Quick Facts About Huntsville
In the green refuge of the Tennessee River Valley, sheltered by the low peaks of the Appalachian foothills, lies one of the South’s best-kept secrets — Huntsville.
Just 20 miles from the Tennessee line, this warm and friendly city in north Alabama is also a powerful economic and cultural driver. Huntsville is the largest, fastest-growing city in the Yellowhammer State, and its population has risen nearly 5% in the last four years alone. There are 225,564 residents who now call the Rocket City home, and almost 400,000 people reside in surrounding Madison County.
Huntsville is home to the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, and several Fortune 500s like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman also keep important bases in the city. But with the University of Alabama, Alabama A&M and Auburn’s school of engineering, Huntsville has made itself a center for innovation in aerospace and defense technologies. The Cummings Research Center unites academic, governmental and 300+ commercial enterprises into one of the world’s most concentrated collaboration powerhouses.
But Huntsville’s not all business, you know. This city has great cultural attractions, like the Huntsville Museum of Art, the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum and plenty of historic sites, too. Of course, life in the Tennessee River Valley is all about getting outdoors. Hiking, mountain biking, swimming and paddling are just a few of the favorite pastimes of Huntsville residents.
Whether you’re an astronaut, engineer or just looking for a culturally rich, affordable tech hub in the South, Huntsville has a lot to offer to new residents. Learn more about the city below, including the cost of living, the job market, the educational opportunities and the best attractions and activities in Huntsville.
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Economic Opportunities in Huntsville
Thriving Job Market
With low unemployment and an increasingly diversified job market, Huntsville, Alabama is attracting a lot of attention — and newcomers. Nearly all industries added jobs between June of 2023 and 2024, including professional & business services — the city’s largest nonfarm, civilian sector, which employs 68,900 residents. The government, which employs 58,100 people, grew by 3.9%. Trade, transportation and utilities, which employ 39,700 people — nearly the same amount as the manufacturing sector — saw only a slight drop in employment over the last 12 months. The biggest expansion, though, was in the information sector — the city’s smallest industry — which grew by nearly 8% and now employs 7,700 people.
Aerospace and defense has long been the top dog in the Huntsville market, thanks to the presence of the U.S. Army and NASA. Boeing, Hexagon, SAIC, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin all have bases in the metro Huntsville area.
The single biggest employer in Huntsville, though, is the U.S. government. The Redstone Arsenal employs 38,000 individuals directly and supports more than 100,000 jobs in the Tennessee Valley region. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center employs 7,000. These institutions help fuel powerful commercial enterprises, and the result is that this mid-size city in the foothills of Appalachia has made itself one of the top places for tech jobs in 2024, according to Indeed, which ranks the city at No.7 on its list.
One of the most important establishments in the region is Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park. As the second-largest institution of its kind in the country and the fourth largest on the planet, CRP brings together governmental, commercial and educational institutions to create an incubator of innovation, one that employs 26,000+ people. Around 300 companies have a presence in the park, including major players in biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and IT, along with the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Auburn University’s college of engineering, Calhoun Community College and even Columbia High School.
Low Unemployment Rate
While employment in the U.S. has been on a downward trend, Huntsville’s job market has been heating up. The unemployment rate in the Rocket City stood at just 2.5% in June of 2024 — nearly two points below the national average. Both Limestone County and Madison County, which encompass the Huntsville metro area, had the same low rates of unemployment, a major asset in a sometimes volatile global market.
Affordable Cost of Living in Huntsville
Many American cities have an exciting job market, and some of those are situated in beautiful environments, too. But few can also boast of having an affordable cost of living. Huntsville has all three.
The U.S. News & World Report placed Huntsville No. 2 on its 25 Best Affordable Places to Live in the U.S. list for 2024-25. They note that although real estate prices trend higher in Huntsville than they do in comparable American metros, Huntsville residents tend to spend a lower percentage of their income on housing.
Between 2018-2022, the median home value in Huntsville was $236,300, significantly higher than in other major cities across the state, including Birmingham, Mobile and the state capital, Montgomery. But the percentage of Huntsville residents who own their own home — 57.5% — is also higher, approaching the national average of 64.8%.
This may be because income levels in Huntsville — which averaged $67,874 — top other Alabama metros by more than $10,000 and dwarf the state average of $59,609. The median gross rent in Huntsville averages just $1,020, so renters aren’t stuck with disproportional housing costs, either.
Huntsville’s hourly wages are higher than the national average, too, while other common household expenses tend to cost less. Residents of Southern regions tend to pay less for housing, transportation, food, healthcare, personal insurance and pensions, and miscellaneous expenses, compared to their national counterparts.
Quality Education in Huntsville
Strong Public Schools
Huntsville has a strong public school system. New Century Tech Demo, a STEM magnet school, is ranked No. 2 in the state by U.S. News & World Report, and Huntsville High School is also well regarded. Huntsville City Schools also include Columbia High School, located on the campus of Cummings Research Park, which gives students an early edge on an in-demand career in aerospace, engineering, technology and defense, with a mutual benefit to employers.
Higher Education
Huntsville also offers residents solid choices for higher education. The University of Alabama in Huntsville and Alabama A&M, a well-known HBCU founded in 1875, both make their home in the city. UAH is west of the city in the Cummings Research Park with Calhoun Community College and Auburn’s college of engineering. AAMU is just north of downtown Huntsville, near the Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve. 45.8% of Huntsville residents have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher, a figure more than 10% above the national average and nearly 20% above the state average.
Rich Cultural Scene
From distant galaxies to decades long past, Huntsville is a city that begs to be explored. Here are some of our favorite stops for a cultural tour of Huntsville.
Living in the Rocket City means you’ll have plenty of destinations for space-centric recreation, and there’s no better launch point than the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. At the site of Space Camp and the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s official visitor’s center, members of the public can ride the G-Force Accelerator, see genuine lunar samples and lay their eyes on real spacecraft in Rocket Park.
For a fun look at the transportation of yesteryear, pay a visit to the Historic Depot Park, part of the EarlyWorks Museums. The building dates to 1860 when it was a headquarters for the Memphis & Charleston Railroad line, and the train cars in the park beckoned to come aboard. The EarlyWorks Children’s Museum makes history, science and art a hands-on experience. Kids can explore pioneer life in a log cabin, become the intrepid captain of a keelboat or see how a 3D printer operates.
Arts lovers in Huntsville have plenty of places to immerse themselves in painting, music and theatre, indoors and out. The Huntsville Museum of Art and the Von Braun Center, where the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra plays and the Huntsville Ballet performs, are both located downtown, so it’s easy to plan a whole day of fun. The nearby Lowe Mill converted a former textile mill into an artists’ hub, and the public can visit during open studio nights, while taking classes and enjoying other fun events, like the Outdoor Market.
Huntsville residents do love their festivals, from the annual Huntsville Christmas Parade, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024, to the International Festival of North Alabama. Each spring, the Panoply Arts Festival brings the city together in Big Spring Park for a full weekend of art, craft, music and fun. One hundred artists from around the Southeast and beyond will be selling everything from oil paintings to jewelry, handbags and hand-carved cutting boards. The Von Brewski Beer Festival, now in its eighth year, brings more than 50 breweries under one roof at the Probst Arena. Food and live music make sampling all those suds even more fun, and since the event only runs from 2-6 p.m., you can be home in time for happy hour.
Outdoor Recreation
With a lot of great offerings and growth, it’s no wonder why Huntsville ranks among the top 10 best places to live in the U.S. in 2024.
Despite all the amazing museums, historic sites and performance spaces that Huntsville has to offer, one of the best things you can do in this hilly, Southern city is getting outdoors. Monte Sano State Park takes you 1,600 feet above sea level to a rustic mountain retreat. Rent a cabin for a screen-free weekend, where you can decompress in the woodland Japanese garden or compete for bragging rights on the disc golf course. A visit to the planetarium is a fun treat for everyone.
The Tennessee River makes for endless outdoor adventures around the city and beyond. Huntsville’s greenways travel 73 miles around the region, with routes along the waterway, but these pathways will eventually cover more than 300 miles of terrain — perfect for hiking and biking. One of the prettiest routes is the Aldridge Creek Greenway — a 6.5-mile paved trail that’s perfect for training for the Huntsville Marathon or for learning how to use inline skates.
Naturally, paddling is a very popular activity in this river town, and there are plenty of places to enjoy a lazy tubing ride or a more exciting adventure on the water. Birders will want to dip their oars in the waters around the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, where you might spy the elusive whooping crane. If you’re looking for sharper-toothed sights, head to Limestone Bay — one of the best places to see the American alligator around Huntsville.
Lake Guntersville has outdoor fun for campers and city-dwellers alike. A comfortable lodge and an 18-hole golf course will keep those who prefer neatly groomed greens to the wilds of the trails happy, while cabins, campsites and a rugged mountain biking trail will give thrill-seekers a fast-paced tour of the Alabama backcountry. Horseback riding is also permitted.
Outdoorsy newcomers who want to get acquainted with both trails and trail-lovers quickly should check out the Alabama Land Trust. Sign up for a guided hike at Rainbow Mountain or Blevins Gap, or go on a foraging hike around Bethel Spring to see what spoils of the wild your new home base has to offer.
When you want a view without the exertion of a hike, visit Burritt on the Mountain. This early 20th-century mansion on Round Top Mountain hosts an annual folk festival in November, where you can see demonstrations of traditional crafts, like basket-weaving and moccasin-making, and hear local musicians play the fiddle, banjo and more. The animals at the McCurdy Barnyard are a big hit with the smaller set, and six 19th-century homes on-site give a closer look at mountain life in the area.
Founded in 1988, the Huntsville Botanical Garden is one of the city’s newer additions, but it’s quickly become one of the city’s favorite attractions. With an azalea trail, a vegetable garden, an aquatic garden and more, this site packs a lot into 118 acres. The Lewis Birding Trail gives ornithological enthusiasts a good chance at spotting some of North America’s most beautiful species, like the scarlet tanager, the hooded warbler and the cedar waxwing, which feast on Alabama’s hackberry trees and native black cherries.
With so many great offerings, it’s no wonder Huntsville has been named one of the best places to live in 2024. Get a quote now on moving to Huntsville, Alabama.
Planning for the Move to Huntsville
Are you planning to move to the Rocket City? Now’s the time to start looking for the right professional moving company to help you relocate. As America’s No. 1 Mover® moving millions of customers across the U.S., United Van Lines can make your move to Huntsville seamless and stress-free.
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You’ll find exclusive moving tips and professional advice on getting settled in our digital House Key magazine.
Wondering what living in Alabama is like? Get an insider’s look at the Yellowhammer State, from the mountains to the coast in our Moving Guide to Alabama. If you’re still trying to figure out what region or city is best for your family, we have a wide range of moving guides to popular cities and states around the U.S. to help you narrow down your search.
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