What it's like to live in Albertville
Albertville is a small city in Alabama with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Albertville deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Growing population
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- High poverty rate
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Albertville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Albertville
Based on Albertville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,744
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $34,880 a year
- 49% of Albertville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$37,680
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $18,840
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 38% below US
$872/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $872 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $188,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $188,400 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Marshall County is 2.4%, well below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Marshall County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 31% below US
228 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1366/100k · Albertville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 24% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 19.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. Nearly all workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 35°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 41% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Little River Canyon National Preserve (35 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Albertville's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($872/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Albertville
All Alabama guides →Moving to Rainbow City →
24 mi away · pop. 10,284
Rent $1,048/mo · Income $56,398
Compare with Albertville →Moving to Scottsboro →
28 mi away · pop. 15,712
Rent $830/mo · Income $53,929
Compare with Albertville →Not sure Albertville is the one?
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