Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Arab, Alabama
A $197,000 home here costs
$1,589per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,013. The real number is $576 higher every month — 57% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Arab against Marshall County and Alabama
| Measure | Arab | Marshall County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $196,700 | $183,400 |
| Median property tax | $702 | $699 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.357% | 0.381% |
| Median gross rent | $697 | $765 |
| Population | 8,573 | 98,712 |
Arab extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Marshall County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Arab sits in Marshall County, which averages a high of 88.9°F in its hottest month and a low of 33.1°F in its coldest, with 56.77" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,909 cooling and 2,995 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Marshall County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Marshall County
Full Marshall County cost breakdown · Every county in Alabama
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Arab?
A $197,000 home in Arab, Alabama costs approximately $1,589 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,013 principal and interest, $59 property tax, $134 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $164 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Arab?
Arab has an effective property tax rate of 0.357%, based on a median home value of $196,700 and median real estate taxes of $702. That is lower than the Marshall County average of 0.381%.
What is the average home price in Arab?
The median owner-occupied home value in Arab, Alabama is $196,700, against $183,400 across Marshall County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Arab?
Median gross rent in Arab is $697 a month, against $1,589 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Arab — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Alabama.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.