SmartAsset examined employment, income, commute, benefits and affordability data for 340 of the largest U.S. cities and Huntsville ranked #1. Huntsville is fairly inexpensive to live in based on average job pay. On average, housing costs make up only 15.9% of the $70,757 annual median salary. Unemployment was 3.9%, compared to an average of 6.9% across all cities.