Huntsville is a city of 233,627, and it grades B− overall, ranked 61st of 187 in Alabama. The trade-off: its police reported 924 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 75% of U.S. towns. 66% of working residents work locally in Huntsville, above both the Alabama town median (9.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Episcopal Church of the Nativity and Saturn V Space Vehicle. On walkability, just 27 of Alabama’s 308 towns do better.

StrongestA⁻OutdoorsWeakestCSafety CHazard risk

What makes Huntsville stand out

Where Huntsville beats most towns.

Episcopal Church of the Nativity

HistoryB⁺

Settled in 1805

74 places on the National Register

A history going back 221 years.

Biggest of 5

College	Students
University of Alabama in Huntsville	7,882
Alabama A & M University	6,208
Oakwood University	1,237

Colleges in town

5 colleges

16,311 students on campus

Students are 11% of residents.

Jobs vs. working residents

Jobs here173,595

Residents who work88,058

Work

2 jobs for every working resident

A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 93% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023.

Episcopal Church of the Nativity · National Register of Historic Places

Huntsville’s story

221 years in pictures

Episcopal Church of the Nativity is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1805, comes before those of 98% of the Alabama towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 2,496 in 1840, 215,006 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1814 and 6 maps from 1936 on.

74 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1805Huntsville is settled

Explore the history →

How Huntsville grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Huntsville is from typical.

How grading works

SafetyCOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.9 of 20; 4.9% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SchoolsBOpen →Jobs & income$75K median household incomeBOpen →HealthCrestwood Medical Center 5.9 miles awayB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors6% conserved landA⁻Open →History38 notable people born hereB⁺Open →Civic life4.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB⁻Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

ClimateMild winters, 90° summer afternoons, 2″ of snow–Open →Housing market54 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.9; 47% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

U.S. Space & Rocket Center and 7 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Huntsville. Close and well known come first.

All 16 attractions →

in town MuseumU.S. Space & Rocket Center1.0M visitors a year

in town MuseumBurritt on the Mountain in town Theme parkSpace City USA

in town MuseumHuntsville Museum of Art

in town MuseumNorth Alabama Railroad Museum in town Theme parkSouthern Adventures

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

U.S. Space & Rocket Center: formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Burritt on the Mountain: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Huntsville Museum of Art: Chris Pruitt, CC BY-SA 3.0 · North Alabama Railroad Museum: Jeff Hunter from Madison, AL, USA, CC BY 2.0

Getting set up

Moving to Huntsville: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Huntsville, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerCity of Huntsville12.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterHuntsville Utilities Water Dept.No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet7 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpBy addressTown pickup · day by addressTown site

SchoolsHuntsville City School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Alabama you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereMadison County Absentee Elections ManagerMadison County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2026

ZIP codes35810, 35803, 35802, 3580535810 13% · 35803 13% · 35802 11% · 35805 11%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Huntsville.

Huntsville draws workers from Madison and beyond and is one of Alabama’s best towns for the outdoors, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half.

OutdoorsA⁻

Conserved land covers 6.2% of Huntsville

Its A− for the outdoors ranks #6 of 187 in Alabama.

170 miles of trail in 84 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Monte Sano State Park, 2,373 acres with 35.1 miles of trail. Huntsville’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile.

#18for trails in AL

	Huntsville	Alabama towns	U.S. towns
Miles of trail per square mile	0.8 miles per square mile	0.1	0.4
Conserved land	6.2%	1.2%	4.3%

6.2%

conserved · 8,942 of 144,513 acres

170 mi

of trails · 0.8 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Monte Sano State Park	35.1 mi	2,373
2. Monte Sano Nature Preserve	19.1 mi	1,012
3. Wade Mountain Nature Preserve	9.2 mi	995

Full pageHuntsville’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map170 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk35.1 miles of trail · Monte Sano State Park Conserved land6.2% conserved · 8,942 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Huntsville?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

SchoolsB

Huntsville’s public schools outperform 60% of Alabama districts

Its public schools are run by the Huntsville City school district. Three of its 69 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.

60%of AL districts it outscoresBSchool Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Providence ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5	Grades PK–5	1,152	B⁻
Virgil Grissom High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	1,847	B⁺
Monte Sano Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–6	Grades PK–6	263	A⁺

Full pageHuntsville’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsHuntsville City Vs. the neighborsAhead of 1 of its 5 graded neighbors Every school69 schools · Providence Elementary Questions“Are Huntsville’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation

Work & commuteJobs & income grade B

About two in three of Huntsville’s working residents work in town

173,595 jobs are based in Huntsville, 2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 132,150 in 2013 to 173,595.

The average trip to work in Huntsville is 20 minutes. Since 2013, Huntsville has added 41,445 jobs, to 173,595 in 2023. 15% of workers work from home in Huntsville.

66%work in town

	Huntsville	Alabama towns	U.S. towns
Average trip to work	20 minutes	25 minutes	25 minutes
Work from home	15%	6.7%	11%
Below the poverty line	13%	16%	9.6%
Median household income	$75,000	$62,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Huntsville66%

Madison5%

Decatur2%

Birmingham2%

Redstone Arsenal1%

8 mi

median commute distance

173,595

jobs based in Huntsville

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

Walkability grade: more walkable than 64% of U.S. towns

Full pageHuntsville’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here173,595 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work66% work in Huntsville Commute times20 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 8 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

SafetyC

Huntsville earns a C for safety

Reported crimes rose from 1,876 to 6,234 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.

Huntsville reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 75% report less. Within Alabama, it does better than 56% of towns.

25%of U.S. towns report more crimeCSafety Grade

	Huntsville	Alabama towns	U.S. towns
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	22.7 per 1,000 residents	16.9	9.9
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	3.9 per 1,000 residents	2.9	1.6

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Huntsville3.9

Alabama3.5

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Huntsville22.7

Alabama15

U.S.15.5

25th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

56th

percentile among AL towns

924

violent crimes reported in 2025

5,310

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageHuntsville’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type3.9 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsUp since 2023 Vs. the neighborsAhead of 1 of its 3 graded neighbors Questions“Is Huntsville, AL safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C

Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Huntsville

406 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 19 properties have flooded more than once.

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 406 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Huntsville.

69risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves

406

paid flood claims since 1979

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageHuntsville’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesHigh risk Flood claims406 paid flood claims · Since 1979 Past disasters6 federal disasters · Paid out in Huntsville Get ready3.6 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

In Huntsville, expect mild winters and hot summers

January nights average 31.3°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 85% of Alabama places with climate records; July afternoons average 90°.

Huntsville has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. About 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.

2″snow a winter

	Huntsville	Alabama towns	U.S. towns
July high	90°F	91°F	85°F
January low	31°F	33°F	22°F

Typical low → high °F

Winter33–53°

Spring49–73°

Summer67–89°

Fall50–74°

Nov 8

typical first frost

Mar 24

typical last frost

+0.7°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageHuntsville’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 90°, January lows 31°Rain & snow2″ of snow a winter · 56 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingBoth heating and cooling Then and now+0.7° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HousingCost of living grade B

The typical home in Huntsville is valued at about $287K

The median property tax bill is $1,345, against $788 across Alabama, another input to its cost-of-living grade.

The typical Huntsville home is worth about $287,000, up 1.4% in a year, 20% above the Alabama typical home. 58% of Huntsville households own their home.

$287KZillow home value

	Huntsville	Alabama towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	58%	70%	73%
Median rent	$1,171 a month	$940 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Huntsville$287K

Alabama$239K

Market temperature

days on market

98.7%

sale-to-list price

+1.4%

value change, 1 year

314

homes sold in May

Full pageHuntsville’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 1.4% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 3.8 years of income Rents$1,171 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsBehind its 5 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

HealthB⁻

Huntsville ranks healthier than 54% of the country’s towns

Within Alabama it is healthier than 75% of the 187 graded towns: much of Alabama scores lower on these measures.

Huntsville beats the Alabama average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.

54%healthier than U.S. townsB⁻Health Grade

	Huntsville	Alabama towns	U.S. towns
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	12%	15%	14%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)	39%	43%	35%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	41%	39%	35%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	13%	16%	14%

32 measures vs. Alabama

12 better19 too close to call1 worse

What stands out	Huntsville	AL
Fewer adults with COPD	6.3%	8%
Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth	12.4%	15.4%
Fewer adults treating high blood pressure	74.5%	78%

Crestwood Medical Center

5.9 mi away · emergency room

2 of 3

care shortages: primary care, mental health

75th

percentile among AL towns

Full pageHuntsville’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsFewer smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby5.9 miles to an ER · Crestwood Medical Center How adults are doingFewer adults in frequent physical distress Every CDC estimateBetter than AL on 12 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Huntsville

20pages on Huntsville

The big questions

SchoolsBBeat 60% of AL districts · 69 schools SafetyC3.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB⁻Better than AL on 12 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingB$287K typical home · up 1.4% in a year Work & commuteB$75K median household income · 173,595 jobs here Natural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 69% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsA⁻170 mi of trails · 6% conserved land PlacesAttractions16 nearby · U.S. Space & Rocket Center under 1 mi LibraryB⁻Huntsville Public - Cavalry Hills Branch CollegesUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville, in town

