DeKalb County, Alabama: commercial real estate data.
DeKalb County, Alabama had an estimated 73,122 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 71,627, across 777 square miles. County output reached $3.06 bn in 2024, 1,165 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 51 7(a) approvals worth $30.7 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
DeKalb County
How many people live in DeKalb County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202472,269
- Households26,181
- Average household size2.76
- Median household income$51,204
- Median age39.5
- Median gross rent$693 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$152,700
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over48,738
- Population under 1817,353
- Share under 1824.0 percent
- Population 65 and over12,748
- Share 65 and over17.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6442,168
- Civilian labor force31,626
- Unemployment rate4.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.6 percent
- Rank by population among Alabama counties20th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included773rd of 3,222
DeKalb County is the 20th largest of 67 Alabama counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.0 percent against 17.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
DeKalb County
Is DeKalb County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202473,122
- Census 2020 base population71,627
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.09 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024496
- Births, 2024807
- Deaths, 2024966
- Natural change, 2024-159
- Net domestic migration, 2024446
- Net international migration, 2024214
- Total net migration, 2024660
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,674
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1150th of 3,144
The county has grown 2.09 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.
DeKalb County
Where are people moving to DeKalb County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,385
- People arriving, from those returns2,866
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,150
- Net household movement235
- Adjusted gross income arriving$70.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$24.1 m
- Average income of an arriving household$50,627
- Average income of a leaving household$40,015
- Largest single originJackson County (193 households)
- Largest single destinationJackson County (179 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 193 | 412 | $6.8 m |
| Marshall County | 189 | 406 | $7.4 m |
| Etowah County | 84 | 182 | $4.0 m |
| Cherokee County | 61 | 123 | $2.6 m |
| Hamilton County | 51 | 95 | $2.7 m |
| Madison County | 37 | 72 | $2.5 m |
| Dade County | 22 | 42 | $1.2 m |
| Jefferson County | 20 | 37 | $1.1 m |
Households arriving report $10,612 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 Jackson 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.
DeKalb County
What is the DeKalb County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$3.06 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.82 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.4 percent
- GDP change over five years52.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Alabama areas BEA publishes22nd of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes966th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$42,350
Output grew 8.4 percent in the latest year and 52.9 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.
DeKalb County
Employment by industry in DeKalb County
- Covered employment, annual average23,367
- Establishments reporting1,482
- Average annual pay$50,391
- Average weekly wage$969
- Manufacturing, employment6,443
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$66,087
- Retail trade, employment2,612
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,788
- Health care and social assistance, employment2,318
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$45,565
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,978
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,276
- Wholesale trade, employment1,233
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment818
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 6,443 | 131 | $66,087 |
| Retail trade | 2,612 | 273 | $33,788 |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,318 | 193 | $45,565 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,978 | 118 | $21,276 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,233 | 65 | $55,232 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 818 | 59 | $39,292 |
| Construction | 744 | 106 | $68,554 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 405 | 111 | $60,163 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 6,443 jobs, 27.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
DeKalb County
How many businesses are in DeKalb County?
- Establishments, all industries1,165
- Employment at those establishments20,004
- Annual payroll$1.01 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents16.1
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.
DeKalb County
Building permits in DeKalb County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202439
- Declared construction value permitted$7.2 m
- Single family units authorized39
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$184,935
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.5
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.
DeKalb County
SBA loans in DeKalb County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded51
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$30.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$602,104
- Median 7(a) approval$270,000
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,528,000
- Largest single approval$3,620,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)280
- Jobs per approval5.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active18
- Distinct industries receiving approvals20
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer21.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter29
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals5.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBroilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (22)
- Most active lenderFirst Financial Bank (16)
- 504 approvals recorded16
- 504 gross approval dollars$18.9 m
- Average 504 approval$1,179,000
- Median 504 approval$559,500
- Distinct CDCs active6
- 504 jobs per approval9.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.8
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$49.6 m
The average approval of $602,104 sits well above the median of $270,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 21.6 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.
DeKalb County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in DeKalb County
Do SBA loans in DeKalb County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded12
- Paid in full12
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full12
- Status: Exempt from disclosure32
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Only 12 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.
DeKalb County
SBA lending by place in DeKalb County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending11
- Fyffe, approvals11
- Fort Payne, approvals10
- Crossville, approvals8
- Collinsville, approvals5
- Dawson, approvals4
- Rainsville, approvals4
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Fyffe | 11 | $8,216,200 |
| Fort Payne | 10 | $3,095,200 |
| Crossville | 8 | $5,422,400 |
| Collinsville | 5 | $4,918,400 |
| Dawson | 4 | $3,077,000 |
| Rainsville | 4 | $2,167,600 |
| Geraldine | 4 | $750,000 |
| Henagar | 2 | $1,823,000 |
| 3 other borrower cities | 3 | $1,237,500 |
Fyffe accounts for 11 approvals against 10 in Fort Payne. 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.
DeKalb County
How large is DeKalb County?
- Land area777 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Alabama counties24th of 67
- Width, east to west34 mi
- Height, north to south45.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land93
- Establishments per square mile1.50
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.
DeKalb County
Flood risk in DeKalb County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book18
- Of those, participating in the NFIP15
- NFIP participation rate83.3 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in DeKalb County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The EPA places DeKalb County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 83.3 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 DeKalb 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 DeKalb County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202472,269
- Households26,181
- Average household size2.76
- Median household income$51,204
- Median age39.5
Common questions
DeKalb County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in DeKalb County, Alabama?
The Census Bureau estimates 73,122 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 72,269, in 26,181 households, ranking 20th of 67 Alabama counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is DeKalb County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.09 percent since the 2020 census base of 71,627, to 73,122 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 807 births against 966 deaths, with net migration of 660. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in DeKalb County?
$51,204. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $152,700, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $693 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in DeKalb County?
1,165 establishments, employing 20,004 people with an annual payroll of $1.01 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 DeKalb County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 6,443 jobs, 27.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 23,367 jobs at an average annual pay of $50,391, or $969 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in DeKalb County?
51 7(a) approvals totaling $30.7 m since FY2020, across 18 lenders, with a median approval of $270,000, plus 16 504 approvals worth $18.9 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in DeKalb County?
39 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.2 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for DeKalb 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 DeKalb County come from?
The largest single origin is Jackson County, with 193 households. Arriving households report an average income of $50,627 against $40,015 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for DeKalb 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 DeKalb 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.
DeKalb County
Cities and places in DeKalb.
17 Census places lie wholly or partly in DeKalb County. All 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Payne | city | 14,927 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Rainsville | city | 5,702 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Henagar | city | 2,501 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Crossville | town | 2,143 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Sylvania | town | 1,925 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Collinsville | city | 1,781 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Fyffe | town | 1,190 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Geraldine | town | 1,011 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Powell | town | 912 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sand Rock | town | 868 | None recorded | 3.9 percent here, 96.1 percent Cherokee County |
| Ider | town | 731 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Valley Head | town | 669 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Ridge | town | 506 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Shiloh | town | 383 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mentone | town | 377 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hammondville | town | 287 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lakeview | town | 102 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 6 of the county's 51 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in DeKalb County, the largest being Dawson (4), Albertville (1), Flat Rock (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.