City comparison
Decatur, AL is about 100 miles (150 km) from Tuscaloosa, AL in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h 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 Decatur, AL to Tuscaloosa, AL takes about 12 min, covering roughly 100 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.
Tuscaloosa has a population of 105,797, vs 57,525 in Decatur — about 1.8× larger by population. By land area, Tuscaloosa covers about 63 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 | Decatur | Tuscaloosa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $801/mo | $980/mo | 22.3% higher in Tuscaloosa |
| Median home value | $170,000 | $228,300 | 34.3% higher in Tuscaloosa |
| Median household income | $55,164 | $47,257 | 16.7% higher in Decatur |
| Groceries index | 96.6 | 96.6 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 85.7 | 85.3 | ≈ equal (Decatur slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 97.0 | 97.0 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 96.5 | 96.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Decatur, you'd need $100,716 in Tuscaloosa to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Decatur, AL is about 0.7% cheaper overall than Tuscaloosa, AL, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Decatur, you'd need about $80,573 in Tuscaloosa to keep the same standard of living.