Which Birmingham-area cities do we cover?
We publish pages for Birmingham and 11 nearby cities, each listing the licensed assisted living, memory care and nursing homes closest to the city center by distance, the nearest hospitals and the right area agency on aging.
| City | County | ALF/SCALF licenses within 5 miles | Nursing homes within 5 miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoover | Jefferson / Shelby | 8 | 4 |
| Vestavia Hills | Jefferson | 8 | 7 |
| Mountain Brook | Jefferson | 7 | 8 |
| Homewood | Jefferson | 10 | 11 |
| Pelham | Shelby | 3 | 1 |
| Alabaster | Shelby | 0 | 2 |
| Trussville | Jefferson / St. Clair | 3 | 1 |
| Gardendale | Jefferson | 2 | 1 |
| Bessemer | Jefferson | 0 | 6 |
| Helena | Shelby / Jefferson | 1 | 0 |
| Leeds | Jefferson / St. Clair / Shelby | 0 | 1 |
Why do we measure by distance instead of city limits?
Families care about drive time, not municipal boundaries, and many Birmingham suburbs have few licensed facilities inside their limits; ranking by straight-line distance between ZIP code centers shows what is actually close.
Distances are approximate. Actual drive times depend on interstates, mountains and traffic, especially across Shades Mountain and Red Mountain, so check the route before you commit to a weekly visit.
What about smaller towns and rural areas?
Our county pages cover every one of the seven counties, including towns such as Jasper, Pell City, Oneonta, Clanton and Centreville, with every licensed facility ADPH lists in each county.
Which Birmingham suburbs have the most licensed options nearby?
By ADPH's roster the densest clusters of licensed assisted living and memory care are in Hoover and the U.S. 280 corridor, central Birmingham and Homewood, Jasper in Walker County and Pell City in St. Clair County; the west side around Bessemer has more nursing homes than assisted living.
Smaller cities such as Mountain Brook, Helena and Leeds have few licensed facilities inside their limits, which is why each city page ranks the nearest options by distance instead.
How do county lines affect families in cities that cross them?
Hoover, Trussville, Helena and Leeds each extend into more than one county, so the area agency on aging, the county DHR office for Adult Protective Services and the long-term care ombudsman depend on which side of the line a parent lives.
Licensing rules, Medicaid eligibility and ADPH oversight are the same statewide, so a county line never changes what a facility must do.
How should we use a city page?
Use it to build a shortlist: pick the licenses within a reasonable drive, open each facility page for its license and inspection record, and then call or tour the two or three that fit the level of care your parent needs.
If none are close enough, widen the radius to the neighboring city or the county page.
