State

Alabama

Alabama has a quality-of-life score of 4 out of 100 (very low), ranking #49 of 51 US states. It ranks best on effective property tax rate (low), drinking water violations (low) and cost of buying a home today (low). It ranks worst on math scores (low), mental health providers (low) and arts, entertainment and recreation (low).

4Very low

Quality-of-life score: #49 of 51 states
Population: 5,193,088 (2025)
Land area: 50,651 mi²
Density: 102.5 /mi²
FIPS code: 01

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 78 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map Federal contracts here

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US states.

Safety18#42/51
Economy12#45/51
Housing74#14/51
Health8#47/51
Healthcare2#50/51
Environment21#39/49
Education0#51/51
Infrastructure6#48/51
Community4#49/51
Leisure & amenities12#45/51

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Alabama ranks highest and lowest among US states (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Effective property tax rate · low0.37%
98/100United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Drinking water violations · low0
96/100United States 02023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Cost of buying a home today · low26.3%
94/100United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Unemployment rate · low2.8%
92/100United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from countiesPartial year
Job growth · high0.7%
89/100United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Pharmacies · high2.3 /10k
84/100United States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Weaknesses

Math scores · low2.65
0/100United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Mental health providers · low156 /100k
0/100United States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low3.3 /10k
2/100United States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Dentists · low49 /100k
2/100United States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Reading scores · low2.83
2/100United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Access to exercise opportunities · low61.4%
4/100United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
1% (2021) → 54% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+52 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
76.4% (2015-2019) → 87.5% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
27.0 /100k (2021) → 16.1 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−40%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
High ozone daysImproving
0 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−35%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Homicide rateImproving
14.8 /100k (2021) → 9.8 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−34%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$48,694 (2019) → $64,523 (2024)
+33%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, Alabama improved on 15 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 8 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among states: 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

Restaurants+10%6.2 /10k → 6.9 /10k
Broadband+11 points76.4% → 87.5%
High school++2.4 points86.2% → 88.6%
Gyms+21%1.0 /10k → 1.2 /10k
Arts & recreation+23%2.7 /10k → 3.3 /10k

Declined5

Pharmacies−12%2.6 /10k → 2.3 /10k
Commute+0.6 min24.9 min → 25.5 min
Price / income+0.5×2.8× → 3.3×
Rent / income+0.5 points29.0% → 29.5%
Rent burden+1.1 points47.7% → 48.8%

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Alabama between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.7 /10k2020	3.3 /10k2025	+23%	Improved	81%
Average commute time	24.9 min2015-2019	25.5 min2020-2024	+0.6 min	Declined	17%
Average weekly wage	$1,0042020	$1,2402025	+24%	Improved	58%
Bachelor's degree or higher	25.5%2015-2019	28.4%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Improved	15%
Broadband subscriptions	76.4%2015-2019	87.5%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	91%
Child poverty rate	21.9%2019	20.4%2024	−1.5 points	Improved	63%
Distance to an airport	46 mi2020	46 mi2025	+1 mi	Little change	11%
Drug overdose deaths	19.5 /100k2020	16.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−17%	Improved	42%
Effective property tax rate	0.39%2015-2019	0.37%2020-2024	−0 points	Little change	11%
Firearm deaths	22.7 /100k2020	21.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−4.4%	Within the margin of error	42%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+4.1%	Within the margin of error	77%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.0 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+21%	Improved	89%
High school diploma or higher	86.2%2015-2019	88.6%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Improved	89%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	3.3×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	58%
Homicide rate	13.0 /100k2020	9.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−25%	Improved	25%
Income adjusted for local prices	$48,6942019	$64,5232024	+33%	Improved	52%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4792015-2019	0.4792020-2024	0.000	Within the margin of error	64%
Median household income	$51,7712019	$66,7042024	+29%	Improved	79%
New business applications	11.6 /1k2020	13.6 /1k2025	+17%	Improved	17%
Pharmacies	2.6 /10k2020	2.3 /10k2025	−12%	Declined	21%
Poverty rate	15.6%2019	15.2%2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Public libraries	0.6 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	−6.5%	Within the margin of error	19%
Public transit commuters	0.3%2015-2019	0.3%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	97%
Rent as share of income	29.0%2015-2019	29.5%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Declined	57%
Rent-burdened households	47.7%2015-2019	48.8%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Declined	52%
Restaurants and bars	6.2 /10k2020	6.9 /10k2025	+10%	Improved	85%
Students per teacher	17.7×2019	17.4×2024	−0.3×	Little change	26%
Suicide rate	15.8 /100k2020	17.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+7.6%	Within the margin of error	32%
Traffic deaths	19.5 /100k2015-2019	19.0 /100k2020-2024	−2.5%	Within the margin of error	87%
Unemployment rate	6.4%2020	2.9%2025	−3.5 points	Improved	60%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.6%2019	10.0%2024	−1.6 points	Improved	73%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 51 states 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; Small Area Health Insurance Estimates; Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; Public Libraries Survey; Common Core of Data; 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 51 states 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.

States like Alabama five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Alabama 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, Alabama itself moved +0.2 points in standing on average over the same 31 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

5,086,768 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 50–59 women (−0.6 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

5,086,768 residents

Alabama
United States share

White63%3,224,860
Black26%1,302,911
Hispanic or Latino5.6%284,135
Asian1.4%73,353
American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%13,274
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%†2,249
Other or two or more races3.7%185,986

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−2.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

3,473,706 residents (±1,213)

Alabama
United States share

No high school diploma11%395,315
High school or GED30%1,052,769
Some college21%723,113
Associate degree9.1%317,026
Bachelor's degree17%600,262
Graduate degree11%385,221

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: No high school diploma (−2.4 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

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

Household income

1,997,247 households (±6,490)

Alabama
United States share

Under $25k20%394,075
$25k–50k20%404,774
$50k–75k17%332,863
$75k–100k13%253,461
$100k–150k16%310,078
$150k–200k7.4%147,127
$200k or more7.8%154,869

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−6.1 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

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

Owners and renters

1,997,247 households (±6,490)

Alabama
United States share

Own70%1,402,155
Rent30%595,092

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+1.4 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

535,330 households (±6,270)

Alabama
United States share

Under $75026%138,157
$750–1,00024%126,196
$1,000–1,50034%182,398
$1,500–2,000

Home values

1,402,155 homes (±8,895)

Alabama
United States share

Under $150k34%476,746
$150k–250k26%365,809
$250k–400k22%314,795

Age of homes

2,337,265 homes (±430)

Alabama
United States share

2010 or later13%307,531
2000–200915%360,977
1980–199929%685,464
1960–1979

Size of homes

2,337,265 homes (±430)

Alabama
United States share

Studio1.5%34,067
1 bedroom6.3%146,707
2 bedrooms22%505,858
3 bedrooms

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

2,229,079 workers (±7,955)

Alabama
United States share

Drive alone81%1,796,123
Carpool8.0%178,991
Public transit0.3%6,562
Walk1.1%25,583
Bike0.1%1,863
Work from home8.8%196,829
Other1.0%23,128

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+5.5 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

2,032,250 workers (±8,663)

Alabama
United States share

Under 15 min25%517,648
15–29 min39%791,301
30–44 min21%424,693

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

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 Alabama employ 454,090 people. 10 pay a median below the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Alabama 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 Salespersons60,880 jobs	60,880	$30,040US $35,410	−15%	1.15×
Registered Nurses54,340 jobs	54,340	$77,080US $97,550	−21%	1.18×
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators53,280 jobs	53,280	$42,700US $44,650	−4%	2.79×
Stockers and Order Fillers46,580 jobs	46,580	$34,290US $37,330	−8%	1.21×
Cashiers46,420 jobs	46,420	$28,250US $32,880	−14%	1.11×
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive45,050 jobs	45,050	$41,630US $47,540	−12%	1.94×
Fast Food and Counter Workers41,460 jobs	41,460	$23,700US $31,200	−24%	0.79×
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers36,650 jobs	36,650	$52,120US $58,640	−11%	1.31×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand36,140 jobs	36,140	$36,670US $40,240	−9%	0.9×
Customer Service Representatives33,290 jobs	33,290	$38,400US $44,770	−14%	0.94×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Alabama.

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.

Alabama has 105,720 employer establishments, 207 for every 10,000 residents (0.83× the US rate of 248), with 1,822,666 paid employees at an average annual pay of $55,435. The Census Bureau also counts 399,018 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 105,720; 399,018 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 207; US 248
Paid employees: 1,822,666
Average annual pay: $55,435; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	8,215	16.1	0.77×Fewer than typical	102,432	$70,564	17,203
Restaurants and other eating places	8,126	15.9	0.86×About typical	162,959	$20,060	2,096
Specialty trade contractors	5,871	11.5	0.74×Fewer than typical	62,819	$62,539	29,986
Religious organizations	4,524	8.8	1.59×More than typical	38,265	$24,048	—
Limited-service restaurants	4,442	8.7	1.08×About typical	89,956	$18,060	729
Lessors of real estate	4,303	8.4	0.68×Fewer than typical	18,854	$57,251	37,758
Gasoline stations	3,089	6	1.86×More than typical	19,257	$26,866	243
Building equipment contractors	2,784	5.4	0.90×About typical	33,312	$62,024	6,158
Offices of physicians	2,783	5.4	0.84×About typical	39,416	$89,642	3,403
Full-service restaurants	2,771	5.4	0.71×Fewer than typical	63,096	$23,120	872
Services to buildings and dwellings	2,686	5.2	0.78×Fewer than typical	26,817	$35,588	36,761
Construction of buildings	2,492	4.9	0.64×Fewer than typical	24,137	$80,482	14,541

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 5,117,850 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.
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 $15.1B on contracts performed in Alabama: $2,910 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $15.1B; −17% vs FY2025
Per resident: $2,910; US $1,994
Sole-source: 22%; US 30%
Single offer: 11%; 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 the Army$4.5B30%
Missile Defense Agency$3B20%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$2.8B18%
Department of the Air Force$1.2B8.0%
Department of Veterans Affairs$599.6M4.0%
Department of State$499.7M3.3%
Federal Acquisition Service$481M3.2%
Department of the Navy$434.7M2.9%

Top recipients

LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION$1.5B9.7%
THE BOEING COMPANY$1.2B8.2%
DYNETICS, INC.$1B6.8%
BLUE ORIGIN, LLC$660M4.4%
SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION$591M3.9%

Spending by fiscal year

10.4BFY2017
13.5BFY2018
14.5BFY2019
12.9BFY2020
13.1BFY2021
14.1BFY2022
14.9BFY2023
17.3B

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$4.7B31%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$3.6B24%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$1.4B9.3%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$1.1B7.4%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$804M5.3%

Largest awards

PROVIDE DEVELOPMENTAL HARDWARE AND TEST ARTICLES, AND MANUFACTURE AND ASSEMBLE ARES I UPPER STAGES. THE UPPER STAGE (US) ELEMENT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE ARES I LAUNCH VEHICLE AND PROVIDES THE SECOND STAGE OF FLIGHT. THE US ELEMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ROLL CONTROL DURING THE FIRST STAGE BURN AND SEPARATION; AND WILL PROVIDE THE GUIDANCE AND NAVIGATION, COMMAND AND DATA HANDLING, AND OTHER AVIONICS FUNCTIONS FOR THE ARES I DURING ALL PHASES OF THE ASCENT FLIGHT. THE US ELEMENT IS A NEW DESIGN THAT EMPHASIZES SAFETY, OPERABILITY, AND MINIMUM LIFE CYCLE COST. THE OVERALL DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION (DDT&E), PRODUCTION, AND SUSTAINING ENGINEERING EFFORTS INCLUDE ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY THREE ORGANIZATIONS; THE NASA DESIGN TEAM (NDT), THE UPPER STAGE PRODUCTION CONTRACTOR (USPC) AND THE INSTRUMENT UNIT PRODUCTION CONTRACTOR (IUPC). FOR CLARITY, THE USPC WILL BE REFERRED TO AS THE CONTRACTOR THROUGHOUT THIS DOCUMENT. NASA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INTEGRATION OF THE PRIMARY ELEMENTS OF THE ARES I LAUNCH VEHICLE INCLUDING: THE FIRST STAGE, US INCLUDING INSTRUMENT UNIT (IU), AND US ENGINE; AND WILL ALSO INTEGRATE THE ARES I LAUNCH VEHICLE AT THE LAUNCH SITE. NASA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DDT&E, INCLUDING TECHNICAL AND PROGRAMMATIC INTEGRATION OF THE US SUBSYSTEMS AND GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY. NASA WILL LEAD THE EFFORT TO DEVELOP THE REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS OF THE US ELEMENT, THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND TESTING REQUIREMENTS, AND ALL DESIGN DOCUMENTATION, INITIAL MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLY PROCESS PLANNING, LOGISTICS PLANNING, AND OPERATIONS SUPPORT PLANNING. DEVELOPMENT, QUALIFICATION, AND ACCEPTANCE TESTING WILL BE CONDUCTED BY NASA AND THE CONTRACTOR TO SATISFY REQUIREMENTS AND FOR RISK MITIGATION. NASA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OVERALL UPPER STAGE VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION PROCESS AND WILL REQUIRE SUPPORT FROM THE CONTRACTOR. THE CONTRACTOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND ASSEMBLY OF THE UPPER STAGE TEST FLIGHT AND OPERATIONAL UPPER STAGE UNITS INCLUDING THE INSTALLATION OF UPPER STAGE INSTRUMENT UNIT, THE GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED US ENGINE, BOOSTER SEPARATION MOTORS, AND OTHER GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY. A DESCRIPTION OF THE NASA MANAGED AND PERFORMED EFFORTS IS CONTAINED IN THE US WORK PACKAGES AND WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE CONTRACTOR TO ENSURE THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE NDT, IUPC, AND CONTRACTOR DURING THE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND OPERATION OF THE US ELEMENT. THE US CONCEPTUAL DESIGN DESCRIBED IN THE USO-CLV-SE-25704 US DESIGN DEFINITION DOCUMENT (DDD) IS THE BASELINE DESIGN FOR THIS CONTRACT. THE CONTRACTORS EARLY ROLE WILL BE TO PROVIDE PRODUCIBILITY ENGINEERING SUPPORT TO NASA VIA THE ESTABLISHED US OFFICE STRUCTURE AND TO PROVIDE INPUTS INTO THE FINAL DESIGN CONFIGURATION, SPECIFICATIONS, AND STANDARDS. NASA WILL TRANSITION THE MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLY, LOGISTICS SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT, AND THE SUSTAINING ENGINEERING FUNCTIONS TO THE CONTRACTOR AT THE KEY POINTS DURING THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM CURRENTLY PLANNED TO OCCUR NO LATER THAN 90 DAYS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE FOLLOWING MAJOR MILESTONES: MANUFACTURING AND ASSEMBLY US PRELIMINARY DESIGN REVIEW (PDR) LOGISTICS SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE US PDR CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT US CRITICAL DESIGN REVIEW CDR) SUSTAINING ENGINEERING US DESIGN CERTIFICATION REVIEW (DCR) AFTER THE COMPLETION OF AN ORDERLY TRANSITION OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE CONTRACTOR, NASA WILL ASSUME AN INSIGHT ROLE INTO THE CONTRACTORS PRODUCTION, SUSTAINING ENGINEERING, AND OPERATIONS SUPPORT OF THE ARES I US TEST PROGRAM AND FLIGHT HARDWARE. AFTER DCR, THE CONTRACTOR WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SUSTAINING ENGINEERING PER SOW SECTION 4.7, AS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN AND SUPPORT THE US CONFIGURATION AND FOR PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS SUPPORT.

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.

Explore contracts in Alabama

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 $51.1B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Alabama: $9,848 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $51.1B; −4.3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $9,848; US $12,955
Loan face value: $10.1B; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.4%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$19.3B38%
93.778 · Grants to States for Medicaid$6.2B12%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$4.8B9.5%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$3.6B7.1%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$2.1B4.0%
10.551 · Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program$1.4B2.8%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$1.4B2.7%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$1.1B2.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

ALABAMA MEDICAID AGENCY$6.9B13%
MONTGOMERY, AL
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES ALABAMA$2.1B4.1%
MONTGOMERY, AL
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$1.7B3.2%
MONTGOMERY, AL
ALABAMA STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION$1.3B2.5%
MONTGOMERY, AL
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM

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$26.2B51%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$9.9B19%
Department of Health and Human Services
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$5.5B11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Food and Nutrition Service$2.3B4.5%
Department of Agriculture
Federal Highway Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

53.6BFY2021
46.6BFY2022
49.4BFY2023
49.1BFY2024
53.4BFY2025
51.1BFY2026

County aggregates

68%

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.

Explore grants in Alabama

Public money & outcomes

Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.

Federal money per resident in Alabama, and how its outcomes moved, each next to the United States. Counties whose money jumped are compared on their own pages.

Money per resident

By federal fiscal year (October to September, named by the year it ends), obligations per resident. A year with no record counts as $0.

Alabama
United States
partial year

Federal contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Alabama and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Alabama	United States
FY2017	$2,135	$1,436
FY2018	$2,754	$1,552
FY2019	$2,963	$1,654
FY2020	$2,567	$1,880
FY2021	$2,600	$1,810
FY2022	$2,777	$1,917
FY2023	$2,907	$2,079
FY2024	$3,360	$2,047
FY2025	$3,494	$2,165
FY2026	$2,910 (partial year)	$1,911

Construction contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Alabama and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Alabama	United States
FY2017	$102	$93.28
FY2018	$99.56	$105
FY2019	$207	$128
FY2020	$221	$145
FY2021	$99.62	$117
FY2022	$276

Contracts and grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Alabama and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Alabama	United States
FY2021	$6,059	$5,748
FY2022	$5,312	$5,221
FY2023	$5,780	$5,364
FY2024	$5,853	$5,501
FY2025	$6,319	$5,732
FY2026	$5,501

Transportation grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Alabama and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Alabama	United States
FY2021	$233	$298
FY2022	$276	$357
FY2023	$285	$301
FY2024	$297	$319
FY2025	$338	$360
FY2026	$364 (partial year)

Housing assistanceUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Alabama and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Alabama	United States
FY2021	$188	$239
FY2022	$153	$185
FY2023	$371	$229
FY2024	$187	$229
FY2025	$177	$249
FY2026	$171 (partial year)

HHS grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Alabama and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Alabama	United States
FY2021	$1,788	$2,304
FY2022	$1,512	$2,197
FY2023	$1,718	$2,274
FY2024	$1,531	$2,267
FY2025	$1,519	$2,397
FY2026	$1,658 (partial year)

SBA lending volumeUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Alabama and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Alabama	United States
FY2021	$866	$1,186
FY2022	$246	$465
FY2023	$37.49	$76.52
FY2024	$65.19	$120
FY2025	$80.57	$148
FY2026	$66.13 (partial year)

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)

How outcomes moved

Calendar years. Charts share the same years as the money above. Levels are shown as percent change since 2016; rates are shown as the rate itself.

Alabama
United States
Years with money loaded

Job growthpercent

Table view

Job growth, Alabama and the United States, by year
Calendar years	Alabama	United States
2014	1.0%	2.0%
2015	1.4%

When its money jumped

A county-year with at least 10,000 residents whose money per resident is at least twice its earlier average counts as a jump. Each is compared with up to five similar counties in the same region whose money did not jump.

Counties of Alabama whose money per resident jumped. Open a county for its comparison with similar counties.

Franklin County, ALContracts and grants · FY2024$1,674 (3.5×)
Clay County, ALSBA lending volume · FY2024$496 (14×)
Mobile County, ALConstruction contracts · FY2024$666 (3×)
Tallapoosa County, ALTransportation grants · FY2024$497 (3.8×)
Chambers County, ALTransportation grants · FY2024$435 (2.5×)
Madison County, AL

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Business Formation Statistics, Building Permits Survey, Cartographic Boundary Files, Gazetteer and metro delineations, Population Estimates Program, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission), Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System), Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordability. JSON · /api/v1/outcomes/places/01

See all comparisons

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Alabama is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

Counties of Alabama

All 67 counties, best quality-of-life score first.

