Limestone County, AL
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 34.81, -86.98.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 73rd pct · 810th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 95th pct · 4th of 67 Alabama counties · median $183,308
- counties in the Huntsville metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Huntsville metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 27th pct · 2,225th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 31st pct · 46th of 67 Alabama counties · median +2.2%
- counties in the Huntsville metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Huntsville metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 51st pct · 678th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 78th pct · 7th of 29 Alabama counties · median $1,362
- counties in the Huntsville metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Huntsville metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 79th pct · 654th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 81st pct · 13th of 67 Alabama counties · median 10,118
- counties in the Huntsville metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Huntsville metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 76th pct · 749th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 87th pct · 9th of 67 Alabama counties · median $1,024
- counties in the Huntsville metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Huntsville metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 66th pct · 1,041st of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 92nd pct · 6th of 67 Alabama counties · median 3.3
- counties in the Huntsville metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Huntsville 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 $319,476 (Aug 2026), +0.8% over one year, +16.0% over five
- 73rd pct · 810th of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 95th pct · 4th of 67 Alabama counties · median $183,308
- counties in the Huntsville metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Huntsville metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Limestone County, AL | $319,476 · +0.8% 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 $1,514/mo (Aug 2026), +3.3% over one year; price-to-rent 17.6
- 51st pct · 678th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 78th pct · 7th of 29 Alabama counties · median $1,362
- counties in the Huntsville metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Huntsville metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Limestone County, AL | $1,514/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 $1,749 a month on $319,476 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $5,217 a month: 33.5% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $319,476 × 80% = $255,581, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,749/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,204 × 52 / 12 = $5,217) = 34% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $319,476 / ($1,204 × 52) = 5.1
- price-to-rent = $319,476 / ($1,514 × 12) = 17.6
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 #
35,519 jobs at 2,378 employers (2026 Q1); +1.2% jobs and +3.3% average weekly wage over the year
- 79th pct · 654th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 81st pct · 13th of 67 Alabama counties · median 10,118
- counties in the Huntsville metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 2 counties in the Huntsville metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Limestone County, AL | 35,519 jobs · $1,204/wk · +1.2% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 8,462 | $1,379 | 2.96 | +1.6% |
| Retail trade | 4,487 | $760 | 1.30 | -3.8% |
| Construction | 3,108 | $1,507 | 1.67 | -1.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,481 | $457 | 0.78 | +3.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,151 | $1,036 | 0.40 | +7.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,780 | $1,053 | 1.19 | -10.4% |
| Professional and technical services | 1,024 | $1,578 | 0.42 | +24.6% |
| Administrative and waste services | 725 | $898 | 0.36 | +4.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 642 | $1,812 | 0.44 | +7.5% |
| Other services | 607 | $1,056 | 0.57 | +5.2% |
| Educational services | 277 | $991 | 0.36 | -2.5% |
| Real estate and rental | 256 | $1,064 | 0.47 | -7.2% |
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 #
45 gauges · 0 flooding · 2 with quality panels averaging 100 % · 14 stale
Sites found: 45, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| SWAN CREEK BELOW ATHENS, ALA | flow 6.85 ft³/s | 6 km |
| LIMESTONE CREEK NEAR ATHENS AL | flow 9.12 ft³/s · no flooding | 16 km |
| Tennessee River at Decatur | no flooding | 22 km |
| ELK RIVER AT PROSPECT, TN | flow 402.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 23 km |
| INDIAN CREEK NEAR MADISON AL | flow 298.0 ft³/s · no flooding | 29 km |
| SUGAR CREEK AT HWY 11 NEAR MINOR HILL, TN | flow 24.1 ft³/s · STALE | 30 km |
| BROGLAN BRANCH AT OAKWOOD AVENUE AT HUNTSVILLE, AL | flow 37.0 ft³/s | 33 km |
| FLINT CREEK AT RED BANK RD SE NR DECATUR, AL | flow -86.0 ft³/s | 34 km |
| BIG NANCE CREEK AT COURTLAND AL | flow 3.18 ft³/s · no flooding | 34 km |
| MCDONALD CREEK AT PATTON ROAD NR HUNTSVILLE AL | flow 209.0 ft³/s | 35 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 #
3 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 3, 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-350034086422800 | depth 13.6 ft · 2026-10-05 | 33 km |
| USGS-344457086363701 | depth 62.4 ft · 2013-09-29 | 35 km |
| USGS-342718087285601 | depth 5.28 ft · 2025-05-27 | 60 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 #
$1.4 bn in deposits at 19 offices of 12 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 1,590, moderately concentrated. $791.1 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $762.4 m, contracts $19.6 m), $22,271 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| First National Bank of Pulaski | $334.4 m · 23.2% share · 2 offices | |
| Regions Bank | $295.2 m · 20.5% share · 2 offices | |
| Trustmark Bank | $244.8 m · 17.0% share · 3 offices | |
| Limestone, AL | $791.1 m FY2026 · $22,271/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $719.9 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| First National Bank of Pulaski | $334,401,000 | 23.2% | 2 |
| Regions Bank | $295,176,000 | 20.5% | 2 |
| Trustmark Bank | $244,837,000 | 17.0% | 3 |
| Bank Independent | $193,757,000 | 13.5% | 3 |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $134,742,000 | 9.4% | 1 |
| Pinnacle Bank | $104,483,000 | 7.3% | 1 |
| Bryant Bank | $48,199,000 | 3.3% | 1 |
| First Metro Bank | $26,716,000 | 1.9% | 2 |
| North Alabama Bank | $24,209,000 | 1.7% | 1 |
| Citizens Bank & Trust | $18,965,000 | 1.3% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 1,590 across 12 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls moderately concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 12 banks with deposits in the county = 23.2² + 20.5² + 17.0² + … (9 more) = 1,590
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 | $514,669,953 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $205,124,484 |
| Department of Education | $28,414,007 |
| Department of Defense | $16,375,872 |
| Department of Agriculture | $11,899,902 |
| Department of Transportation | $5,504,980 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $2,200,662 |
| National Science Foundation | $2,000,000 |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $1,587,468 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $1,067,068 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $941,908 |
| General Services Administration | $939,237 |
That is $22,271 per covered job, against 35,519 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $791.1 m / 35,519 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $22,271
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 | 12.69 | 2026-10-05 | +3.3% |
| 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 | 2026-10-06 | +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 | 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 #
Limestone County, AL: 8 findings, 1 at a watch level and 7 noted
watchLimestone County, AL's price-to-rent ratio of 17.6 scores 54 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 89 across Alabama counties, a gap of 35 points.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 35 = |54 across US counties - 89 across Alabama counties|
- typical home value / (typical rent × 12); Zillow ZHVI over ZORI, same month
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteLimestone County, AL's average weekly wage was 3.3% 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
- +3.3 % = 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
noteLimestone County, AL's covered employment was 1.2% 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
- +1.2 % = 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
noteLimestone County, AL's typical asking rent rose 0.7% from $1,504 in July 2026 to $1,514 in August 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.7% = (1513.5702686202687 - 1503.5817274839656) / 1503.5817274839656 × 100
- 1513.5702686202687 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
- 1503.5817274839656 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-07
noteLimestone County, AL's typical home value of $319,476 ranks 4th of 67 Alabama counties, against a median of $183,308.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 95 on the 0-to-100 scale across 67 Alabama counties that published home.latest
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 8 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.