Jefferson County, Alabama: commercial real estate data.
Jefferson County, Alabama has a population of 667,755 across 1,111 square miles, down 1.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $65.54 bn in 2024, 16,989 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 558 7(a) approvals worth $338.4 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Jefferson County
How many people live in Jefferson County
- Population667,755
- Households269,883
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$66,388
- Median age37.7
- Median gross rent$1,193 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$240,000
- Home value to household income3.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher36.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree14.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over453,037
- Population under 18153,183
- Share under 1822.9 percent
- Population 65 and over112,068
- Share 65 and over16.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64402,504
- Civilian labor force326,550
- Unemployment rate4.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.5 percent
- Rank by population among Alabama counties1st of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents103rd
Jefferson County is the 1st largest of 67 Alabama counties by population. A median home costs 3.6 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 16.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Jefferson County
Is Jefferson County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.42 percent
- Census 2020 base population674,311
- Births, 20247,828
- Deaths, 20247,620
- Natural change, 2024208
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,939
- Net international migration, 20242,392
- Total net migration, 2024453
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-14,268
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2331st
The county has lost 1.42 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Jefferson County
Where people moving to Jefferson County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving12,663
- People arriving, from those returns21,433
- Adjusted gross income arriving$926.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$73,144
- Largest single originJefferson County Non-migrants (228,384 households)
- Largest single destination (228,384 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County Non-migrants | 228,384 | 459,765 | $24.36 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,032 | 5,297 | $229.1 m |
| Shelby County | 2,346 | 3,909 | $207.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,774 | 3,159 | $131.0 m |
| St. Clair County | 656 | 1,220 | $41.5 m |
| Tuscaloosa County | 638 | 1,044 | $34.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 523 | 887 | $41.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 408 | 710 | $32.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Jefferson 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.
Jefferson County
What the Jefferson County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$65.54 bn
- County GDP, 2023$62.86 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.3 percent
- GDP change over five years34.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Alabama counties1st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents85th
- GDP per resident$98,149
Output grew 4.3 percent in the latest year and 34.9 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.
Jefferson County
Who employs people in Jefferson County
- Covered employment, annual average367,081
- Establishments reporting22,923
- Average annual pay$71,562
- Average weekly wage$1,376
- Sector 62, employment52,958
- Sector 62, average annual pay$74,069
- Sector 44-45, employment37,132
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$41,068
- Sector 72, employment30,093
- Sector 72, average annual pay$27,247
- Sector 31-33, employment24,420
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$87,685
- Sector 56, employment23,087
- Sector 54, employment20,418
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 52,958 | 2,858 | $74,069 |
| Sector 44-45 | 37,132 | 2,725 | $41,068 |
| Sector 72 | 30,093 | 1,777 | $27,247 |
| Sector 31-33 | 24,420 | 834 | $87,685 |
| Sector 56 | 23,087 | 1,180 | $42,156 |
| Sector 54 | 20,418 | 3,265 | $106,932 |
| Sector 52 | 20,023 | 1,548 | $122,416 |
| Sector 23 | 19,368 | 1,536 | $85,941 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 52,958 jobs, 14.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Jefferson County
What businesses operate in Jefferson County
- Establishments, all industries16,989
- Employment at those establishments341,042
- Annual payroll$22.73 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.4
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.
Jefferson County
What is being built in Jefferson County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242,117
- Declared construction value permitted$657.6 m
- Single family units authorised1,536
- Multifamily units authorised581
- Multifamily share of units27.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$310,617
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.8
Multifamily is 27.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Jefferson County
How much SBA lending happens in Jefferson County
- 7(a) approvals recorded558
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$338.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$606,404
- Median 7(a) approval$296,100
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,593,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)7,308
- Jobs per approval13.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active90
- Distinct industries receiving approvals179
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms85
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter403
- Franchise loans121
- Franchise share of approvals21.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (37)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (54)
- 504 approvals recorded297
- 504 gross approval dollars$218.3 m
- Average 504 approval$734,953
- Median 504 approval$486,000
- Distinct CDCs active8
- 504 jobs per approval10.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.8
- Most active CDCBirmingham Citywide Local Development Company (137)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals65.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$556.7 m
The average approval of $606,404 sits well above the median of $296,100, 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 15.2 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.
Jefferson County
Do SBA loans in Jefferson County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded78
- Paid in full71
- Charged off7
- Charge off rate on resolved loans9.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure362
- Status: Paid in full71
- Status: Cancelled84
- Status: Charged off7
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed34
Of the 78 loans that have reached a final outcome, 9.0 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.
Jefferson County
Which parts of Jefferson County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending34
- Birmingham, approvals254
- Hoover, approvals59
- TRUSSVILLE, approvals49
- BESSEMER, approvals43
- VESTAVIA HILLS, approvals31
- Homewood, approvals13
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 254 | $153,668,400 |
| Hoover | 59 | $35,721,700 |
| TRUSSVILLE | 49 | $29,793,300 |
| BESSEMER | 43 | $36,977,500 |
| VESTAVIA HILLS | 31 | $14,929,200 |
| Homewood | 13 | $7,315,500 |
| Pinson | 12 | $3,288,000 |
| Vestavia | 11 | $13,299,000 |
Birmingham accounts for 254 approvals against 59 in Hoover. 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.
Jefferson County
How big is Jefferson County
- Land area1,111 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Alabama counties5th of 67
- Width, east to west47 mi
- Height, north to south41 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land601
- Establishments per square mile15.29
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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population667,755
- Households269,883
- Average household size2.47
- Median household income$66,388
- Median age37.7
Common questions
Jefferson County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Jefferson County, Alabama?
667,755, in 269,883 households, ranking 1st of 67 Alabama counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Jefferson County growing?
The population has fallen 1.42 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 7,828 births against 7,620 deaths, with net migration of 453. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Jefferson County?
$66,388. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $240,000, which is 3.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,193 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Jefferson County?
16,989 establishments, employing 341,042 people with an annual payroll of $22.73 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 Jefferson County?
Average annual pay is $71,562, or $1,376 a week, across 367,081 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Jefferson County?
558 7(a) approvals totalling $338.4 m since FY2020, across 90 lenders, with a median approval of $296,100, plus 297 504 approvals worth $218.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Jefferson County get paid back?
Of the 78 loans that have reached a final outcome, 71 were paid in full and 7 charged off, a charge off rate of 9.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Jefferson County?
2,117 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $657.6 m. Multifamily was 27.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Jefferson 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 Jefferson County come from?
The largest single origin is Jefferson County Non-migrants, with 228,384 households. Arriving households report an average income of $73,144 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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.