Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Counties Where Renting Costs Far Less Than Owning in Alabama
The widest gaps between median rent and the full monthly cost of owning the median home. A large gap does not automatically mean renting is the better decision, because rent buys no equity and is not fixed for thirty years, but it does show where the market prices ownership at a steep premium.
Alabama ranked
| # | County | Monthly saved by renting | Median rent | Monthly to own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Limestone County | $1,161 | $908 | $2,069 |
| 2 | Baldwin County | $1,085 | $1,211 | $2,296 |
| 3 | Shelby County | $1,067 | $1,348 | $2,415 |
| 4 | Madison County | $1,065 | $1,116 | $2,181 |
| 5 | Lee County | $991 | $999 | $1,990 |
| 6 | Tuscaloosa County | $923 | $997 | $1,920 |
| 7 | Randolph County | $905 | $646 | $1,551 |
| 8 | Marshall County | $806 | $765 | $1,571 |
| 9 | Morgan County | $799 | $835 | $1,634 |
| 10 | Lauderdale County | $788 | $799 | $1,587 |
| 11 | Jefferson County | $777 | $1,132 | $1,909 |
| 12 | Elmore County | $753 | $1,014 | $1,767 |
| 13 | St. Clair County | $732 | $1,077 | $1,809 |
| 14 | Blount County | $718 | $743 | $1,461 |
| 15 | Washington County | $705 | $628 | $1,333 |
| 16 | Cherokee County | $696 | $750 | $1,446 |
| 17 | Clay County | $650 | $624 | $1,274 |
| 18 | Cullman County | $648 | $883 | $1,531 |
| 19 | Lawrence County | $619 | $708 | $1,327 |
| 20 | Houston County | $615 | $905 | $1,520 |
| 21 | Etowah County | $598 | $807 | $1,405 |
| 22 | Colbert County | $575 | $838 | $1,413 |
| 23 | Coffee County | $573 | $970 | $1,543 |
| 24 | Tallapoosa County | $551 | $734 | $1,285 |
| 25 | Henry County | $541 | $770 | $1,311 |
| 26 | DeKalb County | $539 | $683 | $1,222 |
| 27 | Pickens County | $530 | $600 | $1,130 |
| 28 | Jackson County | $530 | $762 | $1,292 |
| 29 | Calhoun County | $527 | $804 | $1,331 |
| 30 | Covington County | $526 | $736 | $1,262 |
| 31 | Mobile County | $516 | $1,021 | $1,537 |
| 32 | Franklin County | $502 | $667 | $1,169 |
| 33 | Lamar County | $500 | $548 | $1,048 |
| 34 | Fayette County | $493 | $622 | $1,115 |
| 35 | Cleburne County | $487 | $792 | $1,279 |
| 36 | Talladega County | $471 | $772 | $1,243 |
| 37 | Autauga County | $459 | $1,200 | $1,659 |
| 38 | Pike County | $455 | $855 | $1,310 |
| 39 | Russell County | $454 | $898 | $1,352 |
| 40 | Greene County | $454 | $429 | $883 |
| 41 | Walker County | $441 | $743 | $1,184 |
| 42 | Hale County | $432 | $723 | $1,155 |
| 43 | Escambia County | $428 | $709 | $1,137 |
| 44 | Chilton County | $416 | $855 | $1,271 |
| 45 | Marion County | $413 | $583 | $996 |
| 46 | Barbour County | $399 | $644 | $1,043 |
| 47 | Choctaw County | $385 | $653 | $1,038 |
| 48 | Bibb County | $385 | $802 | $1,187 |
| 49 | Clarke County | $369 | $785 | $1,154 |
| 50 | Coosa County | $365 | $682 | $1,047 |
| 51 | Crenshaw County | $363 | $664 | $1,027 |
| 52 | Geneva County | $354 | $757 | $1,111 |
| 53 | Monroe County | $352 | $721 | $1,073 |
| 54 | Montgomery County | $342 | $1,061 | $1,403 |
| 55 | Chambers County | $336 | $850 | $1,186 |
| 56 | Dale County | $313 | $863 | $1,176 |
| 57 | Winston County | $299 | $744 | $1,043 |
| 58 | Marengo County | $275 | $722 | $997 |
| 59 | Perry County | $274 | $610 | $884 |
| 60 | Butler County | $245 | $722 | $967 |
| 61 | Macon County | $241 | $709 | $950 |
| 62 | Dallas County | $208 | $749 | $957 |
| 63 | Conecuh County | $196 | $781 | $977 |
| 64 | Bullock County | $190 | $635 | $825 |
| 65 | Lowndes County | $172 | $663 | $835 |
| 66 | Wilcox County | $159 | $699 | $858 |
| 67 | Sumter County | $16 | $841 | $857 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Counties Where Renting Costs Far Less Than Owning across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in Alabama