An up-and-coming tech city with a busy downtown and low cost of living
Huntsville was founded as the cotton trading capital of the Tennessee Valley in the early 1800s, but in more recent decades, the city has taken a fast turn toward the 21st century. Rocket City, as it's affectionately called, now boasts a thriving economy centered around the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal. In 2022, the U.S. Space Command Center moved its headquarters to Huntsville. This economic growth is one of the main reasons it’s become one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Terri Cote, a longtime local Realtor with Keller Williams Realty Huntsville, says, “We have people moving here from all over the world to work in the tech industry.” Along with top-ranking employers, she says, “We have a great school system, tons of shopping and dining options, and the cost of living here is very low compared to the rest of the nation.”
Downtown Huntsville Alabama Historic District
Big Spring Park sits at the heart of Downtown Huntsville.
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Affordable homes even as prices climb
Huntsville is increasingly recognized as one of the country's most affordable cities. One of the main reasons for this is the city’s low housing costs. In 2023, The Center for Alabama Real Estate reported the average sales price at about $375,000, nearly 25% less than the national sales price that year. While comparatively more affordable, Huntsville home prices have steadily increased over the last several years. The average sale price in 2023 was nearly 17% higher than the city’s three-year annual average.
These trends hold true for new construction in outlying communities like Creekside and the more established suburbs in South Huntsville, including Weatherly Heights and Whitesburg . Across the city, townhomes and condos usually fall within the $100,000 to $300,000 range. Five Points and the Twickenham Historic District have a collection of 19th-century homes across from the downtown district. These historic properties can range from $200,000 to about $1 million. Custom-built mansions with spacious lots and mountain views can cost up to $3 million.
The Colonial home style is generally in the moderate price tier in Blossomwood.
Many of the homes in the Medical District neighborhood of Huntsville are inexpensive cottages.
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Hiking, history and the world's largest spaceflight museum
Over 65 parks are scattered across the Huntsville area. In the heart of downtown, Big Spring International Park centers around a large duck pond lined with cherry trees from Japan. It's also home to the Huntsville Museum of Art, an award-winning attraction with over 3,000 permanent displays. The nation's largest open-air butterfly conservatory is about 5 miles west at Huntsville Botanical Garden. Monte Sano State Park borders the eastern edge of the city. Attracting visitors since the 1820s, the 2,100-acre park features 20 miles of rugged hiking trails with sweeping mountain views. Folks can follow the trails south to explore the living history museum at Burritt on the Mountain. This historic park, located in Monte Sano , replicates a 19th-century farm community with interpreter-actors and a collection of restored buildings, including a barn packed with farm animals.
In 2019, a state-of-the-art digital planetarium opened at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Drawing over 650,000 annual visitors, it's recognized as Alabama's most popular tourist attraction and the world's largest spaceflight museum. Along with 1,500 artifacts and a life-size space shuttle, the USSRC hosts NASA's international Space Camp each summer.
Visit the Hermes Guided Missile at John Hunt Park near Mayfair-Piedmont.
Disc golfers come from all over to play the wooded holes of Mastin Lake Park in Huntsville.
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Top-rated STEM programs at Huntsville City Schools
The Huntsville City School District earns an overall B-plus on Niche and serves approximately 24,000 students. It includes 26 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, six high schools and a virtual kindergarten through 12th grade academy. In 2024, U.S. News and World Report ranked New Century Tech Demo High as Alabama's No. 2 high school. Home to the district's only STEM magnet program, it specializes in computer science, engineering and the biomedical sciences. The City of Madison operates its own top-ranking school system just west of Huntsville. Receiving an A-plus rating, the district ranks as the No. 1 public school system in the metro area.
Huntsville also has a handful of top-rated private school options. According to Niche, three of the best private schools in the state are located within the city limits: Randolph School, St. John Paul II Catholic High and Valley Fellowship Christian Academy.
The University of Alabama in Huntsville is a highly-rated research university on the city's west end. Across from the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, UAH has a robust aerospace engineering program in partnership with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
Sonnie Hereford Elementary School serves Pre-K through 6th grade in Huntsville.
Grissom High School is a public secondary school in Huntsville Alabama.
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Tech and military investment drive Huntsville's growth
Investments from major technology firms and the military are driving Huntsville's growth. Leading tech companies like BAE Systems Inc. and Teledyne Brown Engineering are headquartered in Research Park . Redstone Arsenal is Alabama’s largest employer, with nearly 50,000 full-time workers. Along with its tech and defense industries, Huntsville serves as the epicenter for healthcare in North Alabama. Downtown Huntsville has the state’s second-largest medical facility, Huntsville Hospital, which Forbes recognized as one of the best employers in the United States in 2024.
Research Park is home to many tech companies, defense and aerospace contractors.
Saturn V rocket seen from the Space and Rocket Center parking lot in Thornblade, AL.
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Easy highway access and new pedestrian infrastructure projects
Huntsville has recently expanded its pedestrian infrastructure, adding hundreds of miles of bike paths and paved trails. In 2025, the city is set to break ground on a highly anticipated $65 million pedestrian project. The “skybridge” will link the greenways on either side of U.S. Highway 431, making it easy for folks to get around the downtown area and helping to mitigate flooding from Pinehook Creek.