The story

HistoryB⁺Settled 1805 · 74 on the National Register Famous people38 born in Huntsville Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 73 residents Climate90° summer highs · 2″ of snow

Day to day

News13 recent stories about Huntsville WeatherHandbookZIP code 35801, 35802, 35803 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

5 within 15 miles of the center of Huntsville

J. F. Drake State Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · HuntsvilleIn town$5,190 in-state tuition University of Alabama in HuntsvilleUniversity or college · Public · HuntsvilleIn town$12,132 in-state tuition Huntsville Bible CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · HuntsvilleIn town$4,730 tuition

About 11 of every 100 Huntsville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A growing town

Huntsville has grown 30% since 2010

180,105 counted in 2010 and 215,006 in 2020; an estimated 233,627 in 2025.

Growth hasn’t slowed: 8.7% since 2020, after 19.4% in the decade before.

180,1052010

215,0062020

233,6272025 est.

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025

Landmarks

74 places in Huntsville on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Episcopal Church of the NativityBuilt 1859 · National Historic Landmark

Saturn V Space VehicleNational Historic Landmark

Southern Railway System Depot

Domestic Science Building

Famous people from Huntsville

38 notable people were born in Huntsville.

See all 38 →

Jimmy WalesCo-founder of Wikipedia · born 1966

Debby RyanAmerican singer and actress · born 1993

Tallulah BankheadAmerican actress · 1902–1968

Michael E. BrownAmerican planetary astronomer · born 1965

Felicia DayAmerican actress · born 1979

Kim DickensAmerican actress · born 1965

About Huntsville

City in the United States

Official town website ↗

Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population was 215,006 at the 2020 census, making it the 100th-most populous city in the U.S., while the Huntsville metropolitan area has an estimated 542,000 residents and is the second-most populous metropolitan area in the state. As of July 1, 2025, the city's population was estimated to be 233,627 – a 8.7% increase since the 2020 Census. This makes it among the top 20 fastest growing cities in the US. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County, with portions extending into Limestone County, Marshall County, and Morgan County. Huntsville is located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, south of the state…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1805
Area: 215 sq mi
Elevation: 633 ft
ZIP code: 35801, 35802, 35803
Area code: 256

Huntsville’s neighbors

6 towns share a border with Huntsville.

Explore the map →

Redstone ArsenalTrianaOwens Cross RoadsAthensMoores MillDecaturHuntsville

Redstone Arsenal

SE · 1% of Huntsville workers commute here

Visit

Triana

Visit

Owens Cross Roads

Visit

Athens

W · 1% of Huntsville workers commute here

Visit

Moores Mill

Visit

Decatur

SW · 2% of Huntsville workers commute here

Visit

How the neighbors grade

Town	AL rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Huntsville	#61	B⁻	B	C	B	B⁻
Redstone Arsenal	—	—	—	—	—	—
Triana	#11	A	B⁺	—	A⁻	A⁻
Owens Cross Roads	#34	B⁺	A⁺	B⁺	A⁻	B⁻
Athens	#57	B⁻	A	C	B⁺	C
Moores Mill	#38	B⁺	A⁻	—	A⁻	C⁺
Decatur	#110	C⁻	B⁺	D	B	C⁻

Triana and Moores Mill report no FBI crime data of their own. Redstone Arsenal isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Huntsville with a neighbor →

Questions about Huntsville

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Huntsville, AL a good place to live?

Huntsville grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #61 of 187 in Alabama. It grades B− for health, C for safety and B for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C.

Is Huntsville, AL safe?

Within Alabama, it does better than 56% of towns.

Is Huntsville, AL expensive?

That is 3.3 years of the area's median household income ($85,989 across the Huntsville, AL metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.

What is Huntsville, AL known for?

38 notable people were born here, including Jimmy Wales and Debby Ryan.

Post to Huntsville

Check your email

HuntsvilleAL

What is it like to live in Huntsville?

What makes Huntsville stand out

Jobs vs. working residents

221 years in pictures

How Huntsville grades

U.S. Space & Rocket Center and 7 more within 40 miles

Moving to Huntsville: who provides what

The data

Conserved land covers 6.2% of Huntsville

Huntsville’s public schools outperform 60% of Alabama districts

About two in three of Huntsville’s working residents work in town

Where working residents work

Huntsville earns a C for safety

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Huntsville

In Huntsville, expect mild winters and hot summers

Typical low → high °F

The typical home in Huntsville is valued at about $287K

Typical home value

Huntsville ranks healthier than 54% of the country’s towns

Everything we know about Huntsville

Colleges nearby

Huntsville has grown 30% since 2010

Landmarks

Famous people from Huntsville

About Huntsville

Huntsville’s neighbors

Questions about Huntsville