Decatur and Hartselle receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Decatur
Hartselle
Opportunity
66 · Top 30%
vs72 · Top 18%
Growth
73 · Top 13%
vs57 · Top 37%
Climate
77 · Top 24%
vs77 · Top 24%
Physical resilience
50 · Bottom 43%
vs49 · Bottom 42%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 19%
vs100 · Top 8%
Access
93 · Top 47%
vs90 · Bottom 44%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 29%
vs47 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Decatur | Hartselle | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,361 | 15,847 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,563 | $76,290 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,685 | $35,419 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,051/sq mi | 950/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $210,200 | $203,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $896 | $804 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.3% | 77.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.9% | -0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.4% | 27.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.1% | 13.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 271 | 44 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.7 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 67.3% | -4.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 32°F | 32°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.5" | 49.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 13 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.1 min | 30.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.7 | 38.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 25 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.70 | 15.16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 59.9% | 34.9% | 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.
Hartselle
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Decatur, AL · Hartselle, AL · How this is calculated: methodology