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Russell County, AL

Rent vs Own in Russell County, Alabama

Owning the median home in Russell County clears the monthly bar: about $939/mo versus HUD's $1,088/mo 2-bedroom rent. The stack below shows which line items create that edge. Owner-occupied homes: 14,676.

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Buying is cheaper in Russell County

Owning runs about $939/mo here, under $1,088/mo to rent a comparable 2-bedroom. That is a $149/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Russell County

Primary driver

The tax rate is a national tailwind

Russell County's 0.38% effective rate is among the lowest of 3,135 tracked counties: roughly 94% pay a higher rate. That low tax line is one reason owning can compete here.

Decision signal 2

Price and income sit in the middle band

Median household income is $51,197, for a 3.2x home-price-to-income ratio in the middle of the national distribution; property tax takes 1.2% of that income. Small changes in down payment or rate move this county across the rent-vs-own line more than they would in a high-ratio market.

Decision signal 3

The county sits near the state middle

Using the assumptions above, Russell County ranks 24 of 67 Alabama counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 43 other Alabama counties on this measure.

Decision signal 4

Owning clears the monthly bar here

Russell County's median home ($165,700) carries $629/yr in property tax at 0.38%. Under a 20% down, 6.5%, 30-year stack the all-in ownership bill is about $939/mo, which undercuts HUD's $1,088/mo 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent by roughly $149/mo before maintenance, HOA, or closing costs.

Decision signal 5

HUD moved the rent benchmark down

HUD cut its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Russell County from $1,108/mo in FY2025 to $1,088/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $20/mo (-1.8%). A falling benchmark narrows the case for buying here, and it usually reflects HUD re-estimating the local market rather than existing rents being cut.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$939
Mortgage (P&I) $838
Property Tax $52
Insurance (est.) $48
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$1,088
Studio$895
1-Bedroom$939
2-Bedroom$1,088
3-Bedroom$1,445
4-Bedroom$1,703

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$51,197
$4,266/mo
Home Price / Income
3.2x
Moderate (3-5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
1.2%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

In Russell County, once the mortgage ends staying put is close to free: the largest cluster of debt-free households faces a yearly charge under $800, so insurance and upkeep, not the tax office, set what the home costs to keep.

Russell County matches the national pattern: six-figure earners between $100,000 and $200,000 account for more of these write-offs than any other local group.

Against that holding-cost profile, the monthly ownership stack already undercuts HUD rent here, so the long-run tax bill is an ownership feature more than a reason to keep renting.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Jefferson County
Home: $240,000 Tax: $1,409/yr
Madison County
Home: $299,200 Tax: $1,185/yr
Mobile County
Home: $190,700 Tax: $888/yr
Baldwin County
Home: $316,900 Tax: $960/yr
Shelby County
Home: $326,100 Tax: $1,423/yr
Tuscaloosa County
Home: $248,700 Tax: $795/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Russell County, Alabama? ▼
On the standard 20%-down / 6.5% stack, owning the median Russell County home undercuts HUD's 2-bedroom rent by about $149/mo. Change the down payment, rate, or time horizon in the calculator and that gap can flip - owning also builds equity that rent never does.
What is the average rent in Russell County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $1,088/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $808/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
How much house can you afford in Russell County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $51,197 household here can afford up to $153,591 -- about $12,109 short of this county's $165,700 median home. That gap is typically closed with a larger down payment, dual incomes, or a longer search outside the median price band.
What is the median home price in Russell County? ▼
$165,700, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. What stands out more than the price itself is the tax load on it: this county's 0.38% effective rate sits near the low end of the 3,135 counties tracked here.
How does Russell County compare to other Alabama counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 67 Alabama counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Russell County lands at spot 24, roughly in the middle of the pack statewide. The <a href="/states/alabama">Alabama state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.
Is rent going up or down in Russell County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 1.8% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

Verify with HUD →