State relocation profile · Federal data
Alabama
Alabama sits in the cheaper third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 88.8
- Cost index (US=100)
- $936
- 2BR rent / mo
- $63,962
- Median salary
- 57.3
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Alabama ranks #13 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (57.3/100, C-), with its strongest marks in rent and childcare.
- #13 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 57.3
- Life Score · C-
- 88.8
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $63,962
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: environment (0/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Alabama ranks #13 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 88.8 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $936/mo, median salary $63,962; Life Score 57.3/100 (C-), strongest in rent and childcare.
Signature: BEA RPP 88.8 ranks #7 of 51 states for lower prices (cheaper third of the corpus).
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP 88.8 lands in the cheaper third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $936/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $63,962.
Composite Life Score 57.3/100 (C-) puts Alabama in the top third (#13 of 51).
Metro book is dense (12 MSAs); drill a named metro before treating the state average as a destination.
Life Score plate
Sheet AL · Alabama 57.3/100 · C- · #13 of 51
LIFE-CM · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-CHEAP · LEAD-RENT · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-CM Life Score C-
- RANK-UPPER #13/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.4 pts
- RPP-CHEAP RPP 88.8
- LEAD-RENT Lead · rent
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Oklahoma (+ 0.4 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Alabama
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Alabama on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Alabama childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for Alabama (infant $6,896/yr leads the book).
Alabama Life Score breakdown
Alabama composites to 57.3/100 (C-) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #13 of 51.
Alabama - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Rent
Rent
98 /100
- Childcare
Childcare
91 /100
- Cost of living
Cost of living
88 /100
- Schools
Schools
80 /100
- Safety 34
Safety
34 /100
- Wages 14
Wages
14 /100
- Environment 0
Environment
0 /100
What this shows Alabama's strongest dimensions are rent and childcare; its weakest among scored dims is environment at 0/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Alabama on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Alabama on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in Alabama
Explore detailed relocation data for 12 metropolitan areas in Alabama. Alabama contains 12 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Anniston-Oxford, Auburn-Opelika, Birmingham and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Anniston-Oxford metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Alabama cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Alabama wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.