Houston County, Alabama: commercial real estate data.
Houston County, Alabama had an estimated 109,366 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 107,213, across 580 square miles. County output reached $8.04 bn in 2024, 2,859 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 70 7(a) approvals worth $41.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Houston County
How many people live in Houston County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024108,140
- Households43,302
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$58,626
- Median age40.3
- Median gross rent$945 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$183,300
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over74,980
- Population under 1824,773
- Share under 1822.9 percent
- Population 65 and over20,206
- Share 65 and over18.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6463,161
- Civilian labor force49,539
- Unemployment rate4.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.4 percent
- Rank by population among Alabama counties12th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included580th of 3,222
Houston County is the 12th largest of 67 Alabama counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.9 percent against 18.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Houston County
Is Houston County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024109,366
- Census 2020 base population107,213
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.01 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024810
- Births, 20241,263
- Deaths, 20241,274
- Natural change, 2024-11
- Net domestic migration, 2024554
- Net international migration, 2024261
- Total net migration, 2024815
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,015
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1165th of 3,144
The county has grown 2.01 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.
Houston County
Where are people moving to Houston County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,831
- People arriving, from those returns5,376
- Tax returns filed by households leaving2,572
- Net household movement259
- Adjusted gross income arriving$139.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$2.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$49,236
- Average income of a leaving household$53,281
- Largest single originDale County (387 households)
- Largest single destinationDale County (387 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dale County | 387 | 767 | $17.3 m |
| Henry County | 180 | 345 | $6.7 m |
| Coffee County | 133 | 258 | $7.2 m |
| Geneva County | 126 | 234 | $6.1 m |
| Bay County | 82 | 168 | $4.5 m |
| Jackson County | 70 | 141 | $2.7 m |
| Barbour County | 46 | 87 | $2.2 m |
| Jefferson County | 43 | 68 | $2.8 m |
Households arriving report $4,045 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Dale 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.
Houston County
What is the Houston County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$8.04 bn
- County GDP, 2023$7.78 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.4 percent
- GDP change over five years31.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Alabama areas BEA publishes10th of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes523rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$74,379
Output grew 3.4 percent in the latest year and 31.8 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.
Houston County
Employment by industry in Houston County
- Covered employment, annual average50,877
- Establishments reporting3,720
- Average annual pay$53,521
- Average weekly wage$1,029
- Health care and social assistance, employment8,171
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$62,325
- Retail trade, employment8,074
- Retail trade, average annual pay$37,874
- Accommodation and food services, employment5,267
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,619
- Manufacturing, employment4,322
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$52,996
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment2,895
- Wholesale trade, employment2,519
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 8,171 | 746 | $62,325 |
| Retail trade | 8,074 | 568 | $37,874 |
| Accommodation and food services | 5,267 | 317 | $21,619 |
| Manufacturing | 4,322 | 149 | $52,996 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 2,895 | 184 | $32,774 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,519 | 184 | $68,571 |
| Construction | 2,156 | 260 | $62,651 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 1,404 | 332 | $75,440 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 8,171 jobs, 16.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Houston County
How many businesses are in Houston County?
- Establishments, all industries2,859
- Employment at those establishments44,694
- Annual payroll$2.11 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.4
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.
Houston County
Building permits in Houston County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024463
- Declared construction value permitted$117.2 m
- Single family units authorized359
- Multifamily units authorized104
- Multifamily share of units22.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$253,225
- Units authorized per 1,000 households10.7
Single-family homes are 77.5 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Houston County
SBA loans in Houston County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded70
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$41.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$587,959
- Median 7(a) approval$190,000
- 10th percentile approval$24,500
- 90th percentile approval$1,458,830
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)946
- Jobs per approval13.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active26
- Distinct industries receiving approvals45
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter52
- Franchise loans15
- Franchise share of approvals21.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (6)
- Most active lenderWells Fargo Bank National Association (9)
- 504 approvals recorded26
- 504 gross approval dollars$17.0 m
- Average 504 approval$655,346
- Median 504 approval$492,500
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval11.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.8
- Most active CDCSouthern Development Council (13)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$58.2 m
The average approval of $587,959 sits well above the median of $190,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 15.7 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.
Houston County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Houston County
Do SBA loans in Houston County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded15
- Paid in full15
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure38
- Status: Paid in full15
- Status: Cancelled13
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Only 15 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.
Houston County
SBA lending by place in Houston County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending5
- Dothan, approvals65
- Ashford, approvals2
- Midland City, approvals1
- Cottonwood, approvals1
- Taylor, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Dothan | 65 | $37,639,100 |
| Ashford | 2 | $635,000 |
| Midland City | 1 | $2,500,000 |
| Cottonwood | 1 | $219,000 |
| Taylor | 1 | $164,000 |
Dothan accounts for 65 approvals against 2 in Ashford. 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.
Houston County
How large is Houston County?
- Land area580 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Alabama counties58th of 67
- Width, east to west42.1 mi
- Height, north to south22 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land186
- Establishments per square mile4.93
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.
Houston County
Flood risk in Houston County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Houston County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 010098
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book13
- Of those, participating in the NFIP13
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Houston County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Houston County (community 010098), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Houston County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 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 Houston 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 Houston County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024108,140
- Households43,302
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$58,626
- Median age40.3
Common questions
Houston County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Houston County, Alabama?
The Census Bureau estimates 109,366 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 108,140, in 43,302 households, ranking 12th of 67 Alabama counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Houston County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.01 percent since the 2020 census base of 107,213, to 109,366 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,263 births against 1,274 deaths, with net migration of 815. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Houston County?
$58,626. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $183,300, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $945 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Houston County?
2,859 establishments, employing 44,694 people with an annual payroll of $2.11 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 Houston County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 8,171 jobs, 16.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 50,877 jobs at an average annual pay of $53,521, or $1,029 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Houston County?
70 7(a) approvals totaling $41.2 m since FY2020, across 26 lenders, with a median approval of $190,000, plus 26 504 approvals worth $17.0 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Houston County?
463 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $117.2 m. Multifamily was 22.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Houston County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Houston County come from?
The largest single origin is Dale County, with 387 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,236 against $53,281 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Houston 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 Houston 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.
Houston County
Cities and places in Houston.
12 Census places lie wholly or partly in Houston County. All 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dothan | city | 71,514 | 65 | 91.2 percent here, 8.6 percent Dale County |
| Taylor | city | 3,063 | 1 | 93.1 percent here, 6.9 percent Geneva County |
| Ashford | city | 2,447 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Cowarts | town | 2,204 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kinsey | city | 2,195 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rehobeth | town | 1,887 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Webb | town | 1,475 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cottonwood | town | 971 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Columbia | town | 785 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Avon | town | 378 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gordon | town | 323 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Madrid | town | 220 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 1 of the county's 70 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Houston County, the largest being Midland City (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.