What it's like to live in Boaz
Boaz 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 commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Boaz deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, college degree attainment below 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
- Short commutes
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Boaz compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Boaz
Based on Boaz's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,326
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $26,520 a year
- 28% of Boaz renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$39,840
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $19,920
- Homes cost 4.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 53% below US
$663/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $663 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 $199,200. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $199,200 · 28% 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▲ 99% above US
765 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 3782/100k · Boaz Police Department · 2018 data
Getting around▼ 17% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.5 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 32°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 56% below US
16% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Little River Canyon National Preserve (34 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Boaz'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 crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($663/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Boaz
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