Highland Lake, AL Housing Affordability Index
Highland Lake, Alabama has an MBR Housing Affordability Index score of 136.2 (Highly Affordable) as of October 30, 2026, ranking 344th most affordable of 446 scored Alabama cities, compared with 134.1 statewide and 97.4 nationally. On a median-priced $285,500 home with 20% down, the Alabama average 30-year fixed rate of 7.19% means a monthly principal and interest payment of about $1,549, or 26% of the city’s $71,563 median household income.
The MBR Housing Affordability Index (MBR-HAI) for Highland Lake 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.
Highland Lake is 2.1 points above the Alabama score. Scores as of October 30, 2026. See the Alabama index
View Highland Lake Mortgage RatesSee What You Can Afford in Highland Lake, Alabama
Use this Highland Lake, Alabama home affordability calculator to see how much house you can afford at today’s Alabama average 30-year mortgage rate of 7.19%. A household earning the Highland Lake median income of $71,563, with no other debts and $57,000 down, can afford a home of about $272,762, compared with a median home value of $285,500. Buying the median priced home with 20% down takes a household income of about $75,600 once property tax and insurance are counted.
| Loan amount | $215,762 |
| Principal & interest | $1,463/mo |
| Property tax | $93/mo |
| Home insurance | $114/mo |
| PMI | $0/mo |
| Total monthly payment | $1,670/mo |
How much house can you afford in Highland Lake?
Most lenders use two limits. Your housing payment, including principal, interest, property tax, homeowners insurance and any PMI, should stay under about 28% of your gross monthly income, and all of your monthly debt payments together should stay under about 36%. The calculator takes whichever limit is lower, then works backward from that payment to the most expensive home it covers at the current rate.
In Highland Lake, property taxes run about 0.41% of a home’s value each year, based on the Census median tax bill, which counts against the same monthly budget as the mortgage. Each quarter point move in mortgage rates changes the price you can afford by roughly $4,758 for a median income household. A larger down payment, paying down other debts, or a lower rate from a local lender all raise your budget.
What It Takes to Buy in Highland Lake
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024) for Highland Lake, Alabama. The rate is the Alabama average 30-year fixed rate from MonitorBankRates, since lenders publish rates by state.
How Highland Lake Ranks in Alabama
Cite the Highland Lake Score
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Scores update each morning, computed from rate data captured the previous night. Score of 100 = national average at a 6.5% reference rate.
