Cost of living in Selma 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 Selma 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 Selma is 81, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Selma is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Selma ranks as the #6 cheapest in Alabama out of 115.
Selma ranks as the #290 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Selma is $86,800.
The median income in Selma is $29,656.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Selma has an overall cost of living index of 81, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alabama, Selma has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Alabama's index of 88.
The standard of living in Selma ranks as #6 most affordable out of the 115 places we measured in Alabama. By definition, that implies Selma ranks as the #109 most expensive place in the Heart of Dixie.
For more reading on life in Selma, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Selma. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Selma is 93.
The Groceries index in Selma is 98.
The Health index in Selma is 84.
The Housing index in Selma is 50.
The Transportation index in Selma is 91.
The Utilities index in Selma is 100.
Living Expense | Selma | Alabama | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 81 | 88 | 100 | |
Services | 93 | 95 | 100 | |
Groceries | 98 | 97 | 100 | |
Health | 84 | 88 | 100 | |
Housing | 50 | 69 | 100 | |
Transportation | 91 | 90 | 100 | |
Utilities | 100 | 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 Selma is $86,800.
The Median Rent in Selma is $644.
The Median Income in Selma is $29,656.
The Home Value To Income in Selma is 2.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Selma is 0.26x.
Statistic | Selma | Alabama | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $86,800 | $157,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $644 | $852 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $29,656 | $54,943 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 2.9x | 2.9x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.26x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Selma. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Montgomery, AL has a cost of living index of 86, 1.1x Selma.
Prattville, AL has a cost of living index of 92, 1.1x Selma.
Millbrook, AL has a cost of living index of 92, 1.1x Selma.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Selma |
---|---|---|---|
Montgomery, AL | 201,022 | 86 | 1.1x |
Prattville, AL | 37,977 | 92 | 1.1x |
Millbrook, AL | 16,675 | 92 | 1.1x |