Dothan
Rent: $1,187. Salary needed: $41,820.
AL city profile
Decatur Cost of Living
Decatur is a supplemental starter city profile for the Tennessee Valley regional jobs and affordability market in Alabama, useful for route coverage and starter comparisons around rent, housing, utilities, wages, benefits, insurance, and moving costs.
Median rent$1,088
Home price$224,210
Salary needed$43,376
Move score86/100
Decision Brief
What Decatur Means for a Monthly Budget
Start here before diving into source readiness: this translates the starter numbers into the first budget questions a mover would ask.
Housing floor
Rent plus utilities
$1,275/moStarter monthly baseline before insurance, transportation, childcare, debt, healthcare, and deposits.
Income fit
Rent share
30%Rent as a share of the monthly income target of $3,615.
Best next check
Check move timing
86/100One of the stronger starter relocation signals in this state set.
| Budget item | Starter value | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Rent benchmark | $1,088/mo | Use this as the first housing filter before deposits, parking, pet rent, and insurance. |
| Rent plus utilities | $1,275/mo | A starter housing floor for comparing monthly pressure across nearby cities. |
| Monthly income target | $3,615/mo | Derived from the annual salary-needed estimate; verify taxes and household size later. |
| Home price signal | $224,210 | Useful for buy-versus-rent screening before taxes, insurance, HOA, and mortgage rates. |
| Groceries index | 99 | Directional grocery pressure benchmark until source-backed local rows are added. |
Metric Readiness
Decatur Cost Data Checklist
2 of 6 metrics have source-backed rows.
| Metric | Current Value | Review Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,088 | Source-backed | Zillow Observed Rent Index city all-homes rent, Apr 30, 2026 |
| Home price | $224,210 | Source-backed | Zillow Home Value Index city all-homes mid-tier value, Apr 30, 2026 |
| Utilities | $187/mo | Starter estimate | Needs metric-level source row |
| Groceries index | 99 | Starter estimate | Needs metric-level source row |
| Salary needed | $43,376 | Starter estimate | Needs metric-level source row |
| Move score | 86/100 | Starter estimate | Needs metric-level source row |
City Snapshot
Decatur Budget Signals
Starter comparisons against the current Alabama city set.
Lower-rent market
Rent Position
$1,088$192 below the state starter average.
Lower salary target
Salary Fit
$43,376$2,372 below the state starter average.
Monthly pressure
Utilities
$187Starter monthly utility benchmark before provider and home-efficiency checks.
Move score
Relocation Signal
86/100One of the stronger starter relocation signals in this state set.
Budget Read
Salary Needed Estimate
A starter household income estimate for comparing cities is $43,376. The next data pass should split this by household size, tax profile, debt payments, and renter versus homeowner scenarios.
Median rent$1,088
Home price$224,210
Utilities$187/mo
Groceries99
Salary needed$43,376
Move score86/100
Data note
The metric readiness table marks which numbers are backed by metric-level source rows and which remain starter estimates. Replace starter estimates with sourced rows before publishing advice pages at scale.
Move Readiness
Before Moving to Decatur
Treat this as a short pre-move screen. It turns the starter profile into a practical checklist for budget, support, and bill-risk research.
Budget
Confirm the full monthly stack
Start with $1,088 rent and $187 utilities, then add insurance, transportation, healthcare, childcare, debt, and deposits.
Comparison
Protect the rent advantage
Decatur is $192 below the Alabama starter rent average, so compare at least two other city pages before choosing a lease.
Benefits
Check local support before a crisis
Open the Decatur benefits page for food, healthcare, rent, utility, and local intake pathways.
Bills
Price the recurring bill risks
Quote insurance, mobile, internet, utilities, and debt payments early so the rent number does not hide the real monthly pressure.
Compare Nearby
Decatur Versus Other Alabama Markets
Use these starter comparisons to decide which city page or calculator to open next.
Next Actions
Plan Around Decatur
Move from the city profile into practical tools and local support paths.