Market rankings · Alabama
Child care centers and preschools in Alabama
Markets across Alabama ranked by the Groundwork market score for child care centers and preschools, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 975
- 86 chain locations (9%)
- Official establishments
- 988
- +8.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $823.8M
- On child care and other personal services
- Listings per 10k households
- 4.9
- 16% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $845K
- 16% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #23 of 51
- Market score 54 · Upper middle
A site report maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings around any address in Alabama by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
As of September 2026, map listings count 975 child care centers and preschools in Alabama. Of those, 86 are chain locations, or 9%, against 12% across the U.S. That comes to 4.9 for every 10,000 households, 16% below the U.S. rate of 5.8.
Households in Alabama spend about $823.8M a year on child care and other personal services, or $412 per household, 29% below the U.S. average. Spread across 975 child care centers and preschools, that is $845K per center, 16% below the U.S. figure of $1M.
In 2023, official counts showed 988 businesses with payroll in Alabama classed as child care services, up 8.7% from 2019. That is one for every 2,022 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 5.7% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 23 SBA-backed loans worth $20.2M have gone to businesses classed as child care services in Alabama.
Among the 50 states and DC, Alabama ranks #23 for child care centers and preschools, with a Groundwork market score of 54 (upper middle). Of the 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Alabama, the Huntsville metro area scores highest (69). Of the 12 scored small-town markets in or partly in Alabama, the Albertville area scores highest (83).
Every market in Alabama for child care centers and preschools
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Alabama, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Huntsville, AL | 69 | 113 | 5.5 | $976K | +12.5% | #61 of 387 |
| 2Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | 69 | 51 | 5.2 | $916K | +14.8% | #63 of 387 |
| 3Tuscaloosa, AL | 61 | 42 | 4.0 | $1M | +2.9% | #111 of 387 |
| 4Auburn-Opelika, AL | 56 | 40 | 5.2 | $814K | +7.1% | #158 of 387 |
| 5Birmingham, AL | 53 | 232 | 5.0 | $925K | +1.4% | #178 of 387 |
| 6Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 44 | 30 | 4.7 | $800K | +3.5% | #242 of 387 |
| 7Decatur, AL | 38 | 31 | 4.9 | $837K | +2.5% | #278 of 387 |
| 8Anniston-Oxford, AL | 35 | 21 | 4.7 | $714K | −0.3% | #296 of 387 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | 33 | 54 | 4.2 | $910K | −1.3% | #306 of 387 |
| 9Mobile, AL | 32 | 85 | 5.3 | $723K | −0.7% | #318 of 387 |
| 10Dothan, AL | 28 | 36 | 5.9 | $614K | +3.4% | #341 of 387 |
| 11Gadsden, AL | 26 | 21 | 5.3 | $612K | +0.4% | #351 of 387 |
| 12Montgomery, AL | 25 | 88 | 5.8 | $694K | +0.9% | #357 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Albertville, AL | 83 | 11 | 3.0 | $1.3M | +6.0% | #10 of 454 |
| 2Scottsboro, AL | 75 | 6 | 2.8 | $1.2M | +3.3% | #45 of 454 |
| 3Fort Payne, AL | 70 | 6 | 2.3 | $1.3M | +3.4% | #73 of 454 |
| 4Ozark, AL | 67 | 5 | 2.5 | $1.3M | +1.3% | #95 of 454 |
| 5Cullman, AL | 66 | 15 | 4.2 | $901K | +6.7% | #111 of 454 |
| 6Enterprise, AL | 60 | 14 | 6.7 | $629K | +6.3% | #153 of 454 |
| 7Alexander City, AL | 53 | 6 | 3.5 | $1M | −0.8% | #204 of 454 |
| 8Talladega-Sylacauga, AL | 51 | 16 | 4.2 | $809K | 0.0% | #225 of 454 |
| LaGrange, GA-AL | 47 | 24 | 5.9 | $597K | +3.0% | #260 of 454 |
| 9Russellville, AL | 38 | 6 | 5.0 | $615K | +1.1% | #327 of 454 |
| 10Selma, AL | 32 | 6 | 3.8 | $703K | −7.9% | #366 of 454 |
| 11Troy, AL | 31 | 9 | 7.2 | $458K | +2.4% | #376 of 454 |
