Tuscaloosa County, Alabama: commercial real estate data.
Tuscaloosa County, Alabama has a population of 237,552 across 1,322 square miles, up 5.7 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $14.45 bn in 2024, 4,189 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 101 7(a) approvals worth $43.2 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Tuscaloosa County
How many people live in Tuscaloosa County
- Population237,552
- Households90,052
- Average household size2.64
- Median household income$66,231
- Median age32.8
- Median gross rent$1,037 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$248,700
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher32.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over144,243
- Population under 1848,617
- Share under 1820.5 percent
- Population 65 and over33,117
- Share 65 and over13.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64155,818
- Civilian labor force120,525
- Unemployment rate5.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.8 percent
- Rank by population among Alabama counties5th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents297th
Tuscaloosa County is the 5th largest of 67 Alabama counties by population. A median home costs 3.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.5 percent against 13.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Tuscaloosa County
Is Tuscaloosa County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base5.73 percent
- Census 2020 base population228,135
- Births, 20242,552
- Deaths, 20241,989
- Natural change, 2024563
- Net domestic migration, 2024362
- Net international migration, 20241,064
- Total net migration, 20241,426
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20244,857
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents441st
The county has grown 5.73 percent 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.
Tuscaloosa County
Where people moving to Tuscaloosa County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving4,101
- People arriving, from those returns7,348
- Adjusted gross income arriving$234.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$57,258
- Largest single originTuscaloosa County Non-migrants (66,029 households)
- Largest single destination (66,029 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa County Non-migrants | 66,029 | 136,062 | $5.20 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,608 | 2,856 | $101.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,022 | 1,851 | $65.3 m |
| Jefferson County | 507 | 938 | $27.6 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 342 | 571 | $16.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 265 | 462 | $15.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 210 | 373 | $13.3 m |
| Hale County | 187 | 381 | $7.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Tuscaloosa 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.
Tuscaloosa County
What the Tuscaloosa County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$14.45 bn
- County GDP, 2023$13.93 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.7 percent
- GDP change over five years36.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among Alabama counties6th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents335th
- GDP per resident$60,818
Output grew 3.7 percent in the latest year and 36.3 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.
Tuscaloosa County
Who employs people in Tuscaloosa County
- Covered employment, annual average99,288
- Establishments reporting5,406
- Average annual pay$59,535
- Average weekly wage$1,145
- Sector 31-33, employment18,528
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$81,527
- Sector 72, employment10,954
- Sector 72, average annual pay$22,112
- Sector 44-45, employment10,830
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,143
- Sector 62, employment8,029
- Sector 62, average annual pay$48,762
- Sector 23, employment4,838
- Sector 56, employment4,748
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 18,528 | 200 | $81,527 |
| Sector 72 | 10,954 | 540 | $22,112 |
| Sector 44-45 | 10,830 | 760 | $35,143 |
| Sector 62 | 8,029 | 850 | $48,762 |
| Sector 23 | 4,838 | 480 | $65,611 |
| Sector 56 | 4,748 | 292 | $40,323 |
| Sector 54 | 3,383 | 516 | $79,381 |
| Sector 48-49 | 3,145 | 142 | $58,001 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 18,528 jobs, 18.7 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.
Tuscaloosa County
What businesses operate in Tuscaloosa County
- Establishments, all industries4,189
- Employment at those establishments84,004
- Annual payroll$4.90 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.6
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.
Tuscaloosa County
What is being built in Tuscaloosa County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024631
- Declared construction value permitted$173.5 m
- Single family units authorised510
- Multifamily units authorised121
- Multifamily share of units19.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$275,029
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.0
Multifamily is 19.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Tuscaloosa County
How much SBA lending happens in Tuscaloosa County
- 7(a) approvals recorded101
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$43.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$427,695
- Median 7(a) approval$224,700
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,097,500
- Largest single approval$3,770,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,343
- Jobs per approval13.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active30
- Distinct industries receiving approvals60
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms16
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter77
- Franchise loans25
- Franchise share of approvals24.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (12)
- Most active lenderBankFirst Financial Services (27)
- 504 approvals recorded49
- 504 gross approval dollars$31.3 m
- Average 504 approval$638,571
- Median 504 approval$494,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval9.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.0
- Most active CDCSouthern Development Council (22)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals67.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$74.5 m
The average approval of $427,695 sits well above the median of $224,700, 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 15.8 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.
Tuscaloosa County
Do SBA loans in Tuscaloosa County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded24
- Paid in full19
- Charged off5
- Charge off rate on resolved loans20.8 percent
- Status: Charged off5
- Status: Paid in full19
- Status: Exempt from disclosure52
- Status: Cancelled25
Of the 24 loans that have reached a final outcome, 20.8 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.
Tuscaloosa County
Which parts of Tuscaloosa County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- TUSCALOOSA, approvals70
- NORTHPORT, approvals21
- COTTONDALE, approvals3
- DUNCANVILLE, approvals3
- BUHL, approvals1
- BROOKWOOD, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| TUSCALOOSA | 70 | $27,931,400 |
| NORTHPORT | 21 | $13,446,300 |
| COTTONDALE | 3 | $173,000 |
| DUNCANVILLE | 3 | $450,000 |
| BUHL | 1 | $352,500 |
| BROOKWOOD | 1 | $15,000 |
| Fosters | 1 | $500,000 |
| VANCE | 1 | $329,000 |
TUSCALOOSA accounts for 70 approvals against 21 in NORTHPORT. 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.
Tuscaloosa County
How big is Tuscaloosa County
- Land area1,322 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Alabama counties2nd of 67
- Width, east to west44.8 mi
- Height, north to south41.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land180
- Establishments per square mile3.17
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 Tuscaloosa 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 Tuscaloosa County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population237,552
- Households90,052
- Average household size2.64
- Median household income$66,231
- Median age32.8
Common questions
Tuscaloosa County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama?
237,552, in 90,052 households, ranking 5th of 67 Alabama counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Tuscaloosa County growing?
The population has grown 5.73 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 2,552 births against 1,989 deaths, with net migration of 1,426. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Tuscaloosa County?
$66,231. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $248,700, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $1,037 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Tuscaloosa County?
4,189 establishments, employing 84,004 people with an annual payroll of $4.90 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 Tuscaloosa County?
Average annual pay is $59,535, or $1,145 a week, across 99,288 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Tuscaloosa County?
101 7(a) approvals totalling $43.2 m since FY2020, across 30 lenders, with a median approval of $224,700, plus 49 504 approvals worth $31.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Tuscaloosa County get paid back?
Of the 24 loans that have reached a final outcome, 19 were paid in full and 5 charged off, a charge off rate of 20.8 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Tuscaloosa County?
631 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $173.5 m. Multifamily was 19.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Tuscaloosa 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 Tuscaloosa County come from?
The largest single origin is Tuscaloosa County Non-migrants, with 66,029 households. Arriving households report an average income of $57,258 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 Tuscaloosa 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 Tuscaloosa 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.