Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Huntsville, Alabama
A $263,000 home here costs
$2,074per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,352. The real number is $722 higher every month — 53% 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.
Huntsville against Madison County and Alabama
| Measure | Huntsville | Madison County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $263,100 | $267,800 |
| Median property tax | $1,259 | $1,081 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.479% | 0.404% |
| Median gross rent | $1,078 | $1,116 |
| Population | 218,814 | 397,135 |
Huntsville extends across 3 counties. Figures here use Madison County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Huntsville sits in Madison County, which averages a high of 91.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 33.1°F in its coldest, with 54.29" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,107 cooling and 2,831 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Madison County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Madison County
Full Madison County cost breakdown · Every county in Alabama
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Huntsville?
A $263,000 home in Huntsville, Alabama costs approximately $2,074 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,352 principal and interest, $105 property tax, $179 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $219 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Huntsville?
Huntsville has an effective property tax rate of 0.479%, based on a median home value of $263,100 and median real estate taxes of $1,259. That is higher than the Madison County average of 0.404%.
What is the average home price in Huntsville?
The median owner-occupied home value in Huntsville, Alabama is $263,100, against $267,800 across Madison County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Huntsville?
Median gross rent in Huntsville is $1,078 a month, against $2,074 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 Huntsville — 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.