Scores by category

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

Safety10#829/924
Economy45#507/925
Housing86#133/925
Health18#757/925
Healthcare22#719/923
Environment17#762/917
Education24#703/925
Infrastructure9#846/925
Community11#824/925
Leisure & amenities39#569/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Effective property tax rate · low0.28%
98/100Alabama 0.37%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
New business applications · high20.7 /1k
94/100Alabama 13.6 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · low2.8%
94/100Alabama 2.8%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Pharmacies · high2.4 /10k
90/100Alabama 2.3 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Cost of buying a home today · low24.7%
88/100Alabama 26.3%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Child care cost burden · low22.6%
86/100Alabama 25.5%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Loneliness · high38.6%
5/100Alabama 36.3%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high9.1 µg/m³
6/100Alabama 8.6 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high156 mi
6/100Alabama 51 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · high26.4 /100k
8/100Alabama 21.7 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Homicide rate · high9.1 /100k
11/100Alabama 9.8 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Violent crime rate · high485 /100k
12/100Alabama 348 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 71% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+71 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
11.2 /1k (2020) → 20.7 /1k (2025)
+85%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
73.5% (2015-2019) → 84.8% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Physical inactivityImproving
35.7% (2019) → 28.3% (2023)
−7.4 pts4 yearsUS 25.9% → 26.5%
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$49,591 (2019) → $66,352 (2024)
+34%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204
Mental health providersImproving
120 /100k (2021) → 160 /100k (2025)
+33%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /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, Dothan, AL metro area improved on 12 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 7 moved within the margin of error and 5 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.

Improved12

New businesses+85%11.2 /1k → 20.7 /1k
Broadband+11 points73.5% → 84.8%
Gyms+21%0.8 /10k → 1.0 /10k
High school++2.5 points84.2% → 86.7%
Traffic deaths−7.2%17.9 /100k → 16.6 /100k

Declined7

Property crime+24%1,356 /100k → 1,686 /100k
Firearm deaths+45%18.2 /100k → 26.4 /100k
Suicides+38%16.1 /100k → 22.2 /100k
Violent crime+19%409 /100k → 485 /100k
Grocery stores−13%2.0 /10k → 1.7 /10k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Dothan, AL metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.7 /10k2020	2.7 /10k2025	−0.9%	Little change	27%
Average commute time	23.0 min2015-2019	23.5 min2020-2024	+0.4 min	Within the margin of error	48%
Average weekly wage	$8702020	$1,0622025	+22%	Improved	37%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.5%2015-2019	21.2%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Improved	25%
Broadband subscriptions	73.5%2015-2019	84.8%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	73%
Child poverty rate	27.5%2015-2019	25.6%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Improved	45%
Distance to an airport	63 mi2020	64 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	10%
Drug overdose deaths	14.4 /100k2020	12.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−11%	Improved	36%
Effective property tax rate	0.28%2015-2019	0.28%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Firearm deaths	18.2 /100k2020	26.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+45%	Declined	11%
Grocery stores	2.0 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	19%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.8 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	+21%	Improved	72%
High school diploma or higher	84.2%2015-2019	86.7%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Improved	69%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	3.0×2020-2024	+0.2×	Declined	80%
Income adjusted for local prices	$49,5912019	$66,3522024	+34%	Improved	64%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4732015-2019	0.4712020-2024	−0.003	Within the margin of error	63%
Median household income	$46,3512015-2019	$57,7912020-2024	+25%	Improved	37%
New business applications	11.2 /1k2020	20.7 /1k2025	+85%	Improved	90%
Pharmacies	2.7 /10k2020	2.4 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	39%
Poverty rate	18.4%2015-2019	17.9%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Property crime rate	1,356 /100k2020	1,686 /100k2025	+24%	Declined	2%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	−3.6%	Little change	33%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.1%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Little change	91%
Rent as share of income	27.7%2015-2019	28.1%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	50%
Rent-burdened households	45.1%2015-2019	45.4%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Restaurants and bars	7.1 /10k2020	7.3 /10k2025	+2.1%	Little change	55%
Suicide rate	16.1 /100k2020	22.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+38%	Declined	12%
Traffic deaths	17.9 /100k2015-2019	16.6 /100k2020-2024	−7.2%	Improved	75%
Unemployment rate	5.5%2020	2.8%2025	−2.7 points	Improved	42%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.1%2015-2019	13.7%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Violent crime rate	409 /100k2020	485 /100k2025	+19%	Declined	13%

“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 Dothan, AL metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Dothan, AL metro 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, Dothan, AL metro area itself moved −3.6 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

152,674 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

61,011 households (±649)

Dothan, AL metro area
United States share

Under $25k22%13,267
$25k–50k23%13,891
$50k–75k17%10,270

Homes

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

Owners and renters

61,011 households (±649)

Dothan, AL metro area
United States share

Own68%41,554
Rent32%19,457

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

65,425 workers (±909)

Dothan, AL metro area
United States share

Drive alone86%56,000
Carpool8.0%5,263
Public transit0.1%†92

Jobs and pay

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

The 10 largest occupations in Dothan, AL employ 14,500 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 9 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Dothan, AL by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Retail Salespersons2,360 jobs	2,360	$28,770US $35,410	−19%	1.55×
Registered Nurses1,940 jobs	1,940

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.

