Huntsville vs Birmingham
Huntsville, AL · Birmingham, AL
Birmingham is 4% cheaper than Huntsville overall.
Home Price
Huntsville: $270,000
Birmingham: $215,000
Monthly Rent
Huntsville: $750/mo
Birmingham: $898/mo
COL Index
Huntsville: 90
Birmingham: 86
Median Income
Huntsville: $72,200
Birmingham: $55,800
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Huntsville has the same purchasing power as $95,556 in Birmingham — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Birmingham cost 20% more (-$55,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Huntsville saves you $148/month — $1,776 per year. Median rent: $750/mo in Huntsville vs $898/mo in Birmingham.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Huntsville owners pay roughly $1,107/year in property taxes vs $882/year in Birmingham. Rates are comparable.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $72,200 in Huntsville and $55,800 in Birmingham. Birmingham residents earn 23% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 23 minutes in Huntsville vs 24 minutes in Birmingham. Commute times are nearly identical.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Huntsville to Birmingham, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Huntsville | Equivalent in Birmingham | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $47,778 | -$2,222 |
| $75,000 | $71,667 | -$3,333 |
| $100,000 | $95,556 | -$4,444 |
| $150,000 | $143,333 | -$6,667 |
| $200,000 | $191,111 | -$8,889 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
Mortgage Calculator
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Rent vs Buy
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Cost of Living
Full cost of living comparison tool
Home Appreciation
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Affordability Calculator
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Property Tax Calculator
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Huntsville Calculators
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Related Comparisons
Huntsville vs Birmingham: Common Questions
Is Huntsville or Birmingham cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Birmingham is cheaper overall. Huntsville has a COL index of 90 while Birmingham scores 86 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Huntsville and Birmingham?
The median home price in Huntsville is $270,000 vs $215,000 in Birmingham — a difference of $55,000 (20%).
What salary do I need in Birmingham to match my Huntsville income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Huntsville is equivalent to $95,556 in Birmingham in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Birmingham has a lower property tax rate (0.41% vs 0.41%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $882/year vs $1,107/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.