Decatur, AL housing market
The typical Decatur home is worth about $223,000, down 1.2% in a year, 8% below the Alabama typical home. Homes typically sell in 56 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Decatur compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Decatur at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 3.6 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 | Decatur | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $130,000 | $147,000 |
| 2018 | $135,000 | $152,000 |
| 2019 | $141,000 | $158,000 |
| 2020 | $154,000 | $170,000 |
| 2021 | $175,000 | $188,000 |
| 2022 | $203,000 | $215,000 |
| 2023 | $213,000 | $228,000 |
| 2024 | $220,000 | $233,000 |
| 2025 | $226,000 | $238,000 |
| 2026 | $226,000 | $239,000 |
| August 2026 | $223,000 | $242,000 |
309 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 309 new homes in Decatur in 2025: 179 single-family houses and 130 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $56 million to build. That's 5.4 per 1,000 residents, about the pace of Alabama as a whole. Over the past 10 years, Decatur has permitted 1,205 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Decatur gained 2,255 residents while 509 new homes were permitted: about 4.4 new residents per new home. Population grew faster than building, so existing homes filled up: a sign of tight supply. Across Alabama: 1.8 new residents per new home.
How Decatur 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) | 271 | 223 | 48 | $46.6 million |
| 2025 | 309 | 179 | 130 | $56 million |
| 2024 | 126 | 126 | 0 | $23.5 million |
| 2023 | 166 | 166 | 0 | $40.1 million |
| 2022 | 149 | 149 | 0 | $43.8 million |
| 2021 | 109 | 109 | 0 | $32.1 million |
| 2020 | 100 | 92 | 8 | $21.5 million |
| 2019 | 74 | 74 | 0 | $14.7 million |
| 2018 | 58 | 58 | 0 | $11.5 million |
| 2017 | 47 | 47 | 0 | $11 million |
| 2016 | 67 | 67 | 0 | $14.9 million |
| 2015 | 36 | 36 | 0 | $6.8 million |
| 2014 | 37 | 37 | 0 | $7.8 million |
| 2013 | 39 | 39 | 0 | $9 million |
| 2012 | 48 | 48 | 0 | $9.6 million |
| 2011 | 47 | 47 | 0 | $9.1 million |
| 2010 | 56 | 56 | 0 | $9.6 million |
| 2009 | 39 | 39 | 0 | $6.5 million |
| 2008 | 97 | 85 | 12 | $15.6 million |
| 2007 | 184 | 160 | 24 | $30 million |
| 2006 | 159 | 159 | 0 | $24 million |
| 2005 | 219 | 219 | 0 | $32.6 million |
| 2004 | 227 | 227 | 0 | $31.2 million |
| 2003 | 205 | 205 | 0 | $25.9 million |
| 2002 | 207 | 207 | 0 | $25.7 million |
| 2001 | 179 | 179 | 0 | $26.2 million |
| 2000 | 227 | 227 | 0 | $27.6 million |
How Decatur 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.
Decatur and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur | $223K | −1.2% | $1,020 | 309 | $61,563 |
| Priceville | $319K | +0.6% | $1,000 | 18 | $117,127 |
| Trinity | $245K | −0.8% | $900 | 17 | $100,929 |
| Huntsville | $290K | +1.2% | $1,520 | 1,942 | $74,714 |
| Hartselle | $250K | +1.8% | $950 | 42 | $76,290 |
3.6 years of income
The typical Decatur home costs about 3.6 years of the town's median household income, about the same as across Alabama (3.8).
How Decatur 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 $1,020
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Decatur is $1,020 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Decatur pay a median of $896, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 20% of the town's median household income.
Studio $800 · 4 bedrooms $1,640
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (35601, 35603, 35671, 35673; Decatur, 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.
Recent listings in Decatur
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.