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Buying a home in Huntsville, Alabama

The typical owner-occupied home in Huntsville is worth about $293,600, 40% above the Alabama median of $209,900 and 12% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,345 a year in property taxes, about 0.46% of their home's value, higher than the Alabama rate of 0.38%. The median household earns $74,714 a year, so the median home costs 3.9 times the median income (3.3 times for Alabama). 58% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 60% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Huntsville at a glance

Huntsville Alabama U.S.
Median home value $293,600 $209,900 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,345 $788 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.46% 0.38% 0.94%
Median household income $74,714 $63,999 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 58% 70% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 60% 54% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,573 $1,433 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 18.2% 19.0% 21.0%
Median rent $1,171 $1,007 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 27.9% 29.5% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1985 1986 1980
Vacant homes 8.7% 14.5% 10.1%
Population 222,791 5,086,768 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Huntsville

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Huntsville home of $293,600 with 20% down costs about $1,815 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,304, 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 $77,783 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 29% of the median Huntsville household income of $74,714; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $282,000.

The median rent here is $1,171 a month, so owning the median home costs about $644 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$58,720
Loan amount$234,880
Principal and interest$1,580
Property taxes (0.46% a year)$113
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$122
PMI$0
Total per month$1,815

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$10,276
Loan amount$288,282
Principal and interest$1,939
Property taxes (0.46% a year)$113
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$122
FHA mortgage insurance$130
Total per month$2,304

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Questions about home buying in Huntsville

What is the median home value in Huntsville?

About $293,600 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Huntsville?

Homeowners pay a median $1,345 a year, which is about 0.46% 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 Huntsville?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,815 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $77,783 a year.

More about Huntsville

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