Rent Trends / AL
Rent Trends in Alabama: 2015 to 2026
Yearly Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for 85 cities in Alabama. The average across tracked cities is $1,502/month in 2026, up from $802 in 2015 (+87.3%). That sits $463 below (-23.6% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965.
Last updated: July 19, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,965 (June 2026)
What the Alabama rent trend shows
This page follows market rents in Alabama from 2015 through mid-2026 using the same Zillow ZORI vintage for every city in the table. State figures below are simple averages of the tracked cities — useful for comparing places inside Alabama and stacking the state against the published U.S. typical rent ($1,965/month in June 2026, up from $1,362 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Alabama has risen from about $1,294 to $1,502 (+16.1%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is +1.6% ($1,478 → $1,502).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Huntsville (+87.8%, $704 → $1,322). 6 of 85 tracked cities are higher than their 2015 (or earliest) level.
For the national rent story, see the Rent Index. Statewide maps live on Rent by State. Full city database: Rent by City.
City-level breakdown in Alabama
Lowest 2026 rents
- Gadsden — $831
- Jacksonville — $864
- Tuscumbia — $873
- Sylacauga — $950
- Daleville — $958
Highest 2026 rents
- Mountain Brook — $2,295
- Fairhope — $2,242
- Irondale — $2,197
- Chelsea — $2,151
- Vestavia Hills — $2,017
Full list with every year from 2015–2026 is in the sortable table below.
All Alabama cities — yearly rent table
| City | Metro | '15 | '16 | '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | '25 | '26 | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile | $715 | $735 | $761 | $790 | $828 | $848 | $888 | $1,020 | $1,118 | $1,201 | $1,230 | $1,311 | +83.4% | |
| Birmingham | $875 | $888 | $907 | $925 | $968 | $1,008 | $1,074 | $1,180 | $1,241 | $1,287 | $1,327 | $1,359 | +55.3% | |
| Huntsville | $704 | $718 | $735 | $769 | $821 | $909 | $1,036 | $1,209 | $1,261 | $1,297 | $1,296 | $1,322 | +87.8% | |
| Montgomery | $840 | $841 | $854 | $869 | $881 | $913 | $968 | $1,092 | $1,144 | $1,203 | $1,272 | $1,343 | +59.9% | |
| Tuscaloosa | — | — | $905 | $939 | $948 | $989 | $1,030 | $1,130 | $1,196 | $1,273 | $1,347 | $1,433 | +58.3% | |
| Hoover | — | — | $877 | $908 | $953 | $1,001 | $1,050 | $1,225 | $1,234 | $1,254 | $1,321 | $1,378 | +57.1% | |
| Dothan | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,032 | $1,084 | $1,139 | $1,207 | +17.0% | |
| Madison | $851 | $862 | $881 | $942 | $999 | $1,094 | $1,207 | $1,346 | $1,387 | $1,416 | $1,400 | $1,442 | +69.4% | |
| Auburn | — | — | — | — | $1,190 | $1,228 | $1,250 | $1,365 | $1,469 | $1,574 | $1,718 | $1,822 | +53.1% | |
| Decatur | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $921 | $973 | $1,004 | $1,082 | +17.5% | |
| Phenix City | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,194 | $1,226 | $1,291 | $1,372 | +14.9% | |
| Florence | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,082 | $1,173 | $1,228 | +13.5% | |
| Athens | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,272 | $1,385 | $1,399 | $1,468 | +15.4% | |
| Prattville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,436 | $1,527 | $1,632 | $1,727 | $1,838 | +28.0% | |
| Northport | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,454 | $1,611 | +10.8% | |
| Opelika | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,494 | $1,600 | +7.1% | |
| Bessemer | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,135 | $1,176 | $1,257 | $1,347 | $1,400 | +23.3% | |
| Gadsden | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $831 | +0.0% | |
| Cullman | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,468 | $1,563 | +6.5% | |
| Enterprise | $826 | $832 | $853 | $862 | $902 | $932 | $1,050 | $1,158 | $1,255 | $1,322 | $1,386 | $1,436 | +73.8% | |
| Foley | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,666 | $1,641 | $1,707 | +2.5% | |
| Fairhope | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,841 | $1,944 | $2,006 | $2,242 | +21.8% | |
| Vestavia Hills | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,808 | $1,907 | $2,017 | +11.6% | |
| Jasper | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,198 | $1,211 | $1,130 | -5.7% | |
| Anniston | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,027 | +0.0% | |
| Wetumpka | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,633 | +0.0% | |
| Alabaster | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,561 | $1,625 | $1,692 | $1,817 | +16.4% | |
| Daphne | — | — | $962 | $1,007 | $1,057 | $1,093 | $1,125 | $1,357 | $1,470 | $1,450 | $1,486 | $1,556 | +61.7% | |
| Trussville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,368 | $1,481 | +8.3% | |
| Harvest | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,740 | $1,832 | +5.3% | |
| Pell City | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,329 | +0.0% | |
| Homewood | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,605 | $1,641 | +2.2% | |
| Sylacauga | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $950 | +0.0% | |
| Helena | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,913 | +0.0% | |
| Mountain Brook | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,295 | +0.0% | |
| Theodore | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,525 | +0.0% | |
| Jacksonville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $808 | $864 | +6.9% | |
