Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Decatur's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in Decatur?
Your $100,000 in Decatur has the same purchasing power as $125,628 in the average US city. You'd need $25,628 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Decatur's cost index of 80, sorted by closest match.
Wondering whether you should move to Decatur? It depends on what you're optimizing for, but the city has real arguments in its favor: the cost-of-living math actually works and short commutes are the local norm. The data behind each is below.
By the numbers, Decatur is one of the more affordable US cities of its size. The composite index sits at 80, about 20% below the national average, with housing as the main driver of the discount. Median rent in town runs about $801/mo against a typical household income of $55,164, which is the kind of ratio that leaves room to save.
The average one-way commute in Decatur is about 20 minutes — short by US standards (the national average is closer to 27). Over a year of working days, that's hundreds of hours that don't get spent in traffic, which is the kind of thing you notice in the weekend rather than the weekday.
Reasons are pulled from Decatur's actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Now and then. Decatur's winters are cool rather than truly cold — about 35°F on average — so most of the precipitation falls as rain. A snowy morning happens a few times a season; sustained accumulation is rare.
Mild on the cold side. Decatur's winter average of about 35°F is the kind of weather where you want a jacket but the heating bill is manageable. Snow is rare, frost is occasional, and the lawn never really browns out.
Genuinely hot. Summer in Decatur averages about 91°F, and peak afternoons run well over a hundred. Outdoor plans move to mornings and evenings; AC is the most-used appliance in the house.
Decatur falls in roughly USDA Zone 9. The zone classification is based on average annual minimum temperatures, so it's the right lookup for whether perennials and trees will overwinter here. Note that this is approximate from our winter-temperature data — check the USDA map for the exact zone before betting an expensive plant on it.
Decatur is at about 594 feet (181 m) above sea level. High enough to be solidly above any coastal concern, low enough that altitude isn't a factor.
Hurricane season covers June through November, with peak activity in late summer and early fall. For Decatur, the practical advice is: have a few days of water and supplies on hand from August onward, know your evacuation route, and don't wait for the news to tell you a storm is "probably nothing" — track the cone yourself.
Average for an American city. Decatur's reported crime rate of about 3,339 per 100,000 residents sits roughly in line with the US baseline of ~3,500. Like anywhere else, the citywide number masks real differences between neighborhoods — worth looking at specific areas before deciding.
No — your dollar actually goes further here. Decatur's composite cost-of-living index is 80, roughly 20% under the US average. Housing is usually the biggest driver of the discount.
Mostly car-dependent. Decatur's Walk Score of 43/100 means a handful of errands work on foot — depending on the neighborhood — but most residents still need a car for the rest.
Roughly $55,720 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in Decatur runs about $801/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.