We found out everything you wanted to know about the makes the Rocket City so great to live in from the people that call it home. Download our Huntsville, AL Research Report to review all of the details.
Huntsville, Alabama: Fast Facts
Huntsville was ranked 3rd out of 25 best places to live in the U.S. for 2021-2022. It is home to one of the nation’s oldest existing railroad depots, complete with Civil War-era graffiti on the walls.
Huntsville is located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama. It spans through Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County. It’s the second largest city in Alabama. It is growing at a rate of 1.21% annually and the population has increased by 14.08% since the previous census (from 180,105 to 205,472.)
The median age is 36.9 years. In the Huntsville area, 44.1% of people have at least a Bachelor’s Degree. It has become the third most technical workforce in the country, according to a Bloomberg analysis. Nearly 17 percent of the workforce is in a STEM job. The median tech salary for someone in the middle of their career is $96,400.
The leading employers in Huntsville include the U.S. Army, Huntsville Hospital, and the Marshall Space Flight Center. Huntsville is also known as Rocket City. It is home to the Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Huntsville became a critical support line for the U.S. Army before helping to launch the Space Race.
US Census estimates from last year indicate that 61% of the population is white, 30% is Black, 6% is Hispanic or Latino, and 2% is Asian.
According to the US Census Reporter, the population of Huntsville by age group is:
0-9: 11%
10-19: 12%
20-29: 17%
30-39: 15%
40-49: 9%
50-59: 12%
60-69: 12%
70+:12%
Huntsville is without a doubt one of the most safe, fast-growing, and friendly cities in the country. Corporations like engineer-generating NASA and security-enforcing Redstone Arsenal are located right here in Huntsville, promoting impressive technological advancements and safety being of the upmost importance, not to mention the often “Hello!” and friendly wave!
Current Resident
Huntsville Neighborhoods
Downtown Huntsville: This area of Huntsville serves as an epicenter for property owners, business owners, tourists, businesses and more. Downtown Huntsville is located near the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum and the Huntsville Museum of Art, providing the perfect balance between business and pleasure. Downtown Huntsville also has the Big Spring International Park, providing a picture-perfect place for picnics.
Monte Sano: Monte Sano is an outdoor adventurer’s dream. The area boasts 22 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, dozens of campground sites and rustic cabins, 18-hole disc golf course, and the Von Braun Astronomical Society’s observatory and planetarium. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, the Monte Sano State Park holds a historic plaque where Hotel Monte Sano used to stand as a health resort.
Lowe Mill: Dubbed as Huntsville’s creative epicenter, Lowe Mill is located in the southwest part of Huntsville. It is home to the South’s latest privately-owned arts facility. Places to visit in Lowe Mill include comic shops, restaurants, art galleries, and the Campus No. 805 brewery.
Hampton Cove: One of the largest suburbs in the Huntsville metropolitan area. Home to the Hays Nature Preserve, there are special events for kids to explore the great outdoors and even more hiking and biking trails. Hampton Cove is seen as a desirable place to live with every amenity you could want: pharmacies, restaurants, recreation, and supermarkets.
Lincoln Mill: Recently added to the National Register of Historic Places, Lincoln Mill is home of the Lowry House which dates back to 1832. While it is also a historic area, Lincoln Mill is also the home of numerous start-ups and entrepreneurial ventures like Zero Point Frontiers, Ozone Joe’s, Bangham Engineering, Carina Technologies, and more. Lincoln Mill is a mixture of business, neighborhoods, and culture.
Merrimack: Inspired by New England architecture homes, it has earned the title of “old-house neighborhood”. The Merrimack Performing Arts Center serves as the enrichment center for the neighborhood, home of ornate productions in a 300 seat performance hall and 3,000 square foot dance studio. Merrimack is also home to the Merrimack Soccer Complex complete with 10 soccer fields.
Research Park: Labeled as North Alabama’s Premiere Lifestyle Center, it houses the Bridge Street Town Center, filled with shops, restaurants, jewelers, and more. In addition to leisure options, the research park has technology firms, research facilities, educational institutions, and cultural hotspots.
Doing Business in Huntsville
Miami, Florida was named 56th on Forbes’ list of “Best Places for Business and Careers” for Job Growth. Financial services and tourism flourish here. Miami was also named Top City for Small Business growth by Forbes.
Key Industries: professional, scientific, and technical services, manufacturing, health care and social assistance, retail, and educational services.
Major Employers: Dynetics, Lockheed Martin, SAIC, ADTRAN, Northrop Grumman, Hexagon, U.S. Army, Boeing
Companies who won ‘Best Places to Work’ in Huntsville: IronMountain Solutions, Simulation Technologies, INC., QTEC Aerospace, KODA Technologies, and Boecore
Major Tech Companies with Offices in Huntsville: Radiance Technologies, Dynetics, Yulista Holding, Collazo Enterprises, and MadCoSchools
Awards:
- Google eCity 2013 — Google Inc.
- A Top 50 Best Place to Live — CNN Money Magazine
- #2 Best Place In The United States To Grow Up — U.S. News & World Report
- Best Cities For Young Families In Alabama — NerdWallet
- First in affordability by U.S. News
Cost of Living in Huntsville
Cost of living in Hunstville is 5 percent lower than the national average and the housing expenses are 26% lower than the national average. However, utility prices are 10 percent higher. Huntsville was named 1st in the 25 best affordable places to live by U.S. News and World Report
Median Household Income of $55,305
Huntsville Apartment Living
Huntsville’s rent has seen a 19 percent rent growth since March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic is upending the US’s rental market, with prices dropping in large, expensive cities but rising in typically more affordable locations, a report from Apartment List found.
The median rent in Huntsville for a 1-bedroom apartment is $967 and the median rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $1,204.
Renters will find more reasonable prices in Huntsville than most large cities. For example, Los Angeles has a median 2BR rent of $4,596, which is over twice the rent in Huntsville.
What Huntsville Renters Want
Here are the top things tenants report looking for in a property.
- Work from home spaces
- High-speed internet
- Walk-in closet
- Soundproof walls
- Private parking
- Fitness Center
- Washer/Dryer
- Roof decks and gardens
Huntsville is a great city for government employees and people of all walks of life. With NASA in town as well as a military arsenal, there’s plenty of employment opportunities. For leisure, there’s plenty of restaurants and entertainment at Bridge Street!’
Current Resident
Arts, Recreation, and Entertainment in Huntsville
Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment is the largest, privately-owned arts facility in the south. The historic factory building has been redeveloped into a space with more than 150 working studios for over 200 artists, makers, and independent businesses, 7 art galleries, a multi-use theater, 4 performance venues, restaurants, a foundry, a chocolate shop, and a community garden.
The arts activities to engage in include the Huntsville Museum of Art, the Spaces Sculpture Trail, Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, and the Huntsville Ballet.
In addition to the arts, there are various outdoor activities that people can participate in. Go on a boat ride on Ditto Landing or get your exercise in at Monte Sano State Park on one of the various hiking or biking trails.
Rocket City is the home of the latest space museum in the world: the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. This space center helped put a man on the moon and has history behind it. The museum has exhibits that include The Science of Guinness World Records, Apollo 11 VR, Shuttle Experience, Flight Simulator Experience, and Space Camp.
Annually, the city of Huntsville puts on a Galaxy of Lights event during the holidays.
Alabama is home to multiple sports teams:
- Alabama Crimson Tide (College football)
- Auburn Tigers (College football)
- Birmingham Barons (Baseball)
- South Alabama Jaguars (Professional football)
Read the full research report: Huntsville, AL. We interviewed the people that live there to find out what makes their city special. Stay tuned for more city research.
