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 | Tuscaloosa County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $252,225 | $158,589 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 10.0% | 7.1% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $996 | $962 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.5% | 4.1% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Tuscaloosa County is about 59% higher than in Alabama. Rent is about 4% higher 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 Tuscaloosa County, up about 10.0% and 3.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Tuscaloosa County rose about 27.0% between 2015 and 2023, from $785 to $996. Over the same span, rent in Alabama rose about 34.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 4.0 yearly household incomes in Tuscaloosa County.
Buying the median-priced home in Tuscaloosa County costs roughly 21.1 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Tuscaloosa County. The price-to-rent ratio in Alabama is about 13.7.
| Metric | Tuscaloosa County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $252,225 | $158,589 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $63,805 | $62,318 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 4.0 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Tuscaloosa County rose about 74.7%, while median household income rose about 60.9% between 2009 and 2023 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Tuscaloosa County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 52.7% | 59.5% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 32.1% | 25.6% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 15.2% | 15.0% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 13.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2013 | 2010 | 2011 |
Tuscaloosa County has a homeownership rate of 52.7%, lower than the Alabama average of 59.5%. Its housing vacancy rate is 15.2%, compared with 15.0% in Alabama.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Tuscaloosa County | Alabama Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.52 people | 2.50 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1991 | 1985 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.4 | 5.8 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Tuscaloosa County was built around 1991. On average, 2.5 people live in a home with about 5.4 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.
What is the median home price in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama?
The median home price in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama is $252,225, higher than the Alabama average of $158,589.
What is the average home price in Tuscaloosa 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 Tuscaloosa County, Alabama?
The median gross rent in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama is $996 per month, higher than the Alabama average of $962.
What was the median gross rent in Tuscaloosa County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama was $861 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama?
The price-to-rent ratio in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama is about 21.1, meaning it would take roughly 21.1 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Tuscaloosa County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Tuscaloosa County, up about 10.0% and 3.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama?
52.7% of households in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama own their home, lower than the Alabama average of 59.5%.
What is the vacancy rate in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama?
The housing vacancy rate in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama is 15.2%, higher than the Alabama average of 15.0%.