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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEStable

Mcdonald Chapel, AL

Stable overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while jobs needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

Post on XLinkedIn
Overall score47out of 100
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69
0
40
68
100

Population

651

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+4.3% YoY

69

$65.5B

Output changed +4.3% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth5.1%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

0

29.3%

Unemployment is 29.3% for Latest available.

Vintage date unknown

State avg4.7%
U.S. avg4.1%

Population

-1.7% 5-year

40

651

Population moved -1.7% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population5,086,768
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

68

22.8%

Median rent consumes 22.8% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.0K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$11.9K per resident

100

$8.1B

$8.1B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$71.6B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$8.1B

$11.9K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$3.3B
2. Department of Health and Human Services$3.1B
3. Department of Veterans Affairs$500.3M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM$308.2M
2. ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$170.7M
3. BRASFIELD & GORRIE LLC$158.9M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

22.8%

of median income

1BR estimate$889
2BR estimate$1,171
Median income$56,971
Median home value$134,400

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

651

Median age

26.9

Bachelor's degree+

16.2%

Poverty rate

13.1%

Labor force participation

68.5%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.0%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.6%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

Latest available

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-09-15

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

-0.3%

GDP CAGR

+6.2%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
2020662
2021636
2022686
2023704
2024651
GDP (5 years)
2020$48.6B
2021$53.5B
2022$58.7B
2023$62.9B
2024$65.5B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

2024651
2025682 *
2026686 *

R² = 7.1% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$65.5B
2025$70.8B *
2026$75.1B *

R² = 98.7% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$56,971/yr
Median rent$1,084/mo
Rent share of income22.8%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$8,155/yr
Mortgage share of income14.3%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate29.3%
State avg4.7%
U.S. avg4.1%
Labor force participation68.5%
Poverty rate13.1%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. Latest available.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$134,400
Median monthly rent$1,084
Price-to-rent ratio10.3x

Low price-to-rent ratio — buying may be more favorable than renting in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateModerate
Composite score40/100
Economic growth69/100
Labor market0/100
Population momentum40/100
Overall stability47/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

McDonald Chapel CDP, Alabama

City/Town

Part of

Birmingham, AL

Nearby locations

Edgewater, ALMinor, ALPleasant Grove, ALMulga, ALFairfield, AL