Houston County, Alabama: commercial real estate data.
Houston County, Alabama has a population of 108,140 across 580 square miles, up 2.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $8.04 bn in 2024, 2,859 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 70 7(a) approvals worth $41.2 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Houston County
How many people live in Houston County
- Population108,140
- Households43,302
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$58,626
- Median age40.3
- Median gross rent$945 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$183,300
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over74,980
- Population under 1824,773
- Share under 1822.9 percent
- Population 65 and over20,206
- Share 65 and over18.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6463,161
- Civilian labor force49,539
- Unemployment rate4.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.4 percent
- Rank by population among Alabama counties12th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents580th
Houston County is the 12th 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 22.9 percent against 18.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Houston County
Is Houston County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.01 percent
- Census 2020 base population107,213
- Births, 20241,263
- Deaths, 20241,274
- Natural change, 2024-11
- Net domestic migration, 2024554
- Net international migration, 2024261
- Total net migration, 2024815
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,015
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1165th
The county has grown 2.01 percent 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.
Houston County
Where people moving to Houston County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,831
- People arriving, from those returns5,376
- Adjusted gross income arriving$139.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$49,236
- Largest single originHouston County Non-migrants (36,317 households)
- Largest single destination (36,317 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston County Non-migrants | 36,317 | 75,379 | $3.34 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,238 | 2,362 | $66.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 827 | 1,570 | $44.1 m |
| Dale County | 387 | 767 | $17.3 m |
| Other flows - West | 181 | 378 | $10.5 m |
| Henry County | 180 | 345 | $6.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 149 | 253 | $6.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 147 | 260 | $7.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Houston 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.
Houston County
What the Houston County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$8.04 bn
- County GDP, 2023$7.78 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.4 percent
- GDP change over five years31.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Alabama counties10th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents523rd
- GDP per resident$74,379
Output grew 3.4 percent in the latest year and 31.8 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.
Houston County
Who employs people in Houston County
- Covered employment, annual average50,877
- Establishments reporting3,720
- Average annual pay$53,521
- Average weekly wage$1,029
- Sector 62, employment8,171
- Sector 62, average annual pay$62,325
- Sector 44-45, employment8,074
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,874
- Sector 72, employment5,267
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,619
- Sector 31-33, employment4,322
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$52,996
- Sector 56, employment2,895
- Sector 42, employment2,519
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 8,171 | 746 | $62,325 |
| Sector 44-45 | 8,074 | 568 | $37,874 |
| Sector 72 | 5,267 | 317 | $21,619 |
| Sector 31-33 | 4,322 | 149 | $52,996 |
| Sector 56 | 2,895 | 184 | $32,774 |
| Sector 42 | 2,519 | 184 | $68,571 |
| Sector 23 | 2,156 | 260 | $62,651 |
| Sector 54 | 1,404 | 332 | $75,440 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 8,171 jobs, 16.1 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.
Houston County
What businesses operate in Houston County
- Establishments, all industries2,859
- Employment at those establishments44,694
- Annual payroll$2.11 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.4
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.
Houston County
What is being built in Houston County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024463
- Declared construction value permitted$117.2 m
- Single family units authorised359
- Multifamily units authorised104
- Multifamily share of units22.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$253,225
- Units authorised per 1,000 households10.7
Multifamily is 22.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Houston County
How much SBA lending happens in Houston County
- 7(a) approvals recorded70
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$41.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$587,959
- Median 7(a) approval$200,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,465,400
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)946
- Jobs per approval13.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active26
- Distinct industries receiving approvals45
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter52
- Franchise loans15
- Franchise share of approvals21.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (6)
- Most active lenderWells Fargo Bank National Association (9)
- 504 approvals recorded26
- 504 gross approval dollars$17.0 m
- Average 504 approval$655,346
- Median 504 approval$520,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval11.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.8
- Most active CDCSouthern Development Council (13)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals72.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$58.2 m
The average approval of $587,959 sits well above the median of $200,000, 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 15.7 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.
Houston County
Do SBA loans in Houston County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded15
- Paid in full15
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure38
- Status: Paid in full15
- Status: Cancelled13
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Of the 15 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Houston County
Which parts of Houston County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- DOTHAN, approvals65
- ASHFORD, approvals2
- Taylor, approvals1
- MIDLAND CITY, approvals1
- COTTONWOOD, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| DOTHAN | 65 | $37,639,100 |
| ASHFORD | 2 | $635,000 |
| Taylor | 1 | $164,000 |
| MIDLAND CITY | 1 | $2,500,000 |
| COTTONWOOD | 1 | $219,000 |
DOTHAN accounts for 65 approvals against 2 in ASHFORD. 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.
Houston County
How big is Houston County
- Land area580 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Alabama counties58th of 67
- Width, east to west42.1 mi
- Height, north to south22 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land186
- Establishments per square mile4.93
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 Houston 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 Houston County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population108,140
- Households43,302
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$58,626
- Median age40.3
Common questions
Houston County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Houston County, Alabama?
108,140, in 43,302 households, ranking 12th of 67 Alabama counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Houston County growing?
The population has grown 2.01 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,263 births against 1,274 deaths, with net migration of 815. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Houston County?
$58,626. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $183,300, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $945 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Houston County?
2,859 establishments, employing 44,694 people with an annual payroll of $2.11 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 Houston County?
Average annual pay is $53,521, or $1,029 a week, across 50,877 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Houston County?
70 7(a) approvals totalling $41.2 m since FY2020, across 26 lenders, with a median approval of $200,000, plus 26 504 approvals worth $17.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Houston County get paid back?
Of the 15 loans that have reached a final outcome, 15 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Houston County?
463 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $117.2 m. Multifamily was 22.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Houston County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Houston County come from?
The largest single origin is Houston County Non-migrants, with 36,317 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,236 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 Houston 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 Houston 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.