Fort Payne, AL housing market
The typical Fort Payne home is worth about $211,000, up 2.8% in a year, 13% below the Alabama typical home. Homes typically sell in 122 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Fort Payne compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Fort Payne at a glance
A seller's market
Supply is tight — about 2.9 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 | Fort Payne | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $115,000 | $147,000 |
| 2018 | $118,000 | $152,000 |
| 2019 | $124,000 | $158,000 |
| 2020 | $135,000 | $170,000 |
| 2021 | $153,000 | $188,000 |
| 2022 | $171,000 | $215,000 |
| 2023 | $180,000 | $228,000 |
| 2024 | $188,000 | $233,000 |
| 2025 | $204,000 | $238,000 |
| 2026 | $203,000 | $239,000 |
| August 2026 | $211,000 | $242,000 |
23 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 23 new homes in Fort Payne in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $4.6 million to build. That's 1.5 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Alabama (5.4). Over the past 10 years, Fort Payne has permitted 196 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Fort Payne gained 865 residents while 137 new homes were permitted: about 6.3 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 Fort Payne 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) | 18 | 18 | 0 | $3.8 million |
| 2025 | 23 | 23 | 0 | $4.6 million |
| 2024 | 22 | 22 | 0 | $5.1 million |
| 2023 | 26 | 26 | 0 | $5.9 million |
| 2022 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $3.7 million |
| 2021 | 26 | 26 | 0 | $5.1 million |
| 2020 | 22 | 22 | 0 | $2.6 million |
| 2019 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $2.7 million |
| 2018 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2017 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2016 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $1.9 million |
| 2015 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2014 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $2 million |
| 2013 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $2.1 million |
| 2012 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $604,000 |
| 2011 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $909,000 |
| 2010 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2009 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2008 | 27 | 27 | 0 | $4.1 million |
| 2007 | 38 | 38 | 0 | $7.3 million |
| 2006 | 90 | 50 | 40 | $8.3 million |
| 2005 | 44 | 44 | 0 | $6.1 million |
| 2004 | 51 | 51 | 0 | $5.4 million |
| 2003 | 46 | 46 | 0 | $5.3 million |
| 2002 | 52 | 52 | 0 | $5.2 million |
| 2001 | 46 | 46 | 0 | $5.1 million |
| 2000 | 40 | 40 | 0 | $5.1 million |
How Fort Payne 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.
Fort Payne and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Payne | $211K | +2.8% | $800 | 23 | $47,479 |
| Pine Ridge | — | −4.2%† | $780 | — | $58,750 |
| Valley Head | $194K | +5.3% | $780 | 0 | $45,889 |
| Hammondville | $237K | +5.6% | $780 | 0 | $37,083 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
4.4 years of income
The typical Fort Payne home costs about 4.4 years of the town's median household income, more than across Alabama (3.8 years).
How Fort Payne 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 $800
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Fort Payne is $800 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Fort Payne pay a median of $679, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 20% of the town's median household income.
Studio $590 · 4 bedrooms $1,330
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (35967, 35968; Cherokee County, AL), 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 Fort Payne
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.