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Buying a home in Rainsville, Alabama

The typical owner-occupied home in Rainsville is worth about $230,400, 10% above the Alabama median of $209,900 and 31% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $683 a year in property taxes, about 0.30% of their home's value, lower than the Alabama rate of 0.38%. The median household earns $74,046 a year, so the median home costs 3.1 times the median income (3.3 times for Alabama). 89% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 47% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Rainsville at a glance

Rainsville Alabama U.S.
Median home value $230,400 $209,900 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $683 $788 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.30% 0.38% 0.94%
Median household income $74,046 $63,999 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 89% 70% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 47% 54% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,291 $1,433 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 21.7% 19.0% 21.0%
Median rent $519 $1,007 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 34.9% 29.5% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1991 1986 1980
Vacant homes 8.4% 14.5% 10.1%
Population 5,702 5,086,768 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Rainsville

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Rainsville home of $230,400 with 20% down costs about $1,394 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,777, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $59,723 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 23% of the median Rainsville household income of $74,046; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $286,000.

The median rent here is $519 a month, so owning the median home costs about $875 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$46,080
Loan amount$184,320
Principal and interest$1,240
Property taxes (0.30% a year)$58
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$96
PMI$0
Total per month$1,394

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$8,064
Loan amount$226,227
Principal and interest$1,522
Property taxes (0.30% a year)$58
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$96
FHA mortgage insurance$102
Total per month$1,777

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Questions about home buying in Rainsville

What is the median home value in Rainsville?

About $230,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Rainsville?

Homeowners pay a median $683 a year, which is about 0.30% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Rainsville?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,394 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $59,723 a year.

More about Rainsville

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data