Athens, AL housing market
The typical Athens home is worth about $308,000, up 1% in a year, 28% above the Alabama typical home. Homes typically sell in 94 days, close to asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Athens compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Athens at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 3.9 months of homes for sale at the current pace. Buyers should expect competition on well-priced homes.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Athens | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $174,000 | $147,000 |
| 2018 | $177,000 | $152,000 |
| 2019 | $184,000 | $158,000 |
| 2020 | $200,000 | $170,000 |
| 2021 | $232,000 | $188,000 |
| 2022 | $281,000 | $215,000 |
| 2023 | $292,000 | $228,000 |
| 2024 | $301,000 | $233,000 |
| 2025 | $305,000 | $238,000 |
| 2026 | $308,000 | $239,000 |
| August 2026 | $308,000 | $242,000 |
449 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 449 new homes in Athens in 2025: 447 single-family houses and 2 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $131.5 million to build. That's 15 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Alabama (5.4). Over the past 10 years, Athens has permitted 4,014 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Athens gained 3,509 residents while 1,329 new homes were permitted: about 2.6 new residents per new home. Building and growth moved roughly in step. Across Alabama: 1.8 new residents per new home.
How Athens ranks on housing keeping up with growth →
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 362 | 362 | 0 | $111 million |
| 2025 | 449 | 447 | 2 | $131.5 million |
| 2024 | 492 | 492 | 0 | $141.2 million |
| 2023 | 487 | 487 | 0 | $136.6 million |
| 2022 | 844 | 473 | 371 | $174 million |
| 2021 | 624 | 466 | 158 | $139.2 million |
| 2020 | 417 | 370 | 47 | $91.2 million |
| 2019 | 276 | 276 | 0 | $59.1 million |
| 2018 | 155 | 155 | 0 | $30.8 million |
| 2017 | 159 | 159 | 0 | $28.9 million |
| 2016 | 111 | 111 | 0 | $21.9 million |
| 2015 | 104 | 104 | 0 | $20.7 million |
| 2014 | 136 | 80 | 56 | $20.5 million |
| 2013 | 83 | 83 | 0 | $17.6 million |
| 2012 | 82 | 82 | 0 | $15.3 million |
| 2011 | 93 | 93 | 0 | $17.4 million |
| 2010 | 130 | 130 | 0 | $24.4 million |
| 2009 | 92 | 81 | 11 | $18.9 million |
| 2008 | 190 | 106 | 84 | $28.8 million |
| 2007 | 136 | 136 | 0 | $26.4 million |
| 2006 | 219 | 219 | 0 | $37.7 million |
| 2005 | 281 | 281 | 0 | $35.5 million |
| 2004 | 154 | 152 | 2 | $20.8 million |
| 2003 | 181 | 97 | 84 | $18.5 million |
| 2002 | 198 | 90 | 108 | $15.1 million |
| 2001 | 103 | 103 | 0 | $14.8 million |
| 2000 | 102 | 102 | 0 | $15.5 million |
How Athens ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Athens and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens | $308K | +1% | $1,260 | 449 | $69,922 |
| Huntsville | $290K | +1.2% | $1,520 | 1,942 | $74,714 |
4.4 years of income
The typical Athens home costs about 4.4 years of the town's median household income, more than across Alabama (3.8 years).
How Athens ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,260
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Athens is $1,260 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Athens pay a median of $899, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 22% of the town's median household income.
Studio $960 · 4 bedrooms $2,000
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (35611, 35613, 35614, 35671; Huntsville, AL MSA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.