CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

33.59° N · 86.77° W · GEOID 0174976

Tarrant

Jefferson County, Alabama · part of the Birmingham, AL metro

AlabamaTarrant, ALTarrantTarrant

The short answer

Tarrant is home to 5,925 people. Median household income is $42,070 a year and median rent is $985 a month, 28.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $120,100, about 2.9x annual median household income.

What sets Tarrant apart is how tight household budgets are. After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $31,600 a year, less than in 96% of places its size. Also notable: Owning with a mortgage costs only about $1 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 93% of places its size.

10OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Tarrant scores better than 10% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 110th of 120 in Alabama.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%45
Economy 20%10
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%58
Education 10%1
Commute 10%41
Growth 5%32

Not rated: safety, 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
$985
28% below the median place
Median household income
$42,070
48% below the median place
Median home value
$120,100
62% below the median place
Unemployment
7.2%
48% 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 Tarrant

  • AffordabilityThe median rent takes 28.1% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 91% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Tarrant

Jefferson County loses about 5.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in21,791
Moved out24,602
Net−2,811

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Alabama, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within AlabamaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$67K
Leavers$73K

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

Who moves here
4.7% 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 Jefferson County report $66,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $72,800, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$39,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $985 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $986 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $120,100.
Getting to work
27 minutes each way on average; 11.1% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Hamlet, NC matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people8
-5.8
below the median place (median -0.6)
Moved here in the past year1
4.7%
18% below the median place
Income of households moving in8
$66,674
6% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureTarrantAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.7%18% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.9%2% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-5.8below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$66,6746% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$72,7514% above
02

What it costs to live here

39% of homes are owner-occupied, fewer than in 97% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 120 Alabama places we track.

Tarrant28.1%
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
$39,400
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
28.1%
38% above the median place
Home price to income
2.9x
25% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
28%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$31,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Tarrant, $985 a month, and local prices for everything else (95.7 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Tarrant, but easier on the budget

Places that match Tarrant 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
Hamlet, NC9318.5% vs 28.1%n/aCompare
Marion, NC9217.8% vs 28.1%n/aCompare
Malvern, AR9119.8% vs 28.1%n/aCompare
Trumann, AR8918.1% vs 28.1%$2,800Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Tarrant? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$986
47% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$673
79% below the median place
Homeownership1
39.4%
41% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureTarrantAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$98528% below
Rent to income128.1%38% above
Property tax rate10.6%38% below
Home price to income12.9x25% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure91.69% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,37515% below
HUD area median income4County figure$104,1003% below
Property tax paid (median)1$67379% below
Median home value1$120,10062% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.2%31% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure38.3%26% below
Homeownership139.4%41% below
Renters paying 30%+150.0%1% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$98647% below
Vacant homes113.6%93% above
Median year built119601% below
03

Work and pay

Median household income is $42,070, 48% below the median place.

Median household income1
$42,070
48% below the median place
Income per person1
$23,292
42% below the median place
Poverty rate1
24.2%
125% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureTarrantAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$42,07048% below
Income per person1$23,29242% below
Unemployment17.2%48% above
Average annual pay6County figure$75,00814% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.8%30% above
Jobs6County figure368,875145% above
Poverty rate124.2%125% above
Mean commute127 min6% above
Works from home1County figure11.1%11% below
Commutes by transit1County figure0.6%33% below
04

Who lives here

8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 98% of the 2,473 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 120 Alabama places we track.

Bachelor's or higher1
8.1%
75% below the median place
No health insurance1
22.3%
248% above the median place
Population change since 20207
-5.4%
below the median place (median 1.1%)

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher73.8% −20%
Homes with broadband85.5% −7%
Household size2.2 −12%
Born abroad11.5% +31%
Median age39.1 +0%
All 9 people measures
MeasureTarrantAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,9255990th largest
Population change since 20207-5.4%below (median 1.1%)
Median age139.10% above
Bachelor's or higher18.1%75% below
High school or higher173.8%20% below
Household size12.212% below
Born abroad111.5%31% above
No health insurance122.3%248% above
Homes with broadband185.5%7% below
05

Life in Tarrant

The nearest National Park Service site is Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, about 6 miles away.

Founded or incorporated in 1912. 1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Tarrant City Downtown Historic District listed 2010

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents6.8 −34%
Playgrounds per 10k16.9 +79%
Grocery stores per 10k5.1 2.4×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k13.5 +21%
Libraries per 10k3.4 3.9×
Named paths and bike trails3 km +40%
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

  • Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument 6 miles
  • Freedom Riders National Monument 50 miles
  • Horseshoe Bend National Military Park 74 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.7 +4%
Shops37.3 +23%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.7 −10%
Doctors' offices and clinics21.7 +7%
Child care centers2.3 +0%

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

Public schools13
3
67% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site11
6.1
80% below the median place
Public school students13
1,308
73% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureTarrantAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13367% below
Public school students131,30873% below
Students per teacher1317.010% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure21.74% above
Shops per 10k9County figure37.323% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure3.710% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure21.77% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.30% above
Parks per 10k106.834% below
Playgrounds per 10k1016.979% above
Grocery stores per 10k105.1139% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1013.521% above
Libraries per 10k103.4289% above
Named paths and bike trails102.840% above
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site116.180% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1120% above
National Register listings12192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Tornado risk is 99.5, 22% 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 Tarrant. Larger places are fetched first.

Tornado risk15
99.5
22% above the median place
Annual precipitation14
56.4 in
29% above the median place
Good air days16
43.6%
36% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureTarrantAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure91°F5% above
January average low14County figure33°F31% above
Average temperature14County figure63°F14% above
Annual precipitation14County figure56.4 in29% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure97.66% above
Hurricane risk15County figure76.68% above
Tornado risk15County figure99.522% above
Wildfire risk15County figure79.129% above
Heat wave risk15County figure97.68% above
Median air quality index16County figure5221% above
Good air days16County figure43.6%36% below
08

Tarrant in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 28% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 28% 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, Tarrant does better than 44% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 57%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$985/mo (2024)$1,260/mo$1,030 to $1,530/mo+4.1%
Median household income$42,070 (2024)$53,500$45,000 to $63,500+4.1%
Median home value$120,100 (2024)$173,000$126,000 to $238,000+6.3%
Population5,639 (2025)5,5305,310 to 5,770−0.4%

The median home would be worth 3.2 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.9 now.

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

09

Places like Tarrant

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

PlaceRentIncome
Plymouth, PA$930$39,167Compare
Lanett, AL$940$42,357Compare
Jennings, MO$961$38,984Compare
Oakdale, LA$873$42,540Compare
Oakdale, LAJennings, MOLanett, ALPlymouth, PATarrant, ALTarrantPlymouthLanettJenningsOakdaleTarrantPlymouthLanettJenningsOakdale

Places built like Tarrant

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 Tarrant performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Tarrant, AL28.1%6.7%/yr-5.4%
La Follette, TN22.2%4.0%/yr-3.5%Compare
Cynthiana, KY16.9%10.1%/yr3.8%Compare
Leitchfield, KY16.8%7.3%/yr3.5%Compare
Lebanon, KY18.5%8.7%/yr6.5%Compare
Fayetteville, TN19.0%6.5%/yr-0.1%Compare
McComb, MS25.7%7.9%/yr-5.8%Compare

Common questions

Is Tarrant a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 10 out of 100, better than 10% of the places we rate and 110th of 120 in Alabama. The median rent takes 28.1% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 91% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 6 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Tarrant expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 28.1% 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 $120,100.

What salary do you need to live in Tarrant?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $39,400 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Tarrant?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Plymouth, PA, Lanett, AL, Jennings, MO and Oakdale, LA.

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 Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  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 Tarrant with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Tarrant itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/tarrant-alabama

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

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