Athens vs Decatur
Athens, Alabama versus Decatur, Alabama: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Athens and Decatur score about the same overall (46 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Athens | Decatur |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $57k | $55k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $45k |
| Home Value | $224k | $170k |
| Monthly Rent | $766 | $801 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.34% | 0.39% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.29% | 9.29% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.41% | 9.27% |
| Unemployment | 4.3% | 5.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 42°F | 42°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 80°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 59.1 in | 58.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.3 in | 1.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 229 days | 229 days |
| Summer Humidity | 70°F | 70°F |
| Comfortable Days | 72 days | 72 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 70.0 | 73.4 |
| Air Quality | 36 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 51.8 | 52.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1435/100k | 2526/100k |
| Property Crime | 2486/100k | 2623/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 26,179 | 57,525 |
| Median Age | 41.3 | 40.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.46 | 0.54 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 1.02 |
| Political Leaning | R+43 | R+50 |
| White (%) | 68.8% | 59.0% |
| Black (%) | 17.4% | 22.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 9.5% | 14.5% |
| Asian (%) | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.3% | 3.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 9.1/20 | 8.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 84 mi | 72 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 85.3% | 81.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 25.59 | 15.30 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Athens or Decatur more affordable?
- Decatur has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Athens's $49k and Decatur's $45k. Median rent is $766 in Athens versus $801 in Decatur.
- Is Athens or Decatur safer?
- Athens has the lower violent crime rate. Athens reports 1435/100k and Decatur reports 2526/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Athens or Decatur?
- The median home value is $224k in Athens and $170k in Decatur, so homes are more affordable in Decatur.