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 | Lamar County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $99,582 | $158,589 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 9.5% | 7.1% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $547 | $962 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.6% | 4.1% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Lamar County is about 37% lower than in Alabama. Rent is about 43% 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 Lamar County, up about 9.5% and 3.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Lamar County rose about 28.8% between 2015 and 2023, from $425 to $547. Over the same span, rent in Alabama rose about 34.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 2.1 yearly household incomes in Lamar County.
Buying the median-priced home in Lamar County costs roughly 15.2 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Lamar County. The price-to-rent ratio in Alabama is about 13.7.
| Metric | Lamar County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $99,582 | $158,589 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $47,578 | $62,318 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 2.1 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Lamar County fell about 26.4%, while median household income rose about 53.1% 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 | Lamar County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 51.9% | 59.5% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 18.2% | 25.6% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 29.8% | 15.0% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 19.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2007 | 2010 | 2011 |
Lamar County has a homeownership rate of 51.9%, lower than the Alabama average of 59.5%. Its housing vacancy rate is 29.8%, compared with 15.0% in Alabama.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Lamar County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.74 people | 2.50 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1980 | 1985 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.2 | 5.8 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Lamar County was built around 1980. On average, 2.7 people live in a home with about 5.2 rooms, staying for about 19.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Lamar County, Alabama.
What is the median home price in Lamar County, Alabama?
The median home price in Lamar County, Alabama is $99,582, lower than the Alabama average of $158,589.
What is the average home price in Lamar 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 Lamar County, Alabama?
The median gross rent in Lamar County, Alabama is $547 per month, lower than the Alabama average of $962.
What was the median gross rent in Lamar County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Lamar County, Alabama was $448 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Lamar County, Alabama?
The price-to-rent ratio in Lamar County, Alabama is about 15.2, meaning it would take roughly 15.2 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Lamar County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Lamar County, Alabama?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Lamar County, up about 9.5% and 3.6% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Lamar County, Alabama?
51.9% of households in Lamar County, Alabama own their home, lower than the Alabama average of 59.5%.
What is the vacancy rate in Lamar County, Alabama?
The housing vacancy rate in Lamar County, Alabama is 29.8%, higher than the Alabama average of 15.0%.