CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.71° N · 85.85° W · GEOID 0167608

Saks

Calhoun County, Alabama · part of the Anniston, AL metro

AlabamaSaks, ALSaksSaks

The short answer

Saks is home to 10,681 people. Median household income is $49,753 a year and median rent is $898 a month, 21.7% 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 $116,400, about 2.3x annual median household income.

Saks stands out for what is close at hand. OpenStreetMap shows 0 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 120 Alabama places we track. Also notable: After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $42,200 a year, less than in 90% of places its size.

17OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Saks scores better than 17% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 94th of 120 in Alabama.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%67
Economy 20%20
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%13
Education 10%16
Commute 10%66
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$898
34% below the median place
Median household income
$49,753
38% below the median place
Median home value
$116,400
64% below the median place
Unemployment
6.0%
22% 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 Saks

  • HousingOwning with a mortgage costs only about $125 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 90% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
  • HousingThe median home costs 2.3 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 94% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Saks

Calhoun County gains about 2.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,463
Moved out4,237
Net+226

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Cleburne County, AL218182+36
Cherokee County, AL11277+35

Within Alabama, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within AlabamaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$46K
Leavers$47K

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

Who moves here
5.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.9% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Calhoun County report $46,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $47,100.
Income you would need
$35,900 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $898 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,023 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $116,400.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 5.7% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Fort Payne, AL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Income of households moving in7
$45,971
35% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$47,125
33% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
2.7
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSaksAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.5%4% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.9%6% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure2.7above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$45,97135% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$47,12533% below
02

What it costs to live here

32% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 95% of the 2,222 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Saks21.7%
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
$35,920
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
21.7%
6% above the median place
Home price to income
2.3x
38% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
22%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$42,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Saks, $898 a month, and local prices for everything else (92.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Saks, but easier on the budget

Places that match Saks on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Fort Payne, AL9617.2% vs 21.7%n/aCompare
Port Neches, TX9616.1% vs 21.7%$30,700Compare
Ozark, AL9617.0% vs 21.7%n/aCompare
Leeds, AL9618.2% vs 21.7%$17,400Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Saks? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax paid (median)1
$565
83% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,023
45% below the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
31.9%
37% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSaksAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$89834% below
Rent to income121.7%6% above
Property tax rate10.5%46% below
Home price to income12.3x38% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure86.015% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,01037% below
HUD area median income4County figure$72,30033% below
Property tax paid (median)1$56583% below
Median home value1$116,40064% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure4.4%37% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure50.0%3% below
Homeownership172.2%9% above
Renters paying 30%+131.9%37% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,02345% below
Vacant homes117.1%142% above
Median year built119740% below
03

Work and pay

Median household income is $49,753, 38% below the median place.

Median household income1
$49,753
38% below the median place
Works from home1
5.7%
55% below the median place
Poverty rate1
20.0%
86% above the median place
All 9 work and pay measures
MeasureSaksAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$49,75338% below
Income per person1$29,23027% below
Unemployment1County figure6.0%22% above
Average annual pay6County figure$52,42821% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.1%43% below
Jobs6County figure43,47371% below
Poverty rate120.0%86% above
Mean commute123 min9% below
Works from home15.7%55% below
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 80.8%, 12% below the median place.

High school or higher1
80.8%
12% below the median place
No health insurance1
13.0%
103% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
17.9%
44% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband87.9% −5%
Born abroad5.9% −33%
Median age40.5 +4%
Household size2.5 +1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureSaksAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population110,6813942nd largest
Median age140.54% above
Bachelor's or higher117.9%44% below
High school or higher180.8%12% below
Household size12.51% above
Born abroad15.9%33% below
No health insurance113.0%103% above
Homes with broadband187.9%5% below
05

Life in Saks

OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 120 Alabama places we track.

64 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails5 km 2.3×
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.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Freedom Riders National Monument 6 miles
  • Horseshoe Bend National Military Park 52 miles
  • Little River Canyon National Preserve 53 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars19.0 −9%
Shops38.5 +27%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.0 −51%
Doctors' offices and clinics18.8 −7%
Child care centers1.3 −43%

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

Nearest National Park Service site10
6.2
80% below the median place
Child care centers per 10k8
1.3
43% below the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
2.0
51% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureSaksAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure37311% above
Public school students12County figure16,686241% above
Students per teacher12County figure16.36% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure19.09% below
Shops per 10k8County figure38.527% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure2.051% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure18.87% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.343% below
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails94.6130% above
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site106.280% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles104100% above
National Register listings11County figure64392% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Annual precipitation is 54.2 in, 24% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Saks. Larger places are fetched first.

Annual precipitation13
54.2 in
24% above the median place
Tornado risk14
98.2
21% above the median place
Average temperature13
62°F
13% above the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureSaksAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure90°F4% above
January average low13County figure33°F29% above
Average temperature13County figure62°F13% above
Annual precipitation13County figure54.2 in24% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure88.54% below
Hurricane risk14County figure74.05% above
Tornado risk14County figure98.221% above
Wildfire risk14County figure81.533% above
Heat wave risk14County figure78.413% below
08

Saks in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 22% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 22% 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. On projected 2030 affordability, Saks does better than 67% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 7%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$898/mo (2024)$1,150/mo$940 to $1,400/mo+4.2%
Median household income$49,753 (2024)$63,000$53,000 to $74,500+4.0%
Median home value$116,400 (2024)$161,000$117,000 to $221,000+5.5%

The median home would be worth 2.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.3 now.

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

09

Places like Saks

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

PlaceRentIncome
Struthers, OH$850$53,447Compare
Red Oak, IA$812$50,109Compare
Jennings, LA$881$48,558Compare
Willard, OH$889$53,542Compare
Willard, OHJennings, LARed Oak, IAStruthers, OHSaks, ALSaksStruthersRed OakJenningsWillardSaksStruthersRed OakJennings

Places built like Saks

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Saks performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Saks, AL21.7%4.8%/yrn/a
Fort Payne, AL17.2%3.3%/yr2.3%Compare
Ozark, AL17.0%3.6%/yr-0.7%Compare
Leeds, AL18.2%2.8%/yr3.6%Compare
Scottsboro, AL18.5%4.8%/yr3.4%Compare
Flatwoods, KY18.8%4.1%/yr-0.9%Compare
Forestdale, AL21.7%2.4%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Saks a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 17 out of 100, better than 17% of the places we rate and 94th of 120 in Alabama. Owning with a mortgage costs only about $125 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 90% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. The median home costs 2.3 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 94% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 58 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Saks expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 21.7% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $116,400.

What salary do you need to live in Saks?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $35,920 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Saks?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Struthers, OH, Red Oak, IA, Jennings, LA and Willard, OH.

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. 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.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 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
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

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 Saks with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Saks itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/saks-alabama

Citytistics. “Saks, Alabama.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/saks-alabama/

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