Etowah County, Alabama: commercial real estate data.
Etowah County, Alabama has a population of 103,105 across 535 square miles, down 0.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $4.03 bn in 2024, 1,954 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 30 7(a) approvals worth $18.8 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Etowah County
How many people live in Etowah County
- Population103,105
- Households39,411
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$54,563
- Median age41.7
- Median gross rent$847 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$167,100
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over72,481
- Population under 1822,582
- Share under 1821.9 percent
- Population 65 and over20,340
- Share 65 and over19.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6460,183
- Civilian labor force45,906
- Unemployment rate5.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.0 percent
- Rank by population among Alabama counties13th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents606th
Etowah County is the 13th largest of 67 Alabama counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.9 percent against 19.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Etowah County
Is Etowah County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.20 percent
- Census 2020 base population103,415
- Births, 20241,185
- Deaths, 20241,612
- Natural change, 2024-427
- Net domestic migration, 2024296
- Net international migration, 2024164
- Total net migration, 2024460
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,630
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1911th
The county has lost 0.20 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Etowah County
Where people moving to Etowah County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,992
- People arriving, from those returns3,782
- Adjusted gross income arriving$111.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$55,897
- Largest single originEtowah County Non-migrants (34,058 households)
- Largest single destination (34,058 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Etowah County Non-migrants | 34,058 | 71,701 | $2.05 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 720 | 1,366 | $39.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 471 | 874 | $23.3 m |
| Marshall County | 253 | 497 | $21.9 m |
| Calhoun County | 213 | 395 | $8.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 174 | 327 | $8.0 m |
| Jefferson County | 126 | 213 | $9.2 m |
| St. Clair County | 121 | 238 | $7.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Etowah County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Etowah County
What the Etowah County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$4.03 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.80 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.9 percent
- GDP change over five years32.7 percent
- Rank by GDP among Alabama counties16th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents803rd
- GDP per resident$39,044
Output grew 5.9 percent in the latest year and 32.7 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Etowah County
Who employs people in Etowah County
- Covered employment, annual average33,010
- Establishments reporting2,439
- Average annual pay$46,564
- Average weekly wage$895
- Sector 62, employment6,994
- Sector 62, average annual pay$56,095
- Sector 44-45, employment4,813
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,677
- Sector 31-33, employment4,344
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$50,886
- Sector 72, employment3,561
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,496
- Sector 56, employment1,824
- Sector 23, employment1,078
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 6,994 | 454 | $56,095 |
| Sector 44-45 | 4,813 | 400 | $32,677 |
| Sector 31-33 | 4,344 | 116 | $50,886 |
| Sector 72 | 3,561 | 210 | $20,496 |
| Sector 56 | 1,824 | 112 | $41,284 |
| Sector 23 | 1,078 | 158 | $58,648 |
| Sector 42 | 950 | 103 | $63,953 |
| Sector 52 | 935 | 153 | $68,074 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,994 jobs, 21.2 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Etowah County
What businesses operate in Etowah County
- Establishments, all industries1,954
- Employment at those establishments28,155
- Annual payroll$1.18 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Etowah County
What is being built in Etowah County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024133
- Declared construction value permitted$38.9 m
- Single family units authorised117
- Multifamily units authorised16
- Multifamily share of units12.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$292,427
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.4
Multifamily is 12.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Etowah County
How much SBA lending happens in Etowah County
- 7(a) approvals recorded30
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$18.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$626,607
- Median 7(a) approval$317,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,895,000
- Largest single approval$2,726,800
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)366
- Jobs per approval12.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active18
- Distinct industries receiving approvals23
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer20.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter21
- Franchise loans4
- Franchise share of approvals13.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countElectrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (3)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (4)
- 504 approvals recorded15
- 504 gross approval dollars$12.3 m
- Average 504 approval$821,067
- Median 504 approval$685,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval13.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.9
- Most active CDCBirmingham Citywide Local Development Company (9)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals66.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$31.1 m
The average approval of $626,607 sits well above the median of $317,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 20.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Etowah County
Do SBA loans in Etowah County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full2
- Charged off1
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure21
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Etowah County
Which parts of Etowah County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending7
- GADSDEN, approvals12
- Rainbow City, approvals9
- ATTALLA, approvals4
- Glencoe, approvals2
- PIEDMONT, approvals1
- Hokes Bluff, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| GADSDEN | 12 | $2,434,000 |
| Rainbow City | 9 | $7,961,200 |
| ATTALLA | 4 | $5,933,000 |
| Glencoe | 2 | $1,970,000 |
| PIEDMONT | 1 | $15,000 |
| Hokes Bluff | 1 | $30,000 |
| ALTOONA | 1 | $455,000 |
GADSDEN accounts for 12 approvals against 9 in Rainbow City. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Etowah County
How big is Etowah County
- Land area535 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Alabama counties67th of 67
- Width, east to west36.2 mi
- Height, north to south24.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land193
- Establishments per square mile3.65
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Etowah County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Etowah County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population103,105
- Households39,411
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$54,563
- Median age41.7
Common questions
Etowah County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Etowah County, Alabama?
103,105, in 39,411 households, ranking 13th of 67 Alabama counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Etowah County growing?
The population has fallen 0.20 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,185 births against 1,612 deaths, with net migration of 460. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Etowah County?
$54,563. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $167,100, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $847 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Etowah County?
1,954 establishments, employing 28,155 people with an annual payroll of $1.18 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Etowah County?
Average annual pay is $46,564, or $895 a week, across 33,010 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Etowah County?
30 7(a) approvals totalling $18.8 m since FY2020, across 18 lenders, with a median approval of $317,000, plus 15 504 approvals worth $12.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Etowah County?
133 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $38.9 m. Multifamily was 12.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Etowah County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Etowah County come from?
The largest single origin is Etowah County Non-migrants, with 34,058 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,897 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Etowah County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Etowah County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.