Russell County, Alabama: commercial real estate data.
Russell County, Alabama has a population of 58,811 across 641 square miles, down 0.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.31 bn in 2024, 850 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 18 7(a) approvals worth $16.1 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Russell County
How many people live in Russell County
- Population58,811
- Households23,938
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$51,197
- Median age37.5
- Median gross rent$939 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$165,700
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over39,900
- Population under 1814,298
- Share under 1824.3 percent
- Population 65 and over8,979
- Share 65 and over15.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6435,534
- Civilian labor force24,232
- Unemployment rate6.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over54.4 percent
- Rank by population among Alabama counties24th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents908th
Russell County is the 24th largest of 67 Alabama counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.3 percent against 15.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Russell County
Is Russell County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.56 percent
- Census 2020 base population59,171
- Births, 2024535
- Deaths, 2024691
- Natural change, 2024-156
- Net domestic migration, 2024157
- Net international migration, 202442
- Total net migration, 2024199
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-353
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2036th
The county has lost 0.56 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.
Russell County
Where people moving to Russell County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,307
- People arriving, from those returns4,708
- Adjusted gross income arriving$96.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$41,983
- Largest single originRussell County Non-migrants (17,625 households)
- Largest single destination (17,625 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russell County Non-migrants | 17,625 | 36,378 | $838.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 850 | 1,717 | $40.2 m |
| Muscogee County | 616 | 1,282 | $21.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 557 | 1,099 | $25.4 m |
| Lee County | 480 | 997 | $19.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 154 | 262 | $5.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 133 | 294 | $7.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 90 | 190 | $3.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Russell 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.
Russell County
What the Russell County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.31 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.15 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.6 percent
- GDP change over five years43.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Alabama counties25th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1170th
- GDP per resident$39,322
Output grew 7.6 percent in the latest year and 43.4 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.
Russell County
Who employs people in Russell County
- Covered employment, annual average14,057
- Establishments reporting1,202
- Average annual pay$47,497
- Average weekly wage$913
- Sector 31-33, employment2,646
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$67,093
- Sector 44-45, employment1,992
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,423
- Sector 62, employment1,832
- Sector 62, average annual pay$51,069
- Sector 72, employment1,726
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,331
- Sector 23, employment689
- Sector 52, employment485
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 2,646 | 51 | $67,093 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,992 | 190 | $31,423 |
| Sector 62 | 1,832 | 150 | $51,069 |
| Sector 72 | 1,726 | 116 | $18,331 |
| Sector 23 | 689 | 122 | $61,199 |
| Sector 52 | 485 | 85 | $57,313 |
| Sector 56 | 446 | 66 | $36,327 |
| Sector 81 | 295 | 77 | $42,580 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,646 jobs, 18.8 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.
Russell County
What businesses operate in Russell County
- Establishments, all industries850
- Employment at those establishments11,055
- Annual payroll$483.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.5
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.
Russell County
What is being built in Russell County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024183
- Declared construction value permitted$51.5 m
- Single family units authorised171
- Multifamily units authorised12
- Multifamily share of units6.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$281,471
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.6
Multifamily is 6.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Russell County
How much SBA lending happens in Russell County
- 7(a) approvals recorded18
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$16.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$896,894
- Median 7(a) approval$639,500
- 10th percentile approval$21,600
- 90th percentile approval$2,270,000
- Largest single approval$3,793,800
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)201
- Jobs per approval11.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active14
- Distinct industries receiving approvals14
- Median 7(a) term126 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer38.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter9
- Franchise loans7
- Franchise share of approvals38.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (4)
- Most active lenderPinnacle Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.4 m
- Average 504 approval$862,000
- Median 504 approval$1,073,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval19.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved22.3
- Most active CDCFlorida First Capital Finance Corporation, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals81.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$19.6 m
The average approval of $896,894 sits well above the median of $639,500, 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. 38.9 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Russell County
Do SBA loans in Russell County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure14
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Cancelled2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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.
Russell County
Which parts of Russell County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- PHENIX CITY, approvals16
- Lafayette, approvals1
- Seale, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| PHENIX CITY | 16 | $15,483,600 |
| Lafayette | 1 | $639,500 |
| Seale | 1 | $21,000 |
PHENIX CITY accounts for 16 approvals against 1 in Lafayette. 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.
Russell County
How big is Russell County
- Land area641 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Alabama counties40th of 67
- Width, east to west30.7 mi
- Height, north to south31 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land92
- Establishments per square mile1.33
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 Russell 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 Russell County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population58,811
- Households23,938
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$51,197
- Median age37.5
Common questions
Russell County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Russell County, Alabama?
58,811, in 23,938 households, ranking 24th of 67 Alabama counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Russell County growing?
The population has fallen 0.56 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 535 births against 691 deaths, with net migration of 199. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Russell County?
$51,197. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $165,700, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $939 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Russell County?
850 establishments, employing 11,055 people with an annual payroll of $483.0 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 Russell County?
Average annual pay is $47,497, or $913 a week, across 14,057 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Russell County?
18 7(a) approvals totalling $16.1 m since FY2020, across 14 lenders, with a median approval of $639,500, plus 4 504 approvals worth $3.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Russell County?
183 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $51.5 m. Multifamily was 6.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Russell 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 Russell County come from?
The largest single origin is Russell County Non-migrants, with 17,625 households. Arriving households report an average income of $41,983 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 Russell 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 Russell 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.