Walker County, Alabama: commercial real estate data.
Walker County, Alabama has a population of 64,841 across 791 square miles, down 0.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.57 bn in 2024, 1,251 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 30 7(a) approvals worth $26.5 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Walker County
How many people live in Walker County
- Population64,841
- Households25,388
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$56,509
- Median age40.6
- Median gross rent$756 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$135,900
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over44,765
- Population under 1814,869
- Share under 1822.9 percent
- Population 65 and over12,743
- Share 65 and over19.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6437,229
- Civilian labor force27,474
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.0 percent
- Rank by population among Alabama counties21st of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents850th
Walker County is the 21st largest of 67 Alabama counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 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 19.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Walker County
Is Walker County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.13 percent
- Census 2020 base population65,345
- Births, 2024831
- Deaths, 20241,080
- Natural change, 2024-249
- Net domestic migration, 2024536
- Net international migration, 2024136
- Total net migration, 2024672
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,290
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1882nd
The county has lost 0.13 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.
Walker County
Where people moving to Walker County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,053
- People arriving, from those returns2,115
- Adjusted gross income arriving$54.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,896
- Largest single originWalker County Non-migrants (20,462 households)
- Largest single destination (20,462 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walker County Non-migrants | 20,462 | 43,469 | $1.50 bn |
| Jefferson County | 325 | 631 | $16.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 277 | 594 | $15.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 188 | 413 | $10.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 138 | 264 | $5.5 m |
| Winston County | 87 | 179 | $4.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 45 | 90 | $2.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 44 | 91 | $2.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Walker 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.
Walker County
What the Walker County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.57 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.40 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.0 percent
- GDP change over five years41.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Alabama counties23rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1089th
- GDP per resident$39,612
Output grew 7.0 percent in the latest year and 41.1 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.
Walker County
Who employs people in Walker County
- Covered employment, annual average18,709
- Establishments reporting1,536
- Average annual pay$48,692
- Average weekly wage$936
- Sector 62, employment3,485
- Sector 62, average annual pay$48,946
- Sector 44-45, employment3,176
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$36,127
- Sector 31-33, employment2,601
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$58,051
- Sector 72, employment2,096
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,792
- Sector 21, employment652
- Sector 81, employment564
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 3,485 | 289 | $48,946 |
| Sector 44-45 | 3,176 | 258 | $36,127 |
| Sector 31-33 | 2,601 | 68 | $58,051 |
| Sector 72 | 2,096 | 120 | $20,792 |
| Sector 21 | 652 | 12 | $99,162 |
| Sector 81 | 564 | 102 | $50,482 |
| Sector 23 | 545 | 101 | $65,280 |
| Sector 42 | 381 | 71 | $65,138 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,485 jobs, 18.6 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.
Walker County
What businesses operate in Walker County
- Establishments, all industries1,251
- Employment at those establishments14,399
- Annual payroll$592.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.3
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.
Walker County
What is being built in Walker County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202438
- Declared construction value permitted$10.1 m
- Single family units authorised38
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$265,516
- Units authorised per 1,000 households1.5
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Walker County
How much SBA lending happens in Walker County
- 7(a) approvals recorded30
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$26.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$883,293
- Median 7(a) approval$320,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,411,300
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)275
- Jobs per approval9.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active17
- Distinct industries receiving approvals23
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer30.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms9
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter17
- Franchise loans4
- Franchise share of approvals13.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (4)
- Most active lenderPinnacle Bank (7)
- 504 approvals recorded7
- 504 gross approval dollars$4.8 m
- Average 504 approval$682,000
- Median 504 approval$463,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval2.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved4.0
- Most active CDCBirmingham Citywide Local Development Company (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals81.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$31.3 m
The average approval of $883,293 sits well above the median of $320,000, 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. 30.0 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.
Walker County
Do SBA loans in Walker County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded10
- Paid in full10
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full10
- Status: Exempt from disclosure16
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 10 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.
Walker County
Which parts of Walker County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- JASPER, approvals17
- CARBON HILL, approvals7
- OAKMAN, approvals2
- Cordova, approvals2
- DORA, approvals1
- PARRISH, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| JASPER | 17 | $21,569,500 |
| CARBON HILL | 7 | $2,100,000 |
| OAKMAN | 2 | $2,200,000 |
| Cordova | 2 | $601,800 |
| DORA | 1 | $7,500 |
| PARRISH | 1 | $20,000 |
JASPER accounts for 17 approvals against 7 in CARBON HILL. 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.
Walker County
How big is Walker County
- Land area791 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Alabama counties20th of 67
- Width, east to west39.2 mi
- Height, north to south33.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land82
- Establishments per square mile1.58
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 Walker 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 Walker County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population64,841
- Households25,388
- Average household size2.55
- Median household income$56,509
- Median age40.6
Common questions
Walker County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Walker County, Alabama?
64,841, in 25,388 households, ranking 21st of 67 Alabama counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Walker County growing?
The population has fallen 0.13 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 831 births against 1,080 deaths, with net migration of 672. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Walker County?
$56,509. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $135,900, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $756 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Walker County?
1,251 establishments, employing 14,399 people with an annual payroll of $592.1 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 Walker County?
Average annual pay is $48,692, or $936 a week, across 18,709 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Walker County?
30 7(a) approvals totalling $26.5 m since FY2020, across 17 lenders, with a median approval of $320,000, plus 7 504 approvals worth $4.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Walker County get paid back?
Of the 10 loans that have reached a final outcome, 10 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 Walker County?
38 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $10.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Walker 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 Walker County come from?
The largest single origin is Walker County Non-migrants, with 20,462 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,896 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 Walker 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 Walker 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.