap; property is reassessed at market value.
Mansion Tax / Rent Control
No statewide mansion tax or statewide rent control.
US citizens & tax residents7
Primary-Home Exclusion
Selling your main home: exclude up to $250k of gain (single) / $500k (married) if you owned and lived there 2 of the last 5 years.
1031 Like-Kind Exchange
A 1031 like-kind exchange defers capital gains tax on investment property; 45 days to identify, 180 to close. Real estate only.
Depreciation Recapture
Residential rentals depreciate over 27.5 years; on sale, recaptured depreciation is taxed up to 25% (Section 1250).
Mortgage Interest Deduction
Mortgage interest is deductible on up to $750k of home debt. The SALT cap rose to $40,000 for 2025-2029 (reverts to $10k in 2030).
Opportunity Zones
Opportunity Zones are now permanent (2025): reinvested capital gains get deferral plus a basis step-up, and are tax-free after 10 years.
Rental Income (Resident)
Rental income is reported on Schedule E; passive-loss rules (Section 469) limit deducting rental losses against other income.
1031 State Conformity
The state conforms to the federal 1031 like-kind exchange rules.
Foreign buyers (non-residents)5
FIRPTA (Foreign Sellers)
FIRPTA: the buyer withholds 15% of the gross sale price when a nonresident sells US property. It is an advance deposit, not the final tax.
Non-Resident Capital Gains
Nonresident sellers pay US capital gains tax (generally 15-20%) on the net gain via Form 1040-NR; FIRPTA withholding is credited.
Non-Resident Rental Tax
Nonresident rental income is taxed at 30% of gross by default, or on net income at graduated rates via a Section 871(d) election (W-8ECI).
Estate Tax (Non-Resident)
Nonresidents get only a $60,000 US estate-tax exemption (vs $13.99M for residents); US property above it is taxed up to 40%. Treaties may help.
ITIN Requirement
Nonresidents without an SSN need an ITIN (Form W-7) to file US tax returns, claim FIRPTA refunds, and report rental income.
Talk to a US real-estate tax advisor
FIRPTA, ITIN & Alabama property-tax guidance for foreign buyers
East Lake Real Estate FAQ
East Lake in Birmingham, Alabama has a high-yield profile. Pricing is 19% below Birmingham and 46% below Alabama, gross yield is 8.7, and prices are flat at -0.3% over the past year. The Red Flag score is 67 and education is in the 1st percentile.
Neighborhoods near East Lake
Compare East Lake with nearby neighborhoods in Birmingham.
Unlock deeper insights on East Lake
Deeper data. Smarter decisions. Stronger returns.
Full Risk Reports
Tract-level hazards
Investment Score
AI-driven analysis
Export & Reports
PDF & Excel
Priority Support
Fast-track help
Get Pro Access7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.