Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety41#542/924
Economy51#450/925
Housing97#33/925
Health35#602/925
Healthcare11#820/923
Environment31#631/917
Education23#710/925
Infrastructure28#667/925
Community20#736/925
Leisure & amenities6#871/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Cullman, AL micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Effective property tax rate · low0.21%
100/100Alabama 0.37%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Unemployment rate · low2.5%
97/100Alabama 2.8%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Pharmacies · high2.9 /10k
97/100Alabama 2.3 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · low39.0%
89/100Alabama 48.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Severe housing problems · low10.5%
87/100Alabama 13.1%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent as share of income · low25.8%
85/100Alabama 29.5%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071

Weaknesses

Preventable hospital stays · high4,639 /100k
3/100Alabama 3,481 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Access to exercise opportunities · low47.1%
4/100Alabama 61.4%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · low0.7 /10k
5/100Alabama 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · low5.0 /10k
6/100Alabama 6.9 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Average commute time · high27.0 min
12/100Alabama 25.5 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Traffic deaths · high25.4 /100k
13/100Alabama 19.0 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
88,128 (2020) → 94,009 (2025)
+6.7%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureWorsening
1% (2021) → 28% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+27 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
5.8 /1k (2020) → 10.0 /1k (2025)
+73%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
74.1% (2015-2019) → 87.3% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
36.8 /100k (2021) → 13.0 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−65%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Violent crime rateWorsening
107 /100k (2020) → 158 /100k (2025)
+48%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Cullman, AL micropolitan area improved on 15 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 8 moved within the margin of error and 2 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved15

High school++4.8 points81.6% → 86.3%
Bachelor's++5.8 points13.9% → 19.7%
Suicides−32%23.8 /100k → 16.3 /100k
Household income+39%$44,918 → $62,656
Broadband+13 points74.1% → 87.3%

Declined6

Libraries−25%0.7 /10k → 0.5 /10k
Violent crime+48%107 /100k → 158 /100k
Grocery stores−18%0.9 /10k → 0.7 /10k
Pharmacies−21%3.6 /10k → 2.9 /10k
Gyms−6.3%0.7 /10k → 0.6 /10k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Cullman, AL micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.4 /10k2020	3.0 /10k2025	+25%	Improved	81%
Average commute time	26.5 min2015-2019	27.0 min2020-2024	+0.5 min	Within the margin of error	45%
Average weekly wage	$8192020	$1,0302025	+26%	Improved	71%
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.9%2015-2019	19.7%2020-2024	+5.8 points	Improved	96%
Broadband subscriptions	74.1%2015-2019	87.3%2020-2024	+13 points	Improved	84%
Child poverty rate	19.5%2015-2019	21.2%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Distance to an airport	32 mi2020	32 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	75%
Drug overdose deaths	18.2 /100k2020	13.0 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−29%	Improved	56%
Effective property tax rate	0.24%2015-2019	0.21%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Firearm deaths	21.6 /100k2020	17.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−19%	Improved	82%
Grocery stores	0.9 /10k2020	0.7 /10k2025	−18%	Declined	12%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	0.6 /10k2025	−6.3%	Declined	28%
High school diploma or higher	81.6%2015-2019	86.3%2020-2024	+4.8 points	Improved	95%
Home price to income ratio	2.9×2015-2019	3.2×2020-2024	+0.3×	Declined	66%
Homicide rate	5.5 /100k2020	4.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−15%	Improved	36%
Income adjusted for local prices	$47,7362019	$64,3712024	+35%	Improved	71%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4422015-2019	0.4542020-2024	+0.012	Within the margin of error	25%
Median household income	$44,9182015-2019	$62,6562020-2024	+39%	Improved	94%
New business applications	5.8 /1k2020	10.0 /1k2025	+73%	Improved	82%
Pharmacies	3.6 /10k2020	2.9 /10k2025	−21%	Declined	18%
Poverty rate	14.9%2015-2019	15.3%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Property crime rate	2,062 /100k2020	1,308 /100k2025	−37%	Improved	57%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	−25%	Declined	2%
Rent as share of income	27.1%2015-2019	25.8%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	81%
Rent-burdened households	42.2%2015-2019	39.0%2020-2024	−3.2 points	Within the margin of error	81%
Restaurants and bars	5.1 /10k2020	5.0 /10k2025	−2.1%	Little change	35%
Suicide rate	23.8 /100k2020	16.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−32%	Improved	94%
Traffic deaths	30.2 /100k2015-2019	25.4 /100k2020-2024	−16%	Improved	84%
Unemployment rate	4.8%2020	2.5%2025	−2.3 points	Improved	30%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.4%2015-2019	13.4%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Violent crime rate	107 /100k2020	158 /100k2025	+48%	Declined	5%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Cullman, AL micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Cullman, AL micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Cullman, AL micropolitan area itself moved +3.2 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

90,566 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

35,347 households (±449)

Cullman, AL micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k19%6,613
$25k–50k23%8,097
$50k–75k16%5,584

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

35,347 households (±449)

Cullman, AL micropolitan area
United States share

Own77%27,088
Rent23%8,259

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

39,801 workers (±1,214)

Cullman, AL micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone83%33,098
Carpool11%4,400
Public transit0.2%†67

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Cullman, AL micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Cullman, AL has 1,867 employer establishments, 203 for every 10,000 residents (0.82× the US rate of 248), with 27,591 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,232. The Census Bureau also counts 6,999 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,867; 6,999 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 203; US 248
Paid employees: 27,591
Average annual pay: $47,232; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Cullman, AL by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	162	17.6	0.85×About typical	1,538	$58,238	264
Specialty trade contractors	158	17.2	1.11×About typical	990	$54,611	870
Restaurants and other eating places	131	14.3	0.78×Fewer than typical	3,208	$19,177	19
Religious organizations	75	8.2	1.47×More than typical	643	$22,499	—
Limited-service restaurants	73	7.9	0.99×About typical	1,948	$18,337	7
Truck transportation	73	7.9	1.57×More than typical	772	$71,180	246
Building equipment contractors	66	7.2	1.19×About typical	392	$57,138	172
Gasoline stations	62	6.7	2.08×More than typical	491	$19,253	5
Automotive repair and maintenance	60	6.5	1.30×More than typical	361	$49,997	187
Construction of buildings	49	5.3	0.71×Fewer than typical	227	$56,476	375
Offices of other health practitioners	48	5.2	0.86×About typical	278	$41,529	101
Services to buildings and dwellings	47	5.1	0.76×Fewer than typical	324	$42,602	634

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 91,916 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $74.4K on contracts performed in Cullman, AL micropolitan area: $0.79 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $74.4K; −62% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.79; US $1,994
Sole-source: 40%; US 30%
Single offer: 60%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

GARY LYNN COMBS$44.7K60%
AAC WORKS, INC$16.8K23%
COLD BOX EXPRESS, INC.$12.9K17%
GENERAL DYNAMICS MISSION SYSTEMS, INC.$00.0%

Spending by fiscal year

89.6KFY2017
240.4KFY2018
265KFY2019
239.7KFY2020
-12.5KFY2021
60.3KFY2022
5.8MFY2023
1.2MFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Investigation and security services · 5616$44.7K60%
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$16.8K23%
Hardware, and plumbing and heating equipment merchant wholesalers · 4237$12.9K17%

Largest awards

ACQUISITION OF THE ATMOSPHERE OBSERVING SYSTEM-INCLINED (AOS-I) ATMOSPHERIC LIDAR INSTRUMENT FOR CLOUDS AND AEROSOL TRANSPORT (ALICAT) RECEIVER TELESCOPE$5M
GENERAL DYNAMICS MISSION SYSTEMS, INC.· Cullman County, AL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Mar 14, 2023 – Jun 23, 2026· 80GSFC23PA008
FIELD, BACKGROUND-INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES$64.7K
GARY LYNN COMBS· Cullman County, AL· Professional services· Aug 18, 2025 – Aug 24, 2026· 15A00025FAQ000150
SURFACE PRO 11 13-INCH WITH E Z KEYS$16.8K
AAC WORKS, INC· Cullman County, AL· Health & medical· Feb 19, 2026 – Jul 10, 2026· 36C26026P0257
THIS AWARD PROVIDES ICE HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE WITH THE LEASE OF CLIMATE CONTROLLED CONTAINERS IN SUPPORT OF ONGOING LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $608.6M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Cullman, AL micropolitan area: $6,474 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $608.6M; −3.1% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,474; US $12,955
Loan face value: $39.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.4%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$360.9M59%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$67.4M11%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$61.5M10%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$45.5M7.5%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$17.9M2.9%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$14.4M2.4%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$13.8M2.3%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$4.6M0.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$19.2M3.2%
MONTGOMERY, AL
WALLACE STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE$14.8M2.4%
HANCEVILLE, AL
CULLMAN HOUSING AUTHORITY$2.7M0.4%
CULLMAN, AL
TOWN OF GARDEN CITY$520K0.1%
GARDEN CITY, AL
CULLMAN SENIOR HOUSING INC$333.2K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$491.6M81%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$70.2M12%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$19.2M3.2%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$14.8M2.4%
Railroad Retirement Board$4.6M

Assistance by fiscal year

512.7MFY2021
502.5MFY2022
536.6MFY2023
589.8MFY2024
628.3MFY2025
608.6MFY2026

County aggregates

93%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Cullman, AL

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Cullman CountyCentral county3294,009

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

CullmanPrincipal city19,319

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Alabama

Areas based in Alabama, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M18980

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Cullman, AL micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Cullman, AL

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Alabama

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved15

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type