Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Dale County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $65,646 | $158,589 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -7.7% | 7.1% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $863 | $962 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.5% | 4.1% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Dale County is about 59% lower than in Alabama. Rent is about 10% lower than the Alabama average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Dale County: home prices fell about 7.7% a year while rent rose about 4.5% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Dale County rose about 37.2% between 2015 and 2023, from $629 to $863. Over the same span, rent in Alabama rose about 34.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.2 yearly household incomes in Dale County.
Buying the median-priced home in Dale County costs roughly 6.3 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Dale County. The price-to-rent ratio in Alabama is about 13.7.
| Metric | Dale County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $65,646 | $158,589 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $54,373 | $62,318 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 1.2 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Dale County fell about 51.4%, while median household income rose about 29.7% between 2009 and 2023 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Dale County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 52.9% | 59.5% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 33.4% | 25.6% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 13.7% | 15.0% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 15.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2011 | 2010 | 2011 |
Dale County has a homeownership rate of 52.9%, lower than the Alabama average of 59.5%. Its housing vacancy rate is 13.7%, compared with 15.0% in Alabama.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Dale County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.46 people | 2.50 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1983 | 1985 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.6 | 5.8 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Dale County was built around 1983. On average, 2.5 people live in a home with about 5.6 rooms, staying for about 15.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Dale County, Alabama.
What is the median home price in Dale County, Alabama?
The median home price in Dale County, Alabama is $65,646, lower than the Alabama average of $158,589.
What is the average home price in Dale County, Alabama?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Dale County, Alabama?
The median gross rent in Dale County, Alabama is $863 per month, lower than the Alabama average of $962.
What was the median gross rent in Dale County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Dale County, Alabama was $753 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Dale County, Alabama?
The price-to-rent ratio in Dale County, Alabama is about 6.3, meaning it would take roughly 6.3 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Dale County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Dale County, Alabama?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Dale County: home prices fell about 7.7% a year while rent rose about 4.5% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Dale County, Alabama?
52.9% of households in Dale County, Alabama own their home, lower than the Alabama average of 59.5%.
What is the vacancy rate in Dale County, Alabama?
The housing vacancy rate in Dale County, Alabama is 13.7%, lower than the Alabama average of 15.0%.