Fayette County, AL
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 33.72, -87.76.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 15th pct · 2,577th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 28th pct · 48th of 67 Alabama counties · median $183,308
- 34th pct · 2,014th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 40th pct · 40th of 67 Alabama counties · median +2.2%
- US counties: not published this period
- Alabama counties: not published this period
- 31st pct · 2,213th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 22nd pct · 52nd of 67 Alabama counties · median 10,118
- 66th pct · 1,086th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 74th pct · 18th of 67 Alabama counties · median $1,024
- 11th pct · 2,707th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 18th pct · 55th of 67 Alabama counties · median 3.3
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 $149,983 (Aug 2026), +1.5% over one year, +12.2% over five
- 15th pct · 2,577th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 28th pct · 48th of 67 Alabama counties · median $183,308
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Fayette County, AL | $149,983 · +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 #
Zillow publishes no rent index for this area (ZORI covers about 1,400 counties)
- US counties: not published this period
- Alabama counties: not published this period
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 $821 a month on $149,983 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,862 a month: 16.9% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $149,983 × 80% = $119,987, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $821/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,122 × 52 / 12 = $4,862) = 17% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $149,983 / ($1,122 × 52) = 2.6
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 #
3,962 jobs at 364 employers (2026 Q1); +2.1% jobs and +12.9% average weekly wage over the year
- 31st pct · 2,213th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 22nd pct · 52nd of 67 Alabama counties · median 10,118
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Fayette County, AL | 3,962 jobs · $1,122/wk · +2.1% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 650 | $1,136 | 2.04 | -7.5% |
| Retail trade | 517 | $695 | 1.34 | -0.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 278 | $305 | 0.78 | -10.0% |
| Construction | 141 | $1,122 | 0.68 | -11.9% |
| Other services | 118 | $1,088 | 1.00 | +16.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 95 | $1,390 | 0.59 | +0.0% |
| Professional and technical services | 56 | $1,052 | 0.20 | +5.7% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 30 | $785 | 0.18 | +0.0% |
| Management of companies | 17 | $1,216 | 0.26 | -5.6% |
| Real estate and rental | 12 | $912 | 0.20 | +0.0% |
| Information | 9 | $1,037 | 0.12 | +0.0% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 6 | $434 | 0.09 | +0.0% |
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 #
D1 moderate drought
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 #
No reservoir gauges within 150 km (or the camera is above the gauge altitude)
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 #
37 gauges · 1 flooding · 2 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 4 stale
Sites found: 37, 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.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| LUXAPALLILA CREEK AT MILLPORT, AL | flow 102.0 ft³/s · MINOR flooding | 33 km |
| NORTH RIVER NEAR SAMANTHA AL | flow 0.98 ft³/s | 31 km |
| LOST CREEK NEAR OAKMAN AL | flow 26.5 ft³/s · no flooding | 38 km |
| LOST CREEK ABOVE PARRISH, AL. | flow 148.0 ft³/s · STALE | 41 km |
| TURKEY CREEK NEAR TUSCALOOSA | flow 1.10 ft³/s · STALE | 41 km |
| BLACK WARRIOR R AT BANKHEAD L&D NEAR BESSEMER AL | stage 254.7 ft | 48 km |
| BLACK WARRIOR R BL BANKHEAD L&D NEAR BESSEMER AL | stage 186.0 ft · no flooding | 48 km |
| BUTTAHATCHEE RIVER BELOW HAMILTON AL | flow 53.7 ft³/s · no flooding | 48 km |
| SIPSEY RIVER NR ELROD, AL | flow 48.1 ft³/s | 51 km |
| CLEAR C AT NEW HOPE CHURCH NR POPLAR SPRINGS, AL. | flow 36.9 ft³/s | 51 km |
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 #
14 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 14, 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.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-333204087324601 | depth 42.1 ft · 2026-10-04 | 29 km |
| USGS-332806088230501 | depth 5.72 ft · 1993-04-19 | 64 km |
| USGS-333805088291002 | depth 10.0 ft · 1990-12-11 | 67 km |
| USGS-333355088282502 | depth 5.68 ft · 1982-12-04 | 68 km |
| USGS-335122088293001 | depth 11.2 ft · 1985-09-29 | 69 km |
| USGS-333402088301001 | depth 11.3 ft · 1985-09-29 | 70 km |
| USGS-340018088270702 | depth 8.38 ft · 1985-09-29 | 71 km |
| USGS-340409088243801 | depth 8.87 ft · 1985-09-29 | 71 km |
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 (0.16)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.25 + 0.2×0.00 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$257.5 m in deposits at 6 offices of 4 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 3,349, highly concentrated. $109.6 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $102.5 m, grants $7.0 m), $27,674 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| BankFirst Financial Services | $126.2 m · 49.0% share · 2 offices | |
| Regions Bank | $53.3 m · 20.7% share · 2 offices | |
| West Alabama Bank & Trust | $53.1 m · 20.6% share · 1 office | |
| Fayette, AL | $109.6 m FY2026 · $27,674/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $100.0 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| BankFirst Financial Services | $126,217,000 | 49.0% | 2 |
| Regions Bank | $53,293,000 | 20.7% | 2 |
| West Alabama Bank & Trust | $53,098,000 | 20.6% | 1 |
| State Bank & Trust | $24,904,000 | 9.7% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 3,349 across 4 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 4 banks with deposits in the county = 49.0² + 20.7² + 20.6² + … (1 more) = 3,349
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 #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $87,295,364 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $12,540,253 |
| Department of Transportation | $3,547,676 |
| Department of Agriculture | $3,280,750 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $1,828,992 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $837,569 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $212,958 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $97,840 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $2,969 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
That is $27,674 per covered job, against 3,962 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $109.6 m / 3,962 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $27,674
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 | 12.28 | 2026-10-04 | -0.1% |
| 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 · % | 72.60 | 2026-10-05 | +0.1% |
| 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 | 6.00 | 2026-09-22 | -14.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 6,830.00 | 2026-08-01 | +7.4% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 96.16 | 2026-09-29 | -3.2% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.28 | 2026-10-01 | +3.6% |
| 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 | -88,576.00 | 2026-07-01 | -24.4% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 646,347.00 | 2026-08-01 | +1.1% |
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 #
Fayette County, AL: 4 findings, 4 noted
noteFayette County, AL's average weekly wage was 12.9% 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
- +12.9 % = 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
noteFayette County, AL's covered employment was 2.1% 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
- +2.1 % = 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
noteFayette County, AL's typical home value rose 0.8% from $148,766 in July 2026 to $149,983 in August 2026, on Zillow ZHVI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.8% = (149983.38906714888 - 148765.9474931165) / 148765.9474931165 × 100
- 149983.38906714888 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-08
- 148765.9474931165 = Zillow ZHVI, 2026-07
noteThe next Zillow ZHVI typical home value (monthly) covering Fayette County, AL is due between 2026-10-14 and 2026-10-21, estimated from the publisher's past release pattern.
Show the arithmetic
- window = 2026-10-14 to 2026-10-21, estimated from the publisher's past release pattern
estimated from the publisher's past release pattern; not an announced date
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.