Slower Sundays
Find my cities

Cost of living in Huntsville, AL

Compared with New York. Change city

$2,072a month less for the typical home than in New York1,2

That's $24,868 a year, enough to cover 12 months of the mortgage in Huntsville. The average commute is 12 minutes shorter each way, about 2 hours a week back4.

Typical home $364,900 vs $742,000. 2-bedroom rent3 $1,350 vs $1,997. See the math

By Sol Lakein.Checked October 2026.How we compare costs

Rocket Park, Huntsville, HuntsvilleCarol Highsmith's America / Unsplash
All cities
  • Job hubNASA Marshall Space Flight Center and Redstone Arsenal
  • Suburban spaceMadison County suburbs

Huntsville at a glance, next to New York

5

What the median home costs each month

1,2
New York metro$4,078/mo
$742,000 typical home
Huntsville$2,005/mo
$364,900 typical home

If you rent: median 2-bedroom

3
New York metro$1,997/mo
Huntsville$1,350/mo
About $647 a month less in rent
Rent by apartment size in Huntsville

Day-to-day costs

  • Housing costs622% cheaper than averageNew York: 49% above
  • Salary that matches $150,000 in New York6$124,027
Huntsville in a paragraph

The median listed home in Huntsville is $364,900 (Realtor.com, September 2026), 13% below the US median of $419,250. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest come to about $2,005 a month. The median 2-bedroom rent is $1,350 a month, utilities included (Census, 2025). Everyday prices index at 93.1, where the US average is 100 (BEA, 2024). A $150,000 salary in New York buys the same as $124,027 here.

Weather

8
  • 33.1°January low
  • 91.5°July high
  • 2.4 inSnow per year

Home prices next to New York

1
Typical home for sale
New York metro$742,000
Huntsville$364,900
51% less, a $377,100 difference
Price per square foot
New York metro$494
Huntsville$169
2.9 times the space for the money

Your New York, in Huntsville

We're matching Huntsville's parks, museums, arenas and food halls to their New York counterparts. Until then, see how it works for Raleigh.

See how Huntsville ranks for your household

Answer a few quick questions and see how Huntsville ranks against 53 other cities for your household.

See how Huntsville ranks for you

Is Huntsville a good place to live?

Huntsville fits families who want prices 7% below the US average and homes list 13% below the US median. The main trade-off is hot summers. Here is what you gain and what you give up.

What you gain

  • Prices 7% below the US averageEveryday prices, rent included, index at 93.1 against a US average of 100.BEA regional price parities, 2024
  • Homes list 13% below the US median$364,900 median listing against $419,250 nationally.Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026
  • Mild wintersJanuary lows average 33.1°F with 2.4 inches of snow a year.NOAA 1991-2020 normals
  • Nonstop flights to New YorkFrom HSV to LGA.Airport route page, February 18, 2026
  • A real job marketNASA Marshall Space Flight Center and Redstone ArsenalSlower Sundays city profile

What you trade

  • Hot summersJuly highs average 91.5°F.NOAA 1991-2020 normals

More on Huntsville and Alabama

Huntsville cost of living: questions people ask

What is the cost of living in Huntsville, AL?

The median listed home in Huntsville is $364,900 (Realtor.com, September 2026), 13% below the US median of $419,250. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest come to about $2,005 a month. The median 2-bedroom rent is $1,350 a month, utilities included (Census, 2025). Everyday prices index at 93.1, where the US average is 100 (BEA, 2024). A $150,000 salary in New York buys the same as $124,027 here.

How much would I save moving from New York to Huntsville?

The median listed home is $364,900 in Huntsville against $742,000 in the New York metro, 51% less. On a mortgage for each median home, that is about $2,072 a month less in principal and interest (20% down, 7.32%, Freddie Mac, October 22, 2026).

How much is rent in Huntsville?

The median gross rent for a 2-bedroom in the Huntsville metro is $1,350 a month, including utilities the renter pays (Census American Community Survey, 2025). In the New York metro it is $1,997, $647 more. The US median is $1,563.

What salary in Huntsville matches $150,000 in New York?

$124,027. That is $150,000 adjusted by the BEA regional price parities for both metros (93.1 in Huntsville, 112.6 in New York, 2024).

Does Huntsville pay you to move there?

None of the relocation incentive programs we track cover Huntsville as of October 2026.

What is the weather like in Huntsville?

January lows average 33.1°F and July highs 91.5°F, with 2.4 inches of snow a year (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Huntsville International Airport).

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, with price per square foot, from Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. The comparison metro uses the same series and month.
  2. 2Monthly cost: Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Rate source
  3. 3Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities). Covers all renters, including long-time tenants, not only new leases. Census table
  4. 4Commute: Census ACS 2025 1-year, table S0801, mean travel time to work (one way, workers who do not work from home), 2025. Hours back assume a 5-day round trip. Census table
  5. 5At a glance: a difference within 5% counts as about the same.
  6. 6Everyday prices, housing costs and the matching salary: BEA regional price parities, 2024, US = 100.
  7. 7Flights: airport route pages, October 2026.
  8. 8Weather: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Huntsville International Airport.
Sources for this page