Interstate 565 and U.S. Highway 72 are the two main routes in Huntsville. From I-565, folks can easily access Redstone Arsenal and Cummings Research Park or head further west to hop on Interstate 65. Huntsville International Airport is right off the interstate, on the city’s far west end. Recognized by NewsWeek as the No. 1 Best Small Airport in the U.S., it offers 14 direct flights to major cities like Miami, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Highway 72 crosses North Alabama, linking Huntsville to the western City of Florence.
The I-565 corridor runs through Lake Forest and connects to downtown Huntsville
Close to downtown Huntsville Alabama, lies the 5 points neighborhood.
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North Alabama's major shopping, dining and entertainment hub
Huntsville is the main shopping and dining hub in North Alabama. Bridge Street Town Center is a 170,000-square-foot mall at the gateway to Research Park. An open-air concept, it features cobblestone sidewalks and over 70 high-end stores and restaurants. More national retailers are across the city at Valley Bend.
Locally owned businesses and award-winning entertainment venues are scattered across the area in designated districts. Though it takes its name from the city’s former textile industry, Lowe Mill now functions as an epicenter for Huntsville’s arts and culture scene. This up-and-coming district in West Huntsville is anchored by the largest privately-owned arts facility in the South. Known as the Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment Center, it has 190,000 square feet of space with 161 working studios and over 200 artists. Folks can stop by to watch the artisans at work and purchase a one-of-a-kind piece or head to one of the restaurants to try a variety of international cuisines. The district also includes a newly developed brewery, retail and entertainment complex called Campus No. 805. The Village of Providence is another walkable commercial district on the city’s northwest side. Red-brick sidewalks line Main Street-style buildings occupied by chain and local eateries, including an award-winning sports bar, The Brick House Sports Café.
Huntsville’s largest entertainment venues are found throughout the Midcity District. A multi-use outdoor complex, The Camp is a social hub and full-service restaurant where folks can listen to live music every night. It sits right up the street from Dave & Buster’s, TopGolf and the Orion Amphitheatre, an 8,000-seat venue hosting all kinds of big music events.
Parkway Places is an enclosed Mall in Huntsville Alabama.
The Poppy and Parliament in Huntsville also features ample outdoor seating.
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Crime
Huntsville’s population ballooned to about 240,000 in 2024, marking a 10% increase since 2020. Despite this growth, crime rates have been on a steady decline. According to the Huntsville Police Department’s most recent annual report, violent crime is down, and on par with the national average. Drug cases and motor vehicle thefts also saw a significant drop, while larceny and burglary incidents increased by about 13%. According to FBI data, the city’s property rate fell below the national average.
On average, homes in Huntsville, AL sell after 74 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Huntsville, AL over the last 12 months is $320,000, consistent with the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Housing Trends
Median List Price
$335,000
Median Sale Price
$320,000
Median Single Family Sale Price
$343,608
Median Townhouse Sale Price
$279,900
Median 2 Bedroom Sale Price
$156,500
Median Change From 1st List Price
0%
Last 12 months Home Sales
3,365
Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
$0
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$171
Neighborhood Facts
Number of Homes for Sale
1,129
Months of Supply
4.00
Cost of Living Comparison
Average Home Value
Source: Public Records
Top Schools in Huntsville, AL
Source:
Best Public Elementary Schools
#1 Heritage Elementary School
A
Niche
10
GreatSchools
#2 Horizon Elementary School
A+
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#3 Madison Elementary School
A+
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#4 Mill Creek Elementary School
A+
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#5 Hampton Cove Elementary School
A-
Niche
10
GreatSchools
#6 Lynn Fanning Elementary School
A-
Niche
10
GreatSchools
#7 Monte Sano Elementary School
A-
Niche
10
GreatSchools
#8 Columbia Elementary School
A
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#9 Mt Carmel Elementary School
A
Niche
9
GreatSchools
Best Public Middle Schools
#1 Hampton Cove Middle School
A-
Niche
10
GreatSchools
#2 Discovery Middle School
A
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#3 Liberty Middle School
A
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#4 Monrovia Middle School
A-
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#5 Mt. Gap Middle School
A-
Niche
9
GreatSchools
#6 Academy for Science Foreign Language Middle School
B+
Niche
#7 Challenger Middle School
B+
Niche
8
GreatSchools
#8 Academy for Academics & Arts Middle School
B
Niche
#9 Madison County Elementary School
B
Niche
7
GreatSchools
Best Public High Schools
#1 Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering
Tamara Fox has called the Huntsville area her home since New Year's Eve, 2014. After spending over eighteen years in middle Tennessee, she and her husband, a retired Army veteran, moved to the Rocket City and quickly fell in love with the region. Tamara's experience while her husband was on Active Duty inspired her to become intimately familiar with the special needs of military families. It also prepared her for the diversity and uniqueness of our own local community and all that it has to offer. Tamara's work in customer service and sales for the past twenty-five years has proven to be an invaluable asset to her clients, and she is eager to assist new clients in making one of the most important purchases of their life. tamarafoxrealtor@gmail.com (615) 482-6787
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
