Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
A $237,000 home here costs
$1,890per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,218. The real number is $672 higher every month — 55% 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.
Tuscaloosa against Tuscaloosa County and Alabama
| Measure | Tuscaloosa | Tuscaloosa County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $236,600 | $233,700 |
| Median property tax | $1,123 | $754 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.475% | 0.323% |
| Median gross rent | $1,005 | $997 |
| Population | 107,699 | 234,036 |
The weather behind that power bill
Tuscaloosa sits in Tuscaloosa County, which averages a high of 92.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.2°F in its coldest, with 57.31" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,212 cooling and 2,423 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Tuscaloosa County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Tuscaloosa County
Full Tuscaloosa County cost breakdown · Every county in Alabama
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Tuscaloosa?
A $237,000 home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama costs approximately $1,890 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,218 principal and interest, $94 property tax, $162 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $198 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Tuscaloosa?
Tuscaloosa has an effective property tax rate of 0.475%, based on a median home value of $236,600 and median real estate taxes of $1,123. That is higher than the Tuscaloosa County average of 0.323%.
What is the average home price in Tuscaloosa?
The median owner-occupied home value in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is $236,600, against $233,700 across Tuscaloosa County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Tuscaloosa?
Median gross rent in Tuscaloosa is $1,005 a month, against $1,890 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 Tuscaloosa — 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.