Alabama Cost of Living
Housing costs and affordability data for 67 counties.
Average Monthly Rent
$820/mo
Average Home Value
$159,660
Average Owner Cost
$706/mo
County cost atlas
Alabama housing costs by county
Compare rent, entry-price context, owner costs, and cost score in one state view. Pin a county, switch layers, then open the full county profile when a place needs closer review.
Counties
67
Avg rent
$820/mo
Owner cost
$706/mo
Avg score
68.8
Higher means lower cost pressure
Atlas layers use U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates. Rent, owner cost, and home value are county medians. Cost score rewards lower rent and lower owner costs, but affordability still depends on income, household size, commute, debt, and personal finances. Use this as decision context, not personalized financial advice.
State Cost Summary
Use these state averages as a starting point, then scan the atlas and rankings for the county-level spread behind them.
Housing Costs in Alabama: An Overview
The unweighted mean of county median rents in Alabama is $820 per month, which is 42% below the national ACS median of $1,413. This gives every county equal weight and is not an official statewide median.
Within Alabama, housing costs vary significantly by county. Shelby County has the highest median rent in this dataset at $1,401 per month and a median home value of $326,100. Greene County has the lowest reported median rent at $432 per month and a median home value of $81,200.
The unweighted mean of county median home values in Alabama is $159,660, 52% lower than the national ACS median of $332,700. The unweighted mean of county median household incomes is $55,552; neither figure is a household-weighted statewide estimate.
Before comparing places in Alabama, start with the county-level pattern. Costs can swing dramatically between rural and urban counties. Use the atlas, rankings, and county links below to compare rent, home values, owner costs, and rent burden before opening a specific county profile.
Distribution
Rent Distribution in Alabama
How median rents are spread across 67 counties
Highest Median Rent Counties
Lowest Median Rent Counties
All Alabama Counties
Sorted by median rent, highest first. A higher cost score means lower rent and owner cost pressure within the national scoring model.
| County | Median Rent | Home Value | Owner Cost | Cost Score | Rent/Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | $1,000–$1,500$1,401/mo | $326,100 | $1,357/mo | 12.0 | 28.6% |
| Baldwin County | $1,000–$1,500$1,277/mo | $316,900 | $1,159/mo | 18.1 | 28.6% |
| Autauga County | $1,000–$1,500$1,263/mo | $207,200 | $1,013/mo | 23.6 | 24.8% |
| Madison County | $1,000–$1,500$1,209/mo | $299,200 | $1,129/mo | 20.4 | 27.5% |
| Jefferson County | $1,000–$1,500$1,193/mo | $240,000 | $1,126/mo | 20.9 | 31.8% |
| Montgomery County | $1,000–$1,500$1,092/mo | $171,900 | $1,006/mo | 28.4 | 32.2% |
| St. Clair County | $1,000–$1,500$1,084/mo | $226,300 | $1,021/mo | 28.1 | 27.5% |
| Elmore County | $1,000–$1,500$1,071/mo | $223,900 | $1,047/mo | 27.5 | 27.4% |
| Lee County | $1,000–$1,500$1,058/mo | $262,200 | $1,074/mo | 27.2 | 35.4% |
| Mobile County | $1,000–$1,500$1,052/mo | $190,700 | $1,003/mo | 30.0 | 32.5% |
| Tuscaloosa County | $1,000–$1,500$1,037/mo | $248,700 | $1,139/mo | 25.9 | 30.8% |
| Coffee County | $1,000–$1,500$1,018/mo | $188,600 | $903/mo | 36.8 | 25.1% |
| Limestone County | Under $1,000$970/mo | $281,000 | $1,038/mo | 33.0 | 24.5% |
| Houston County | Under $1,000$945/mo | $183,300 | $868/mo | 43.5 | 28.2% |
| Russell County | Under $1,000$939/mo | $165,700 | $775/mo | 50.4 | 32.1% |
| Cullman County | Under $1,000$908/mo | $199,100 | $744/mo | 55.2 | 25.8% |
| Dale County | Under $1,000$889/mo | $143,500 | $633/mo | 65.0 | 25.9% |
| Colbert County | Under $1,000$887/mo | $171,000 | $765/mo | 55.5 | 26.7% |
| Chambers County | Under $1,000$871/mo | $135,800 | $592/mo | 68.9 | 28.3% |
| Chilton County | Under $1,000$871/mo | $161,300 | $671/mo | 63.9 | 22.5% |
| Morgan County | Under $1,000$864/mo | $212,000 | $807/mo | 54.6 | 28.3% |
| Pike County | Under $1,000$856/mo | $157,600 | $802/mo | 56.0 | 33.3% |
