City comparison
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 | Birmingham | Huntsville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $995/mo | $1,020/mo | 2.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $123,000 | $236,300 | 47.9% lower in A |
| Median household income | $42,464 | $67,874 | 37.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 98.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 94.1 | 94.5 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 80.5 | 81.0 | 0.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 92.8 | 93.6 | 0.8% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Birmingham, you'd need $101,306 in Huntsville to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Birmingham, AL is about 1.3% cheaper overall than Huntsville, AL, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Birmingham, you'd need about $81,045 in Huntsville to keep the same standard of living.