Cost of living in Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison is 107, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Madison is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Madison ranks as the #105 cheapest in Alabama out of 119.
Madison ranks as the #3,374 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Madison is $374,476.
The median income in Madison is $131,436.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Madison has an overall cost of living index of 107, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Alabama, Madison has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Alabama's index of 90.
The standard of living in Madison ranks as #105 most affordable out of the 119 places we measured in Alabama. By definition, that implies Madison ranks as the #14 most expensive place in the Heart of Dixie.
For more reading on life in Madison, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Madison. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Madison is 97.
The Groceries index in Madison is 97.
The Health index in Madison is 94.
The Housing index in Madison is 130.
The Transportation index in Madison is 92.
The Utilities index in Madison is 99.
| Living Expense | Madison | Alabama | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 107 | 90 | 100 | |
| Services | 97 | 97 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 97 | 98 | 100 | |
| Health | 94 | 86 | 100 | |
| Housing | 130 | 74 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 92 | 93 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 99 | 102 | 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 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Madison is $374,476.
The Median Rent in Madison is $1,375.
The Median Income in Madison is $131,436.
The Home Value To Income in Madison is 2.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Madison is 0.13x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Madison. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Huntsville, AL has a cost of living index of 99, 0.9x Madison.
Decatur, AL has a cost of living index of 90, 0.8x Madison.
Athens, AL has a cost of living index of 91, 0.9x Madison.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Madison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, AL | 218,814 | 99 | 0.9x |
| Decatur, AL | 57,760 | 90 | 0.8x |
| Athens, AL | 27,474 | 91 | 0.9x |
| Albertville, AL | 22,584 | 90 | 0.8x |
| Cullman, AL | 18,894 | 89 | 0.8x |
| Muscle Shoals, AL | 16,670 | 90 | 0.8x |
| Scottsboro, AL | 15,641 | 89 | 0.8x |
| Hartselle, AL | 15,586 | 88 | 0.8x |
| Meridianville, AL | 10,268 | 97 | 0.9x |
| Winchester, TN | 9,600 | 94 | 0.9x |