Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Red Bay, Alabama
A $106,000 home here costs
$951per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $545. The real number is $406 higher every month — 75% 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.
Red Bay against Franklin County and Alabama
| Measure | Red Bay | Franklin County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $105,500 | $128,000 |
| Median property tax | $323 | $432 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.306% | 0.338% |
| Median gross rent | $565 | $667 |
| Population | 3,213 | 31,978 |
The weather behind that power bill
Red Bay sits in Franklin County, which averages a high of 87.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 30.0°F in its coldest, with 58.71" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,463 cooling and 3,394 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Franklin County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Franklin County
Full Franklin County cost breakdown · Every county in Alabama
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Red Bay?
A $106,000 home in Red Bay, Alabama costs approximately $951 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $545 principal and interest, $27 property tax, $72 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $88 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Red Bay?
Red Bay has an effective property tax rate of 0.306%, based on a median home value of $105,500 and median real estate taxes of $323. That is lower than the Franklin County average of 0.338%.
What is the average home price in Red Bay?
The median owner-occupied home value in Red Bay, Alabama is $105,500, against $128,000 across Franklin County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Red Bay?
Median gross rent in Red Bay is $565 a month, against $951 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 Red Bay — 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.