Español

Este sitio también está en español. Leer en español

City · 9,483 residents · Etowah County, Alabama

Southside , Alabama

In Southside, a typical home is worth $226,500 and typical rent is $1,184 a month. Compared with all of Etowah County, typical household income is 40% higher, typical rent is 40% higher, and the share of households that own their home is 19 points higher.

WhatsApp

  • Typical home value

    $226,500

    36% above the county

    8% above Alabama

    • Southside
    • Etowah
    • Alabama

  • Typical rent

    $1,184a month

    40% above the county

    18% above Alabama

    • Southside
    • Etowah
    • Alabama

  • Typical household income

    $76,487a year

    40% above the county

    20% above Alabama

    • Southside
    • Etowah
    • Alabama

  • Households that own their home

    93%

    19 points above the county

    22 points above Alabama

    • Southside
    • Etowah
    • Alabama

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$274,868
1.3% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Southside is in Etowah County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Etowah County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Southside apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Southside has the 3rd highest homeownership rate of the 120 cities in Alabama with more than 5,000 people (93%).

  2. Nearby, in Saks, the typical home value is $116,400: 49% less than in Southside ($226,500).

  3. Nearby, in Glencoe, the typical rent is $736: 38% less than in Southside ($1,184).

  4. The typical household income in Southside is $76,487, 40% more than in Etowah County as a whole ($54,563).

  5. The typical rent in Southside is $1,184 a month, 40% more than in Etowah County as a whole ($847).

  6. The typical home in Southside is worth $226,500, 36% more than in Etowah County as a whole ($167,100).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Southside

What homes there are in Southside, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

The detached house rules in Southside: 98% of homes, more than in Etowah County (79%).

Year built

Here half of the homes date from 1986 or later; in Etowah County, from 1975 or later.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,430 a month

Etowah County: $1,284 a month

Without a mortgage

$484 a month

Etowah County: $439 a month

Owners with a mortgage

55%

Etowah County: 45%

In Southside, 55% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $1,430 a month, against $1,284 in Etowah County. Without one it drops to $484.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, home values in Southside rose at about the same pace as in Etowah County: 48% against 47%.

Much as in Etowah County, the typical rent in Southside rose 26% since 2015–2019.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureSouthsideEtowah CountyAlabamaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate6.3%7.2%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate1.5%1.1%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate2.0%1.7%3.4%
People per household 2.842.582.482.53
Drive alone 92%87%81%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate7%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate1%1%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate4%9%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute 20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

On average, a household in Southside has 2.84 people, more than in Etowah County (2.58).

The car rules in Southside: 92% of workers drive to work alone, and the typical trip takes 20 to 29 minutes.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Southside?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in Southside, worth $226,500, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 28% of the typical household income in Southside, which is $76,487 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Etowah County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Southside. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $7,928 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,779

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$222,397
Total interest
$319,977
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $3,825 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,785 a month

    Your payment · 28%

  • Tight

    $1,785 to $2,295 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,295 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Southside ($76,487 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,779
Principal & interest$1,507
Property tax$77
Home insurance$94
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$100

You need at least $7,928 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Southside and Etowah County

Southside is in Etowah County, Alabama. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Southside's own numbers

Typical home value
$226,500
Typical monthly rent
$1,184
Typical yearly household income
$76,487
Households that own their home
93%
Effective property tax rate
0.41%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Etowah County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$975
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+54%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
1.7%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Etowah County.

Everything about Etowah County

Buying

Buying a home in Southside

A typical home in Southside is worth $226,500: 36% above the county and 8% above Alabama. With the typical household income in Southside ($76,487 a year), a typical home costs 3.0 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Southside 3.0 years
  • Etowah 3.1 years
  • Alabama 3.3 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Etowah County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Etowah County rose 74% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Etowah County.

