Should I Move To
Roughly 57,525 people live in Decatur, Alabama. Living here costs very affordable relative to the rest of the country, 20% below the national average. Median rent runs about $801/mo; the typical household pulls in $55,164. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 57/100 — a C, putting it at #244 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Decatur sits at 80 — very affordable when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($801/mo against $55,164 median household income), housing eats roughly 17% of a typical paycheck — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Buying-side, the median home value is $170,000.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 91°F in summer, 35°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 54 inches. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods. Air quality reads good (AQI 45).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Decatur is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 61/100 (grade C+) on the families profile. Strongest on affordability (97/100); weakest on education (22/100).
For retirees, Decatur is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 69/100 (grade B-) on the retirees profile. Strongest on affordability (97/100); weakest on education (22/100).
For remote workers, Decatur is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 72/100 (grade B) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on affordability (97/100); weakest on education (22/100).
For young professionals, Decatur is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 55/100 (grade C) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on affordability (97/100); weakest on education (22/100).
Decatur, Alabama pulls a 57/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C), currently ranked #244 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Decatur's cost-of-living index is 80 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the very affordable band — 20% below the national average. Median rent runs about $801/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 91°F, winter averages around 35°F, with about 54 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 43/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods.
Decatur has about 57,525 residents, 24% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 40.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Decatur head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Decatur stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Decatur with other Alabama cities scored on UrbRank.
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