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Huntsville Home Appreciation: 30 Years of Prices and What They Mean for Investors
Appreciation is half of the return on most rentals. Here is how Huntsville-area home prices have actually moved, from the federal government's repeat-sales index going back to 1996, and from three years of MLS sales by ZIP code.
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Huntsville metro home price index, 1996 to 2026
FHFA All-Transactions House Price Index, Huntsville, AL metro, second quarter of each year, 1995 Q1 = 100. Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency via FRED, updated August 2026.
What the history shows
- Huntsville did not crash in 2008. Prices slipped about 7.5% from the 2008 high to the 2013 low, while many U.S. markets fell far more. Federal and defense jobs are a big reason demand held up.
- The 2020 to 2022 jump was unusual. Prices rose about 44% in two years, from Q2 2020 to Q2 2022. That is not a normal rate to project forward.
- Since 2023 growth has slowed to a normal pace, about 3.0% a year on the index. MLS median prices per square foot in most ZIPs were within a few percent of where they were two years ago.
- For a projection, many investors use 2% to 3% a year, below the 30-year average of 3.9%. Run your own numbers in the rental property calculator.
Price per square foot by ZIP, two years apart
Median sale price per square foot for homes, townhomes and condos sold: the 12 months that ended in October 2026 compared with the 12 months that ended two years earlier.
| ZIP | Median sale, last 12 months | Price / sq ft, 2 years ago | Price / sq ft, now | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35810 Huntsville: North Huntsville | $225,000 | $133 | $144 | +8.2% |
| 35805 Huntsville: West Huntsville | $195,900 | $137 | $144 | +5.6% |
| 35758 Madison | $399,900 | $169 | $176 | +4.5% |
| 35757 Madison | $375,000 | $168 | $173 | +3.2% |
| 35824 Huntsville: southwest | $373,000 | $168 | $173 | +2.9% |
| 35763 Owens Cross Roads: Hampton Cove | $400,000 | $171 | $175 | +2.5% |
| 35802 Huntsville: Jones Valley, Whitesburg | $379,900 | $170 | $174 | +2.4% |
| 35803 Huntsville: South Huntsville | $340,000 | $162 | $165 | +1.6% |
| 35613 Athens | $326,417 | $164 | $166 | +1.4% |
| 35761 New Market | $292,035 | $156 | $158 | +0.7% |
| 35749 Harvest | $321,900 | $157 | $158 | +0.6% |
| 35806 Huntsville: northwest | $370,000 | $169 | $170 | +0.3% |
| 35811 Huntsville: northeast | $331,000 | $166 | $166 | +0.1% |
| 35611 Athens | $272,990 | $158 | $158 | -0.1% |
| 35801 Huntsville: downtown, Five Points | $420,000 | $212 | $210 | -0.7% |
| 35756 Madison | $377,741 | $174 | $172 | -0.8% |
| 35750 Hazel Green | $272,848 | $160 | $159 | -1.1% |
| 35816 Huntsville: north central | $199,750 | $127 | $125 | -2.0% |
| 35773 Toney | $304,990 | $162 | $158 | -2.4% |
| 35759 Meridianville | $334,900 | $158 | $152 | -3.6% |
Why the index and Valley MLS medians differ: the FHFA index follows the same houses each time they sell or refinance, so it measures true price change. MLS medians follow whatever happened to sell, so a year with more small homes or more new construction moves the median even if values did not change.
Year by year
| Year (Q2) | Index | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 150.9 | +8.8% |
| 2007 | 160.7 | +6.5% |
| 2008 | 165.1 | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 166.2 | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 164.5 | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 159.8 | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 159.3 | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 158.1 | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 157.3 | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 158.2 | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 163.8 | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 167.7 | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 175.4 | +4.6% |
| 2019 | 185.1 | +5.5% |
| 2020 | 199.0 | +7.5% |
| 2021 | 231.1 | +16.1% |
| 2022 | 286.8 | +24.1% |
| 2023 | 302.4 | +5.4% |
| 2024 | 309.9 | +2.5% |
| 2025 | 319.8 | +3.2% |
| 2026 | 330.4 | +3.3% |
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FHFA All-Transactions House Price Index for Huntsville, AL (MSA), series ATNHPIUS26620Q, via FRED. MLS figures: Valley MLS closed sales, Madison and Limestone counties, snapshot October 2026. Past appreciation does not guarantee future appreciation.