Period County Alabama U.S.
Last year (2025) +3.5% +2.5% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +54% +47% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +74% +77% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Southside next to Etowah County, Alabama and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Southside $226,500
  • Etowah $167,100
  • Alabama $209,900
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Southside $1,184
  • Etowah $847
  • Alabama $1,007
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Southside $76,487
  • Etowah $54,563
  • Alabama $63,999
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Southside next to Etowah County and Alabama
Measure Southside Etowah County Alabama U.S.
Typical home value $226,500 $167,100 $209,900 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,184 $847 $1,007 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $76,487 $54,563 $63,999 $80,734
Households that own their home 93% 74% 70% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $934 $645 $788 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.41% 0.39% 0.38% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 51% 48% 49% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Etowah County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Southside

For a typical $226,500 home in Southside, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Southside's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,779a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $7,928
    Cash to close
    $14,723
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $100

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,737a month

    Down payment
    $11,325
    Cash to close
    $18,120
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $108

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,399a month

    Down payment
    $45,300
    Cash to close
    $52,095
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,609a month

    Down payment
    $33,975
    Cash to close
    $40,770
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Southside and for Etowah County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Southside

0.41%of the home’s value each year

$934 a year for the typical owner in Southside.

  • Southside 0.41%
  • Etowah 0.39%
  • Alabama 0.38%

What Alabama publishes Basic homestead exemption (type H-1) (Alabama Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Alabama

Flood risk in Etowah County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Etowah County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
1.7%
695
Of those, with NFIP insurance
25%
County Alabama U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 1.7% 3.2% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 25% 29% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Southside

Typical rent in Southside is $1,184 a month: 40% above the county. In Southside, 51% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Etowah County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($975 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $18.75 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Etowah County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $679 $13.06 $27,160
1 bedroom $830 $15.96 $33,200
2 bedrooms $975 $18.75 $39,000
3 bedrooms $1,235 $23.75 $49,400
4 bedrooms $1,397 $26.87 $55,880

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Southside

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Southside is in ZIP code 35907.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,320: $345 more than the fair market rent for Etowah County ($975).

  • 35907 $1,320$1,670

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Southside when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Southside

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Etowah County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A pregnant woman reads paperwork on the sofa while the grandmother plays with the girl on the floor.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Southside

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Southside or Etowah County. The ones below are statewide in Alabama: they work in Southside the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Alabama

  • Step Up

    Statewide in Alabama

    Alabama state authority program with down payment assistance of 4% of the price (up to $10,000) as a 10-year second mortgage, alongside a 30-year fixed mortgage. Offered by Alabama Housing Finance Authority (AHFA).

    Repayable

    See the program Official page

  • First Step Mortgage Revenue Bonds

    Statewide in Alabama

    Alabama state authority 30-year low-rate mortgage, for first-time buyers and for people who have owned a home before, with down payment assistance of 4% of the price, up to $10,000, as a ten-year second mortgage. Offered by Alabama Housing Finance Authority (AHFA).

    Repayable

    See the program Official page

  • Affordable Income Subsidy Grant

    Statewide in Alabama

    Alabama state authority grant for closing costs with an HFA Advantage conventional loan: 1% of the loan if you earn up to 50% of the area median, or half a percent if you earn 50% to 80%. Offered by Alabama Housing Finance Authority (AHFA).

    Grant

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Southside

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Southside, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama, Inc.

    1481 McCurdy Ave S, Rainsville · 41 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 3 more
    (256) 638-4430

  • United Way of Central Alabama, Inc.

    3600 8th Ave S, Birmingham · 51 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 9 more
    (205) 458-8950

  • Community Action Partnership of North Alabama - Cullman Branch

    107 2nd Ave, NE, Cullman · 51 miles away · Spanish

    • Rental counseling
    (256) 260-3108

All counseling agencies in Alabama

Help in Spanish near Southside

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Southside

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Etowah County is named for Southside or Etowah County.

3 other authorities have an office in Etowah County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Etowah County

These cities are also in Etowah County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Etowah County Housing in Alabama

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Southside, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Etowah County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Southside.

All guides
A mother holds her laughing daughter on a grey sofa.

Questions

Housing questions about Southside

Short answers with the numbers for Southside and all of Etowah County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Southside?

The typical home value in Southside is $226,500, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Etowah County it is $167,100.

How much does it cost to rent in Southside?

Typical rent in Southside is $1,184 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Etowah County is $975.

What is the FHA loan limit in Southside?

Southside uses the FHA limit for all of Etowah County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Southside?

The typical homeowner in Southside pays $934 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.41% of the home’s value; in Etowah County, the rate is 0.39%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Southside?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Etowah County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).