Cost of living in Huntsville research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Huntsville is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Alabama, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Huntsville is 98, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Huntsville is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Huntsville ranks as the #92 cheapest in Alabama out of 115.
Huntsville ranks as the #2,890 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Huntsville is $194,500.
The median income in Huntsville is $60,959.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Huntsville has an overall cost of living index of 98, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alabama, Huntsville has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Alabama's index of 88.
The standard of living in Huntsville ranks as #92 most affordable out of the 115 places we measured in Alabama. By definition, that implies Huntsville ranks as the #23 most expensive place in the Heart of Dixie.
For more reading on life in Huntsville, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Huntsville. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Huntsville is 105.
The Groceries index in Huntsville is 99.
The Health index in Huntsville is 96.
The Housing index in Huntsville is 89.
The Transportation index in Huntsville is 94.
The Utilities index in Huntsville is 98.
Living Expense | Huntsville | Alabama | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 98 | 88 | 100 | |
Services | 105 | 95 | 100 | |
Groceries | 99 | 97 | 100 | |
Health | 96 | 88 | 100 | |
Housing | 89 | 69 | 100 | |
Transportation | 94 | 90 | 100 | |
Utilities | 98 | 101 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Alabama, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Huntsville is $194,500.
The Median Rent in Huntsville is $912.
The Median Income in Huntsville is $60,959.
The Home Value To Income in Huntsville is 3.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Huntsville is 0.18x.
Statistic | Huntsville | Alabama | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $194,500 | $157,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $912 | $852 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $60,959 | $54,943 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.2x | 2.9x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Item | Huntsville | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.08 | $1.06 |
Movie | $9.97 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $19.17 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $18.67 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $33.33 | $39.05 |
Item | Huntsville | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $5.09 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.45 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.62 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $2.86 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.32 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.1 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.2 | $2.34 |
Item | Huntsville | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $109.44 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $112.22 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $100.06 | $99.13 |
Item | Huntsville | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.06 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $51.41 | $50.07 |
Item | Huntsville | Alabama |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $156.41 | $167.67 |
Phone | $181.81 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Huntsville. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Decatur, AL has a cost of living index of 88, 0.9x Huntsville.
Madison, AL has a cost of living index of 106, 1.1x Huntsville.
Athens, AL has a cost of living index of 90, 0.9x Huntsville.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Huntsville |
---|---|---|---|
Decatur, AL | 57,303 | 88 | 0.9x |
Madison, AL | 55,551 | 106 | 1.1x |
Athens, AL | 25,213 | 90 | 0.9x |
Albertville, AL | 22,268 | 89 | 0.9x |
Cullman, AL | 17,892 | 88 | 0.9x |
Scottsboro, AL | 15,446 | 92 | 0.9x |
Hartselle, AL | 15,308 | 87 | 0.9x |
Winchester, TN | 9,299 | 87 | 0.9x |
Meridianville, AL | 8,344 | 97 | 1.0x |
Pulaski, TN | 8,163 | 83 | 0.8x |