Pickens County, Alabama: commercial real estate data.
Pickens County, Alabama has a population of 18,721 across 881 square miles, down 3.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $568.8 m in 2024, 243 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $2.3 m.
115 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Pickens County
How many people live in Pickens County
- Population18,721
- Households6,764
- Average household size2.77
- Median household income$46,274
- Median age42.2
- Median gross rent$648 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$123,900
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,516
- Population under 183,584
- Share under 1819.1 percent
- Population 65 and over3,723
- Share 65 and over19.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6411,414
- Civilian labor force7,077
- Unemployment rate4.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over46.8 percent
- Rank by population among Alabama counties48th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1948th
Pickens County is the 48th largest of 67 Alabama counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 19.9 percent against 19.1 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Pickens County
Is Pickens County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.23 percent
- Census 2020 base population19,125
- Births, 2024185
- Deaths, 2024268
- Natural change, 2024-83
- Net domestic migration, 2024-155
- Net international migration, 20246
- Total net migration, 2024-149
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-81
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2778th
The county has lost 3.23 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Pickens County
Where people moving to Pickens County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving301
- People arriving, from those returns603
- Adjusted gross income arriving$14.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$47,734
- Largest single originPickens County Non-migrants (5,841 households)
- Largest single destination (5,841 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickens County Non-migrants | 5,841 | 12,252 | $336.9 m |
| Tuscaloosa County | 124 | 247 | $5.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 76 | 153 | $4.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 76 | 162 | $3.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 76 | 162 | $3.8 m |
| Lowndes County | 25 | 41 | $977,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Pickens 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.
Pickens County
What the Pickens County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$568.8 m
- County GDP, 2023$545.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.3 percent
- GDP change over five years21.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Alabama counties55th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2319th
- GDP per resident$30,381
Output grew 4.3 percent in the latest year and 21.8 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.
Pickens County
Who employs people in Pickens County
- Covered employment, annual average3,718
- Establishments reporting398
- Average annual pay$50,820
- Average weekly wage$977
- Sector 31-33, employment700
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$52,183
- Sector 23, employment390
- Sector 23, average annual pay$67,336
- Sector 44-45, employment375
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$29,696
- Sector 72, employment131
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,018
- Sector 81, employment78
- Sector 48-49, employment52
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 700 | 20 | $52,183 |
| Sector 23 | 390 | 24 | $67,336 |
| Sector 44-45 | 375 | 55 | $29,696 |
| Sector 72 | 131 | 15 | $19,018 |
| Sector 81 | 78 | 15 | $35,326 |
| Sector 48-49 | 52 | 18 | $59,508 |
| Sector 51 | 35 | 5 | $46,958 |
| Sector 71 | 4 | 4 | $11,631 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 700 jobs, 18.8 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.
Pickens County
What businesses operate in Pickens County
- Establishments, all industries243
- Employment at those establishments2,546
- Annual payroll$108.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents13.0
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.
Pickens County
What is being built in Pickens County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20245
- Declared construction value permitted$930,000
- Single family units authorised5
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$186,000
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.7
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Pickens County
How much SBA lending happens in Pickens County
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$564,875
- Median 7(a) approval$808,500
- 10th percentile approval$150,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,130,000
- Largest single approval$1,130,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)19
- Jobs per approval4.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term180 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBroilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (2)
- Most active lenderBankFirst Financial Services (2)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.7 m
- Average 504 approval$1,746,000
- Median 504 approval$1,746,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval6.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved3.4
- Most active CDCFlorida Business Development Corporation (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals80.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$4.0 m
The average approval of $564,875 sits close to the median of $808,500, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 0.0 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.
Pickens County
Do SBA loans in Pickens County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Pickens County
Which parts of Pickens County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- GORDO, approvals2
- ALICEVILLE, approvals1
- Reform, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| GORDO | 2 | $979,500 |
| ALICEVILLE | 1 | $1,130,000 |
| Reform | 1 | $150,000 |
GORDO accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in ALICEVILLE. 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.
Pickens County
How big is Pickens County
- Land area881 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Alabama counties17th of 67
- Width, east to west29.1 mi
- Height, north to south37.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land21
- Establishments per square mile0.28
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 Pickens 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 Pickens County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population18,721
- Households6,764
- Average household size2.77
- Median household income$46,274
- Median age42.2
Common questions
Pickens County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Pickens County, Alabama?
18,721, in 6,764 households, ranking 48th of 67 Alabama counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Pickens County growing?
The population has fallen 3.23 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 185 births against 268 deaths, with net migration of -149. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Pickens County?
$46,274. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $123,900, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $648 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Pickens County?
243 establishments, employing 2,546 people with an annual payroll of $108.6 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Pickens County?
Average annual pay is $50,820, or $977 a week, across 3,718 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Pickens County?
4 7(a) approvals totalling $2.3 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $808,500, plus 1 504 approvals worth $1.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Pickens County?
5 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $930,000. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Pickens 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 Pickens County come from?
The largest single origin is Pickens County Non-migrants, with 5,841 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,734 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 Pickens 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 Pickens 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.