Huntsville vs Mobile
Huntsville, Alabama versus Mobile, Alabama: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Huntsville and Mobile score about the same overall (45 vs 42 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Huntsville | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $68k | $49k |
| Cost of Living | $50k | $45k |
| Home Value | $236k | $158k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $985 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.50% | 0.56% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.29% | 9.29% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.81% | 9.88% |
| Unemployment | 4.6% | 6.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 42°F | 52°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 83°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 59.3 in | 73.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.4 in | 0.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 229 days | 235 days |
| Summer Humidity | 70°F | 74°F |
| Comfortable Days | 72 days | 108 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 53.3 | 86.5 |
| Air Quality | 30 AQI | 34 AQI |
| School Quality | 40.2 | 40.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1819/100k | 3311/100k |
| Property Crime | 1946/100k | 3056/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 215,025 | 186,316 |
| Median Age | 36.5 | 37.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.56 | 0.55 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.89 |
| Political Leaning | Even | R+12 |
| White (%) | 56.9% | 39.7% |
| Black (%) | 30.2% | 52.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.4% | 2.8% |
| Asian (%) | 2.1% | 1.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.4% | 2.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 19 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 10.3/20 | 9.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 79 mi | 137 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.8% | 79.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 12.14 | 12.83 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | 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 Huntsville or Mobile more affordable?
- Mobile has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Huntsville's $50k and Mobile's $45k. Median rent is $1k in Huntsville versus $985 in Mobile.
- Is Huntsville or Mobile safer?
- Huntsville has the lower violent crime rate. Huntsville reports 1819/100k and Mobile reports 3311/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Huntsville or Mobile?
- The median home value is $236k in Huntsville and $158k in Mobile, so homes are more affordable in Mobile.