Apple Valley, AL, is a neighborhood in Birmingham, AL, named after the Apple Valley Country Club located in this area. The community is bordered by Ensley to the south and the Bessemer Super Highway to the east.

Notorious for its rich soil, Apple Valley was once a major apple-producing center in the early 1900s before most of the trees were wiped out by “The Great Dutch Elm Disease.”

The first settlers to the area came from the mountain regions of North Carolina and clung to a subsistence living. These people became known as “hillbillies” or “McCoys,” and over time, many of them were forced into the coal mines that operated in this region prior to World War II.

After the war, the community sprang to life as immigrants from the mountains of Kentucky and West Virginia moved into this area to take advantage of the industrial jobs that were plentiful during those times.

Today, Apple Valley is an established Birmingham neighborhood with a stable housing market – although it did experience some price depreciation during the recession.

The area’s population has seen a decline over the past decade, partially due to an aging population. However many of these individuals are likely “snowbirds” who reside in the community during warmer months and travel south for colder seasons.

This makes Apple Valley a great place for first-time home buyers or investors looking to establish roots in a working-class neighborhood.