Cost of living in Muscle Shoals 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 Muscle Shoals 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 Muscle Shoals is 89, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Muscle Shoals is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Muscle Shoals ranks as the #50 cheapest in Alabama out of 115.
Muscle Shoals ranks as the #1,460 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Muscle Shoals is $154,600.
The median income in Muscle Shoals is $61,772.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Muscle Shoals has an overall cost of living index of 89, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alabama, Muscle Shoals has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Alabama's index of 88.
The standard of living in Muscle Shoals ranks as #50 most affordable out of the 115 places we measured in Alabama. By definition, that implies Muscle Shoals ranks as the #65 most expensive place in the Heart of Dixie.
For more reading on life in Muscle Shoals, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Muscle Shoals. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Muscle Shoals is 95.
The Groceries index in Muscle Shoals is 94.
The Health index in Muscle Shoals is 78.
The Housing index in Muscle Shoals is 74.
The Transportation index in Muscle Shoals is 92.
The Utilities index in Muscle Shoals is 99.
Living Expense | Muscle Shoals | Alabama | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 89 | 88 | 100 | |
Services | 95 | 95 | 100 | |
Groceries | 94 | 97 | 100 | |
Health | 78 | 88 | 100 | |
Housing | 74 | 69 | 100 | |
Transportation | 92 | 90 | 100 | |
Utilities | 99 | 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 Muscle Shoals is $154,600.
The Median Rent in Muscle Shoals is $882.
The Median Income in Muscle Shoals is $61,772.
The Home Value To Income in Muscle Shoals is 2.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Muscle Shoals is 0.17x.
Statistic | Muscle Shoals | Alabama | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $154,600 | $157,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $882 | $852 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $61,772 | $54,943 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.5x | 2.9x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Item | Muscle Shoals | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.2 | $1.06 |
Movie | $13.69 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $15.0 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $14.55 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $36.68 | $39.05 |
Item | Muscle Shoals | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $2.93 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.52 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.63 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $2.94 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $9.64 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.55 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $1.9 | $2.34 |
Item | Muscle Shoals | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $75.63 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $71.33 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $79.2 | $99.13 |
Item | Muscle Shoals | Alabama |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.04 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $46.47 | $50.07 |
Item | Muscle Shoals | Alabama |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $160.98 | $167.67 |
Phone | $181.81 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Muscle Shoals. 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, 1.0x Muscle Shoals.
Madison, AL has a cost of living index of 106, 1.2x Muscle Shoals.
Florence, AL has a cost of living index of 86, 1.0x Muscle Shoals.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Muscle Shoals |
---|---|---|---|
Decatur, AL | 57,303 | 88 | 1.0x |
Madison, AL | 55,551 | 106 | 1.2x |
Florence, AL | 39,709 | 86 | 1.0x |
Athens, AL | 25,213 | 90 | 1.0x |
Hartselle, AL | 15,308 | 87 | 1.0x |
Lawrenceburg, TN | 11,460 | 81 | 0.9x |
Russellville, AL | 10,691 | 83 | 0.9x |
Sheffield, AL | 9,305 | 80 | 0.9x |
Tuscumbia, AL | 8,977 | 85 | 1.0x |
Pulaski, TN | 8,163 | 83 | 0.9x |