Market rankings · Alabama
Grocery and convenience stores in Alabama
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Alabama, ranked by the Groundwork market score for grocery and convenience stores, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 4,251
- 1,683 chain locations (40%)
- Official establishments
- 1,205
- +23.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $11.5B
- On groceries
- Listings per 10k households
- 21.3
- 14% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $2.7M
- 20% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #43 of 51
- Market score 36 · Lower middle
A site report maps the grocery and convenience stores 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
There are 4,251 grocery and convenience stores on map listings in Alabama as of September 2026. Of those, 1,683 are chain locations, or 40%, against 42% across the U.S. That comes to 21.3 for every 10,000 households, 14% above the U.S. rate of 18.7.
At $5,771 per household (9% below the U.S. average), households in Alabama spend about $11.5B a year on groceries. Spread across 4,251 grocery and convenience stores, that is $2.7M per store, 20% below the U.S. figure of $3.4M.
Official counts show 1,205 businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in Alabama in 2023, up 23.1% from 2019. That is one for every 1,657 households, against one for every 1,293 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 7.2% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 14 SBA-backed loans worth $15M have gone to businesses classed as grocery and convenience stores in Alabama.
Among the 50 states and DC, Alabama ranks #43 for grocery and convenience stores, with a Groundwork market score of 36 (lower middle). Of the 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Alabama, the Huntsville metro area scores highest (85). Of the 13 scored small-town markets in or partly in Alabama, the Enterprise area scores highest (70).
Every market in Alabama for grocery and convenience stores
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 | 85 | 312 | 15.1 | $4.2M | +12.5% | #10 of 387 |
| 2Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | 65 | 195 | 19.8 | $3.1M | +14.8% | #96 of 387 |
| 3Auburn-Opelika, AL | 56 | 132 | 17.2 | $3.3M | +7.1% | #161 of 387 |
| 4Birmingham, AL | 44 | 871 | 18.7 | $3.2M | +1.4% | #239 of 387 |
| 5Decatur, AL | 41 | 125 | 19.9 | $2.9M | +2.5% | #261 of 387 |
| 6Tuscaloosa, AL | 39 | 213 | 20.2 | $2.8M | +2.9% | #273 of 387 |
| 7Montgomery, AL | 38 | 304 | 20.1 | $2.9M | +0.9% | #282 of 387 |
| 8Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 38 | 149 | 23.4 | $2.4M | +3.5% | #284 of 387 |
| 9Dothan, AL | 25 | 158 | 25.9 | $2.1M | +3.4% | #345 of 387 |
| 10Gadsden, AL | 25 | 103 | 26.1 | $2.1M | +0.4% | #347 of 387 |
| 11Mobile, AL | 22 | 368 | 22.8 | $2.5M | −0.7% | #357 of 387 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | 17 | 244 | 19.1 | $2.9M | −1.3% | #371 of 387 |
| 12Anniston-Oxford, AL | 12 | 132 | 29.3 | $1.9M | −0.3% | #384 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Enterprise, AL | 70 | 45 | 21.4 | $2.7M | +6.3% | #84 of 538 |
| 2Cullman, AL | 63 | 86 | 24.3 | $2.3M | +6.7% | #153 of 538 |
| 3Talladega-Sylacauga, AL | 53 | 76 | 20.0 | $2.7M | 0.0% | #256 of 538 |
| 4Ozark, AL | 45 | 42 | 21.3 | $2.6M | +1.3% | #331 of 538 |
| 5Troy, AL | 45 | 34 | 27.2 | $2M | +2.4% | #335 of 538 |
| 6Albertville, AL | 44 | 100 | 27.4 | $2.1M | +6.0% | #344 of 538 |
| LaGrange, GA-AL | 37 | 95 | 23.6 | $2.3M | +3.0% | #403 of 538 |
| 7Scottsboro, AL | 36 | 65 | 29.8 | $1.8M | +3.3% | #414 of 538 |
| 8Alexander City, AL | 32 | 51 | 29.9 | $1.9M | −0.8% | #442 of 538 |
| 9Russellville, AL | 26 | 31 | 25.9 | $2.1M | +1.1% | #472 of 538 |
| 10Fort Payne, AL | 25 | 90 | 34.4 | $1.5M | +3.4% | #477 of 538 |
| 11Selma, AL | 19 | 41 | 25.7 | $1.9M | −7.9% | #498 of 538 |
| 12Eufaula, AL-GA | 18 | 35 | 34.3 | $1.5M | −1.2% | #506 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Madison County, AL | 88 | 246 | 14.9 | $4.3M | +11.0% | #67 of 2,402 |
| 2Limestone County, AL | 88 | 66 | 16.1 | $3.9M | +18.0% | #69 of 2,402 |
| 3Autauga County, AL | 82 | 35 | 15.3 | $3.9M | +5.1% | #150 of 2,402 |
| 4Shelby County, AL | 79 | 135 | 15.5 | $4.3M | +6.5% | #202 of 2,402 |
| 5Baldwin County, AL | 76 | 195 | 19.8 | $3.1M | +14.8% | #280 of 2,402 |
| 6Lee County, AL | 73 | 116 | 16.7 | $3.5M | +8.6% | #367 of 2,402 |
| 7Lawrence County, AL | 68 | 24 | 17.6 | $3.2M | +2.3% | #509 of 2,402 |
| 8St. Clair County, AL | 68 | 65 | 18.5 | $3.2M | +7.1% | #511 of 2,402 |
| 9Elmore County, AL | 65 | 76 | 23.1 | $2.6M | +4.2% | #611 of 2,402 |
| 10Coffee County, AL | 63 | 45 | 21.4 | $2.7M | +6.3% | #688 of 2,402 |
| 11Blount County, AL | 62 | 41 | 18.5 | $3.1M | +1.8% | #720 of 2,402 |
| 12Tuscaloosa County, AL | 61 | 172 | 19.1 | $3M | +3.8% | #768 of 2,402 |
| 13Cherokee County, AL | 59 | 20 | 19.6 | $2.8M | +5.8% | #839 of 2,402 |
| 14Cullman County, AL | 58 | 86 | 24.3 | $2.3M | +6.7% | #885 of 2,402 |
| 15Lauderdale County, AL | 56 | 94 | 23.9 | $2.4M | +3.3% | #956 of 2,402 |
| 16Morgan County, AL | 54 | 101 | 20.6 | $2.9M | +2.6% | #1,028 of 2,402 |
| 17Colbert County, AL | 52 | 55 | 22.6 | $2.5M | +3.8% | #1,138 of 2,402 |
| 18Jefferson County, AL | 51 | 502 | 18.6 | $3.2M | −1.3% | #1,158 of 2,402 |
| 19Henry County, AL | 51 | 21 | 29.7 | $1.9M | +7.1% | #1,185 of 2,402 |
| 20Chambers County, AL | 48 | 22 | 16.4 | $3.2M | −0.9% | #1,278 of 2,402 |
| 21Talladega County, AL | 48 | 71 | 21.1 | $2.6M | +0.3% | #1,293 of 2,402 |
| 22Chilton County, AL | 48 | 51 | 28.5 | $2M | +5.9% | #1,305 of 2,402 |
| 23Coosa County, AL | 46 | 5 | 11.3 | $4.8M | −1.7% | #1,348 of 2,402 |
| 24Montgomery County, AL | 45 | 184 | 20.1 | $2.8M | −1.1% | #1,386 of 2,402 |
| 25Houston County, AL | 44 | 106 | 24.5 | $2.3M | +2.8% | #1,444 of 2,402 |
Show all 67 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Pike County, AL | 43 | 34 | 27.2 | $2M | +2.4% | #1,501 of 2,402 |
| 27Russell County, AL | 42 | 37 | 15.5 | $3.4M | −0.6% | #1,507 of 2,402 |
| 28Dale County, AL | 41 | 42 | 21.3 | $2.6M | +1.3% | #1,546 of 2,402 |
| 29Marshall County, AL | 41 | 100 | 27.4 | $2.1M | +6.0% | #1,563 of 2,402 |
| 30Mobile County, AL | 40 | 368 | 22.8 | $2.5M | −0.7% | #1,593 of 2,402 |
| 31Fayette County, AL | 39 | 11 | 17.6 | $3M | −2.8% | #1,625 of 2,402 |
| 32Etowah County, AL | 39 | 103 | 26.1 | $2.1M | +0.4% | #1,645 of 2,402 |
| 33Pickens County, AL | 37 | 13 | 19.2 | $2.8M | −3.9% | #1,700 of 2,402 |
| 34Winston County, AL | 37 | 23 | 24.4 | $2.2M | +1.4% | #1,717 of 2,402 |
| 35Clay County, AL | 36 | 16 | 27.5 | $2M | −0.1% | #1,757 of 2,402 |
| 36Jackson County, AL | 36 | 65 | 29.8 | $1.8M | +3.3% | #1,761 of 2,402 |
| 37Walker County, AL | 35 | 54 | 21.3 | $2.6M | 0.0% | #1,780 of 2,402 |
| 38Washington County, AL | 35 | 15 | 25.2 | $2.3M | −3.3% | #1,786 of 2,402 |
| 39Randolph County, AL | 34 | 26 | 28.0 | $1.9M | +4.8% | #1,831 of 2,402 |
| 40Covington County, AL | 34 | 45 | 30.7 | $1.8M | +1.2% | #1,833 of 2,402 |
| 41Tallapoosa County, AL | 32 | 51 | 29.9 | $1.9M | −0.8% | #1,900 of 2,402 |
| 42Barbour County, AL | 30 | 29 | 31.8 | $1.6M | −1.4% | #1,964 of 2,402 |
| 43Cleburne County, AL | 28 | 18 | 30.1 | $1.8M | +6.0% | #2,017 of 2,402 |
| 44Escambia County, AL | 27 | 37 | 28.9 | $1.8M | 0.0% | #2,044 of 2,402 |
| 45Calhoun County, AL | 26 | 132 | 29.3 | $1.9M | −0.3% | #2,075 of 2,402 |
| 46Clarke County, AL | 26 | 29 | 34.4 | $1.6M | −4.2% | #2,091 of 2,402 |
| 47Geneva County, AL | 24 | 31 | 29.1 | $1.8M | +3.2% | #2,129 of 2,402 |
| 48Bibb County, AL | 24 | 23 | 29.9 | $1.8M | +0.4% | #2,132 of 2,402 |
| 49Franklin County, AL | 23 | 31 | 25.9 | $2.1M | +1.1% | #2,146 of 2,402 |
| 50DeKalb County, AL | 23 | 90 | 34.4 | $1.5M | +3.4% | #2,158 of 2,402 |
| 51Macon County, AL | 21 | 16 | 22.1 | $2.3M | −6.8% | #2,190 of 2,402 |
| 52Conecuh County, AL | 21 | 11 | 24.9 | $2M | −5.7% | #2,193 of 2,402 |
| 53Dallas County, AL | 21 | 41 | 25.7 | $1.9M | −7.9% | #2,197 of 2,402 |
| 54Butler County, AL | 20 | 22 | 29.0 | $1.8M | −4.8% | #2,214 of 2,402 |
| 55Hale County, AL | 20 | 18 | 31.9 | $1.6M | +2.9% | #2,219 of 2,402 |
| 56Monroe County, AL | 18 | 22 | 29.9 | $1.7M | −3.8% | #2,248 of 2,402 |
| 57Crenshaw County, AL | 16 | 18 | 34.4 | $1.5M | 0.0% | #2,289 of 2,402 |
| 58Marengo County, AL | 15 | 20 | 25.3 | $2.1M | −5.0% | #2,296 of 2,402 |
| 59Marion County, AL | 15 | 31 | 29.2 | $1.8M | −0.3% | #2,298 of 2,402 |
| 60Bullock County, AL | 13 | 8 | 21.7 | $2.2M | −4.5% | #2,317 of 2,402 |
| 61Lamar County, AL | 12 | 16 | 31.5 | $1.7M | −2.6% | #2,334 of 2,402 |
| 62Choctaw County, AL | 7 | 17 | 32.4 | $1.6M | −5.7% | #2,380 of 2,402 |
| 63Wilcox County, AL | 6 | 12 | 31.1 | $1.6M | −8.3% | #2,385 of 2,402 |
| 64Sumter County, AL | 5 | 16 | 33.2 | $1.5M | −5.0% | #2,388 of 2,402 |
| Lowndes County, AL | Not scored | 9 | 21.0 | $2.4M | −9.0% | |
| Perry County, AL | Not scored | 7 | 20.3 | $2.3M | −12.2% | |
| Greene County, AL | Not scored | 10 | 31.0 | $1.5M | −8.2% |
Markets with fewer than 5 grocery and convenience stores on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many grocery and convenience stores are in Alabama?
As of September 2026, map listings count 4,251 grocery and convenience stores in Alabama. 1,683 of them (40%) are chain locations. The listings count grocery, convenience and specialty food stores. Official counts show 1,205 businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in 2023, up 23.1% from 2019. Official counts list 1,058 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Alabama spend on groceries?
About $11.5B a year, or $5,771 per household. That is 9% below the U.S. average (an index of 91, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 4,251 grocery and convenience stores on map listings, it comes to $2.7M per store. 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 grocery and convenience stores?
Alabama has 21.3 grocery and convenience stores per 10,000 households, 14% above the U.S. rate of 18.7. Spending per store is $2.7M, 20% below the U.S. figure of $3.4M. At the U.S. ratio of grocery and convenience stores to household spending, Alabama would have about 3,402, against 4,251 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,657 households, against one for every 1,293 across the U.S. The official count rose 23.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +7.2% for the U.S.
Which market in Alabama has the highest market score for grocery and convenience stores?
Among 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Alabama, the Huntsville metro area scores highest, at 85 (high). Among 13 scored small-town markets in or partly in Alabama, the Enterprise area scores highest, at 70 (upper middle). Among 64 scored counties in Alabama, Madison County scores highest, at 88 (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 36 for grocery and convenience stores (lower middle), #43 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 grocery and convenience stores 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.
Grocery and convenience stores in other states
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Top markets for grocery and convenience stores across the U.S. · All business types in Alabama
Related business types in Alabama
- Grocery stores1,477 listings
- Convenience stores2,102 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Alabama?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
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.