County housing intelligence
Alabama Housing Market by County
Alabama is not one housing market. Across 67 counties, the median county home value is $142,500 and the median county rent is $762/mo. The useful question is not whether Alabama is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$142,500
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$762/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
67
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The Alabama Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Shelby County, Baldwin County, Madison County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Bullock County, Lowndes County, Sumter County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Shelby County, Baldwin County, Autauga County lead on rent, while Greene County, Lamar County, Marion County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Coosa County, Wilcox County, Macon County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Bullock County
$79,400
- 2. Lowndes County
$80,600
- 3. Sumter County
$84,100
- 4. Wilcox County
$84,200
- 5. Greene County
$86,400
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Coosa County
2.0x home-value-to-income
- 2. Wilcox County
2.0x home-value-to-income
- 3. Macon County
2.1x home-value-to-income
- 4. Marion County
2.1x home-value-to-income
- 5. Bullock County
2.2x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Greene County
$429/mo
- 2. Lamar County
$548/mo
- 3. Marion County
$583/mo
- 4. Pickens County
$600/mo
- 5. Perry County
$610/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Chilton County
21.0% rent burden
- 2. Lawrence County
21.0% rent burden
- 3. Chambers County
22.0% rent burden
- 4. Clay County
22.0% rent burden
- 5. Franklin County
22.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Choctaw County
0.18% effective tax rate
- 2. Bibb County
0.20% effective tax rate
- 3. Lamar County
0.22% effective tax rate
- 4. Randolph County
0.22% effective tax rate
- 5. Clay County
0.23% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Conecuh County
$328/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Sumter County
$301/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Dale County
$276/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Autauga County
$247/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Bibb County
$236/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Shelby County
$93,543 income, 3.2x value-to-income
- 2. Coosa County
$57,063 income, 2.0x value-to-income
- 3. St. Clair County
$78,993 income, 2.8x value-to-income
- 4. Elmore County
$75,553 income, 2.8x value-to-income
- 5. Limestone County
$83,534 income, 3.1x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Bullock County $79,400 home value, $36,723 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Bullock County $79,400 home value, 0.39% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Bullock County $635/mo rent, 42.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Shelby County $298,700 home value, $93,543 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Compare Every Alabama County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coosa County | $111,800 | $682/mo | $57,063 | 2.0x | 0.27% |
| Wilcox County | $84,200 | $699/mo | $42,236 | 2.0x | 0.37% |
| Macon County | $95,700 | $709/mo | $45,951 | 2.1x | 0.49% |
| Marion County | $104,300 | $583/mo | $50,714 | 2.1x | 0.30% |
| Bullock County | $79,400 | $635/mo | $36,723 | 2.2x | 0.39% |
| Butler County | $99,700 | $722/mo | $44,881 | 2.2x | 0.34% |
| Crenshaw County | $108,400 | $664/mo | $49,040 | 2.2x | 0.32% |
| Sumter County | $84,100 | $841/mo | $37,981 | 2.2x | 0.35% |
| Chilton County | $142,300 | $855/mo | $61,873 | 2.3x | 0.34% |
| Lowndes County | $80,600 | $663/mo | $35,160 | 2.3x | 0.41% |
| Marengo County | $103,400 | $722/mo | $44,205 | 2.3x | 0.38% |