Dothan, AL has 3,594 employer establishments, 234 for every 10,000 residents (0.94× the US rate of 248), with 52,879 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,659. The Census Bureau also counts 12,098 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,594; 12,098 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 234; US 248
Paid employees: 52,879
Average annual pay: $48,659; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	303	19.7	0.95×About typical	4,254	$80,172	619
Restaurants and other eating places	289	18.8	1.02×About typical	5,533	$18,053	62
Specialty trade contractors	182	11.8	0.77×Fewer than typical	1,396	$49,261	866
Religious organizations	150	9.8	1.76×More than typical	1,115	$25,594	—
Limited-service restaurants	147	9.6	1.19×About typical	2,823	$15,835	18
Offices of physicians	116	7.5	1.17×About typical	1,964	$109,542	116
Gasoline stations	108	7	2.17×More than typical	643	$26,034	—
Lessors of real estate	108	7	0.57×Fewer than typical	447	$56,787	1,339
Full-service restaurants	106	6.9	0.90×About typical	2,392	$20,832	24
Construction of buildings	96	6.2	0.83×About typical	482	$57,143	400
Automotive repair and maintenance	88	5.7	1.14×About typical	444	$48,227	200
Truck transportation	88	5.7	1.13×About typical	1,439	$62,902	343

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 153,672 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 $8.1M on contracts performed in Dothan, AL metro area: $51.54 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $8.1M; −23% vs FY2025
Per resident: $51.54; US $1,994
Sole-source: 88%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.4%; 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

Department of Veterans Affairs$6.2M78%
Defense Logistics Agency$922.7K11%
Department of the Navy$835.5K10%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$130.9K1.6%
Federal Aviation Administration$129.9K1.6%
Bureau of Reclamation$73K0.9%
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Acquisition and Property Management Division$27.1K0.3%
Public Buildings Service$19.6K0.2%

Top recipients

WIREGRASS REHABILITATION CENTER INC$6.7M83%
BSA AIRPORT HOLDINGS, LLC$918.9K11%
ALABAMA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE, INC THE$333.9K4.1%
MARTIN ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC$130.9K1.6%
SAFEGUARD SECURITY SOLUTIONS, LLC$124.5K1.5%

Spending by fiscal year

5.9MFY2017
8.3MFY2018
5.6MFY2019
1.9MFY2020
4.8MFY2021
7MFY2022
15.5MFY2023
4.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Drycleaning and laundry services · 8123$6.7M83%
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing · 3241$918.9K11%
Colleges, universities, and professional schools · 6113$333.9K4.1%
Waste collection · 5621$154K1.9%
Transportation and warehousing (NAICS 4922) · 4922$124.5K1.5%
Building equipment contractors · 2382

Largest awards

INTRODUCTORY FLIGHT TRAINING - ROTARY$8.1M
CAE USA INC.· Houston County, AL· Education & social services· May 12, 2023 – Jan 27, 2026· FA300223F0095
VISN 7 LAUNDRY AND LINEN SERVICES$6.2M
WIREGRASS REHABILITATION CENTER INC· Houston County, AL· Facilities & utilities· Jan 28, 2026 – Jun 26, 2026· 36C24726C0010
UNDERGRADUATE FLIGHT TRAINING IN THE C-172 AND GROB G120PT AIRCRAFT FOR THE IRISH AIR CORPS.$3.6M
CAE USA INC.· Houston County, AL· Education & social services· Apr 28, 2025 – Apr 3, 2026· FA300225P0011
MEDICAL LINEN AND LAUNDRY SERVICES

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 $1.2B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Dothan, AL metro area: $7,519 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.2B; −1.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,519; US $12,955
Loan face value: $57.5M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$634.2M54%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$180.4M15%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$125.5M11%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$61.7M5.3%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$42M3.6%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$15.7M1.3%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$14.3M1.2%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$13.7M1.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$27.6M2.3%
MONTGOMERY, AL
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF DOTHAN, ALABAMA$14.3M1.2%
DOTHAN, AL
GEORGE C WALLACE COMMUNITY COLLEGE-DOTHAN$13.7M1.2%
DOTHAN, AL
DOTHAN CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION$4.3M0.4%
DOTHAN, AL
CAREER CONSULTANTS, INC.

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$863.4M73%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$204M17%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$28M2.4%
Department of Transportation
Farm Service Agency$20.9M1.8%
Department of Agriculture
Department of Education$16.1M

Assistance by fiscal year

996.2MFY2021
1.1BFY2022
1BFY2023
1.1BFY2024
1.2BFY2025
1.2BFY2026

County aggregates

91%

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 Dothan, 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.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

DothanPrincipal city71,514

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
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M20020

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Dothan, AL metro 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 Dothan, 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

Improved12

Declined7

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

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought