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 | DeKalb County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $60,446 | $158,589 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 5.5% | 7.1% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $682 | $962 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.1% | 4.1% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in DeKalb County is about 62% lower than in Alabama. Rent is about 29% lower than the Alabama average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in DeKalb County, up about 5.5% and 3.1% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in DeKalb County rose about 26.5% between 2015 and 2023, from $539 to $682. Over the same span, rent in Alabama rose about 34.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 1.2 yearly household incomes in DeKalb County.
Buying the median-priced home in DeKalb County costs roughly 7.4 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 DeKalb County. The price-to-rent ratio in Alabama is about 13.7.
| Metric | DeKalb County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $60,446 | $158,589 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $51,077 | $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 DeKalb County rose about 18.0%, while median household income rose about 51.7% 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 | DeKalb County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 64.6% | 59.5% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 19.5% | 25.6% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 15.9% | 15.0% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 16.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2010 | 2010 | 2011 |
DeKalb County has a homeownership rate of 64.6%, higher than the Alabama average of 59.5%. Its housing vacancy rate is 15.9%, compared with 15.0% in Alabama.
Housing Stock
| Metric | DeKalb County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.74 people | 2.50 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1984 | 1985 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in DeKalb County was built around 1984. On average, 2.7 people live in a home with about 5.8 rooms, staying for about 16.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in DeKalb County, Alabama.
What is the median home price in DeKalb County, Alabama?
The median home price in DeKalb County, Alabama is $60,446, lower than the Alabama average of $158,589.
What is the average home price in DeKalb 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 DeKalb County, Alabama?
The median gross rent in DeKalb County, Alabama is $682 per month, lower than the Alabama average of $962.
What was the median gross rent in DeKalb County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in DeKalb County, Alabama was $629 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in DeKalb County, Alabama?
The price-to-rent ratio in DeKalb County, Alabama is about 7.4, meaning it would take roughly 7.4 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 DeKalb County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in DeKalb County, Alabama?
Both home prices and rent are rising in DeKalb County, up about 5.5% and 3.1% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in DeKalb County, Alabama?
64.6% of households in DeKalb County, Alabama own their home, higher than the Alabama average of 59.5%.
What is the vacancy rate in DeKalb County, Alabama?
The housing vacancy rate in DeKalb County, Alabama is 15.9%, higher than the Alabama average of 15.0%.