Relocation profile · Federal data

Anniston-Oxford, AL

Cost of living, rent, wages, safety, schools and environment for Anniston-Oxford - every figure straight from federal data.

85.9
Cost index (US=100)
$962
2BR rent / mo
$53,291
Median salary
58.6
LiveAbility Score

The verdict

As of June 2026, Anniston-Oxford ranks #77 of 387 US metros on the LiveAbility Score (58.6/100), with its strongest marks in housing and cost of living.

#77
of 387 US metros · Above median
5,157,699
metro-area population
376
violent crimes per 100K (state-level)
1,369
schools in the state (NCES)

Weakest dimension: job market (3/100). Weigh every dimension against your own priorities, use the City Finder to re-rank by what matters to you.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and five other federal agencies, Anniston-Oxford has a cost-of-living index of 85.9 (100 = national average), a median 2-bedroom rent of $962/mo, and a median salary of $53,291. Its composite LiveAbility Score is 58.6/100, ranking #77 of 387 U.S. metros, with its strongest marks in housing and cost of living.

How Anniston-Oxford ranks nationally

Where Anniston-Oxford's LiveAbility Score falls among all 387 US metros scored.

LiveAbility Score distribution - Anniston-Oxford marked 0 US metros at 0–10 0 0 US metros at 10–20 10 21 US metros at 20–30 21 20 41 US metros at 30–40 41 30 110 US metros at 40–50 110 40 159 US metros at 50–60 159 50 50 US metros at 60–70 50 60 6 US metros at 70–80 6 70 0 US metros at 80–90 80 0 US metros at 90–100 90 LiveAbility Score →
Top 20% by LiveAbility Score Higher LiveAbility Score than 80% of all 387 US metros.

Anniston-Oxford has liveability score of 58.6. Distribution: 0 US metros at 0-10; 0 US metros at 10-20; 21 US metros at 20-30; 41 US metros at 30-40; 110 US metros at 40-50; 159 US metros at 50-60; 50 US metros at 60-70; 6 US metros at 70-80; 0 US metros at 80-90; 0 US metros at 90-100.

Anniston-Oxford, AL: BEA RPP 85.9 (US=100), HUD 2BR rent $962/mo, BLS median salary $53,291, FBI violent crime 376/100K (state), NCES 1,369 schools (state), composite Life Score 56.4/100 (C-). Source methodology + Life Score formula →

Relocation decisions rarely hinge on a single number. A metro with high salaries but a steep cost of living can leave less disposable income than a cheaper market, and a low crime rate matters more to some households than school options or commute times. The composite Life Score blends federal cost, wage, safety, and education data into one comparable figure, but each underlying component is shown separately so you can weight what matters to your own situation. Read every metric against your priorities rather than chasing the highest headline score, and confirm the latest figures on the official source before you commit to a move.

Key Metrics

Cost of Living (RPP)
85.9
100 = national avg
2BR Rent (FMR)
$962
per month
Median Salary
$53,291
annual
Violent Crime Rate
376
per 100K (state level)

Housing & Rent

HUD Fair Market Rents for the Anniston-Oxford metropolitan area. Regional housing cost index: 54.7 (100 = national average).

Studio
$753
/month
1 Bedroom
$757
/month
2 Bedroom
$962
/month
3 Bedroom
$1,300
/month
4 Bedroom
$1,361
/month

Wages & Employment

Anniston-Oxford has 37,350 total employment with a median salary of $53,291.

Median Salary
$53,291
Mean Salary
$56,911
Total Employment
37,350

Top Occupations by Employment

Occupation Median Salary
Retail Salespersons $29,400
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators $46,070
Cashiers $27,130
Fast Food and Counter Workers $22,650
Stockers and Order Fillers $29,810

Schools & Education

State-level education data for the Anniston-Oxford area from NCES.

Schools
1,369
Enrollment
746,604
Student:Teacher
17.7:1
Title I %
0%

Childcare Costs

State-average childcare costs for the Anniston-Oxford area (DOL data).

Infant (Center)
$6,896
per year
Toddler (Center)
$6,716
per year
Preschool (Center)
$6,348
per year

Life Score Breakdown

Anniston-Oxford's composite Life Score is 56.4/100 (C-), computed across 7 dimensions.

Cost
95/100
Elite
Wages
3/100
Bottom decile
Rent
96/100
Elite
Crime
42/100
Below average
Schools
68/100
Strong
Childcare
93/100
Elite
Environment
0/100
Bottom decile

LiveAbility Score

View full rankings →

Anniston-Oxford ranks #77 out of 387 metros with a LiveAbility Score of 58.6/100 - a composite of 8 quality-of-life dimensions from federal data. Customize the weights to match your priorities →

Strongest dimension: Housing (96/100)

Anniston-Oxford - dimension scores

Percentile vs all US metros (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)

/100

What this shows Anniston-Oxford's strongest dimensions are housing and cost of living; its weakest is job market at 3/100. The composite weights cost 18%, jobs & housing 15% each, safety & schools 12%, air & hazard 10%, climate 8%.

Source BEA · BLS · HUD · FBI · NCES · EPA · NOAA · FEMA As of Federal data, latest available vintage

Other Major Metro Areas

Explore relocation data for other major US metropolitan areas.

Compare Anniston-Oxford Side-by-Side With Other Metros

This page is a relocation deep-dive on Anniston-Oxford - cost of living, rent, wages, safety, schools, and more. When you're narrowing a shortlist, a side-by-side comparison across the same dimensions is faster. Put Anniston-Oxford on the same scorecard as the metro you're weighing it against and see at a glance which move actually comes out ahead.

Compare Anniston-Oxford with another metro →

Thinking about Anniston-Oxford?

How to use this profile before you commit to a move.

  • Pressure-test Anniston-Oxford against the metro you're weighing it against, same dimensions, side by side. Compare metros
  • Check what your salary is actually worth here after the 85.9 cost-of-living index. Salary calculator
  • Re-rank every US metro by the priorities that matter to you, turn up jobs, turn down climate. City Finder

Scores are federal-data percentiles, not a recommendation. Crime and schools use state-level data where metro-level isn't published. Always visit before you move.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living in Anniston-Oxford?
Anniston-Oxford has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) of 85.9, where 100 represents the national average. Housing costs index at 54.7, which is below the national average. The average 2-bedroom rent is $962/month.
What is the median salary in Anniston-Oxford?
The median salary in Anniston-Oxford is $53,291 annually (mean: $56,911). Top occupations include Retail Salespersons, Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators, Cashiers.
How safe is Anniston-Oxford?
The violent crime rate in the Anniston-Oxford area is 376 per 100,000 population (state-level data). Property crime rate is 1622 per 100K.
What are the schools like in Anniston-Oxford?
The state of AL has 1,369 schools (state-level data, no metro-level federal count exists) with an average student-teacher ratio of 17.7:1. Charter schools make up 1.2% of all schools.
How much does childcare cost in Anniston-Oxford?
Infant center-based childcare in the Anniston-Oxford area averages $6,896 per year. Preschool averages $6,348/year. These are state-level averages.
Is Anniston-Oxford a good place to relocate?
Anniston-Oxford has a Life Score of 56.4/100 (C-), based on 7 dimensions: cost of living, wages, rent, crime, schools, childcare, and environment. This is an above-average score, Anniston-Oxford outperforms most scored metros on the combined measure.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from BEA, HUD, BLS, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, and EPA. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page

Verify with NOAA →

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Every figure on PlainRelocate is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.