Cheapest places to live in Alabama

Every Alabama city and town with 20,000 or more people, ranked by median home value, with rent, commute and growth beside it. All Census data.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.

GadsdenLowest home values$116,800 median
AnnistonLowest rent$799 a month
33Places ranked20,000+ residents

The 3 cheapest in Alabama

#1
Gadsden
Home value
$116,800
Rent
$808
Growth
-1.6%
#2
Bessemer
Home value
$135,900
Rent
$961
Growth
-3.9%
#3
Anniston
Home value
$158,800
Rent
$799
Growth
-2.9%

The 15 cheapest places to live in Alabama

#	Place	Median home value	Median rent	Commute	Growth since 2020
1	Gadsden	$116,800	$808	20.7 min	-1.6%
2	Bessemer	$135,900	$961	26.2 min	-3.9%
3	Anniston	$158,800	$799	23.8 min	-2.9%
4	Birmingham	$158,800	$1,107	20.8 min	-2.3%
5	Montgomery	$161,900	$1,089	20.7 min	-2.6%
6	Phenix City	$170,300	$967	22.1 min	-1.2%
7	Oxford	$170,900	$925	25.2 min	+0.3%
8	Albertville	$188,400	$872	19.7 min	+5.9%
9	Mobile	$193,300	$1,068	22.8 min	-2.9%
10	Dothan	$194,000	$960	20.4 min	+1.4%
11	Florence	$196,300	$820	18.7 min	+6.0%
12	Enterprise	$202,900	$1,098	20.1 min	+8.7%
13	Decatur	$210,200	$896	21.1 min	+1.3%
14	Prattville	$214,600	$1,313	23.9 min	+7.6%
15	Cullman	$238,900	$925	20.5 min	+13.4%

Cheap often comes with a trade-off. Check the growth column: a shrinking population can mean fewer jobs nearby.

All 33, cheapest first

See all 33, cheapest first

#	Place	Median home value	Median rent	Commute	Population 2025
1	Gadsden	$116,800	$808	20.7 min	33,367
2	Bessemer	$135,900	$961	26.2 min	24,984
3	Anniston	$158,800	$799	23.8 min	20,930
4	Birmingham	$158,800	$1,107	20.8 min	195,893
5	Montgomery	$161,900	$1,089	20.7 min	195,300
6	Phenix City	$170,300	$967	22.1 min	38,344
7	Oxford	$170,900	$925	25.2 min	22,199
8	Albertville	$188,400	$872	19.7 min	23,710
9	Mobile	$193,300	$1,068	22.8 min	200,824
10	Dothan	$194,000	$960	20.4 min	72,060
11	Florence	$196,300	$820	18.7 min	42,581
12	Enterprise	$202,900	$1,098	20.1 min	31,211
13	Decatur	$210,200	$896	21.1 min	58,056
14	Prattville	$214,600	$1,313	23.9 min	40,582
15	Cullman	$238,900	$925	20.5 min	20,799
16	Opelika	$241,800	$950	22.1 min	35,765
17	Tuscaloosa	$255,500	$1,055	19.6 min	114,316
18	Alabaster	$261,700	$1,372	30.6 min	34,748
19	Athens	$270,000	$899	24.6 min	34,209
20	Northport	$282,600	$982	21.7 min	31,648
21	Foley	$289,300	$1,242	25.7 min	30,354
22	Huntsville	$293,600	$1,171	19.7 min	233,627
23	Pelham	$299,800	$1,577	28.6 min	25,664
24	Daphne	$323,400	$1,388	25.2 min	31,396
25	Helena	$330,700	$1,574	30.7 min	23,388
26	Auburn	$364,800	$1,098	19.9 min	85,113
27	Trussville	$370,300	$1,711	26.6 min	27,273
28	Madison	$398,800	$1,453	20.2 min	67,968
29	Hoover	$412,200	$1,457	25.2 min	93,550
30	Fairhope	$430,900	$1,689	25.9 min	26,625
31	Vestavia Hills	$530,000	$1,515	19.3 min	38,306
32	Homewood	$558,500	$1,463	17.1 min	28,118
33	Mountain Brook	$916,300	$1,456	16.4 min	21,661

Home values are owner estimates averaged over 2020 to 2024 (American Community Survey 5-year), so they run below today's listing prices. Use them to compare places, not to price a home.

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest place to live in Alabama?

Of the 33 Alabama cities and towns with 20,000 or more people, Gadsden has the lowest median home value at $116,800, followed by Bessemer ($135,900) and Anniston ($158,800) (American Community Survey 2020-2024).

Where is rent cheapest in Alabama?

Anniston, with a median gross rent of $799 a month including utilities.

What is the most expensive place to live in Alabama?

Of the places we rank, Mountain Brook, with a median home value of $916,300.

What taxes do you pay in Alabama?

Income tax: 5.00% (top rate, 2026). Property tax: 0.38% of home value, statewide effective rate (Census ACS 2025). Sales tax: 9.46% combined state and average local (Tax Foundation 2026).

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