City comparison
Birmingham, AL is about 175 miles (275 km) from Dothan, AL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 h 45 min 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 Birmingham, AL to Dothan, AL takes about 21 min, covering roughly 175 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 70,699 in Dothan — about 2.8× larger by population. By land area, Birmingham covers about 145 sq mi vs 90 sq mi for Dothan.
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 | Birmingham | Dothan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $995/mo | $871/mo | 14.2% higher in Birmingham |
| Median home value | $123,000 | $175,900 | 43.0% higher in Dothan |
| Median household income | $42,464 | $53,704 | 26.5% higher in Dothan |
| Groceries index | 96.6 | 96.6 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 84.8 | 85.3 | ≈ equal (Dothan slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 97.0 | 97.0 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 96.5 | 96.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Birmingham, you'd need $88,350 in Dothan to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Dothan, AL is about 11.6% cheaper overall than Birmingham, AL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 48% higher in Birmingham than in Dothan. If you earn $80,000 in Birmingham, you'd need about $70,680 in Dothan to keep the same standard of living.