Best Life Index › States › Alabama › Cities › Huntsville

Alabama city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Huntsville?

What it costs to live in Huntsville, and how it compares with other Alabama cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

32

38th best value in Alabama

How much you get for what you pay, versus other Alabama cities.

Overall livability

38

34th overall in Alabama

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Huntsville is home to about 210,081 people. A typical home runs $194,500 and a household earns around $61,000, a price-to-income ratio of 3.2. Among Alabama's largest cities, it ranks 38th for value and 34th overall.

Huntsville at a glance

Median home price

$194,500

35th in AL of 47

Median rent

$912/mo

Median household income

$61,000

Home price to income

3.2x

Unemployment

4.9%

26th in AL of 47

School rating

4/10

24th in AL of 47

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in AL of 47

Walk score

25/100

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‹ See all top Alabama cities ranked  ยท  Alabama state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within Alabama only. Updated 2026.