| Winston County | $110,500 | $744/mo | $48,032 | 2.3x | 0.33% |
| Conecuh County | $101,300 | $781/mo | $42,266 | 2.4x | 0.32% |
| Dale County | $129,100 | $863/mo | $53,955 | 2.4x | 0.33% |
| Fayette County | $121,200 | $622/mo | $50,733 | 2.4x | 0.29% |
| Geneva County | $120,200 | $757/mo | $50,951 | 2.4x | 0.32% |
| Lamar County | $112,700 | $548/mo | $47,447 | 2.4x | 0.22% |
| Walker County | $131,100 | $743/mo | $54,509 | 2.4x | 0.27% |
| Barbour County | $109,900 | $644/mo | $44,290 | 2.5x | 0.38% |
| Choctaw County | $111,800 | $653/mo | $44,483 | 2.5x | 0.18% |
| Franklin County | $128,000 | $667/mo | $51,493 | 2.5x | 0.34% |
| Henry County | $147,800 | $770/mo | $60,135 | 2.5x | 0.34% |
| Lawrence County | $150,700 | $708/mo | $60,040 | 2.5x | 0.30% |
| Talladega County | $137,900 | $772/mo | $56,249 | 2.5x | 0.37% |
| Tallapoosa County | $144,800 | $734/mo | $57,185 | 2.5x | 0.31% |
| Washington County | $152,800 | $628/mo | $60,503 | 2.5x | 0.23% |
| Bibb County | $132,600 | $802/mo | $51,215 | 2.6x | 0.20% |
| Chambers County | $129,700 | $850/mo | $49,295 | 2.6x | 0.38% |
| Clarke County | $126,400 | $785/mo | $49,167 | 2.6x | 0.31% |
| Dallas County | $97,400 | $749/mo | $36,810 | 2.6x | 0.42% |
| DeKalb County | $135,500 | $683/mo | $51,149 | 2.6x | 0.34% |
| Perry County | $87,700 | $610/mo | $34,368 | 2.6x | 0.37% |
| Pickens County | $123,300 | $600/mo | $47,014 | 2.6x | 0.29% |
| Calhoun County | $149,500 | $804/mo | $55,826 | 2.7x | 0.41% |
| Cleburne County | $144,200 | $792/mo | $53,319 | 2.7x | 0.29% |
| Greene County | $86,400 | $429/mo | $31,495 | 2.7x | 0.49% |
| Autauga County | $197,900 | $1,200/mo | $69,841 | 2.8x | 0.28% |
| Blount County | $169,700 | $743/mo | $61,096 | 2.8x | 0.30% |
| Clay County | $144,700 | $624/mo | $51,852 | 2.8x | 0.23% |
| Coffee County | $180,300 | $970/mo | $64,672 | 2.8x | 0.34% |
| Colbert County | $161,600 | $838/mo | $56,736 | 2.8x | 0.37% |
| Covington County | $142,500 | $736/mo | $50,886 | 2.8x | 0.25% |
| Elmore County | $213,600 | $1,014/mo | $75,553 | 2.8x | 0.26% |
| Escambia County | $122,700 | $709/mo | $44,447 | 2.8x | 0.40% |
| Montgomery County | $160,100 | $1,061/mo | $58,153 | 2.8x | 0.37% |
| St. Clair County | $218,500 | $1,077/mo | $78,993 | 2.8x | 0.30% |
| Jackson County | $145,800 | $762/mo | $49,454 | 2.9x | 0.31% |
| Monroe County | $114,900 | $721/mo | $40,225 | 2.9x | 0.32% |
| Cullman County | $180,500 | $883/mo | $60,916 | 3.0x | 0.25% |
| Etowah County | $160,600 | $807/mo | $53,070 | 3.0x | 0.36% |
| Marshall County | $183,400 | $765/mo | $60,946 | 3.0x | 0.38% |
| Mobile County | $176,600 | $1,021/mo | $58,119 | 3.0x | 0.48% |
| Morgan County | $193,000 | $835/mo | $64,858 | 3.0x | 0.35% |
| Russell County | $152,300 | $898/mo | $50,046 | 3.0x | 0.41% |
| Hale County | $126,300 | $723/mo | $41,325 | 3.1x | 0.32% |
| Houston County | $178,000 | $905/mo | $57,531 | 3.1x | 0.30% |
| Lauderdale County | $185,800 | $799/mo | $59,082 | 3.1x | 0.38% |
| Limestone County | $255,100 | $908/mo | $83,534 | 3.1x | 0.31% |
| Pike County | $149,000 | $855/mo | $47,961 | 3.1x | 0.27% |
| Madison County | $267,800 | $1,116/mo | $83,528 | 3.2x | 0.40% |
| Shelby County | $298,700 | $1,348/mo | $93,543 | 3.2x | 0.45% |
| Cherokee County | $165,900 | $750/mo | $50,769 | 3.3x | 0.39% |
| Jefferson County | $224,900 | $1,132/mo | $64,589 | 3.5x | 0.60% |
| Randolph County | $184,000 | $646/mo | $51,551 | 3.6x | 0.22% |
| Tuscaloosa County | $233,700 | $997/mo | $63,947 | 3.7x | 0.32% |
| Baldwin County | $287,000 | $1,211/mo | $75,019 | 3.8x | 0.31% |
| Lee County | $238,700 | $999/mo | $61,123 | 3.9x | 0.50% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in Alabama by county?
What is the typical rent in Alabama by county?
Which Alabama counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.