Housing and tax tradeoff: Decatur, Alabama
Decatur, Alabama comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Decatur vs Auburn on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 2 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
DecaturAuburn
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Decatur, Alabama
Decatur, Alabama is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on affordability, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: Auburn, Alabama
Auburn, Alabama needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on rent burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 57,525 | 62,059 |
| Center Elevation | 561 ft(171 m) | 705 ft(215 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $218,190 | $404,133 |
| Median Rent | $1,012 | $1,699 |
| Median Income | $55,164 | $55,509 |
| Rent Burden | 22% | 37% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 309 days/yr | 313 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 72°F | 75°F |
| Avg. Low | 55°F | 56°F |
| Comfort Score | 78/100Great | 80/100Great |
| Temp Swing | 37°F | 33°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 56"(142 cm) | 56"(142 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 3"(8 cm) | 0"(0 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 432024 modeled avg · 10 days > 100 | Typical: 432024 modeled avg · 11 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Walkability | 25 | 28 |
| Safety Score | 67 / 100 | 81 / 100 |
| School Rating | 8.4/10 | 8.9/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 42%Cable: 90% | N/A |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 40.4 years | 25.9 years |
| College Educated | 24% | 62% |
| Remote Workers | 4% | 8% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Decatur. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Auburn. One featured slot per city |
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