© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
Living in
Hartselle.
About
Life in Hartselle
This mid-sized town of about 15,600 people sits in a sweet spot between affordable small-town living and genuine proximity to opportunity—you're just 13 miles south of Decatur and connected to the Huntsville-Decatur job market via I-65, which makes commuting to better-paying work realistic without having to actually live there. Housing is genuinely affordable at a median home value around $204,000 with rents averaging $804 a month, and the unemployment rate sits at a healthy 2.3%, though you'll want to consider what specific industry you're in since the local job market isn't huge on its own. Weekends offer decent outdoor access to things like Little River Canyon and Russell Cave within an hour or two, plus the Decatur area has more going on culturally, but honestly you're also car-dependent here and looking at typical North Alabama summers that are warm and humid.
Hartselle at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
38.5 yrs
Poverty Rate
13.3%
Foreign-Born
1.1%
Broadband Internet
87.1%
of households
Population Growth
+4.7%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics1.1% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in Hartselle: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Hartselle, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (47.1%), and 1.3% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
25.6%
of residents
65 and Older
17.4%
of residents
Households with Kids
31.9%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
21.0%
of households
Married Couples
52.7%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.68
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 20% below AL average
Rent, home values, and income in Hartselle
In Hartselle, rent runs 20% below the AL average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
47.0%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
16.9%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
87.2
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$623
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
77.9%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1981
median year built
Vacant Homes
9.5%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $242,509 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.6 pts below AL average
Unemployment in Hartselle
Unemployment in Morgan County, which includes Hartselle, is 0.6 percentage points lower than the AL average.
Unemployment rate
Hartselle: Morgan County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Morgan County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Hartselle Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Commute28 min avg
How Hartselle residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Hartselle, most residents drive alone to work (86%), and 54% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 16 mi
Huntsville International Airport (HSV)
Small hub843k passengers boarded in 2025
- 117 mi
Nashville International Airport (BNA)
Major hub12.5M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 33% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Hartselle runs 33% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
220
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,735.8
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
Hartselle Police Department
Natural DisastersThunderstorm Wind most common — 39 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Moderate
88.8 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Morgan County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Morgan County, which includes Hartselle, the most common type is thunderstorm wind, with 39 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 39 | Thunderstorm Wind | $317,000 |
| 2024 | 44 | Thunderstorm Wind | $407,700 |
| 2023 | 45 | Thunderstorm Wind | $51,900 |
| 2022 | 23 | Thunderstorm Wind | $27,000 |
| 2021 | 31 | Thunderstorm Wind | $126,300 |
| 2020 | 18 | Thunderstorm Wind | $88,100 |
| 2019 | 27 | Thunderstorm Wind | $9,900 |
| 2018 | 22 | Frost/Freeze | $50,200 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
1 earthquake of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Morgan County, county-wide
Air Quality41 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Morgan County, which includes Hartselle, is typically good — 288 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
41
Good Days
288
per year
Moderate Days
77
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Morgan County, county-wide
Climate88°F summers, 33°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Hartselle has warm summers (avg high 88°F) and mild winters (avg low 33°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
73°/50°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
88°/68°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
74°/51°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
55°/33°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
58.8"
Annual Snowfall
2.4"
Hot Days/Year
41
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
52
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
128
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52°F | 31°F | 5.44" |
| Feb | 57°F | 34°F | 5.56" |
| Mar | 65°F | 41°F | 5.40" |
| Apr | 74°F | 49°F | 5.22" |
| May | 80°F | 58°F | 4.86" |
| Jun | 87°F | 66°F | 4.55" |
| Jul | 89°F | 69°F | 4.84" |
| Aug | 89°F | 68°F | 3.88" |
| Sep | 84°F | 62°F | 3.91" |
| Oct | 74°F | 50°F | 3.92" |
| Nov | 63°F | 40°F | 4.42" |
| Dec | 55°F | 34°F | 5.97" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Hartselle
Uninsured
5.8%
of residents
No hospitals inside Hartselle's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Decatur Morgan Hospital - Decatur Campus
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 10.7 mi away · Decatur
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education15.4:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Hartselle
Hartselle's student/teacher ratio is 15.4:1 (lower than the national average of 16:1), and 27.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
6
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
27.9%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
15.4:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Parks & Recreationclosest: Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, 64 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Hartselle
Hartselle has 6 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument (64 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument
National Monument
64 mi awayRussell Cave National Monument
National Monument
74 mi awayLittle River Canyon National Preserve
National Preserve
75 mi awayFreedom Riders National Monument
National Monument
81 mi awayShiloh National Military Park
National Military Park
93 mi awayChickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park
National Military Park
100 mi awayPublic Libraries in Hartselle
Hartselle - William Bradford Huie Library Of Hartselle
152 Sparkman Street Nw, Hartselle
Cities Near Hartselle
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Hartselle?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Hartselle FAQ
Is Hartselle, Alabama affordable?⌄
Hartselle's median rent is $804/month, which is below the national average, making it relatively affordable. The median household income is $76,290/year. Median home value is $203,800.
Is Hartselle, Alabama safe?⌄
Hartselle's violent crime rate was 220 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is below the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1736 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Hartselle, Alabama?⌄
Morgan County, which includes Hartselle, has an unemployment rate of 2.3%, which is strong — well below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Hartselle, Alabama?⌄
The cost of living in Hartselle is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $804/month and median household income is $76,290/year. The median home value is $203,800. About 47% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Hartselle, Alabama?⌄
The average commute in Hartselle is 28 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from