City comparison
Albany, GA is about 275 miles (425 km) from Decatur, AL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 325 miles, or about 5 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Albany, GA to Decatur, AL takes about 32 min, covering roughly 275 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Albany has a population of 68,926, vs 57,525 in Decatur — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Albany covers about 55 sq mi vs 55 sq mi for Decatur.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Albany | Decatur | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $889/mo | $801/mo | 11.0% higher in Albany |
| Median home value | $111,200 | $170,000 | 52.9% higher in Decatur |
| Median household income | $43,724 | $55,164 | 26.2% higher in Decatur |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 96.6 | ≈ equal (Decatur slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 88.9 | 85.7 | 3.7% higher in Albany |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 97.0 | 1.9% higher in Albany |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 96.5 | 1.9% higher in Albany |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Albany, you'd need $100,277 in Decatur to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Albany and Decatur have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Decatur than in Albany. If you earn $80,000 in Albany, you'd need about $80,222 in Decatur to keep the same standard of living.