The 20 most affordable cities in Alabama to buy a house

Homeownership is fundamental to the American dream. It offers wealth, security, community, and countless other benefits. Yet for many Alabama residents, the dream feels increasingly out of reach—even as incomes rise and mortgage rates fall. Near-record prices have made homes hard to come by and often even harder to afford, leaving buyers and sellers stuck and younger generations priced out.

But affordable pockets still exist. In cities across the state, residents can comfortably spend around 30% of their income or less on housing, which is widely considered the affordable threshold.

To find out where these cities are, Redfin Real Estate ranked the most affordable cities in Alabama, based on their local payment to income ratios. All data is an average for the January-October 2025 period. To see the most affordable cities in the country, read this recent Redfin article.

#1. Clay, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 22.5%
- Median sale price: $252,660
- Median household income: $86,163
- Income needed to buy: $64,520
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,613
- See homes for sale in Clay on Redfin.com

#2. Moody, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 24.0%
- Median sale price: $270,870
- Median household income: $86,389
- Income needed to buy: $69,170
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,729
- See homes for sale in Moody on Redfin.com

#3. Calera, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 24.3%
- Median sale price: $261,421
- Median household income: $82,441
- Income needed to buy: $66,757
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,669
- See homes for sale in Calera on Redfin.com

#4. Chelsea, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 25.5%
- Median sale price: $365,755
- Median household income: $110,056
- Income needed to buy: $93,400
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,335
- See homes for sale in Chelsea on Redfin.com

#5. Helena, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 25.6%
- Median sale price: $366,528
- Median household income: $109,590
- Income needed to buy: $93,598
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,340
- See homes for sale in Helena on Redfin.com

#6. Trussville, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 25.9%
- Median sale price: $407,801
- Median household income: $120,794
- Income needed to buy: $104,137
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,603
- See homes for sale in Trussville on Redfin.com

#7. Gardendale, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 26.1%
- Median sale price: $277,105
- Median household income: $81,215
- Income needed to buy: $70,762
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,769
- See homes for sale in Gardendale on Redfin.com

#8. Alabaster, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 26.7%
- Median sale price: $314,523
- Median household income: $90,163
- Income needed to buy: $80,318
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,008
- See homes for sale in Alabaster on Redfin.com

#9. Prattville, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 28.3%
- Median sale price: $293,530
- Median household income: $79,396
- Income needed to buy: $74,957
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,874
- See homes for sale in Prattville on Redfin.com

#10. Madison, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 28.3%
- Median sale price: $486,126
- Median household income: $131,436
- Income needed to buy: $124,139
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,103
- See homes for sale in Madison on Redfin.com

#11. Leeds, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 28.9%
- Median sale price: $269,934
- Median household income: $71,672
- Income needed to buy: $68,931
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,723
- See homes for sale in Leeds on Redfin.com

#12. Northport, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 30.2%
- Median sale price: $306,494
- Median household income: $77,781
- Income needed to buy: $78,267
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,957
- See homes for sale in Northport on Redfin.com

#13. Millbrook, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 30.8%
- Median sale price: $259,613
- Median household income: $64,522
- Income needed to buy: $66,295
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,657
- See homes for sale in Millbrook on Redfin.com

#14. Saraland, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 31.0%
- Median sale price: $244,921
- Median household income: $60,577
- Income needed to buy: $62,544
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,564
- See homes for sale in Saraland on Redfin.com

#15. Daphne, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 31.6%
- Median sale price: $357,113
- Median household income: $86,479
- Income needed to buy: $91,193
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,280
- See homes for sale in Daphne on Redfin.com

#16. Pelham, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 31.6%
- Median sale price: $379,577
- Median household income: $91,904
- Income needed to buy: $96,930
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,423
- See homes for sale in Pelham on Redfin.com

#17. Irondale, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 32.6%
- Median sale price: $303,450
- Median household income: $71,240
- Income needed to buy: $77,490
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,937
- See homes for sale in Irondale on Redfin.com

#18. Hoover, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 34.2%
- Median sale price: $480,984
- Median household income: $107,822
- Income needed to buy: $122,825
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,071
- See homes for sale in Hoover on Redfin.com

#19. Vestavia Hills, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 35.4%
- Median sale price: $596,673
- Median household income: $129,171
- Income needed to buy: $152,368
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,809
- See homes for sale in Vestavia Hills on Redfin.com

#20. Athens, Alabama
- Payment to income ratio: 36.6%
- Median sale price: $310,545
- Median household income: $65,000
- Income needed to buy: $79,302
- Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,983
- See homes for sale in Athens on Redfin.com