Ariza Research
Apartment community on Oakwood Road NW next to Research Park.
Renting in Huntsville, Madison, Decatur & Athens
A renter's orientation for aerospace, space and defense job seekers: which areas sit near which job centers, what rents look like according to published data, where to search, and how to avoid scams. A guide, not a listings site.
Updated Oct 21, 2026. Rent figures are cited with their source and date below. Commute notes are general; check your route at the times you'll actually drive.
Ward Avenue, Five Points, Huntsville. Chris Pruitt, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Start with your work location. Redstone Arsenal is large, so the gate closest to your building matters more than the city name. If you're military or a DoD civilian, contact the Redstone Housing Services Office before you sign an off-post lease (details below). For cost of living and employers, see Moving to Huntsville.
- Typical rents
- Redstone gates
- Research Park
- Downtown & MidCity
- South Huntsville
- Madison
- Athens
- Decatur
- Search & short-term
- Renter tips
What rent looks like (published data)
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI): the typical asking rent across all unit types, smoothed, for September 2026 [1]:
| Area | ZORI, Sep 2026 |
|---|---|
| Huntsville (city) | $1,335/mo |
| Madison (city) | $1,411/mo |
| Athens (city) | $1,475/mo |
| Decatur (city) | $1,042/mo |
| Huntsville metro | $1,387/mo |
| Decatur metro | $1,082/mo |
HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, by unit size. HUD sets these from gross rent (rent plus utilities) near the 40th percentile and uses them for housing vouchers. Read them as a benchmark, not a quote [2]:
| HUD FMR area | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville MSA Madison & Limestone counties (Huntsville, Madison, Athens) | $1,119 | $1,177 | $1,341 | $1,735 | $2,241 |
| Decatur MSA Morgan & Lawrence counties | $830 | $835 | $1,023 | $1,315 | $1,686 |
ZORI and HUD FMRs measure different things, so don't average them. Actual rents depend on the community, unit, lease term and concessions. Confirm current pricing with the property.
Redstone Arsenal gates: pick housing by gate
Redstone has several gates, and their hours differ and change. For example, Gate 8 and Gate 10 hours changed on Oct 5, 2026 [4]. Gate 9 (Rideout Road) is the main gate, open 24/7, with the Visitor Control Center on the way in [3]. Check the official gate page before you commit to a route.
| Gate | Where | Renter areas people often consider |
|---|---|---|
| Gate 9 | Rideout Road, north side of the Arsenal off I-565 | Research Park / west Huntsville, Madison, MidCity, Downtown via I-565 |
| Gate 7 | Martin Road (West) | Madison (south / Zierdt Road side), southwest Huntsville |
| Gate 1 | Martin Road (East) | South Huntsville along Memorial Parkway |
| Gate 3 | Redstone Road | South Huntsville |
| Gates 8 & 10 | Goss Rd / Drake Ave and Patton Road | Central and southwest Huntsville |
Gate locations are from the official Redstone visitor-information page [3]. The "areas people consider" column is general geography, not commute times. Hours vary by gate and day, and some gates are inbound-only or outbound-only at certain times.
Cummings Research Park & west Huntsville
Contractor offices cluster along Research Park Boulevard and Bradford Drive. The area connects to I-565 and to Gate 9, which makes it a practical base if you'll split time between the Park and the Arsenal.
Boardwalk at Research Park
Apartment community on Oakwood Road NW near the Park.
Downtown Huntsville & MidCity
The walkable options. Downtown has lofts and mid-rise apartments near Big Spring Park and the restaurant core. MidCity, on University Drive, has newer apartments inside a mixed-use district. See Dining & Shopping for what's nearby.
Downtown Huntsville. formulanone, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
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The Avenue
Loft-style apartments at 201 Jefferson St in downtown Huntsville.
The Residences at Front Row
Apartments on Clinton Avenue West at the edge of downtown.
Anthem House
Studio and one-bedroom apartments in MidCity District.
Encore MidCity
Apartment community in MidCity District, listed in the MidCity directory.
South Huntsville
Neighborhoods along South Memorial Parkway and Bailey Cove, close to the Martin Road (Gate 1) and Redstone Road (Gate 3) entrances on the Arsenal's east side.
Randolph Avenue, Twickenham, Huntsville. Chris Pruitt, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Attain at Bradford Creek
Apartment community on Martin Road SW; its website describes it as near Redstone Arsenal.
Memorial Village
Rental homes at Hobbs Road and Memorial Parkway; its website says it is under a mile from Gate 3.
