Huntsville vs Knoxville
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $239,700 in Knoxville and $293,600 in Huntsville.
- Households earn more in Huntsville ($74,714 vs $54,039 median).
- Huntsville has the warmer winter: January highs of 52°F vs 48°F.
- Huntsville has more scorching days: 62 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 37.
- Huntsville is growing faster: +8.7% since 2020 vs +6%.
- Tennessee has no state income tax on wages; Alabama's top rate is 5%.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | Knoxville, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 233,627 | 202,021 |
| Growth since 2020 | +8.7% | +6% |
| People per square mile | 1,037 | 2,046 |
| Median age | 36.9 | 33.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47% | 35% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $74,714 | $54,039 |
| Median home value | $293,600 | $239,700 |
| Home value to income | 3.9× | 4.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,171 | $1,191 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 93.1 | 92.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 77.9 | 82.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,800 | $69,400 |
| Homeowners | 58% | 47% |
| Top state income tax | 5% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 9.46% | 9.61% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.7 | 20.2 |
| Work from home | 15% | 13% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.1% | 4.5% |
| Poverty rate | 12.6% | 20.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 52° / 33° | 48° / 30° |
| July high / low | 92° / 71° | 88° / 69° |
| Precipitation per year | 54 in | 52 in |
| Snowfall per year | 2 in | 5 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 62 | 37 |
| Nights below freezing | 56 | 67 |
| Comfortable months | 1 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 94.6 | 92.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 72% | 56% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | +3.9% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +43% | +63.5% |
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: Huntsville: October. Knoxville: May to June and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Huntsville weather by month and Knoxville weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $69,800 in Huntsville and $69,400 in Knoxville. Moving from Huntsville to Knoxville, you would need about $74,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Huntsville and Knoxville
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Huntsville and Knoxville.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.