| Etowah County | Under $1,000$847/mo | $167,100 | $725/mo | 62.7 | 29.0% |
| Lauderdale County | Under $1,000$838/mo | $200,300 | $752/mo | 61.8 | 24.9% |
| Conecuh County | Under $1,000$834/mo | $105,300 | $494/mo | 77.9 | 31.4% |
| Calhoun County | Under $1,000$826/mo | $156,600 | $699/mo | 67.0 | 27.9% |
| Winston County | Under $1,000$803/mo | $118,900 | $629/mo | 74.4 | 26.4% |
| Cleburne County | Under $1,000$798/mo | $165,600 | $600/mo | 76.5 | 30.2% |
| Marshall County | Under $1,000$795/mo | $201,500 | $804/mo | 62.8 | 28.6% |
| Talladega County | Under $1,000$785/mo | $149,200 | $740/mo | 68.7 | 26.5% |
| Geneva County | Under $1,000$784/mo | $130,700 | $567/mo | 80.6 | 27.5% |
| Clarke County | Under $1,000$782/mo | $121,700 | $612/mo | 78.0 | 32.7% |
| Jackson County | Under $1,000$780/mo | $159,500 | $638/mo | 76.8 | 27.4% |
| Blount County | Under $1,000$776/mo | $175,200 | $789/mo | 66.4 | 27.3% |
| Sumter County | Under $1,000$775/mo | $82,600 | $556/mo | 82.5 | 36.7% |
| Henry County | Under $1,000$769/mo | $161,000 | $670/mo | 75.9 | 29.2% |
| Escambia County | Under $1,000$766/mo | $136,500 | $524/mo | 84.9 | 27.7% |
| Tallapoosa County | Under $1,000$765/mo | $158,500 | $674/mo | 76.1 | 24.2% |
| Cherokee County | Under $1,000$762/mo | $179,700 | $630/mo | 79.6 | 26.6% |
| Walker County | Under $1,000$756/mo | $135,900 | $608/mo | 81.3 | 26.7% |
| Lawrence County | Under $1,000$753/mo | $172,300 | $658/mo | 78.6 | 24.0% |
| Covington County | Under $1,000$746/mo | $152,100 | $553/mo | 85.7 | 30.0% |
| Wilcox County | Under $1,000$745/mo | $98,800 | $551/mo | 85.9 | 25.3% |
| Macon County | Under $1,000$734/mo | $102,000 | $614/mo | 83.0 | 31.4% |
| Bibb County | Under $1,000$733/mo | $145,700 | $572/mo | 85.8 | 33.7% |
| Dallas County | Under $1,000$733/mo | $94,600 | $515/mo | 88.5 | 39.1% |
| Butler County | Under $1,000$725/mo | $99,800 | $597/mo | 84.7 | 28.6% |
| Marengo County | Under $1,000$716/mo | $107,400 | $590/mo | 85.9 | 32.7% |
| Hale County | Under $1,000$715/mo | $127,600 | $556/mo | 88.3 | 30.1% |
| Lowndes County | Under $1,000$710/mo | $86,300 | $692/mo | 79.9 | 32.0% |
| Randolph County | Under $1,000$708/mo | $181,600 | $603/mo | 85.8 | 28.7% |
| DeKalb County | Under $1,000$693/mo | $152,700 | $587/mo | 87.8 | 27.8% |
| Barbour County | Under $1,000$688/mo | $112,900 | $618/mo | 86.4 | 24.7% |
| Franklin County | Under $1,000$676/mo | $136,000 | $575/mo | 89.9 | 22.8% |
| Fayette County | Under $1,000$667/mo | $125,900 | $508/mo | 93.5 | 23.0% |
| Monroe County | Under $1,000$666/mo | $120,600 | $566/mo | 91.0 | 30.4% |
| Coosa County | Under $1,000$665/mo | $115,500 | $554/mo | 91.7 | 36.3% |
| Crenshaw County | Under $1,000$661/mo | $114,000 | $511/mo | 93.8 | 26.4% |
| Washington County | Under $1,000$655/mo | $159,700 | $550/mo | 92.6 | 20.6% |
| Pickens County | Under $1,000$648/mo | $123,900 | $579/mo | 91.1 | 26.9% |
| Marion County | Under $1,000$630/mo | $106,600 | $527/mo | 94.7 | 28.2% |
| Clay County | Under $1,000$619/mo | $156,700 | $464/mo | 96.8 | 24.2% |
| Perry County | Under $1,000$592/mo | $86,400 | $433/mo | 98.0 | 31.1% |
| Bullock County | Under $1,000$556/mo | $81,700 | $512/mo | 96.8 | 32.2% |
| Lamar County | Under $1,000$549/mo | $114,000 | $490/mo | 97.4 | 31.0% |
| Choctaw County | Under $1,000$543/mo | $123,400 | $501/mo | 97.3 | 23.7% |
| Greene County | Under $1,000$432/mo | $81,200 | $445/mo | 99.3 | 30.0% |
Compare Alabama to Other States
See how Alabama counties stack up against counties in other states. Compare rent, home values, and affordability side by side.
Start a ComparisonFrequently Asked Questions About Alabama Housing Costs
Which Alabama county has the lowest median rent?
Which Alabama county has the highest median rent?
How does Alabama's cost of living compare to the national average?
What is the unweighted county-mean home value in Alabama?
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Compare Moving QuotesData: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2020-2024). Data is informational only and is not personalized financial advice.