Most affordable counties to rent in Alabama

Ranked by how much of the typical renter household's income the typical rent takes. Choctaw County is the most affordable at 22.5%; Sumter County the least affordable at 44.6%.

CountyRent-to-incomeMedian gross rentMedian renter incomeRenters paying 30%+2 BR FMR FY2027
1. Choctaw County22.5%$543$28,91638%$921
2. Limestone County23.0%$970$50,50941%$1,341
3. Clay County24.1%$619$30,79941%$921
4. Cherokee County24.8%$762$36,81740%$986
5. Franklin County25.6%$676$31,71636%$921
6. St. Clair County25.6%$1,084$50,81143%$1,375
7. Cullman County26.4%$908$41,34539%$1,034
8. Coffee County26.7%$1,018$45,77939%$1,098
9. Lauderdale County27.2%$838$36,93738%$1,085
10. Winston County27.7%$803$34,77733%$921
11. Elmore County27.8%$1,071$46,22645%$1,150
12. Madison County28.0%$1,209$51,83344%$1,341
13. Jackson County28.1%$780$33,26445%$921
14. Morgan County28.4%$864$36,47245%$1,023
15. Shelby County28.6%$1,401$58,77447%$1,375
16. Marion County28.6%$630$26,41646%$921
17. Talladega County28.7%$785$32,83544%$977
18. Dale County28.8%$889$37,06540%$921
19. Marshall County28.9%$795$33,04747%$925
20. Tallapoosa County29.1%$765$31,56936%$994
21. Houston County29.1%$945$38,94346%$966
22. Calhoun County29.3%$826$33,82345%$1,010
23. Fayette County29.6%$667$27,06233%$921
24. Colbert County29.6%$887$35,94941%$1,085
25. Baldwin County30.0%$1,277$51,11147%$1,434
26. Etowah County30.0%$847$33,84648%$975
27. Autauga County30.2%$1,263$50,21135%$1,150
28. DeKalb County30.4%$693$27,38544%$921
29. Macon County30.5%$734$28,91352%$981
30. Barbour County30.7%$688$26,90937%$921
31. Chambers County31.1%$871$33,65347%$1,091
32. Covington County31.4%$746$28,52650%$921
33. Walker County31.7%$756$28,60441%$949
34. Randolph County32.3%$708$26,32747%$923
35. Pickens County32.5%$648$23,92640%$921
36. Butler County32.7%$725$26,58746%$959
37. Montgomery County33.2%$1,092$39,47953%$1,150
38. Tuscaloosa County34.4%$1,037$36,14951%$1,165
39. Pike County34.4%$856$29,82655%$1,055
40. Jefferson County34.8%$1,193$41,09254%$1,375
41. Mobile County34.9%$1,052$36,15856%$1,139
42. Russell County35.0%$939$32,17854%$1,212
43. Geneva County35.2%$784$26,75240%$966
44. Clarke County37.0%$782$25,36058%$921
45. Bibb County37.4%$733$23,51660%$1,375
46. Marengo County40.2%$716$21,38354%$921
47. Hale County40.3%$715$21,30250%$1,165
48. Lee County41.7%$1,058$30,47857%$1,277
49. Dallas County43.3%$733$20,33662%$945
50. Sumter County44.6%$775$20,87360%$921

Rent-to-income = median gross rent × 12 ÷ median household income of renters. Both are medians of different households, so this is an area comparison, not the burden of any one household. 17 of 67 counties are left out because they have fewer than 500 renter households, a Census margin of error is too large (coefficient of variation above 15%) or a figure is not published.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates 2020–2024 and 2015–2019 (tables B25064, B25119, B25070). ± = margin of error at 90% confidence. Dollar figures are not adjusted for inflation. FMR: HUD FY2027.

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