Why look at Decatur?
- Affordable housing. Median home is $224k — well below the national median.
- Stable market. Home values -0.0% year-over-year — neither overheated nor falling.
- Balanced momentum profile. Score 62/100 (Rising).
Where Decatur stands
At or near all-time high.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.
Rent trajectory · last 5 years
Zillow ZORI · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 17.2 price-to-rent ratio, Decatur is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →About Decatur (Wikipedia)
Decatur is the largest city in and the county seat of Morgan County in the U.S. state of Alabama. Nicknamed "The River City," it is located in northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake along the Tennessee River. The population was 57,938 at the 2020 census.
Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.
City facts
Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.
Local safety & alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts for Morgan County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Morgan County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Run the numbers for Decatur
Alabama context
Schools
Decatur is served by 22 public schools enrolling about 9,662 students, with a student-teacher ratio of 17.9:1 — larger classes than the US average of ~15:1. Public-school facts are from the NCES Common Core of Data; check ratings and attendance boundaries by exact address below.
Ratings, districts & boundaries:
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.
Current weather
Find rentals & listings
Open current Decatur listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local news & community
Latest news in Decatur
2 from local press- In the CommunityLOCALDecatur Daily2d ago
- Time to fly: Decatur gears up for 49th Alabama JubileeLOCALDecatur Daily1w ago
- Kia and Hyundai thefts surge in DecaturWAFF1w ago
- Hot Air Balloons to fill the sky over Decatur during Alabama Jubilee FestivalWHNT.com5d ago
- $1 million inclusive playground in Decatur coming this fall—get a first look nowHville Blast1w ago
- Rain won’t stop Alabama Jubilee activities, but balloons depend on weatherWAFF5d ago
What locals are saying
- Looking for players for sandlot baseball! r/decatur
- Decatur Public Schools to remain in remote learning until at least January r/decatur
- The Greater Decatur Islamic Centre wants to remind you…it's been an hour since you washed your hands, time t r/decatur
- Decatur woman who bit her husband so badly he needed medical treatment, plus urinated and spit on him, charged r/decatur
- Police take aim at seat belt violations, DUI over Thanksgiving r/decatur
Updated 2026-05-28 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Filtered for Decatur-specific coverage. Headlines link to original sources.
Local sports teams
Major professional teams the Decatur area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.
Local economy & environment
Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.
Find more cities like Decatur
Open the matchmaker pre-filled to match Decatur’s price band, region, and size — refine to taste.
Find more like Decatur →Cities similar to Decatur
Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.
Cost-of-ownership at the median
Snapshot assumes a $150k single earner buying at the median home. Your real numbers depend on bracket, deductions, school district, and HOA. Use the affordability calculator and net-pay calculator for your specific case.
Schools & crime context
School quality is district-by-district and varies dramatically within a city. Check GreatSchools or your state DOE rankings for specific schools before deciding. City-level school data coming soon.
Alabama: 402 violent crimes per 100K residents (state avg, FBI UCR). Neighborhood-level rates can vary 10× within one city — research specific areas via CrimeGrade or local police data.
Compare to where you live now
Set your current city once and we’ll show the cost delta on every city profile.
Jobs & hiring
In Decatur, unemployment is low at 4.5%, and hiring momentum has been steady. The strongest local sectors are skilled trades & manufacturing, tech and healthcare.
Search current openings: