Market rankings · Alabama

Real estate businesses in Alabama

Markets across Alabama ranked by the Groundwork market score for real estate businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.

Listings: 6,672; 456 chain locations (7%)
Official establishments: 2,991; +24.2% since 2019
Household spending a year: $28.7B; On rent and homeowner costs
Listings per 10k households: 33.4; 13% below the U.S.
Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100): 99; In line with the U.S.
Rank among states: #22 of 51; Market score 54 · Upper middle

A site report maps the real estate businesses on map listings around any address in Alabama by name and distance, and the spending within reach.

Free10 actions over 3 days, no card

Survey 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 6,672 real estate businesses in Alabama. 456 of them (7%) are chain locations, against 6% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 33.4, 13% below the U.S. rate of 38.5.

Households in Alabama spend about $28.7B a year on rent and homeowner costs, or $14,375 per household, 14% below the U.S. average. Housing spending per office is in line with the U.S. figure. That figure is all rent and homeowner costs, used as a measure of housing demand; it is not money real estate businesses take in.

The official count of businesses with payroll classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors in Alabama was 2,991 in 2023, up 24.2% from 2019. That is one for every 668 households, against one for every 414 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 15.8% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 24 SBA-backed loans worth $10M have gone to businesses classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors in Alabama.

Among the 50 states and DC, Alabama ranks #22 for real estate businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 54 (upper middle). Of the 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Alabama, the Decatur metro area scores highest (74). Of the 13 scored small-town markets in or partly in Alabama, the Scottsboro area scores highest (75).

Every market in Alabama for real estate businesses

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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

Metro areas reaching Alabama, ranked for real estate businesses by Groundwork market score
Market	Score	Listings	Per 10k households	Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)	Population growth	U.S. rank
1Decatur, AL	74	119	19.0	176	+2.5%	#22 of 387
2Dothan, AL	63	142	23.3	136	+3.4%	#67 of 387
3Tuscaloosa, AL	60	263	24.9	131	+2.9%	#95 of 387
4Auburn-Opelika, AL	55	226	29.5	112	+7.1%	#138 of 387
5Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL	55	188	29.6	109	+3.5%	#139 of 387
6Anniston-Oxford, AL	54	102	22.7	136	−0.3%	#140 of 387
7Gadsden, AL	52	97	24.6	125	+0.4%	#161 of 387
8Huntsville, AL	46	963	46.8	79	+12.5%	#231 of 387
9Montgomery, AL	42	530	35.0	94	+0.9%	#259 of 387
Columbus, GA-AL	39	347	27.2	118	−1.3%	#285 of 387
10Birmingham, AL	36	1,867	40.2	87	+1.4%	#327 of 387
11Mobile, AL	35	533	33.0	98	−0.7%	#338 of 387
12Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL	33	880	89.3	40	+14.8%	#354 of 387

Small-town markets

Small-town markets reaching Alabama, ranked for real estate businesses by Groundwork market score
Market	Score	Listings	Per 10k households	Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)	Population growth	U.S. rank
1Scottsboro, AL	75	27	12.4	248	+3.3%	#29 of 536
2Ozark, AL	73	18	9.1	338	+1.3%	#36 of 536
3Talladega-Sylacauga, AL	72	34	8.9	346	0.0%	#40 of 536
4Russellville, AL	66	9	7.5	401	+1.1%	#71 of 536
5Fort Payne, AL	60	46	17.6	170	+3.4%	#136 of 536
6Cullman, AL	56	82	23.2	140	+6.7%	#183 of 536
7Selma, AL	54	19	11.9	227	−7.9%	#207 of 536
LaGrange, GA-AL	51	84	20.8	150	+3.0%	#257 of 536
8Albertville, AL	45	127	34.8	94	+6.0%	#326 of 536
9Enterprise, AL	44	65	31.0	108	+6.3%	#340 of 536
10Eufaula, AL-GA	43	15	14.7	198	−1.2%	#343 of 536
11Troy, AL	41	29	23.2	130	+2.4%	#377 of 536
12Alexander City, AL	28	68	39.8	79	−0.8%	#515 of 536

Counties

Counties in Alabama, ranked for real estate businesses by Groundwork market score
Market	Score	Listings	Per 10k households	Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)	Population growth	U.S. rank
1Lawrence County, AL	79	6	4.4	738	+2.3%	#32 of 2,229
2Henry County, AL	76	7	9.9	321	+7.1%	#85 of 2,229
3Blount County, AL	74	27	12.2	267	+1.8%	#127 of 2,229
4Cleburne County, AL	71	6	10.0	306	+6.0%	#183 of 2,229
5St. Clair County, AL	71	69	19.7	174	+7.1%	#196 of 2,229
6Jackson County, AL	69	27	12.4	248	+3.3%	#231 of 2,229
7Dale County, AL	68	18	9.1	338	+1.3%	#263 of 2,229
8Talladega County, AL	68	33	9.8	315	+0.3%	#264 of 2,229
9Chilton County, AL	68	27	15.1	213	+5.9%	#277 of 2,229
10Limestone County, AL	66	87	21.2	172	+18.0%	#352 of 2,229
11Bibb County, AL	65	8	10.4	289	+0.4%	#366 of 2,229
12Chambers County, AL	64	10	7.4	400	−0.9%	#389 of 2,229
13Randolph County, AL	63	16	17.3	177	+4.8%	#465 of 2,229
14Elmore County, AL	62	75	22.8	152	+4.2%	#514 of 2,229
15Franklin County, AL	61	9	7.5	401	+1.1%	#522 of 2,229
16Winston County, AL	61	13	13.8	224	+1.4%	#534 of 2,229
17Autauga County, AL	61	51	22.3	158	+5.1%	#552 of 2,229
18Marion County, AL	59	15	14.1	212	−0.3%	#614 of 2,229
19Cherokee County, AL	59	18	17.7	178	+5.8%	#623 of 2,229
20Clay County, AL	58	5	8.6	355	−0.1%	#642 of 2,229
21DeKalb County, AL	57	46	17.6	170	+3.4%	#721 of 2,229
22Morgan County, AL	57	113	23.0	147	+2.6%	#734 of 2,229
23Cullman County, AL	57	82	23.2	140	+6.7%	#736 of 2,229
24Colbert County, AL	56	50	20.6	154	+3.8%	#780 of 2,229
25Monroe County, AL	53	9	12.2	233	−3.8%	#901 of 2,229

Show all 67 counties

Counties in Alabama, ranked for real estate businesses by Groundwork market score, continued
Market	Score	Listings	Per 10k households	Housing spending per listing (U.S. = 100)	Population growth	U.S. rank
26Dallas County, AL	52	19	11.9	227	−7.9%	#961 of 2,229
27Russell County, AL	52	33	13.8	218	−0.6%	#966 of 2,229
28Clarke County, AL	51	11	13.1	232	−4.2%	#1,018 of 2,229
29Covington County, AL	51	26	17.8	174	+1.2%	#1,033 of 2,229
30Marengo County, AL	47	8	10.1	299	−5.0%	#1,199 of 2,229
31Escambia County, AL	47	18	14.1	208	0.0%	#1,203 of 2,229
32Coffee County, AL	47	65	31.0	108	+6.3%	#1,246 of 2,229
33Lee County, AL	46	222	32.0	104	+8.6%	#1,313 of 2,229
34Marshall County, AL	46	127	34.8	94	+6.0%	#1,320 of 2,229
35Tuscaloosa County, AL	45	261	29.0	115	+3.8%	#1,352 of 2,229
36Pike County, AL	43	29	23.2	130	+2.4%	#1,457 of 2,229
37Walker County, AL	43	62	24.4	126	0.0%	#1,460 of 2,229
38Lauderdale County, AL	43	138	35.2	93	+3.3%	#1,480 of 2,229
39Houston County, AL	42	131	30.3	106	+2.8%	#1,527 of 2,229
40Shelby County, AL	42	392	45.1	87	+6.5%	#1,542 of 2,229
41Calhoun County, AL	41	102	22.7	136	−0.3%	#1,562 of 2,229
42Etowah County, AL	41	97	24.6	125	+0.4%	#1,566 of 2,229
43Madison County, AL	41	876	53.1	70	+11.0%	#1,593 of 2,229
44Butler County, AL	39	10	13.2	223	−4.8%	#1,651 of 2,229
45Barbour County, AL	38	14	15.3	191	−1.4%	#1,718 of 2,229
46Baldwin County, AL	34	880	89.3	40	+14.8%	#1,958 of 2,229
47Bullock County, AL	32	5	13.6	192	−4.5%	#1,994 of 2,229
48Mobile County, AL	30	533	33.0	98	−0.7%	#2,069 of 2,229
49Tallapoosa County, AL	28	68	39.8	79	−0.8%	#2,127 of 2,229
50Montgomery County, AL	25	402	44.0	73	−1.1%	#2,180 of 2,229
51Jefferson County, AL	25	1,282	47.5	72	−1.3%	#2,181 of 2,229
Geneva County, AL	Not scored	4	3.8	808	+3.2%
Pickens County, AL	Not scored	1	1.5	2,023	−3.9%
Macon County, AL	Not scored	4	5.5	526	−6.8%
Fayette County, AL	Not scored	3	4.8	629	−2.8%
Washington County, AL	Not scored	1	1.7	1,970	−3.3%
Hale County, AL	Not scored	1	1.8	1,615	+2.9%
Lamar County, AL	Not scored	2	3.9	745	−2.6%
Crenshaw County, AL	Not scored	4	7.6	390	0.0%
Choctaw County, AL	Not scored	2	3.8	775	−5.7%
Sumter County, AL	Not scored	4	8.3	328	−5.0%
Conecuh County, AL	Not scored	2	4.5	632	−5.7%
Coosa County, AL	Not scored	1	2.3	1,349	−1.7%
Wilcox County, AL	Not scored	2	5.2	544	−8.3%
Lowndes County, AL	Not scored	2	4.7	595	−9.0%
Perry County, AL	Not scored	1	2.9	894	−12.2%
Greene County, AL	Not scored	0	0.0	n/a	−8.2%

Markets with fewer than 5 real estate businesses on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.

Questions

How many real estate businesses are in Alabama?

Alabama has 6,672 real estate businesses on map listings as of September 2026. 456 of them (7%) are chain locations. The listings count real estate agents and brokers, property managers, mortgage brokers and lenders, and home inspectors. Official counts show 2,991 businesses with payroll classed as real estate agents, property managers, mortgage lenders and inspectors in 2023, up 24.2% from 2019. Official counts list 21,611 one-person businesses without payroll.

How much do households in Alabama spend on rent and homeowner costs?

About $28.7B a year, or $14,375 per household. That is 14% below the U.S. average (an index of 86, where 100 is the U.S. average). For the 6,672 real estate businesses on map listings, housing spending per office is in line with the U.S. figure. The spending figure is all rent and homeowner costs, a measure of housing demand, not money real estate businesses take in. 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 real estate businesses?

Alabama has 33.4 real estate businesses per 10,000 households, 13% below the U.S. rate of 38.5. The index of housing spending per office is 99, where 100 is the U.S. At the national ratio of real estate businesses to household spending, Alabama would have about 6,628, against 6,672 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 668 households, against one for every 414 across the U.S. The official count rose 24.2% from 2019 to 2023, against +15.8% for the U.S.

Which market in Alabama has the highest market score for real estate businesses?

Among 13 scored metro areas in or partly in Alabama, the Decatur metro area scores highest, at 74 (upper middle). Among 13 scored small-town markets in or partly in Alabama, the Scottsboro area scores highest, at 75 (high). Among 51 scored counties in Alabama, Lawrence County scores highest, at 79 (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 real estate businesses (upper middle), #22 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 real estate businesses 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.

Real estate agents and brokers5,429 listings
Property management426 listings
Mortgage brokers and lenders724 listings
Home inspectors93 listings

Screening a site or an acquisition in Alabama?

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