Moving from El Paso to Huntsville, AL: Prices, Taxes and Where to Live

Huntsville runs on aerospace, defense, space and engineering. Redstone Arsenal has about 45,500 people on post on a typical day, Cummings Research Park has about 26,000 employees, and new employers keep arriving, from Eli Lilly's $6 billion medicine plant to Blue Origin's engine factory. That makes it a common next stop for engineers and defense professionals from El Paso.

The numbers side by side

	El Paso	Huntsville metro
Median home value, owner-occupied homes (2020-2024)	$180,200	$295,200
Top state income tax rate (2026)	None	5% (Alabama)
Property tax	Varies	Owner-occupied homes are assessed at 10% of value. In the City of Huntsville that works out to about $580 a year per $100,000 of value, before the homestead exemption.
Sales tax	Varies	9% in the City of Huntsville

Home values in the Huntsville metro are about 64% higher than in El Paso, so the move is more about the work and the lifestyle than about saving on a house. Alabama does not tax Social Security, military retired pay or federal civil service pensions, which matters if you are retiring or bringing a pension with you.

What $180K Buys Here

As of October 31, 2026 there were 140 homes for sale in Madison and Limestone counties at or under $180K, the median value of owner-occupied homes in El Paso. Their median size is about 1,146 square feet, and 12 of them have four or more bedrooms.

See those homes.

Where to start looking

Start with the employer you are moving for, then compare homes near Research Park and homes near Redstone Arsenal.

Madison is its own city with its own school system, Madison City Schools. South Huntsville has the widest range of homes and quick access to the Arsenal's east gates. Harvest, Athens and the Limestone County side give you more house and land for the money. Our ZIP code comparison and commute guide help narrow it down.

Buying from out of state

1. Get pre-approved with a lender who knows Alabama. Closings here are handled by attorneys or title companies, and property taxes are paid differently than in many states.
2. Pick your commute first. Know your gate, building or parking lot, then search by distance.
3. Tour by video, then visit with a short list. We can walk homes on live video and line up a full day of showings when you fly in.
4. Check school zones by address. Huntsville, Madison City, Madison County and Limestone County are separate school systems, and lines do not follow ZIP codes.
5. Plan for storms. North Alabama gets tornado warnings in spring and fall. A storm shelter or safe room is worth asking about.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25077 (median value of owner-occupied homes); Tax Foundation, 2026 state income tax rates; Alabama Department of Revenue: income tax; Alabama Department of Revenue: exempt income; Madison County property tax facts.

Home values are metro-wide medians of owner-occupied homes as reported by owners, from the same U.S. Census Bureau source for both markets (American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25077). They are not sale prices and will not match any single neighborhood. Tax information is general and not tax advice; talk to a tax professional about your situation.

Distances are straight-line miles, not drive times. Your commute depends on the route, your gate or parking lot and the time of day, so drive it at rush hour before you buy. Market numbers come from ValleyMLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Employer information comes from public sources listed on this page as of October 23, 2026. Wyze Realty is not affiliated with any employer named here.