Huntsville, AL — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Alabama·Huntsville

Madison County · Huntsville · population 230,402

First-time buyers
Huntsville, AL
Image: Wikipedia · Huntsville, Alabama
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
65
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Huntsville stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $288,707
1-year +0.5%
5-yr CAGR +4.3%
vs 5-yr peak -1.6%
Population +1.7%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2024-05$289k$146k$199k$252k$305k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
38/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
85/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

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 · monthly
$1,302/mo$994$1,196$1,398202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent123123100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 18.5
Lean buy

At a 18.5 price-to-rent ratio, Huntsville 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 →
Home YoY
52 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
61 · w22%
Distance from peak
80 · w18%
Population growth
76 · w16%
Rent YoY
55 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
69 · w10%
Long thesis

Huntsville has held up across the cycle: home values at $288,707 with +4.3% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Huntsville's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Huntsville

Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Alabama, with an estimated population of 230,402. The population grew 1.7% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Huntsville is $288,707 as of 2026-04, up 0.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.3% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Huntsville average $1,302 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.6%). The composite momentum score is 65 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Net positive migration: population up 1.7% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
●Held the highs: currently -1.6% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Huntsville (Wikipedia)

Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population was 215,006 at the 2020 census, making it the 100th-most populous city in the U.S., while the Huntsville metropolitan area has an estimated 542,000 residents and is the second-most populous metropolitan area in the state. As of July 1, 2025, the city's population was estimated to be 249,102 – a 15.9% increase since the 2020 Census. This makes it among the top 20 fastest growing cities in the US. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County, with portions extending into Limestone County, Marshall County, and Morgan County.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

NicknameRocket City
Motto"Star of Alabama"

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Madison County right now.

NWS active alerts (AL)Alabama Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Madison County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Huntsville

83 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Twickenham$1,225,369+13.5%
2Green Mountain$744,235-0.8%
3Covemont$655,366+1.1%
4Greenwycke Village$588,371+4.9%
5Jones Valley Estates$531,234-2.1%
6Fagan Springs$524,937+3.2%
7Montdale$497,609+3.6%
8Mt. Carmel$474,420+0.8%
9Bishop Farms$472,516+8.0%
10Piedmont$465,278+1.3%
11College Hill$464,016-0.3%
12Monte Sano$454,405+4.9%
13Mountain Brook$440,732+3.6%
14Sunrise Valley$434,753+1.8%
15The Reserve$434,724+0.0%
16Briarwood$431,976+0.9%
17Grand Lake$431,896+3.7%
18Riverside Landing$422,336+0.6%
19Old Town$420,438+6.2%
20Indian Creek Cove$420,179+0.5%
21Monrovia Junction$415,049+3.2%
22Flemington Heights$412,210+3.2%
23Bucks Canyon$411,762+0.2%
24Lake Forest$399,505-0.7%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Huntsville

Madison, AL70 · RisingTuscaloosa, AL70 · RisingDecatur, AL62 · RisingMobile, AL63 · Rising

Run the numbers for Huntsville

ToolCan I afford Huntsville?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Huntsville rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Huntsville to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolHuntsville cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
56° / 36°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
91° / 71°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
215
~59% of year
Annual precip
58″ rain
1″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Moderate
Tornado
Very high
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
High

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

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Huntsville listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Huntsville area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
73%
Humid climate
Median household income
$56,900
Alabama state median
Top industries (state-level)
ManufacturingHealthcareRetail

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.

Cities similar to Huntsville

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