Huntsville vs Tuscaloosa
The short version
- Tuscaloosa is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 6% lower than in the Huntsville area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $255,500 in Tuscaloosa and $293,600 in Huntsville.
- Households earn more in Huntsville ($74,714 vs $51,464 median).
- Tuscaloosa has more scorching days: 89 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 62.
- Tuscaloosa is growing faster: +13.2% since 2020 vs +8.7%.
Side by side
| Huntsville, AL | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 233,627 | 114,316 |
| Growth since 2020 | +8.7% | +13.2% |
| People per square mile | 1,037 | 1,828 |
| Median age | 36.9 | 27.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47% | 39% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $74,714 | $51,464 |
| Median home value | $293,600 | $255,500 |
| Home value to income | 3.9× | 5.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,171 | $1,055 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 93.1 | 87.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 77.9 | 58.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $69,800 | $65,800 |
| Homeowners | 58% | 43% |
| Top state income tax | 5% | 5% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.46% | 9.46% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.7 | 19.6 |
| Work from home | 15% | 8% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.1% | 7.7% |
| Poverty rate | 12.6% | 25.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 52° / 33° | 56° / 35° |
| July high / low | 92° / 71° | 92° / 71° |
| Precipitation per year | 54 in | 57 in |
| Snowfall per year | 2 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 62 | 89 |
| Nights below freezing | 56 | 47 |
| Comfortable months | 1 | 2 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 94.6 | 90.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 72% | 74% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | -0.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +43% | +32.7% |
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. Tuscaloosa: May and October.
Full monthly tables: Huntsville weather by month and Tuscaloosa 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 $65,800 in Tuscaloosa. Moving from Huntsville to Tuscaloosa, you would need about $70,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Huntsville and Tuscaloosa
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 Tuscaloosa.
Which would you pick?
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