Downtown Huntsville
Downtown Huntsville Homes for Sale: Prices, Twickenham and Old Town, and the Historic District Rules
A true downtown Huntsville buyer pays a premium for the location, and knows it. In our experience, more than 50 sales in and around downtown, that buyer is usually one of three people: an attorney whose work at the courthouse makes being nearby a real need; a physician who takes call and has to be minutes from Huntsville Hospital; or someone who loves historic architecture and is willing and able to pay what it costs. If none of those is you, the same money buys considerably more house two miles away, and we will tell you so. If one of them is, this page is what we cover before the first showing: what downtown actually costs, where it actually is, what a century-old house asks of its owner, and what the historic districts let you change.
Downtown Huntsville home prices right now (November 2026)
On November 4, 2026 there were 35 active single-family listings in downtown Huntsville and the historic blocks immediately around the square, with a median asking price of $515,000 for a median 2,107 square feet, built in 1940, on about 0.17 acres. That is roughly $250 per square foot, half again the Huntsville-wide figure of $167, and the range is the widest of any area we cover: from $135,000 to $4.2 million. Downtown also has the county's most expensive condominium market: 12 active condo and townhome listings with a median of $769,900, built around 2007, at about $340 per square foot, in buildings like 301 East, Lincoln Square, the Terry Hutchens Building and the Dement townhouses.
| Price range (houses) | Active listings | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Under $300,000 | 8 | Small cottages and unrenovated houses on the edges of the historic districts; most need full systems work |
| $300,000 to $500,000 | 9 | Updated bungalows and smaller historic homes in Old Town and the blocks east of the square |
| $500,000 to $750,000 | 6 | Renovated 1900s to 1940s homes with original detail intact |
| $750,000 to $1M | 5 | Twickenham and Old Town homes with full restorations |
| Over $1,000,000 | 7 | Antebellum and turn-of-the-century landmark homes in Twickenham; see our $750K+ guide |
Downtown is a small slice of the 35801 ZIP code, which is why the ZIP-level averages on the portals tell you nothing useful about a Twickenham house or a square-front condo. For the condo side of the market, including HOA questions that apply downtown, see our condo and townhome guide; downtown units mostly sit above that price band, but the HOA checklist is the same.
What counts as downtown Huntsville
True downtown real estate is historic, and its streets connect in and around the courthouse square. Twickenham, the district south and east of the square, was Huntsville's first historic preservation district, designated by the city in 1972, and holds the antebellum homes. Old Town, designated in 1974, is one of Huntsville's original subdivisions and is part of downtown too, with smaller lots and a mix of Victorian and early 1900s houses. Blossomwood and Five Points are close, and Five Points is a historic district in its own right, but they are not officially downtown Huntsville, and they price differently. When a listing says "downtown" and the house is not within a short walk of the square, ask which neighborhood it is actually in.
What a 100-year-old house asks of you
These are hundred-year-old houses, and there are going to be quirks. Whether a home was renovated last year or never, not every floor will be level, not every door will be square, and the plumbing, wiring and foundation will have been touched by several generations of owners with different ideas. None of that is a reason not to buy; it is a reason to inspect differently. On a downtown showing we look at the foundation and sill plates, the age of the electrical service, whether the plumbing has been replaced, the condition of original windows, and what has been done about moisture under the house. We bring a contractor who knows old houses to the inspection, not just a home inspector, because the question is not "is anything wrong" but "what will it cost to keep this house doing what it has done for a century."
Historic district rules: what you can and cannot change
If the house is in Twickenham, Old Town or Five Points, you are buying into a locally designated historic preservation district, and the city's Historic Preservation Commission reviews any exterior change to the structure or the property before a Certificate of Appropriateness or building permit is issued. In practice that means windows, siding, roofing materials, porches, additions, fences and anything else visible from the street go through design review, and the standard is preserving the historic character of the property. We tell every buyer plainly: this can be both difficult and expensive. A renovation that would take a weekend in Jones Valley can take a month of applications downtown, and the approved materials usually cost more than the modern substitutes. The Commission meets monthly, so a project that misses the application deadline waits. Buyers who value the architecture generally accept that trade, because the same rules are what keep the street looking the way it did when they fell in love with it. Buyers who want a free hand should look just outside the district lines.
Schools, and a personal note
Downtown Huntsville proper is zoned for Blossomwood Elementary, Huntsville Middle School and Huntsville High School. I am a Huntsville High graduate, so I am partial to this part of town, and I will say the walk-to-school, walk-to-dinner, walk-to-the-courthouse life that downtown offers does not exist anywhere else in Madison County. Confirm the zone for a specific address with Huntsville City Schools, since lines move.
Selling a home downtown
Downtown buyers are a small, specific pool, and the ones who are ready to pay the premium are usually already working with an agent and watching for exactly one kind of house. Pricing has to account for condition and district rules at the same time: a home with an approved, completed restoration commands the top of the market, while one with deferred exterior work sells at a discount that reflects both the cost and the approval process. Our pricing post explains how we build that number, and the home value page gets you a written range within one business day.
Buying or selling downtown?
Talk to the team with 50+ downtown Huntsville sales
Tell us what you need to be close to and how much project you are up for. We will send the homes and condos that fit, with the district rules and the realistic renovation costs for each, before you tour.
Get the downtown shortlist →Common questions about downtown Huntsville real estate
How much does a house cost in downtown Huntsville?
The median active listing in downtown Huntsville and the surrounding historic blocks was $515,000 on November 4, 2026, about $250 per square foot, with prices from $135,000 to $4.2 million. Downtown condos and townhomes had a median of $769,900, about $340 per square foot.
What neighborhoods are considered downtown Huntsville?
The historic streets connected around the courthouse square, including the Twickenham Historic District and Old Town. Blossomwood and Five Points are nearby but are not officially downtown Huntsville.
Can you renovate a house in the Twickenham Historic District?
Yes, but any exterior change requires review by the Huntsville Historic Preservation Commission and a Certificate of Appropriateness before a permit is issued. The review applies to exterior changes. The process can be slow and the approved materials cost more, so budget for both.
Who buys homes in downtown Huntsville?
Mostly people who need to be close to the courthouse or Huntsville Hospital, such as attorneys and physicians who take call, and buyers who specifically want historic architecture and are willing to pay a premium for the location.
What schools serve downtown Huntsville?
Downtown Huntsville proper is zoned for Blossomwood Elementary, Huntsville Middle School and Huntsville High School in Huntsville City Schools. Confirm the zone for a specific address with the district.
