Cost of Living in Huntsville, Alabama
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Huntsville, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 233,627
- Median household income
- $83,235
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 93.1
- Unemployment rate
- 3.3%
Is Huntsville a good place to live?
Huntsville is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 135 of the 178 other large US cities we track.
A typical worker in Huntsville keeps $9,687 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living7% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,249 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$2,146 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Huntsville
Prices in the Huntsville, AL area run 7% below the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 22% below the US average.
- Housing22% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities16% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)3% below the US average
- All items7% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,249 | $14,988 |
| Food | $476 | $5,712 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $340 | $4,080 |
| Utilities | $219 | $2,628 |
| Total before taxes | $2,660 | $31,920 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Huntsville | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,178 | $1,119 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,249 | $1,177 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,425 | $1,341 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,845 | $1,735 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,368 | $2,241 |
Living in Huntsville
How Huntsville compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Huntsville | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $83,235 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $339,400 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,241 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 42.5% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 10.7% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 49.1% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 36.2 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 20 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 14.6% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 0.2% | 3.7% |
The 1-year survey doesn’t publish commuting method for Huntsville, so those figures come from the 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Home internet
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Huntsville, led by Xfinity, Google Fiber, T-Mobile, Verizon. Fiber reaches 80.9% of homes and 97.5% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Huntsville
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 20 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Paychecks go further. A typical worker keeps $9,687 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs, more than in 135 of 178 large cities.
- Strong job market. Unemployment is 3.3%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Lower cost of living. Prices are 7% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
Cons
Nothing stands out against the US average in the data we track.
What your job keeps in Huntsville
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $51,740
- Federal income tax
- −$4,029
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,958
- State income tax
- −$2,146
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$14,988
- Everyday costs
- −$16,932
a year, or $807 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Huntsville, AL. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Huntsville, AL area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | $128,080 | $61,699 |
| Mechanical engineer | $102,450 | $44,787 |
| Accountant | $79,220 | $29,351 |
| Registered nurse | $77,090 | $27,935 |
| Teacher | $62,950 | $18,201 |
| Electrician | $58,500 | $14,822 |
| Truck driver | $56,690 | $13,447 |
| Welder | $44,020 | $3,824 |
| Medical assistant | $36,920 | −$1,567 |
| Nursing assistant | $35,210 | −$2,867 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Huntsville on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $5,966
- Carpenter $7,584
- Civil engineer $46,986
- Data scientist $51,007
- Dental assistant $3,755
- Dental hygienist $17,762
- Diesel mechanic $12,247
- Financial analyst $42,760
- Firefighter $6,855
- HVAC technician $8,321
- Lawyer $65,016
- Licensed practical nurse $15,855
- Lineman $34,572
- Nurse practitioner $45,750
- Occupational therapist $38,919
- Paralegal $5,768
- Paramedic $7,257
- Pharmacist $67,353
- Pharmacy technician $3,741
- Physical therapist $42,999
- Physician assistant $47,963
- Plumber $13,698
- Police officer $19,417
- Project manager $51,218
- Radiologic technologist $16,797
- Respiratory therapist $19,249
- Social worker $10,629
- Speech-language pathologist $26,333
- Veterinarian $51,285
Compare Huntsville with other cities
Compare Huntsville with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Huntsville
9 licensed interstate movers are based in Huntsville, and 1 more elsewhere in the Huntsville, AL area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Huntsville, AL a good place to live?
Huntsville is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 135 of the 178 other large US cities we track. The typical worker here earns $51,740 and keeps $9,687 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Huntsville?
Prices in the Huntsville, AL area are 7% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,249 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,411 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Huntsville?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $39,000 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Huntsville, AL area earns $51,740.
What is the average rent in Huntsville?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,178 for a studio, $1,249 for a 1-bedroom and $1,425 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Huntsville at $1,241 a month (2024).
Does Huntsville have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $51,740, Alabama state income tax comes to about $2,146 a year. Huntsville has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Huntsville?
6 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Huntsville, led by Xfinity, Google Fiber, T-Mobile, Verizon. 80.9% of homes can get fiber and 97.5% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate