Houston County, AL
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 31.16, -85.30.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 38th pct · 1,888th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 63rd pct · 25th of 67 Alabama counties · median $177,293
- counties in the Dothan metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Dothan metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 34th pct · 1,997th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 37th pct · 42nd of 67 Alabama counties · median +2.4%
- counties in the Dothan metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Dothan metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 22nd pct · 1,055th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 26th pct · 20th of 27 Alabama counties · median $1,378
- counties in the Dothan metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Dothan metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 84th pct · 495th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 86th pct · 10th of 67 Alabama counties · median 10,118
- counties in the Dothan metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Dothan metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 67th pct · 1,039th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 75th pct · 17th of 67 Alabama counties · median $1,024
- counties in the Dothan metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Dothan metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 30th pct · 2,114th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 51st pct · 33rd of 67 Alabama counties · median 3.3
- counties in the Dothan metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Dothan metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $200,548 (Sep 2026), +1.5% over one year, +27.2% over five
- 38th pct · 1,888th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 63rd pct · 25th of 67 Alabama counties · median $177,293
- counties in the Dothan metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Dothan metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Houston County, AL | $200,548 · +1.5% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Typical rent $1,214/mo (Sep 2026), +3.3% over one year; price-to-rent 13.8
- 22nd pct · 1,055th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 26th pct · 20th of 27 Alabama counties · median $1,378
- counties in the Dothan metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Dothan metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Houston County, AL | $1,214/mo · +3.3% 1-yr |
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $1,111 a month on $200,548 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,901 a month: 22.7% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $200,548 × 80% = $160,438, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $1,111/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,131 × 52 / 12 = $4,901) = 23% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $200,548 / ($1,131 × 52) = 3.4
- price-to-rent = $200,548 / ($1,214 × 12) = 13.8
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
51,196 jobs at 3,990 employers (2026 Q1); +1.7% jobs and +4.8% average weekly wage over the year
- 84th pct · 495th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 86th pct · 10th of 67 Alabama counties · median 10,118
- counties in the Dothan metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 3 counties in the Dothan metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Houston County, AL | 51,196 jobs · $1,131/wk · +1.7% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 8,463 | $1,155 | 1.10 | +3.2% |
| Retail trade | 7,731 | $737 | 1.55 | -1.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 5,175 | $438 | 1.13 | -1.3% |
| Manufacturing | 4,229 | $1,075 | 1.03 | +0.4% |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,854 | $640 | 0.98 | -1.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 2,478 | $1,391 | 1.26 | -3.4% |
| Construction | 2,142 | $1,246 | 0.80 | +0.0% |
| Professional and technical services | 1,394 | $1,375 | 0.39 | -0.3% |
| Other services | 1,171 | $876 | 0.77 | -3.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 1,147 | $1,883 | 0.55 | +6.5% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 531 | $391 | 0.63 | +12.5% |
| Real estate and rental | 515 | $1,060 | 0.66 | +6.8% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
No drought class at this point (USDM covers the United States only)
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
Surface water layer not loaded
Sites found: 0, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
Surface water layer not loaded
Sites found: 0, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
No USGS monitoring wells within 75 km (or above 1,500 km)
Sites found: 0, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
low (0.00)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 / 0.35
Banks & federal dollars #
$3.8 bn in deposits at 34 offices of 14 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,444, moderately concentrated. $816.1 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $778.6 m, grants $28.8 m), $15,940 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| ServisFirst Bank | $1.1 bn · 28.5% share · 2 offices | |
| Regions Bank | $660.0 m · 17.5% share · 5 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $420.6 m · 11.2% share · 4 offices | |
| Houston, AL | $816.1 m FY2026 · $15,940/job |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| ServisFirst Bank | $1,072,697,000 | 28.5% | 2 |
| Regions Bank | $660,043,000 | 17.5% | 5 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $420,589,000 | 11.2% | 4 |
| MidSouth Bank | $299,260,000 | 7.9% | 5 |
| River Bank & Trust | $199,603,000 | 5.3% | 2 |
| SmartBank | $192,506,000 | 5.1% | 1 |
| Pinnacle Bank | $191,907,000 | 5.1% | 1 |
| Troy Bank & Trust Company | $169,116,000 | 4.5% | 2 |
| BankSouth | $129,473,000 | 3.4% | 1 |
| PeoplesSouth Bank | $126,448,000 | 3.4% | 5 |
Deposit concentration is 1,444 across 14 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 14 banks with deposits in the county = 28.5² + 17.5² + 11.2² + … (11 more) = 1,444
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
That is $15,940 per covered job, against 51,196 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $816.1 m / 51,196 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $15,940
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 17.95 | 2026-10-18 | -2.6% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.20 | 2026-10-19 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 7.00 | 2026-10-13 | +133.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 7,848.00 | 2026-09-01 | +14.9% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 101.91 | 2026-10-14 | +1.0% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.40 | 2026-10-15 | +0.0% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 652,115.00 | 2026-09-01 | +0.7% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Houston County, AL: 7 findings, 7 noted
noteHouston County, AL's average weekly wage was 4.8% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +4.8 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteHouston County, AL's covered employment was 1.7% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +1.7 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteHouston County, AL's typical home value fell 0.5% from $201,602 in August 2026 to $200,548 in September 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- -0.5% = (200547.76078634456 - 201601.55661159303) / 201601.55661159303 × 100
- 200547.76078634456 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-09
- 201601.55661159303 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
noteHouston County, AL's typical asking rent fell 0.5% from $1,220 in August 2026 to $1,214 in September 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- -0.5% = (1213.607142857143 - 1219.6156230147114) / 1219.6156230147114 × 100
- 1213.607142857143 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-09
- 1219.6156230147114 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
noteThe next Unemployment rate (BLS Employment Situation, monthly) covering Houston County, AL is due between 2026-10-30 and 2026-11-13, estimated from the publisher's past release pattern.
Show the arithmetic
- window = 2026-10-30 to 2026-11-13, estimated from the publisher's past release pattern
estimated from the publisher's past release pattern; not an announced date
Read all 7 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.