City comparison
Abilene, TX is about 750 miles (1,200 km) from Birmingham, AL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 950 miles, or about 16 hours behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Abilene, TX to Birmingham, AL takes about 1 h 30 min, covering roughly 750 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Birmingham has a population of 200,431, vs 126,356 in Abilene — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Birmingham covers about 145 sq mi vs 105 sq mi for Abilene.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Abilene | Birmingham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,060/mo | $995/mo | 6.5% higher in Abilene |
| Median home value | $161,800 | $123,000 | 31.5% higher in Abilene |
| Median household income | $59,254 | $42,464 | 39.5% higher in Abilene |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 96.6 | 2.5% higher in Birmingham |
| Utilities index | 82.4 | 84.8 | 2.9% higher in Birmingham |
| Transportation index | 96.6 | 97.0 | ≈ equal (Birmingham slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 96.1 | 96.5 | ≈ equal (Birmingham slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Abilene, you'd need $99,778 in Birmingham to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Abilene and Birmingham have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Abilene than in Birmingham. If you earn $80,000 in Abilene, you'd need about $79,822 in Birmingham to keep the same standard of living.