Dothan cost of living
Prices in the Dothan, AL metro area run at 83.8 against a national average of 100, ranking it #385 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 46.9.
What drives the number
Dothan is one of the least expensive places measured, at 83.8 against a national 100, ranking #385 of 387 metro areas. That is 16.2 per cent below national. Whether it is affordable depends entirely on what is earned here, which the wage pages cover. Against Alabama as a whole it is 5 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 46.9 against goods at 96.4 and other services at 84.3, so the overall figure of 83.8 understates how affordable the housing itself is. That combination, ordinary prices with cheap rent, is what people are usually looking for and rarely find.
A salary here goes further than the same salary somewhere at 100. Divide by 83.8 and multiply by 100 to get the nationally comparable figure, and it will come out higher than the headline.
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 Dothan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 2,340 | $27,690 | $33,043 | $34,580 |
| Registered Nurses | 1,970 | $65,070 | $77,649 | $93,600 |
| Cashiers | 1,820 | $23,610 | $28,174 | $31,190 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,740 | $58,810 | $70,179 | $57,440 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,360 | $32,360 | $38,616 | $37,090 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,200 | $22,290 | $26,599 | $30,480 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,160 | $38,150 | $45,525 | $46,290 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,070 | $34,560 | $41,241 | $38,940 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 83.8.
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 |
Dothan: common questions
Is Dothan expensive?
Prices are 16.2% below the national average, a parity of 83.8 where the country is 100. It ranks #385 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Alabama as a whole it is 5 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Dothan?
The median worker there earns $36,730, which buys what $43,831 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 46.9 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.