Decatur cost of living index

In the event that the cost of living data was unavailable for this city, estimates based upon nearby cities were used. Each cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. If the amount is below 100, it is lower than the national average. If the amount is above 100, it is higher than the national average.
Index	Decatur	Alabama	National
Cost of living index	86	89	100
Index	Decatur	Alabama	National
Goods & Services index	95	96	100
Groceries index	96	97	100
Health care index	88	86	100
Housing index	68	72	100
Transportation index	88	91	100
Utilities index	98	108	100

Displayed above is a general overview of the Decatur, AL cost of living index. The overall cost of living index in Decatur, AL is 86, which is 3% lower than the Alabama average and 14% lower than the national average. The cost of living index is created from the following categories: goods/services (33%), groceries (13%), health care (5%), housing (30%), transportation (9%) and utilities (10%). As you can see, goods/services and housing make up the majority of the overall cost of living index. Everyday goods and services can be a good indicator of the general cost of goods in a given city. In this case, the goods and services in Decatur, AL are 1% lower than the Alabama average and 5% lower than the national average.

Did you know?

The cost of living in Decatur is 3% lower than the Alabama average.
The cost of living in Decatur is 14% lower than the national average.
The cost of housing in Decatur is 32% lower than the national average.
Alabama general sales tax is 21% lower than the national average.
Alabama state income tax is 10% lower than the national average.

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Salary Calculator

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Goods & Services index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index

The salary calculator is meant to help you compare your salary in Decatur, AL to your potential earning power in another city. This can help you deduce what your salary would need to be in any given city in order for you to live the same lifestyle that you do in your current city. In other words, if you plan on moving to a city where the cost of living is higher than in Decatur, AL, you'll have to make more money in the new city in order to maintain the lifestyle you currently enjoy. To use the Decatur, AL salary calculator, simply input the new city, then move the adjustable slider to match your current income. Once you've selected your income, the calculator will determine if that income is sufficient to support your standard of living in the new city you entered. The calculator will also supply you with a rundown of living costs in the new city.

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$58,909	$4,909	$1,374	$1,767
Renters	$25,987	$2,166	$606	$780

If you want to find a good determining factor for the cost of living and the general affordability of housing in Decatur, AL, all you must look at is the percentage of monthly income that should be spent on housing expenses, otherwise known as the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). Generally speaking, no more than 28 percent of your total gross income should be spent on your housing expenses and not more than 36 percent of your gross income on total expenses, including debts. In Decatur, AL, the median monthly income is $58,909 for those who own their own homes. Under the standard rule, that income level would allow for $1,374 to be budgeted for housing expenses each month, at the most. Renters, on the other hand, earn about $25,987, per the median income in the area. That would allow for renters to spend up to $606 on monthly rental expenses.

Alabama Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Alabama	4%	13.5%

Alabama Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Alabama	2%	5%

The Alabama sales tax and Alabama income tax rates should definitely be considered when determining the overall cost of living in Decatur, AL. Sales taxes are taxes that are imposed onto goods and services sold. Sales taxes do vary by state and can range from no tax at all to upwards of 7%. The Alabama sales tax is 4% and the maximum surtax is 13.5%. Income tax is the tax imposed on income by the government. The income tax rates will vary by state and will also increase or decrease depending on the corresponding tax bracket. State income tax rates can range from anywhere from no tax at all to more than 9%. The Alabama income tax rates range from 2% to 5%.

Goods & Services

Item	Decatur	National avg.	Difference
Haircut	$11.28	$16.09	29.9%
Beauty Salon	$42.14	$37.33	12.9%
Toothpaste	$1.80	$2.45	26.6%
Shampoo	$0.92	$1.00	7.7%
Movie	$9.89	$10.28	3.8%
Bowling	$4.38	$4.93	11.2%

Groceries

Item	Decatur	National avg.	Difference
Ground Beef	$3.60	$3.80	5.3%
Fried Chicken	$1.42	$1.40	1.7%
Milk	$1.82	$2.01	9.5%
Potatoes	$2.69	$3.01	10.5%
Pizza	$9.07	$9.89	8.2%
Beer	$8.31	$8.90	6.6%

Health Care

Item	Decatur	National avg.	Difference
Optometrist	$100.50	$102.16	1.6%
Doctor	$81.36	$108.36	24.9%
Dentist	$81.11	$92.53	12.3%
Ibuprofen	$8.73	$9.28	5.9%
Lipitor	$435.44	$425.82	2.3%

Housing

Item	Decatur	National avg.	Difference
Home Price	$127,100.00	$184,700.00	31.2%
Avg. Mortgage Payment	$823.21	$1,202.44	31.5%
Apartment Rent	$615.00	$949.00	35.2%

Transportation

Item	Decatur	National avg.	Difference
Gasoline	$2.01	$2.24	10.6%
Tire Balancing	$38.95	$46.29	15.9%

Utilities

Item	Decatur	National avg.	Difference
All Electricity	$165.39	$165.96	0.3%
Phone	$28.01	$28.68	2.3%

Although the cost of living data is updated regularly, this cost of living information is to be used as estimates only as prices can change on an ongoing basis.

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Somerville, AL	751	83	-17%
Hillsboro, AL	561	85	-15%
Hartselle, AL	14,475	87	-13%
Athens, AL	24,461	88	-12%
Triana, AL	644	95	-5%
Decatur, AL	55,419	86	-14%

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Hempstead, NY	55,454	144	44%
Anderson, IN	55,342	83	-17%
Weymouth Town, MA	55,601	136	36%
South Hill, WA	55,194	118	18%
Pflugerville, TX	55,712	100	0%
Decatur, AL	55,419	86	-14%

Source: The Decatur, AL cost of living data displayed above is derived from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) for 2017.

Decatur, AL Cost of Living