Fayetteville vs Huntsville
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $188,000 in Fayetteville and $293,600 in Huntsville.
- Households earn more in Huntsville ($74,714 vs $58,407 median).
- Huntsville is growing faster: +8.7% since 2020 vs +0.3%.
Side by side
| Fayetteville, NC | Huntsville, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 209,120 | 233,627 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.3% | +8.7% |
| People per square mile | 1,410 | 1,037 |
| Median age | 30.6 | 36.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29% | 47% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $58,407 | $74,714 |
| Median home value | $188,000 | $293,600 |
| Home value to income | 3.2× | 3.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,250 | $1,171 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 92.0 | 93.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 73.1 | 77.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,000 | $69,800 |
| Homeowners | 47% | 58% |
| Top state income tax | 3.99% | 5% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.1% | 9.46% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.1 | 19.7 |
| Work from home | 8% | 15% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 7.9% | 4.1% |
| Poverty rate | 17.7% | 12.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 54° / 32° | 52° / 33° |
| July high / low | 91° / 71° | 92° / 71° |
| Precipitation per year | 48 in | 54 in |
| Snowfall per year | 1 in | 2 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 53 | 62 |
| Nights below freezing | 63 | 56 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 1 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 89.5 | 94.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 69% | 72% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.6% | +3.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +57.1% | +43% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Fayetteville: April to May and October. Huntsville: October.
Full monthly tables: Fayetteville weather by month and Huntsville weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $69,000 in Fayetteville and $69,800 in Huntsville. Moving from Fayetteville to Huntsville, you would need about $75,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Fayetteville and Huntsville
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Fayetteville and Huntsville.
Which would you pick?
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