Alabama · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Huntsville, AL

Prices around Huntsville, AL run 6.9% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $74,714 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $1,310 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $52,400 a year.

Huntsville, AL at a glance

Median household income

$74,714$6,226 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$1,310HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)93.1-6.9% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity16.4¢per kWh · EIA Residential AL
Population222,791Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Huntsville, AL?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$1,310Monthly market rent
Share of gross income21%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$52,400To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,868At 30% of $74,714
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Huntsville, AL? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Huntsville, AL MSA, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Huntsville, AL, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$1,030$12,360$41,20016.5%
1-Bedroom Apartment$1,136$13,632$45,44018.2%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$1,310$15,720$52,40021%
3-Bedroom Home$1,690$20,280$67,60027.1%
4-Bedroom Home$2,109$25,308$84,36033.9%

Rent in Huntsville, AL, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Huntsville, AL

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $74,714 a year ($6,226 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$3,113/moRent ($1,310 2-BR), utilities (~$148/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,868/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$1,245/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $74,714 leaves after Alabama taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Alabama tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$74,714
$25,000$150,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$74,714
Net 78%
Fed 10%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$58,276After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,856Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,241Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate22%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$7,607 / yr
Alabama state income tax$3,115 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$5,716 / yr

Living in Huntsville, AL: common questions

What is the median household income in Huntsville, AL?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Huntsville, AL is $74,714 per year (approximately $6,226 per month).

What is the average rent in Huntsville, AL?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $1,030 for a studio, $1,136 for one bedroom, $1,310 for two, $1,690 for three and $2,109 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Huntsville, AL expensive to live in?

Prices there run 6.9% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 93.1, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Huntsville, AL?

To keep a $1,310 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $52,400 a year, or $4,367 a month. That is 70% of what the typical household in Huntsville, AL earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Huntsville, AL?

On the local median income of $74,714 ($6,226 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $3,113 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,868 for everything else and $1,245 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $1,310 takes 42% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Huntsville, AL?

Homes in Alabama paid 16.4¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $148. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.