Is Decatur cheaper than Terre Haute?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Decatur and Terre Haute metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Decatur or Terre Haute?

Decatur has the higher median household income — $69,526 versus $59,209 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 17% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Decatur or Terre Haute?

A paycheck stretches further in Decatur. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $79,721 there versus $67,439 in Terre Haute.

Which has cheaper rent, Decatur or Terre Haute?

Rents are close — $899/mo in the Decatur metro versus $893/mo in Terre Haute (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Decatur vs Terre Haute

Metro-area medians — Decatur, AL Metro Area vs Terre Haute, IN Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Decatur comes out ahead, winning 5 of the 8 clearly-decided measures.

Decatur and Terre Haute cost about the same to live in, but Decatur households earn about 17% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Decatur.

Their widest everyday difference: the typical commute is shorter in Terre Haute — about 24 min versus 28 min.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Decatur, AL

$57,754

take-home / yr · 23% to tax

$66,222

real value after local prices

Terre Haute, IN

$59,064

take-home / yr · 21% to tax

$67,273

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Terre Haute leaves you about $1,051/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Decatur

Terre Haute

Livability (CityLedger)

41/100

32/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

87.2

87.8

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$79,721

$67,439

Median household income

$69,526

$59,209

Median rent

$899/mo

$893/mo

Median home value

$219,800

$155,600

Unemployment

4.1%

4.4%

Bachelor's degree or higher

21.8%

24.2%

Average commute

28 min

24 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

61°F

54°F

Choose Decatur for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
+ Median household income
+ Unemployment
+ Air quality (median AQI)

Full Decatur profile →

Choose Terre Haute for

+ Median home value
+ Bachelor's degree or higher
+ Average commute

Full Terre Haute profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Decatur and Terre Haute on cost, income, size, and education.

Decatur vs Houma→Decatur vs Dalton→Decatur vs Huntington→Terre Haute vs Rocky Mount→Terre Haute vs Alexandria→Terre Haute vs Florence→

Decatur vs Terre Haute — frequently asked

Is Decatur cheaper than Terre Haute?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Decatur and Terre Haute metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Decatur or Terre Haute?: Decatur has the higher median household income — $69,526 versus $59,209 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 17% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Decatur or Terre Haute?: A paycheck stretches further in Decatur. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $79,721 there versus $67,439 in Terre Haute.
Which has cheaper rent, Decatur or Terre Haute?: Rents are close — $899/mo in the Decatur metro versus $893/mo in Terre Haute (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).