| Ozark | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,350 | +0.0% | |
| Scottsboro | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,313 | +0.0% | |
| Mc Calla | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,008 | +0.0% | |
| Tuscumbia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $873 | +0.0% | |
| Prichard | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,200 | +0.0% | |
| Pelham | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,760 | +0.0% | |
| Guntersville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,248 | +0.0% | |
| Oxford | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,116 | +0.0% | |
| Muscle Shoals | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,330 | +0.0% | |
| Montevallo | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,745 | +0.0% | |
| Calera | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,426 | $1,457 | $1,522 | $1,624 | $1,745 | +22.4% | |
| Owens Cross Roads | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,677 | $1,702 | $1,781 | +6.2% | |
| Center Point | — | — | $807 | $853 | $879 | $901 | $937 | $1,038 | $1,113 | $1,197 | $1,264 | $1,333 | +65.2% | |
| Gulf Shores | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,600 | $1,627 | $1,830 | +14.4% | |
| Toney | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,850 | +0.0% | |
| Spanish Fort | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,566 | $1,528 | $1,576 | $1,666 | +6.4% | |
| Millbrook | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,235 | $1,427 | +15.5% | |
| Chelsea | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,849 | $1,948 | $2,151 | +16.3% | |
| Warrior | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,545 | +0.0% | |
| Troy | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,017 | +0.0% | |
| Pike Road | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,677 | $1,767 | +5.4% | |
| Hazel Green | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,663 | +0.0% | |
| Saraland | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,497 | +0.0% | |
| Moody | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,715 | $1,866 | +8.8% | |
| Gardendale | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,724 | +0.0% | |
| Hueytown | — | — | — | — | — | — | $898 | $963 | $1,025 | $1,124 | $1,157 | $1,205 | +34.2% | |
| Hanceville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,127 | +0.0% | |
| Leeds | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,666 | +0.0% | |
| New Market | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,739 | +0.0% | |
| Springville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,765 | +0.0% | |
| Odenville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,574 | +0.0% | |
| Pleasant Grove | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,553 | +0.0% | |
| Lincoln | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,513 | +0.0% | |
| Irondale | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,867 | $2,099 | $2,197 | +17.7% | |
| Fultondale | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,599 | +0.0% | |
| Meridianville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,744 | $1,710 | $1,800 | +3.2% | |
| Forestdale | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,265 | +0.0% | |
| Lake Purdy | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,222 | +0.0% | |
| Clay | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,698 | +0.0% | |
| Tarrant | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,074 | +0.0% | |
| Pinson | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,571 | +0.0% | |
| Weaver | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,535 | +0.0% | |
| Adamsville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,255 | +0.0% | |
| Midfield | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,145 | +0.0% | |
| Elmore | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,345 | +0.0% | |
| Grayson Valley | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,344 | +0.0% | |
| Margaret | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,685 | +0.0% | |
| Daleville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $958 | +0.0% |
Click any column header to sort · % Chg uses earliest available year → 2026
Frequently asked questions — Alabama rent
Is Alabama cheap to rent in 2026?
Yes — relative to the national market. The average rent across 85 tracked Alabama cities is about $1,502/month, which is $463 below (-23.6% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965. That is a city-average in our sample, not a single statewide ZORI print, but it is a clear signal that Alabama screens cheaper than the U.S. typical $1,965.
What city in Alabama has the cheapest rent?
Among cities in our ZORI sample, Gadsden is the lowest at about $831/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include Jacksonville ($864), Tuscumbia ($873), Sylacauga ($950).
What city in Alabama has the most expensive rent?
Mountain Brook leads our sample at about $2,295/month in 2026, followed by Fairhope ($2,242) and Irondale ($2,197).
How much have rents in Alabama changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $802 in 2015 to $1,502 in 2026 (+87.3%). 6 of 85 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Huntsville (+87.8%).
Are rents in Alabama still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Alabama cities went from about $1,478 to $1,502 (+1.6%). Since 2023 ($1,294), that is +16.1%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.
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