Neighboring states

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar states

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
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
Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-03
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
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
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/01

Calendar years	Alabama	United States
2014	−3.5%	−4.2%
2015	−1.3%	−1.3%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+2.7%	+3.3%
2018	+5.8%	+6.8%
2019	+8.9%	+10.5%
2020	+16.5%	+19.4%
2021	+21.2%	+26.1%
2022	+27.8%	+30.6%
2023	+33.4%	+35.0%
2024	+38.4%	+41.0%
2025	+43.9%	+46.8%

Calendar years	Alabama	United States
2014	−5.1%	−5.5%
2015	−1.3%	−1.9%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+3.3%	+4.1%
2018	+6.8%	+8.9%
2019	+11.1%	+13.5%
2020	+18.5%	+20.8%
2021	+30.8%	+32.1%
2022	+33.6%	+35.4%
2023	+41.1%	+42.9%
2024	+48.1%	+49.5%

Calendar years	Alabama	United States
2014	2.8/1k	3.3/1k
2015	2.9/1k	3.7/1k
2016	3.1/1k	3.7/1k
2017	3.0/1k	3.9/1k
2018	3.0/1k	4.1/1k
2019	3.6/1k	4.2/1k
2020	4.0/1k	4.4/1k
2021	4.4/1k	5.2/1k
2022	3.8/1k	5.0/1k
2023	4.0/1k	4.5/1k
2024	4.0/1k	4.3/1k
2025	3.7/1k	4.2/1k

Calendar years	Alabama	United States
2014	−7.3%	−6.9%
2015	−3.2%	−3.2%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+4.1%	+4.7%
2018	+7.7%	+7.5%
2019	+11.8%	+14.0%
2020	+16.5%	+16.9%
2021	+16.6%	+21.0%
2022	+28.9%	+29.7%
2023	+34.4%	+34.9%
2024	+44.0%	+41.6%

Calendar years	Alabama	United States
2014	19.2%	15.5%
2015	18.5%	14.7%
2016	17.2%	14.0%
2017	16.9%	13.4%
2018	16.8%	13.1%
2019	15.6%	12.3%
2020	14.9%	11.9%
2021	16.3%	12.8%
2022	16.2%	12.6%
2023	15.7%	12.5%
2024	15.2%	12.1%

Calendar years	Alabama	United States
2014	6.8%	6.2%
2015	6.1%	5.3%
2016	5.8%	4.9%
2017	4.5%	4.4%
2018	3.9%	3.9%
2019	3.2%	3.7%
2020	6.4%	8.1%
2021	3.4%	5.4%
2022	2.5%	3.7%
2023	2.5%	3.6%
2024	3.0%	4.0%
2025	2.9%	4.3%

Calendar years	Alabama	United States
2014	−6.0% (Dec 2014)	−10.8% (Dec 2014)
2015	−3.3% (Dec 2015)	−5.2% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+3.2% (Dec 2017)	+6.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+7.2% (Dec 2018)	+12.6% (Dec 2018)
2019	+14.8% (Dec 2019)	+18.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+26.7% (Dec 2020)	+29.3% (Dec 2020)
2021	+45.0% (Dec 2021)	+49.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+56.1% (Dec 2022)	+64.7% (Dec 2022)
2023	+59.0% (Dec 2023)	+69.0% (Dec 2023)
2024	+62.1% (Dec 2024)	+73.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+62.5% (Dec 2025)	+73.7% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Alabama	United States
2014	14.2%	13.5%
2015	11.9%	10.9%
2016	10.8%	10.0%
2017	11.0%	10.2%
2018	11.9%	10.4%
2019	11.6%	10.8%
2020	11.8%	10.4%
2021	11.7%	10.2%
2022	10.5%	9.5%
2023	10.2%	9.5%
2024	10.0%	9.8%

Calendar years	Alabama	United States
2014	6.1/1k	8.5/1k
2015	6.5/1k	8.7/1k
2016	7.0/1k	9.1/1k
2017	7.5/1k	9.8/1k
2018	8.6/1k	10.7/1k
2019	8.5/1k	10.6/1k
2020	11.6/1k	13.1/1k
2021	15.0/1k	16.2/1k
2022	14.0/1k	15.1/1k
2023	14.0/1k	16.2/1k
2024	12.7/1k	15.4/1k
2025	13.6/1k	16.6/1k

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined5

States like Alabama five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to 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

Public money & outcomes

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Representation in Congress

House

Senate

Counties of Alabama

Metro areas in Alabama

Largest cities and towns in Alabama

Neighboring states

Similar states

Data and sources

Improved15

Declined5

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Household income

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

House

Senate

Look up any occupation

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies