Huntsville, AL Cost Of Living

The latest cost of living statistics for Huntsville. Includes statistics on rent, mortgages, healthcare, and other costs for Huntsville compared to the state and national averages.

Cost of living in Huntsville, Alabama

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:

96 Cost of living index 1.0x lower vs US
#82 Cheapest in Alabama (of 116)
#1,959 Cheapest in the U.S. (of 6,489)
$287,569 Median home value
$1,171 Median rent
$74,714 Median income
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What is the cost of living in Huntsville, AL?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Huntsville has an overall cost of living index of 96, 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 91.

The standard of living in Huntsville ranks as #82 most affordable out of the 116 places we measured in Alabama. By definition, that implies Huntsville ranks as the #34 most expensive place in the Heart of Dixie.

For more reading on life in Huntsville, check out:

Huntsville Cost Of Living Vs. Alabama

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Huntsville. Here is how it fares on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Huntsville is 94.

  • The Groceries index in Huntsville is 97.

  • The Health index in Huntsville is 98.

  • The Housing index in Huntsville is 98.

  • The Transportation index in Huntsville is 101.

  • The Utilities index in Huntsville is 89.

Living Expense Huntsville Alabama National Average
Overall 96 91 100
Services 94 95 100
Groceries 97 96 100
Health 98 74 100
Housing 98 96 100
Transportation 101 95 100
Utilities 89 95 100

Huntsville Cost Of Living Compared To Alabama Averages

Services
Huntsville 94
Alabama avg 95
Groceries
Huntsville 97
Alabama avg 96
Health
Huntsville 98
Alabama avg 74
Housing
Huntsville 98
Alabama avg 96
Transportation
Huntsville 101
Alabama avg 95
Utilities
Huntsville 89
Alabama avg 95

Index where 100 = national average. Source: cost-of-living index 2026.

For more reading on cost of living around Alabama, check out:

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Source: Cost-of-living index 2026, normalized to US average = 100

Huntsville, AL Housing Cost Breakdown

$287,569Median Home Value
$1,171Median Rent
$74,714Median Income

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 2020-2024. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Huntsville is $287,569.

  • The Median Rent in Huntsville is $1,171.

  • The Median Income in Huntsville is $74,714.

  • The Home Value To Income in Huntsville is 3.8x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Huntsville is 0.19x.

Statistic Huntsville Alabama United States
Median Home Value $287,569 $236,452 $332,700
Median Rent $1,171 $1,007 $1,413
Median Income $74,714 $63,999 $80,734
Home Value To Income 3.8x 3.7x 4.1x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.19x 0.19x 0.21x

Huntsville, AL Costs By Category

Detailed Huntsville Services costs vs. Alabama
Item Huntsville Alabama
Shampoo $1.24 $1.28
Movie $12.52 $12.13
Bowling $22.78 $18
Haircut $24.45 $24.26
Beauty Salon $52.5 $45.56
Detailed Huntsville Groceries costs vs. Alabama
Item Huntsville Alabama
Ground Beef $6.04 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.42 $1.57
Milk $4.55 $4.67
Potatoes $5.33 $4.93
Pizza $12.16 $12.09
Beer $10.23 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.85 $3.7
Detailed Huntsville Health costs vs. Alabama
Item Huntsville Alabama
Optometrist $104.06 $125.68
Doctor $130.44 $135.78
Dentist $113.33 $113.29
Detailed Huntsville Transportation costs vs. Alabama
Item Huntsville Alabama
Gasoline $3.16 $3.46
Tire Balancing $61.19 $59.92
Detailed Huntsville Utilities costs vs. Alabama
Item Huntsville Alabama
All Electricity $191.34 $193.99
Phone $188.01 $192.25

Huntsville SnackAbility

7Overall SnackAbility
Jobs 7/10
Housing 8/10
Affordability 7/10
Diversity 9/10
SafetyN/A
Amenities 8/10
Education 8/10
Commute 9/10

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Huntsville

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:

  • Madison, AL has a cost of living index of 105, 1.1x Huntsville.

  • Decatur, AL has a cost of living index of 87, 0.9x Huntsville.

  • Athens, AL has a cost of living index of 95, 1.0x Huntsville.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Huntsville
Madison, AL 60,106 105 1.1x
Decatur, AL 57,361 87 0.9x
Athens, AL 29,002 95 1.0x
Albertville, AL 22,813 88 0.9x
Cullman, AL 19,319 90 0.9x
Hartselle, AL 15,847 91 0.9x
Scottsboro, AL 15,712 87 0.9x
Meridianville, AL 11,150 95 1.0x
Winchester, TN 9,799 92 1.0x
Pulaski, TN 8,285 88 0.9x