Decatur cost of living
Prices in the Decatur, AL metro area run at 87.2 against a national average of 100, ranking it #350 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 58.1.
What drives the number
Prices in Decatur run at 87.2 where the national average is 100, so about 12.8 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #350 of 387 metro areas. Against Alabama as a whole it is 1.6 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 58.1 against goods at 96.4 and other services at 84.7, so the overall figure of 87.2 understates how affordable the housing itself is. It is the opposite of the usual pattern, where housing is what makes a place expensive.
The number is most useful in reverse: a job here can pay less in cash and still leave a household better off, by roughly 12.8 per cent before anything else is considered.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Decatur is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,630 | $37,780 | $43,326 | $42,210 |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,460 | $30,770 | $35,287 | $34,580 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,440 | $58,280 | $66,835 | $57,440 |
| Cashiers | 1,340 | $26,960 | $30,917 | $31,190 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,150 | $36,500 | $41,858 | $38,940 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,140 | $40,560 | $46,514 | $46,290 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,090 | $31,900 | $36,583 | $35,930 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,090 | $31,390 | $35,998 | $37,090 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 87.2.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | 94.7 | 89.2 | #172 |
| Huntsville | 93.1 | 77.9 | #207 |
| Birmingham | 91.6 | 71.9 | #254 |
| Montgomery | 89.7 | 64.3 | #295 |
| Columbus | 89.3 | 61.2 | #304 |
| Mobile | 88.1 | 60.1 | #333 |
Decatur: common questions
Is Decatur expensive?
Prices are 12.8% below the national average, a parity of 87.2 where the country is 100. It ranks #350 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Alabama as a whole it is 1.6 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Decatur?
The median worker there earns $44,470, which buys what $50,998 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 58.1 against goods at 96.4. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.