Scores by category

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

Safety10#828/924
Economy42#535/925
Housing39#566/925
Health27#678/925
Healthcare28#667/923
Environment36#586/917
Education46#503/925
Infrastructure16#775/925
Community16#774/925
Leisure & amenities47#487/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Effective property tax rate · low0.43%
92/100Alabama 0.37%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Pharmacies · high2.5 /10k
92/100Alabama 2.3 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · high31.2%
87/100Alabama 28.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Cost of buying a home today · low25.5%
84/100Alabama 26.3%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Job growth · high1.2%
82/100Alabama 0.7%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Days with unhealthy air · low0.0%
81/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Weaknesses

Homicide rate · high14.8 /100k
4/100Alabama 9.8 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high9.2 µg/m³
5/100Alabama 8.6 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · high4,201 /100k
6/100Alabama 3,481 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · high55.6%
10/100Alabama 48.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Rent as share of income · high32.5%
12/100Alabama 29.5%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Premature death · high12,603 /100k
13/100Alabama 11,613 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 63% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+63 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
2 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
74.1% (2015-2019) → 86.3% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Property crime rateImproving
2,316 /100k (2021) → 1,333 /100k (2025)
−42%4 yearsUS 1,782 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Mental health providersImproving
107 /100k (2021) → 148 /100k (2025)
+39%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$44,452 (2019) → $61,183 (2024)
+38%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204

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, Mobile, AL metro area improved on 14 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 7 moved within the margin of error and 4 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.

Improved14

Unemployment−5.4 points8.9% → 3.5%
Libraries+6.2%0.4 /10k → 0.4 /10k
Grocery stores+21%1.3 /10k → 1.6 /10k
Real income+38%$44,452 → $61,183
High school++3 points86.3% → 89.3%

Declined5

New businesses−11%17.3 /1k → 15.4 /1k
Suicides+26%13.3 /100k → 16.8 /100k
Pharmacies−12%2.8 /10k → 2.5 /10k
Airport+6 mi55 mi → 61 mi
Price / income+0.5×2.7× → 3.2×

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Mobile, AL metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.6 /10k2020	3.1 /10k2025	+20%	Improved	74%
Average commute time	25.3 min2015-2019	26.1 min2020-2024	+0.8 min	Within the margin of error	36%
Average weekly wage	$9962020	$1,2262025	+23%	Improved	49%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.8%2015-2019	26.0%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Improved	59%
Broadband subscriptions	74.1%2015-2019	86.3%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	78%
Child poverty rate	28.8%2015-2019	22.9%2020-2024	−6 points	Improved	83%
Distance to an airport	55 mi2020	61 mi2025	+6 mi	Declined	3%
Drug overdose deaths	20.5 /100k2020	20.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−1.5%	Little change	29%
Effective property tax rate	0.46%2015-2019	0.43%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Firearm deaths	23.2 /100k2020	22.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−1.7%	Little change	52%
Grocery stores	1.3 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+21%	Improved	90%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.0 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	+25%	Improved	75%
High school diploma or higher	86.3%2015-2019	89.3%2020-2024	+3 points	Improved	82%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	3.2×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	42%
Homicide rate	19.3 /100k2020	14.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−23%	Improved	47%
Income adjusted for local prices	$44,4522019	$61,1832024	+38%	Improved	83%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4772015-2019	0.4712020-2024	−0.006	Within the margin of error	72%
Median household income	$47,3022015-2019	$58,8802020-2024	+24%	Improved	35%
New business applications	17.3 /1k2020	15.4 /1k2025	−11%	Declined	2%
Pharmacies	2.8 /10k2020	2.5 /10k2025	−12%	Declined	39%
Poverty rate	18.9%2015-2019	16.2%2020-2024	−2.6 points	Improved	82%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	+6.2%	Improved	87%
Public transit commuters	0.4%2015-2019	0.4%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	80%
Rent as share of income	31.4%2015-2019	32.5%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Rent-burdened households	52.5%2015-2019	55.6%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Restaurants and bars	7.1 /10k2020	7.4 /10k2025	+3.7%	Little change	62%
Suicide rate	13.3 /100k2020	16.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+26%	Declined	19%
Traffic deaths	18.4 /100k2015-2019	18.2 /100k2020-2024	−1.1%	Little change	65%
Unemployment rate	8.9%2020	3.5%2025	−5.4 points	Improved	95%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.2%2015-2019	12.5%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	63%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 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; 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 Mobile, AL metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Mobile, 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, Mobile, AL metro area itself moved +2.9 points in standing on average over the same 28 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

412,590 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

161,665 households (±1,065)

Mobile, AL metro area
United States share

Under $25k21%33,300
$25k–50k22%36,117
$50k–75k17%28,280

Homes

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

Owners and renters

161,665 households (±1,065)

Mobile, AL metro area
United States share

Own66%106,752
Rent34%54,913

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

177,251 workers (±2,039)

Mobile, AL metro area
United States share

Drive alone83%146,233
Carpool7.0%12,326
Public transit0.4%†716

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 Mobile, AL employ 35,990 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 Mobile, 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
Registered Nurses5,260 jobs	5,260	$79,490US $97,550	−19%	1.4×
Retail Salespersons4,900 jobs	4,900	$29,710US $35,410	−16%	1.13×
Stockers and Order Fillers3,840 jobs	3,840	$35,070US $37,330	−6%	1.22×
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive3,780 jobs	3,780	$42,840US $47,540	−10%	1.99×
Cashiers3,710 jobs	3,710	$28,240US $32,880	−14%	1.08×
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers3,510 jobs	3,510	$51,010US $58,640	−13%	1.53×
Fast Food and Counter Workers3,160 jobs	3,160	$23,510US $31,200	−25%	0.74×
General and Operations Managers2,750 jobs	2,750	$106,690US $105,770	+1%	0.71×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand2,570 jobs	2,570	$37,230US $40,240	−7%	0.79×
Waiters and Waitresses2,510 jobs	2,510	$26,860US $35,230	−24%	1.0×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Mobile, AL.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

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.

Mobile, AL has 8,960 employer establishments, 218 for every 10,000 residents (0.88× the US rate of 248), with 157,810 paid employees at an average annual pay of $54,348. The Census Bureau also counts 34,995 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 8,960; 34,995 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 218; US 248
Paid employees: 157,810
Average annual pay: $54,348; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	614	14.9	0.81×About typical	13,130	$18,555	190
Ambulatory health care services	569	13.8	0.66×Fewer than typical	9,260	$77,162	1,795
Specialty trade contractors	514	12.5	0.81×About typical	6,769	$63,227	2,375
Lessors of real estate	363	8.8	0.72×Fewer than typical	1,112	$51,327	3,045
Limited-service restaurants	348	8.5	1.05×About typical	7,148	$16,565	51
Religious organizations	347	8.4	1.52×More than typical	3,403	$21,859	—
Building equipment contractors	247	6	1.00×About typical	3,585	$67,615	439
Legal services	229	5.6	1.03×About typical	1,344	$95,876	291
Services to buildings and dwellings	220	5.3	0.79×Fewer than typical	1,775	$30,794	3,403
Truck transportation	220	5.3	1.06×About typical	3,256	$57,257	960
Gasoline stations	219	5.3	1.64×More than typical	1,670	$25,011	25
Full-service restaurants	205	5	0.65×Fewer than typical	5,138	$21,567	89

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 411,693 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 $868.7M on contracts performed in Mobile, AL metro area: $2,110 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $868.7M; −53% vs FY2025
Per resident: $2,110; US $1,994
Sole-source: 18%; US 30%
Single offer: 4.0%; 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

U.S. Coast Guard$366.5M42%
Department of the Navy$328.1M38%
Department of the Army$129.6M15%
Public Buildings Service$9.2M1.1%
Agricultural Marketing Service$6.5M0.8%
Federal Emergency Management Agency$6.2M0.7%
USTRANSCOM$5.4M0.6%
Defense Logistics Agency$4.2M0.5%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

715.1MFY2017
1.6BFY2018
1.6BFY2019
579MFY2020
610.8MFY2021
1.3BFY2022
678.1MFY2023
1.8B

Top industries (NAICS)

Ship and boat building · 3366$623.6M72%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$60.5M7.0%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$50.1M5.8%
Deep sea, coastal, and Great Lakes water transportation · 4831$47.7M5.5%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$19.3M2.2%
Architectural and structural metals manufacturing · 3323

Largest awards

CONSTRUCTION OF LCS FLIGHT 0+ SHIP$2.8B
AUSTAL USA, LLC· Mobile County, AL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Jun 23, 2017 – May 26, 2026· N0002417C2301
OFFSHORE PATROL CUTTER (OPC) STAGE 2 CONTRACT: DETAILED DESIGN AND PRODUCTION (DD&P) OF 11 OPCS.$1.4B
AUSTAL USA, LLC· Mobile County, AL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Jul 5, 2022 – Sep 11, 2026· 70Z02322C93220001
EXPEDITIONARY FAST TRANSPORT (EPF) 13$1.3B
AUSTAL USA, LLC· Mobile County, AL· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Oct 18, 2018 – Jun 8, 2026· N0002419C2227
T-AGOS 25 CLASS - SHIP 1

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 $3B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Mobile, AL metro area: $7,175 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $3B; +0.3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,175; US $12,955
Loan face value: $134.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$1.5B51%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$318.4M11%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$280.6M9.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$183.2M6.2%
20.264 · Bridge Investment Program$131.6M4.5%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$116.8M4.0%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$68.1M2.3%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$54.4M1.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$217.2M7.4%
MONTGOMERY, AL
MOBILE HOUSING AUTHORITY$56.8M1.9%
MOBILE, AL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA$38.3M1.3%
MOBILE, AL
PRICHARD HOUSING AUTHORITY$26.4M0.9%
MOBILE, AL
BISHOP STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE$19.4M

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$2.1B70%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$362.7M12%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$217.2M7.4%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$88.5M3.0%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

2.7BFY2021
2.5BFY2022
2.8BFY2023
2.9BFY2024
2.9BFY2025
3BFY2026

County aggregates

84%

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 Mobile, 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.

Mobile CountyCentral county18411,658

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

MobilePrincipal city203,416

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/M33660

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Mobile, 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

Look up any occupation

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 Mobile, 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

Improved14

Declined5

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 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