Huntsville, AL
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
3.17×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Alabama
- 3.03×
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.26
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
18.8%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Alabama
- 20.8%-2.0
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-4.5
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
tight
Cap rate proxy
3.86%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Alabama
- 4.37%
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+0.31%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Alabama
- 0.04%+0.26
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+0.28
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
strong
Permit pipeline
8.70
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Alabama
- 2.50+6.21
- vs U.S.
- 3.52+5.18
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
very tight labor market
Unemployment
1.9%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Alabama
- 2.3%-0.4
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%-2.0
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+55.2%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+3.6%
Median home value
$265,000
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $1,136 | $13,632 | 16.3% |
| 2 BR | $1,310 | $15,720 | 18.8% |
| 3 BR | $1,690 | $20,280 | 24.3% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
1.9%
Median household income
$83,529
What's being built
Total TTM
4,299
+1.4% YoY
Single-family
3,355
2–4 unit
82
5+ unit
862
All 2 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County | 389,781 | $267,800 | $83,528 | 3,891 | +1.1% |
| Limestone County | 104,199 | $255,100 | $83,534 | 408 | +3.8% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Huntsville | 493,980 | $83,529 | 3.17× | 3.86% | +55.2% | 8.70 | 1.9% |
| Reno, NV | 490,769 | $84,684 | — | — | +41.9% | — | 4.0% |
| York-Hanover, PA | 457,051 | $82,238 | — | — | +53.4% | — | 3.4% |
| Lancaster, PA | 553,202 | $83,703 | — | — | +60.2% | — | 2.7% |
| Modesto, CA | 552,063 | $79,661 | — | — | +36.2% | — | 6.8% |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 552,916 | $88,602 | — | — | +66.5% | — | 2.7% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+1,511
+0.31% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Madison County, AL | 1,562 |
| Limestone County, AL | 983 |
| Morgan County, AL | 701 |
| Jefferson County, AL | 463 |
| Marshall County, AL | 328 |
| Lauderdale County, AL | 279 |
Who lives in Huntsville
- Median age
- 39
- Bachelor's+
- 42.4%
- Owner-occupancy
- 70.5%
- Vacancy rate
- 7.2%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 41.0%
- Median household income
- $83,529
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.