Colbert County, Alabama: commercial real estate data.
Colbert County, Alabama had an estimated 58,785 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 57,232, across 593 square miles. County output reached $3.56 bn in 2024, 1,268 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $11.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Colbert County
How many people live in Colbert County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202458,022
- Households24,301
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$60,628
- Median age42.9
- Median gross rent$887 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$171,000
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over41,177
- Population under 1812,368
- Share under 1821.3 percent
- Population 65 and over11,853
- Share 65 and over20.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6433,801
- Civilian labor force26,976
- Unemployment rate3.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.1 percent
- Rank by population among Alabama counties25th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included918th of 3,222
Colbert County is the 25th largest of 67 Alabama counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.3 percent against 20.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Colbert County
Is Colbert County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202458,785
- Census 2020 base population57,232
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.71 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024403
- Births, 2024610
- Deaths, 2024817
- Natural change, 2024-207
- Net domestic migration, 2024544
- Net international migration, 202472
- Total net migration, 2024616
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,143
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents947th of 3,144
The county has grown 2.71 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration 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.
Colbert County
Where are people moving to Colbert County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,451
- People arriving, from those returns2,728
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,224
- Net household movement227
- Adjusted gross income arriving$119.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$59.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$82,622
- Average income of a leaving household$49,529
- Largest single originLauderdale County (508 households)
- Largest single destinationLauderdale County (459 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lauderdale County | 508 | 934 | $20.8 m |
| Franklin County | 167 | 325 | $7.8 m |
| Lawrence County | 50 | 109 | $2.1 m |
| Madison County | 49 | 89 | $4.5 m |
| Morgan County | 34 | 49 | $2.0 m |
| Limestone County | 22 | 39 | $961,000 |
Households arriving report $33,093 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Lauderdale County, 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.
Colbert County
What is the Colbert County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$3.56 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.48 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.3 percent
- GDP change over five years35.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Alabama areas BEA publishes19th of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes881st of 3,127
- GDP per resident$61,331
Output grew 2.3 percent in the latest year and 35.2 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.
Colbert County
Employment by industry in Colbert County
- Covered employment, annual average24,495
- Establishments reporting1,621
- Average annual pay$58,010
- Average weekly wage$1,116
- Manufacturing, employment6,242
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$70,072
- Retail trade, employment3,207
- Retail trade, average annual pay$40,079
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,994
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$54,073
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,927
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,280
- Construction, employment1,738
- Wholesale trade, employment892
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 6,242 | 126 | $70,072 |
| Retail trade | 3,207 | 246 | $40,079 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,994 | 251 | $54,073 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,927 | 121 | $19,280 |
| Construction | 1,738 | 139 | $65,943 |
| Wholesale trade | 892 | 104 | $64,433 |
| Finance and insurance | 744 | 91 | $66,097 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 611 | 73 | $54,129 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 6,242 jobs, 25.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Colbert County
How many businesses are in Colbert County?
- Establishments, all industries1,268
- Employment at those establishments23,237
- Annual payroll$1.14 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Colbert County
Building permits in Colbert County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202494
- Declared construction value permitted$12.5 m
- Single family units authorized94
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$133,386
- Units authorized per 1,000 households3.9
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Colbert County
SBA loans in Colbert County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$11.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,056,673
- Median 7(a) approval$232,100
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)274
- Jobs per approval24.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals11
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer27.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals18.2 percent
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.4 m
- Average 504 approval$851,250
- Median 504 approval$465,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval6.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.6
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$15.0 m
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.
Colbert County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Colbert County
Do SBA loans in Colbert County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Cancelled2
Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Colbert County
SBA lending by place in Colbert County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending4
- Muscle Shoals, approvals8
- Tuscumbia, approvals1
- Russellville, approvals1
- Sheffield, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle Shoals | 8 | $6,538,400 |
| Tuscumbia | 1 | $5,000,000 |
| Russellville | 1 | $75,000 |
| Sheffield | 1 | $10,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Colbert County
How large is Colbert County?
- Land area593 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Alabama counties56th of 67
- Width, east to west41.1 mi
- Height, north to south22.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land98
- Establishments per square mile2.14
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.
Colbert County
Flood risk in Colbert County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Colbert County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 010318
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Colbert County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Colbert County (community 010318), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Colbert County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Colbert 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 Colbert County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202458,022
- Households24,301
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$60,628
- Median age42.9
Common questions
Colbert County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Colbert County, Alabama?
The Census Bureau estimates 58,785 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 58,022, in 24,301 households, ranking 25th of 67 Alabama counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Colbert County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.71 percent since the 2020 census base of 57,232, to 58,785 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 610 births against 817 deaths, with net migration of 616. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Colbert County?
$60,628. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $171,000, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $887 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Colbert County?
1,268 establishments, employing 23,237 people with an annual payroll of $1.14 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Colbert County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 6,242 jobs, 25.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 24,495 jobs at an average annual pay of $58,010, or $1,116 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Colbert County?
11 7(a) approvals totaling $11.6 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $232,100, plus 4 504 approvals worth $3.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Colbert County?
94 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $12.5 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Colbert County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Colbert County come from?
The largest single origin is Lauderdale County, with 508 households. Arriving households report an average income of $82,622 against $49,529 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Colbert 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 Colbert County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Colbert County
Cities and places in Colbert.
6 Census places lie wholly or partly in Colbert County. All 6 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle Shoals | city | 16,951 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Sheffield | city | 9,340 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Tuscumbia | city | 9,115 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Cherokee | town | 1,120 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Littleville | town | 932 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Leighton | town | 893 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 11 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Colbert County, the largest being Russellville (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby