Lauderdale County occupies the northwest corner of Alabama, wrapped by the Tennessee River on two sides and bordered by both Tennessee and Mississippi. It is the largest and most varied housing market in the region — a university city, a string of river and lake communities, and a great deal of land — and it is priced well below the counties nearer Huntsville.
Live MLS listings across Florence, Killen, Rogersville, Lexington, Anderson and Waterloo — filter by price, beds, acreage, waterfront or map.
Browse homes for sale → RentalsCalculated live from the MLS listings on the market in Lauderdale County today — not typed in and left to age.
Figures computed from live MLS data, as of 2026-09-16.
This is the largest inventory in the region by a wide margin, and it is priced very differently from the counties closer to Huntsville. The median listed home in Lauderdale sits well below the median in Limestone County to the east — same region, roughly an hour apart, and a substantially different price for a comparable house.
The reason is jobs and distance. Limestone prices absorb Huntsville's growth; Lauderdale's economy runs on the Shoals — the University of North Alabama, healthcare, manufacturing and the river towns — and it is far enough from Huntsville that commuting is a choice rather than a default. For a buyer willing to make that drive, or who works locally, the difference is real money.
The other thing that shapes this market is land. Nearly a third of everything listed here is land or lots rather than houses, and a large share of the whole market touches water. That mix is why a simple price-per-square-foot comparison against a metro county tells you almost nothing useful.
The regional trade in one line. East toward Huntsville buys you a shorter commute and a higher price. West into Lauderdale buys you more house, more land and more water for the money, and a longer drive if your work is in Madison County. Neither is wrong — but decide which you are optimising before you start looking.
Land, acreage and waterfront are not variations on a house search — they are different markets with different buyers, and this county has real depth in all of them. Each link goes straight to that search.
Most listings sit in and around Florence, but the county is genuinely spread out, and the smaller communities are not simply cheaper versions of the city — they are different places with different housing.
The county seat and the largest city in the Shoals. Historic neighbourhoods near downtown and the university, mid-century suburbs, and newer construction on the edges. The deepest and most varied inventory in the county.
East of Florence toward the lake, and the second-largest concentration of listings. Popular with buyers who want space and a short drive to the city, plus real water access.
Further east on US 72, next to Joe Wheeler State Park and Wheeler Lake. A small town with a disproportionate share of lake property. Full Rogersville guide →
North county toward the Tennessee line. Rural, quiet, and where the price per acre is at its most attractive in this part of the state.
Far west on the river near Pickwick. Small, remote by county standards, and firmly a water market — people buy here for the river.
Several places here carry a Florence mailing address but are their own communities — St Florian to the north, Central and Petersville nearer the city, Cloverdale to the west. County living, city convenience, and their own feel.
Water defines this county more than any other factor. The Tennessee River runs along its southern and western edges, impounded into Wheeler Lake to the east and Pickwick Lake to the west, with Wilson Dam between them. The result is a lot of shoreline for one county, and a housing market that reflects it.
Around a third of the listings here involve water in some form — frontage, deeded access, a dock or a slip — which is an unusually high proportion and the main reason buyers from outside the region look here at all. Joe Wheeler State Park, near Rogersville, anchors the eastern end with a marina, campgrounds, a lodge and an 18-hole golf course.
Waterfront is its own market with its own logic. Frontage, elevation, dock rights and how a lot sits relative to the water matter more than square footage, and two houses of identical size can be priced very differently because one of them is buying the water. Read the listing carefully: "waterfront", "water access" and "water view" are three different things.
Florence anchors a region with a cultural footprint far larger than its population. The Shoals — Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield and Tuscumbia — produced a recording legacy that still draws visitors from around the world, and the area leans into it with festivals and studio tours throughout the year.
Florence is also the birthplace of W.C. Handy, the "Father of the Blues", and home to the University of North Alabama, one of the oldest universities in the state, which gives the city a college-town character unusual for a place this size. The Rosenbaum House in Florence is the only Frank Lloyd Wright building in Alabama and among the best-preserved Usonian houses anywhere.
For a buyer this matters practically, not just culturally: a university, a hospital system and a steady tourism draw are what keep a small-city housing market liquid.
Like Limestone County, Lauderdale has two separate public systems: Lauderdale County Schools serving the county, and Florence City Schools serving the city of Florence. Which one applies depends on the address, not the mailing town, and the two can sit on opposite sides of the same road.
If schools are driving your search, confirm the system and the specific attendance zone for the exact address before making an offer. It is the most common avoidable mistake buyers make here.
The University of North Alabama in Florence adds a further layer — dual-enrolment options for local high-school students, and a steady rental market around the campus.
US 72 is the spine, running east–west across the top of the state: east through Rogersville toward Athens and eventually Huntsville, west toward the Mississippi line. US 43 runs north–south through Florence, connecting south across the river into Colbert County and the rest of the Shoals.
Within the county most trips are short. The practical distances that matter are the ones out: Huntsville is a genuine commute rather than a hop, which is exactly why housing here is priced the way it is, and why buyers who work locally get so much more for their money.
Two honest options. Sell it yourself and keep the listing side of the commission — workable, and more common than people think. Or list with an agent and buy the MLS, pricing from real closings, and someone to carry the contract and the liability.
A point specific to this county: if you are selling waterfront or acreage, pricing is genuinely harder than for a subdivision house, because the comparable set is small and the variables — frontage, access, elevation, dock — are not captured by square footage. That is the case where an agent who has actually sold water property earns the fee.
Straight from the MLS, refreshed throughout the day.
The northwest corner of the state, bordered by Tennessee to the north, Mississippi to the west, and the Tennessee River along its southern and western edges. Florence is the county seat and the largest city in the Shoals.
Distance from Huntsville. Limestone absorbs the Huntsville metro's growth and prices accordingly; Lauderdale runs on the Shoals economy and sits far enough east that commuting to Madison County is a choice. For the same budget you generally get more house, more land or more water here.
Florence is the county seat. Others include Killen, Rogersville, Lexington, Anderson, Waterloo, St. Florian and Central Heights. Rogersville has its own detailed guide.
Yes — around a third of listings here involve water in some form. Wheeler Lake sits to the east, Pickwick to the west, with the Tennessee River between them. Read the wording closely; waterfront, water access and water view are priced very differently.
Two do. Lauderdale County Schools serves the county and Florence City Schools serves the city. Zoning depends on the specific address, so confirm before making an offer.
It is a genuine commute rather than a short hop — east along US 72 through Rogersville and Athens. Most people buying in Lauderdale either work locally in the Shoals or have decided the drive is worth what the housing saves them.
Yes. You can list it by owner free, or have a local agent put it on the MLS. Both paths start on the same page.