Living in Decatur, AL
Small city in Alabama
Decatur is a small city in Alabama, home to about 58,000 people, with 436,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Decatur a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $230k and rents for $1,260 a month
- Low taxes: about $1,147 state income tax per resident, 0.37% property tax
- Easy flying: BHM is 71 mi away
- Low natural disaster risk: 7 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Smaller job market: about 436,000 people live within 31 mi
- Fewer graduates: 23% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Decatur ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Decatur: common questions
What is the cost of living in Decatur?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $230k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,260 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 87, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Decatur?
Alabama collects about $1,147 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.37% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Decatur safe?
Decatur isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.
What is the weather like in Decatur?
Decatur has mild winters: winter days average around 55°F and summer days around 88°F.
Does Decatur get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from tornadoes, flooding and earthquakes: 7 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.71 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Decatur?
The nearest major airport is BHM, about 71 mi away.
How Decatur scores
Each bar compares Decatur with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Decatur right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.