Live-In Caregivers in Birmingham, AL: 24-Hour Home Care

Local figures

Live-In Caregivers in Birmingham, AL: the local picture

3,365

residents 85 or older (1.7% of all residents)

15,912

households headed by someone 65+ own their home (70%)

49%

of Birmingham homes have 3 or more bedrooms (66% in Jefferson County)

$7.25

Alabama minimum wage per hour

About 3,365 Birmingham residents are 85 or older. Live-in care is most often arranged for this age group, when help is needed through the day and someone should be close at night.

A live-in caregiver needs a private room. 49% of homes in Birmingham have three or more bedrooms (66% in Jefferson County), while 18% have one bedroom or none, where live-in care rarely works; the median home has 5.2 rooms.

Of Birmingham households headed by someone 65 or older, 15,912 own their home and 6,795 rent; among householders 85 and older it is 1,763 owners and 424 renters. Renters should check that the lease allows another adult to live in before anyone moves in.

Birmingham compared with Jefferson County and Alabama

Census figure	Birmingham	Jefferson County	Alabama
Residents 85 or older	1.7%	1.9%	1.7%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	38%	31%	29%
Residents 65+ with a disability	38%	38%	38%
Residents 65+ below the poverty line (approx.)	19%	13%	12%
Residents 65 or older	16%	17%	18%
Residents 5+ who speak a language other than English at home	6.9%	7.6%	6.0%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$37,181	$51,066	—

Older residents in towns around Birmingham

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Residents 85+
Mountain Brook, AL	4.4 mi	3,822	658
Homewood, AL	4.8 mi	3,070	638
Tarrant, AL	4.9 mi	1,025	114
Vestavia Hills, AL	5.6 mi	7,394	1,285
Fultondale, AL	6.2 mi	1,305	95
Forestdale, AL	6.7 mi	2,601	339

Emergency hospitals near Birmingham

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
University Of Alabama Hospital	Birmingham, AL	1.5 mi	2 of 5	(205) 934-4011
Birmingham Va Medical Center	Birmingham, AL	1.5 mi	4 of 5	(205) 933-4515
The Children's Hospital Of Alabama	Birmingham, AL	1.5 mi	not rated	(205) 939-9100

Straight-line miles from the center of Birmingham. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a live-in caregiver can help with

Help across the day: meals, housekeeping, personal care
Someone in the home overnight if help is needed
Medication reminders and appointment rides
Companionship and a steady routine

Cost

What live-in care costs in Birmingham

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $13.39 an hour (the Alabama median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,901 a month (94% of the $3,098 monthly median income of Birmingham households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $9,748 a month (315% of the $3,098 monthly median income of Birmingham households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Alabama has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see Medicaid programs for family caregivers: who can be paid, and the rules in 12 states.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a live-in caregiver

Put the arrangement in writing: hours on duty, sleep time, days off, the room and pay (federal rules: DOL Fact Sheet 79B).

Questions worth asking: Have you lived in with a client before, and for how long? What days off and sleep time do you need? How do you handle being woken at night? More in our live-in caregivers guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Live-In Caregivers in Birmingham: common questions

Where is the nearest emergency hospital to Birmingham?

University Of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham, about 1.5 mi in a straight line from the center of Birmingham (Medicare hospital file). Its listed phone number is (205) 934-4011. In an emergency, call 911.

How much does live-in care cost in Birmingham?

Live-in pay is often agreed by the day or week, but every hour worked counts toward minimum wage. At $13.39 an hour (the Alabama median aide wage), a live-in caregiver paid for 50 hours a week costs about $2,901 a month (94% of the $3,098 monthly median income of Birmingham households headed by someone 65+). Round-the-clock shift care, 168 paid hours a week across two or three caregivers, comes to about $9,748 a month (315% of the $3,098 monthly median income of Birmingham households headed by someone 65+). Private rates are agreed with the caregiver, and overtime rules can add to both. Alabama has no state minimum wage law, so the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour applies to employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (U.S. Department of Labor).

Live-in or 24-hour care in Birmingham?

A live-in caregiver sleeps in the home and has protected sleep and break time. 24-hour care uses two or three caregivers in shifts so someone is always awake; in Birmingham it costs more than three times as much a month (see the cost section above). Choose shifts if help is needed several times a night.

More near Birmingham

More senior care near Birmingham

Live-In Caregivers in nearby cities

Other care in Birmingham

More for Birmingham families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Live-In Caregivers in Birmingham, AL