CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.99° N · 85.86° W · GEOID 0135392

Hokes Bluff

Etowah County, Alabama · part of the Gadsden, AL metro

Limited data population under 5,000

AlabamaHokes Bluff, ALHokes BluffHokes Bluff

The short answer

Hokes Bluff is home to 4,547 people. Median household income is $74,968 a year and median rent is $941 a month, 15.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $196,400, about 2.6x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$941
31% below the median place
Median household income
$74,968
7% below the median place
Median home value
$196,400
39% below the median place
Unemployment
5.9%
21% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Hokes Bluff

  • Between the 2019 and 2023 surveys, household income rose 8.8% a year while rent rose -1.8%, so pay gained on rent more than in 98% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 119 Alabama places.
  • Only 0% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 115 Alabama places.
  • 92% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 92% of places its size.
  • The median resident is 50.5 years old, older than in 92% of places its size.
  • The median rent takes only 15.1% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 82% of places its size.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 87 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to Hokes Bluff

Etowah County gains about 6.0 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,055
Moved out3,596
Net+459

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Cherokee County, AL153147+6

Within Alabama, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within AlabamaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$56K
Leavers$51K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Etowah County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.3% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Etowah County report $56,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $51,100, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$37,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $941 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,277 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $196,400.
Getting to work
33 minutes each way on average; 4.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Chillicothe, IL matches it on character. Compare the two
Income of households moving out8
$51,126
27% below the median place
Income of households moving in8
$55,959
21% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
6.0
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureHokes BluffAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.6%20% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.3%34% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure6.0above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$55,95921% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$51,12627% below
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 0.0%, below the median place (median 50.6%).

Hokes Bluff15.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$37,640
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
15.1%
26% below the median place
Home price to income
2.6x
31% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
15%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$69,100
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Hokes Bluff, $941 a month, and local prices for everything else (92.2 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Hokes Bluff, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Twin Lakes, WI12.1% vs 15.1%$5,100Compare
Forestbrook, SC12.0% vs 15.1%$5,600Compare
Rainsville, AL8.4% vs 15.1%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Hokes Bluff.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Hokes Bluff? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
0.0%
below the median place (median 50.6%)
Property tax paid (median)1
$694
79% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.3%
62% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureHokes BluffAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$94131% below
Rent to income115.1%26% below
Property tax rate10.3%62% below
Home price to income12.6x31% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure85.715% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$97540% below
HUD area median income4County figure$78,60027% below
Property tax paid (median)1$69479% below
Median home value1$196,40039% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.5%10% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure54.0%5% above
Homeownership192.0%39% above
Renters paying 30%+10.0%below (median 50.6%)
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,27732% below
Vacant homes110.7%52% above
Median year built119830% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Mean commute1
33 min
33% above the median place
Median household income1
$74,968
7% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureHokes BluffAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$74,9687% below
Income per person1$39,7071% below
Unemployment1County figure5.9%21% above
Average annual pay6County figure$47,93727% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.9%22% below
Jobs6County figure33,09578% below
Poverty rate1County figure16.9%57% above
Mean commute133 min33% above
Works from home1County figure4.0%68% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Median age is 50.5, 29% above the median place.

Median age1
50.5
29% above the median place
Population change since 20207
6.2%
above the median place (median 1.1%)
Bachelor's or higher1
24.4%
24% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.5 −2%
Homes with broadband93.0% +1%
High school or higher92.0% −0%
All 9 people measures
MeasureHokes BluffAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population14,5476646th largest
Population change since 202076.2%above (median 1.1%)
Median age150.529% above
Bachelor's or higher124.4%24% below
High school or higher192.0%0% below
Household size12.52% below
Born abroad1County figure2.5%72% below
No health insurance1County figure11.4%78% above
Homes with broadband193.0%1% above
05

Life in Hokes Bluff

15 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents4.4 −57%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k4.4 2.1×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k8.8 −21%
Libraries per 10k4.4 5.1×
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars17.5 −16%
Shops36.8 +21%
Arts, recreation and fitness1.7 −59%
Doctors' offices and clinics21.6 +7%
Child care centers1.8 −22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools13
3
67% below the median place
Public school students13
1,234
75% below the median place
Students per teacher13
16.9
10% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureHokes BluffAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13367% below
Public school students131,23475% below
Students per teacher1316.910% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure17.516% below
Shops per 10k9County figure36.821% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure1.759% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure21.67% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure1.822% below
Parks per 10k104.457% below
Playgrounds per 10k100.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k104.4108% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k108.821% below
Libraries per 10k104.4above (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings11County figure1515% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 21, 89% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
21
89% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
529
56% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Annual precipitation14
55.8 in
27% above the median place
Tornado risk15
97.8
20% above the median place
Average temperature14
62°F
12% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureHokes BluffAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure90°F3% above
January average low14County figure33°F29% above
Average temperature14County figure62°F12% above
Annual precipitation14County figure55.8 in27% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure87.36% below
Hurricane risk15County figure68.43% below
Tornado risk15County figure97.820% above
Wildfire risk15County figure72.719% above
Heat wave risk15County figure77.714% below
Median air quality index16County figure455% above
Good air days16County figure61.4%10% below
08

Hokes Bluff in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 15% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 15% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$941/mo (2023)$1,200/mo$970 to $1,490/mo+3.5%
Median household income$74,968 (2024)$97,500$82,500 to $115,500+4.5%
Median home value$196,400 (2024)$281,000$204,000 to $387,000+6.1%
Population4,706 (2025)4,9004,700 to 5,110+0.8%

The median home would be worth 2.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.6 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Hokes Bluff

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Chillicothe, IL$899$66,132Compare
Lake City, MN$871$72,244Compare
Twin Lakes, WI$870$86,222Compare
Gun Barrel City, TX$960$71,310Compare
Gun Barrel City, TXTwin Lakes, WILake City, MNChillicothe, ILHokes Bluff, ALHokes BluffChillicotheLake CityTwin LakesGun Barrel CityHokes BluffChillicotheLake CityTwin LakesGun Barrel City

Common questions

Is Hokes Bluff a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2023 surveys, household income rose 8.8% a year while rent rose -1.8%, so pay gained on rent more than in 98% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 119 Alabama places. Only 0% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 115 Alabama places. On cost, space and class size it scores 87 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Hokes Bluff expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 15.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $196,400.

What salary do you need to live in Hokes Bluff?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $37,640 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Hokes Bluff safe?

There were 21 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Hokes Bluff?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Chillicothe, IL, Lake City, MN, Twin Lakes, WI and Gun Barrel City, TX.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Hokes Bluff with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Hokes Bluff itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/hokes-bluff-alabama

Citytistics. “Hokes Bluff, Alabama.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/hokes-bluff-alabama/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.