Decatur receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Decatur
Cullman
Opportunity
66 · Top 30%
vs65 · Top 32%
Growth
73 · Top 13%
vs75 · Top 10%
Climate
77 · Top 24%
vs78 · Top 20%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs51 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 19%
vs90 · Top 33%
Access
93 · Top 47%
vs80 · Bottom 23%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 29%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Measured values
| Metric | Decatur | Cullman | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,361 | 19,319 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,563 | $61,224 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,685 | $35,681 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,051/sq mi | 846/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $210,200 | $238,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $896 | $925 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.3% | 61.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.9% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.4% | 32.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.1% | 19.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 271 | 193 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.7 | 10.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 67.3% | 33.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 88°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 31°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.5" | 58.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 32 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.1 min | 23.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.7 | 40.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 25 | 13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.70 | 16.84 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 59.9% | 40.8% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Decatur
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Cullman
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: Decatur, AL · Cullman, AL · How this is calculated: methodology