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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

Gardendale, AL Housing Affordability Index

Gardendale, Alabama has an MBR Housing Affordability Index score of 129.3 (Highly Affordable) as of October 30, 2026, ranking 379th most affordable of 446 scored Alabama cities, compared with 134.1 statewide and 97.4 nationally. On a median-priced $252,600 home with 20% down, the Alabama average 30-year fixed rate of 7.19% means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $1,370, or 20% of the city’s $82,192 median household income.

The MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) for Gardendale 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.

Gardendale MBR-HAI 129.3 Highly Affordable
Rank in Alabama 379 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 $252,600 U.S. Census Bureau

Gardendale is 4.8 points below the Alabama score. Scores as of October 30, 2026. See the Alabama index

View Gardendale Mortgage Rates

What It Takes to Buy in Gardendale

$1,370/mo
Principal & Interest
Median home, 20% down, 7.19%
$58,700
Income Needed
To keep the payment at 28% of income
$82,192
Median Household Income
Alabama: $63,999
3.1x
Price-to-Income Ratio
Alabama: 3.3x
$1,231/mo
Median Owner Costs
Mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities
$1,332/yr
Median Property Tax
0.53% of median value
16.5%
Owner Cost Burden
Owners spending 30%+ of income on housing
49.6%
Renter Cost Burden
Renters spending 30%+ of income on rent

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

Cite the Gardendale Score

“MonitorBankRates (MBR) Housing Affordability Index, MonitorBankRates.com, October 30, 2026. Gardendale, Alabama score: 129.3 (Highly Affordable), ranked 379 of 446 Alabama cities. monitorbankrates.com/housing-affordability-index/alabama/gardendale”