Madison
West of Huntsville, between Research Park and the Arsenal's west gates. It has a small historic downtown and newer development at Town Madison. Many Arsenal and Research Park workers live here.
Downtown Madison. Republic of Selmaria, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Livano at Town Madison
Apartments and townhomes at Town Madison, near I-565.
Avenue Madison
Apartment community in Madison.
Athens
The Limestone County seat, northwest of Huntsville off I-65, with a historic courthouse square. It's in the Huntsville HUD FMR area. Commutes to Research Park and Gate 9 usually run on I-65 and I-565; drive the route at rush hour before you sign.
Limestone County Courthouse, Athens. Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress; Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
Cleo Apartments
Apartments on South Clinton Street near downtown Athens.
Gateway Village
Apartment community in Athens.
Decatur
On the Tennessee River, southwest of Huntsville, and home to ULA's rocket plant. Published rents here are lower than in Huntsville and Madison (see the tables above). Arsenal commuters typically drive I-565, so check traffic at your shift times.
Bank Street, Decatur. Chris Pruitt, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Downtown lofts (307 2nd Ave)
Loft apartments above downtown storefronts, listed by Decatur Downtown Redevelopment.
Bank Street Manor
Apartments in downtown Decatur, also listed on the DDRA living page.
Redstone Arsenal housing resources (official)
Housing Services Office
Rental referrals, local-market information and landlord/tenant mediation for military and DoD civilian personnel. Contact them before you sign an off-post lease.
Redstone Family Housing
Privatized on-post homes. Its website lists eligibility that includes federal and DoD employees and contractors; active duty has priority.
Military OneSource: Redstone housing
Housing overview, temporary lodging and check-in information for the installation.
Gate information
Current gate locations and hours.
One-click searches & short-term furnished
Each link opens a search already set to the city. We don't copy listings; prices and availability are on those sites.
Short-term / furnished (interns, contractors on assignment, house-hunting trips):
- Furnished Finder · Huntsville
- Furnished Finder · Madison
- On-post temporary lodging (eligibility applies)
Many people book a furnished place for 1 to 3 months, then tour neighborhoods in person before signing a 12-month lease.
Renter tips & scam warnings
- Never wire money, or pay with gift cards or crypto, for a deposit or application fee. The FTC warns these are hallmarks of rental-listing scams [5].
- See the unit first, in person or on a live video tour that you control. Be wary of "I'm out of the country" landlords or rents far below the tables above.
- Verify the landlord. Confirm the property manager's phone number on the community's official website, or check that the owner on county property records matches the person leasing.
- Know Alabama deposit basics. Under Alabama's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, a security deposit generally can't exceed one month's rent (with exceptions for pets, alterations or added liability). The landlord must refund it or send an itemized list within 60 days after you move out and return possession, so give a forwarding address in writing [6][7].
- Get renter's insurance. Many communities require it. The Alabama Department of Insurance has consumer resources [8].
- Document move-in condition with dated photos, and keep copies of your lease and payment receipts.
- Military? Ask about lease clauses for orders. The Redstone Housing Services Office can help with landlord/tenant mediation [9].
Next steps
Browse aerospace & defense jobs Moving to Huntsville guide
Photo credits
- Five Points (Ward Ave). Chris Pruitt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- Downtown Huntsville aerial. formulanone, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- Randolph Ave, Twickenham. Chris Pruitt, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- Downtown Madison. Republic of Selmaria, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- Limestone County Courthouse, Athens. Carol M. Highsmith (Library of Congress), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
- Bank Street, Decatur. Chris Pruitt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
No photos or listing data were taken from Zillow, Apartments.com, Realtor.com, Furnished Finder or apartment websites. Each Wikimedia license still applies.
Sources
- Zillow Research: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), city and metro series, September 2026 (retrieved Oct 19, 2026)
- HUD USER: FY2027 Fair Market Rent schedule (Alabama) (retrieved Oct 21, 2026)
- Redstone Arsenal: Visitor information & gate hours
- Redstone Rocket: Gates 8 and 10 get new hours beginning Oct. 5 (Sep 30, 2026)
- FTC Consumer Advice: Rental Listing Scams
- Code of Alabama §35-9A-201: Security deposits; prepaid rent (Alabama Legislature)
- Legal Services Alabama: Your Home
- Alabama Department of Insurance
- Redstone Arsenal: For Newcomers (Housing Services Office, on-post housing)
HSV Space Jobs is independent and not affiliated with the apartment communities, listing sites or agencies mentioned. This page is general information, not legal advice. Updated Oct 21, 2026.