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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEThriving

Saraland, AL

Thriving overall. Population is the clearest support signal, while housing needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score79out of 100
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74
72
100
71
100

Population

16,404

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+4.9% YoY

74

$30.1B

Output changed +4.9% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

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

Jobs

Unemployment rate

72

3.6%

Unemployment is 3.6% for Latest available.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.2%
U.S. avg5.2%

Population

+12.7% 5-year

100

16,404

Population moved +12.7% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

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

Housing

Rent share of income

71

20.7%

Median rent consumes 20.7% 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

$11.6K per resident

100

$4.8B

$4.8B 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

$4.8B

$11.6K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$2.2B
2. Department of Defense$981.1M
3. Department of Homeland Security$835.5M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. AUSTAL USA, LLC$738.0M
2. NORTHSTAR MARITIME DISMANTLEMENT SERVICES, LLC$533.7M
3. ALABAMA SHIPYARD LLC$106.3M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

20.7%

of median income

1BR estimate$869
2BR estimate$1,145
Median income$61,509
Median home value$217,600

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

16,404

Median age

43.7

Bachelor's degree+

25.0%

Poverty rate

10.1%

Labor force participation

57.8%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.5%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

Latest available

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-30

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

+2.4%

GDP CAGR

+6.9%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
202014,561
202115,942
202216,109
202316,304
202416,404
GDP (5 years)
2020$21.5B
2021$24.6B
2022$26.8B
2023$28.7B
2024$30.1B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

202416,404
202517,078 *
202617,483 *

R² = 72.9% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$30.1B
2025$32.7B *
2026$34.9B *

R² = 97.9% · * 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$61,509/yr
Median rent$1,060/mo
Rent share of income20.7%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$13,204/yr
Mortgage share of income21.5%

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

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate3.6%
State avg3.2%
U.S. avg5.2%
Labor force participation57.8%
Poverty rate10.1%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. Latest available.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$217,600
Median monthly rent$1,060
Price-to-rent ratio17.1x

Moderate price-to-rent ratio — buying and renting are roughly balanced in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score80/100
Economic growth74/100
Labor market72/100
Population momentum100/100
Overall stability79/100

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

Location Context

Saraland city, Alabama

City/Town

Part of

Mobile, AL

Nearby locations

Satsuma, ALPrichard, ALChickasaw, ALCreola, ALAxis, AL