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New Report Fall 2026 Housing Affordability Report: every state is less affordable than in late August as average 30-year mortgage rates passed 7%. Read the report

Fort Payne, AL Housing Affordability Index

Fort Payne, Alabama has an MBR Housing Affordability Index score of 150.4 (Highly Affordable) as of October 30, 2026, ranking 280th most affordable of 446 scored Alabama cities, compared with 134.1 statewide and 97.4 nationally. On a median-priced $157,000 home with 20% down, the Alabama average 30-year fixed rate of 7.19% means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $852, or 22% of the city’s $47,479 median household income.

The MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) for Fort Payne is updated every night from live Alabama mortgage rates and U.S. Census Bureau income, home value and housing cost data for the city. A score of 100 equals the national average; higher scores mean homeownership is more affordable.

Fort Payne MBR-HAI 150.4 Highly Affordable
Rank in Alabama 280 of 446 1 = most affordable
Alabama 134.1 Statewide score
National 97.4 100 = baseline
Avg 30-yr rate 7.19% Alabama lenders
Median home value $157,000 U.S. Census Bureau

Fort Payne is 16.4 points above the Alabama score. Scores as of October 30, 2026. See the Alabama index

View Fort Payne Mortgage Rates

What It Takes to Buy in Fort Payne

$852/mo
Principal & Interest
Median home, 20% down, 7.19%
$36,500
Income Needed
To keep the payment at 28% of income
$47,479
Median Household Income
Alabama: $63,999
3.3x
Price-to-Income Ratio
Alabama: 3.3x
$681/mo
Median Owner Costs
Mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities
$584/yr
Median Property Tax
0.37% of median value
27.1%
Owner Cost Burden
Owners spending 30%+ of income on housing
34.5%
Renter Cost Burden
Renters spending 30%+ of income on rent

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024) for Fort Payne, Alabama. The rate is the Alabama average 30-year fixed rate from MonitorBankRates, since lenders publish rates by state.

Cite the Fort Payne Score

“MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com, October 30, 2026. Fort Payne, Alabama score: 150.4 (Highly Affordable), ranked 280 of 446 Alabama cities. monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/alabama/fort-payne”