| Eufaula, AL-GA | Not scored | 2 | 2.0 | $1.5M | −1.2% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Limestone County, AL | 83 | 15 | 3.7 | $1.4M | +18.0% | #56 of 1,611 |
| 2St. Clair County, AL | 79 | 10 | 2.8 | $1.4M | +7.1% | #94 of 1,611 |
| 3Marshall County, AL | 78 | 11 | 3.0 | $1.3M | +6.0% | #115 of 1,611 |
| 4Shelby County, AL | 75 | 52 | 6.0 | $1M | +6.5% | #165 of 1,611 |
| 5Baldwin County, AL | 72 | 51 | 5.2 | $916K | +14.8% | #224 of 1,611 |
| 6Jackson County, AL | 69 | 6 | 2.8 | $1.2M | +3.3% | #283 of 1,611 |
| 7Madison County, AL | 69 | 98 | 5.9 | $910K | +11.0% | #300 of 1,611 |
| 8DeKalb County, AL | 68 | 6 | 2.3 | $1.3M | +3.4% | #307 of 1,611 |
| 9Blount County, AL | 67 | 5 | 2.3 | $1.7M | +1.8% | #331 of 1,611 |
| 10Autauga County, AL | 67 | 10 | 4.4 | $1M | +5.1% | #341 of 1,611 |
| 11Chilton County, AL | 67 | 7 | 3.9 | $925K | +5.9% | #344 of 1,611 |
| 12Tuscaloosa County, AL | 66 | 39 | 4.3 | $958K | +3.8% | #373 of 1,611 |
| 13Colbert County, AL | 64 | 9 | 3.7 | $981K | +3.8% | #430 of 1,611 |
| 14Elmore County, AL | 64 | 17 | 5.2 | $838K | +4.2% | #437 of 1,611 |
| 15Dale County, AL | 63 | 5 | 2.5 | $1.3M | +1.3% | #445 of 1,611 |
| 16Lee County, AL | 63 | 38 | 5.5 | $797K | +8.6% | #467 of 1,611 |
| 17Cullman County, AL | 59 | 15 | 4.2 | $901K | +6.7% | #578 of 1,611 |
| 18Walker County, AL | 58 | 8 | 3.2 | $1.1M | 0.0% | #602 of 1,611 |
| 19Coffee County, AL | 53 | 14 | 6.7 | $629K | +6.3% | #759 of 1,611 |
| 20Tallapoosa County, AL | 47 | 6 | 3.5 | $1M | −0.8% | #889 of 1,611 |
| 21Morgan County, AL | 46 | 27 | 5.5 | $772K | +2.6% | #924 of 1,611 |
| 22Lauderdale County, AL | 46 | 21 | 5.3 | $723K | +3.3% | #932 of 1,611 |
| 23Jefferson County, AL | 44 | 149 | 5.5 | $820K | −1.3% | #974 of 1,611 |
| 24Calhoun County, AL | 43 | 21 | 4.7 | $714K | −0.3% | #1,012 of 1,611 |
| 25Mobile County, AL | 41 | 85 | 5.3 | $723K | −0.7% | #1,067 of 1,611 |
Show all 67 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Talladega County, AL | 40 | 16 | 4.8 | $725K | +0.3% | #1,102 of 1,611 |
| 27Covington County, AL | 37 | 9 | 6.1 | $574K | +1.2% | #1,170 of 1,611 |
| 28Etowah County, AL | 35 | 21 | 5.3 | $612K | +0.4% | #1,220 of 1,611 |
| 29Franklin County, AL | 34 | 6 | 5.0 | $615K | +1.1% | #1,246 of 1,611 |
| 30Houston County, AL | 34 | 30 | 6.9 | $540K | +2.8% | #1,254 of 1,611 |
| 31Dallas County, AL | 31 | 6 | 3.8 | $703K | −7.9% | #1,307 of 1,611 |
| 32Marengo County, AL | 29 | 5 | 6.3 | $578K | −5.0% | #1,355 of 1,611 |
| 33Russell County, AL | 28 | 9 | 3.8 | $851K | −0.6% | #1,367 of 1,611 |
| 34Pike County, AL | 27 | 9 | 7.2 | $458K | +2.4% | #1,397 of 1,611 |
| 35Chambers County, AL | 24 | 7 | 5.2 | $595K | −0.9% | #1,426 of 1,611 |
| 36Montgomery County, AL | 22 | 59 | 6.5 | $596K | −1.1% | #1,450 of 1,611 |
| 37Marion County, AL | 22 | 6 | 5.7 | $554K | −0.3% | #1,452 of 1,611 |
| 38Escambia County, AL | 19 | 9 | 7.0 | $426K | 0.0% | #1,501 of 1,611 |
| 39Clay County, AL | 13 | 5 | 8.6 | $381K | −0.1% | #1,568 of 1,611 |
| 40Butler County, AL | 6 | 5 | 6.6 | $448K | −4.8% | #1,598 of 1,611 |
| Lawrence County, AL | Not scored | 4 | 2.9 | $1.3M | +2.3% | |
| Geneva County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 2.8 | $1.1M | +3.2% | |
| Cherokee County, AL | Not scored | 4 | 3.9 | $873K | +5.8% | |
| Barbour County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 1.1 | $2.8M | −1.4% | |
| Winston County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 2.1 | $1.5M | +1.4% | |
| Clarke County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 2.4 | $1.4M | −4.2% | |
| Randolph County, AL | Not scored | 4 | 4.3 | $802K | +4.8% | |
| Bibb County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 1.3 | $2.4M | +0.4% | |
| Monroe County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 1.4 | $2.1M | −3.8% | |
| Pickens County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −3.9% | |
| Macon County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 2.8 | $1.1M | −6.8% | |
| Henry County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 4.2 | $889K | +7.1% | |
| Fayette County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 3.2 | $1M | −2.8% | |
| Cleburne County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +6.0% | |
| Washington County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 3.4 | $1.3M | −3.3% | |
| Hale County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 5.3 | $561K | +2.9% | |
| Lamar County, AL | Not scored | 4 | 7.9 | $375K | −2.6% | |
| Crenshaw County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 1.9 | $1.7M | 0.0% | |
| Choctaw County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 1.9 | $1.6M | −5.7% | |
| Sumter County, AL | Not scored | 3 | 6.2 | $427K | −5.0% | |
| Conecuh County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −5.7% | |
| Coosa County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.7% | |
| Wilcox County, AL | Not scored | 1 | 2.6 | $1.2M | −8.3% | |
| Bullock County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.5% | |
| Lowndes County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 4.7 | $625K | −9.0% | |
| Perry County, AL | Not scored | 2 | 5.8 | $307K | −12.2% | |
| Greene County, AL | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −8.2% |
Markets with fewer than 5 child care centers and preschools on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many child care centers and preschools are in Alabama?
Alabama has 975 child care centers and preschools on map listings as of September 2026. 86 of them (9%) are chain locations. The listings count day care centers and preschools. Official counts show 988 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in 2023, up 8.7% from 2019. Another 6,045 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Alabama spend on child care and other personal services?
About $823.8M a year, or $412 per household. That is 29% below the U.S. average (an index of 71, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 975 child care centers and preschools on map listings, it comes to $845K per center. It is estimated from the incomes of the 1,997,247 households in Alabama and national spending patterns by income.
How does Alabama compare with the U.S. for child care centers and preschools?
Alabama has 4.9 child care centers and preschools per 10,000 households, 16% below the U.S. rate of 5.8. Spending per center is $845K, 16% below the U.S. figure of $1M. At the national ratio of child care centers and preschools to household spending, Alabama would have about 822, against 975 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,022 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. The official count rose 8.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.7% for the U.S.
Which market in Alabama has the highest market score for child care centers and preschools?
Among 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Alabama, the Huntsville metro area scores highest, at 69 (upper middle). Among 12 scored small-town markets in or partly in Alabama, the Albertville area scores highest, at 83 (high). Among 40 scored counties in Alabama, Limestone County scores highest, at 83 (high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Alabama scores 54 for child care centers and preschools (upper middle), #23 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Alabama. It maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Child care and preschools in other states
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Top markets for child care centers and preschools across the U.S. · All business types in Alabama
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This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.