St. Clair County, AL
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 33.72, -86.31.
Assembled 2026-10-06. Read the brief.
- 64th pct · 1,092nd of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 92nd pct · 6th of 67 Alabama counties · median $183,308
- 83rd pct · 2nd of 7 counties in the Birmingham metro · median $226,236
- 56th pct · 1,334th of 3,063 US counties · median +2.9%
- 69th pct · 21st of 67 Alabama counties · median +2.2%
- 83rd pct · 2nd of 7 counties in the Birmingham metro · median +2.2%
- 63rd pct · 511th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 92nd pct · 3rd of 29 Alabama counties · median $1,362
- 80th pct · 2nd of 6 counties in the Birmingham metro · median $1,378
- 74th pct · 838th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 72nd pct · 19th of 67 Alabama counties · median 10,118
- 66th pct · 3rd of 7 counties in the Birmingham metro · median 18,474
- 49th pct · 1,611th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 59th pct · 28th of 67 Alabama counties · median $1,024
- 50th pct · 4th of 7 counties in the Birmingham metro · median $1,039
- 67th pct · 1,009th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.3
- 93rd pct · 5th of 67 Alabama counties · median 3.3
- 100th pct · 1st of 7 counties in the Birmingham metro · median 4.6
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 $279,692 (Aug 2026), +3.5% over one year, +15.3% over five
- 64th pct · 1,092nd of 3,063 US counties · median $234,566
- 92nd pct · 6th of 67 Alabama counties · median $183,308
- 83rd pct · 2nd of 7 counties in the Birmingham metro · median $226,236
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County, AL | $279,692 · +3.5% 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 $1,663/mo (Aug 2026), +2.6% over one year; price-to-rent 14.0
- 63rd pct · 511th of 1,399 US counties · median $1,496
- 92nd pct · 3rd of 29 Alabama counties · median $1,362
- 80th pct · 2nd of 6 counties in the Birmingham metro · median $1,378
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County, AL | $1,663/mo · +2.6% 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 $1,531 a month on $279,692 at 7.28%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,502 a month: 34.0% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $279,692 × 80% = $223,754, r = 7.28%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-01), n = 360 → $1,531/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,039 × 52 / 12 = $4,502) = 34% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $279,692 / ($1,039 × 52) = 5.2
- price-to-rent = $279,692 / ($1,663 × 12) = 14.0
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 #
23,188 jobs at 2,210 employers (2026 Q1); +4.3% jobs and -20.7% average weekly wage over the year
- 74th pct · 838th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 72nd pct · 19th of 67 Alabama counties · median 10,118
- 66th pct · 3rd of 7 counties in the Birmingham metro · median 18,474
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County, AL | 23,188 jobs · $1,039/wk · +4.3% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 3,851 | $663 | 1.70 | +2.2% |
| Manufacturing | 3,708 | $1,439 | 1.99 | -1.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,850 | $421 | 1.37 | +11.1% |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,019 | $1,065 | 0.58 | +0.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 1,132 | $1,502 | 1.27 | +6.6% |
| Other services | 944 | $965 | 1.36 | +7.0% |
| Administrative and waste services | 744 | $944 | 0.56 | -9.5% |
| Professional and technical services | 646 | $1,460 | 0.40 | +0.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 519 | $1,392 | 0.55 | +5.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 315 | $921 | 0.32 | +62.4% |
| Real estate and rental | 208 | $927 | 0.59 | -2.3% |
| Utilities | 117 | $4,264 | 1.28 | +6.4% |
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 #
D0 abnormally dry
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 #
1 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 1, 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.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| WEST POINT LAKE NEAR WEST POINT, GA | 624.5 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 137 km |
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 #
62 gauges · 0 flooding · 21 with quality panels averaging 98 % · 6 stale
Sites found: 62, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| BIG CANOE CREEK AT ASHVILLE AL | flow 45.5 ft³/s | 14 km |
| BLACKBURN FORK LITTLE WARRIOR R NR HOLLY SPRINGS | flow 2.29 ft³/s | 20 km |
| CAHABA RIVER NEAR WHITES CHAPEL AL | flow 8.96 ft³/s · quality 100 % (5) | 26 km |
| CAHABA RIVER NEAR TRUSSVILLE, ALA | flow 95.9 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) | 27 km |
| CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK AT JACKSON SHOAL NR LINCOLN AL | flow 153.0 ft³/s | 27 km |
| CAHABA RIVER AT TRUSSVILLE, AL. | flow 0.00 ft³/s | 29 km |
| OHATCHEE CREEK AT OHATCHEE, AL | flow 53.9 ft³/s | 30 km |
| KELLY CREEK NEAR VINCENT AL | flow 9.24 ft³/s · quality 100 % (1) | 31 km |
| LITTLE CAHABA RIVER BELOW LEEDS, AL. | flow 12.6 ft³/s · quality 100 % (3) | 31 km |
| TURKEY CREEK AT SEWAGE PLANT NEAR PINSON AL | flow 14.6 ft³/s · quality 100 % (3) | 36 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-332934086353801 | depth 69.5 ft · 2014-09-29 | 36 km |
| USGS-340618086344001 | depth 46.9 ft · 2017-11-15 | 49 km |
| USGS-335929087021001 | depth 38.6 ft · 2025-02-01 | 73 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 (0.01)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.02 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$1.3 bn in deposits at 19 offices of 8 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 3,474, highly concentrated. $693.6 m federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $654.8 m, grants $34.2 m), $29,911 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Metro Bank | $753.9 m · 56.1% share · 6 offices | |
| Truist Bank | $140.8 m · 10.5% share · 3 offices | |
| Valley National Bank | $102.2 m · 7.6% share · 1 office | |
| St. Clair, AL | $693.6 m FY2026 · $29,911/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $650.3 m · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Bank | $753,922,000 | 56.1% | 6 |
| Truist Bank | $140,790,000 | 10.5% | 3 |
| Valley National Bank | $102,189,000 | 7.6% | 1 |
| Union State Bank | $96,078,000 | 7.2% | 4 |
| Regions Bank | $85,690,000 | 6.4% | 1 |
| The Huntington National Bank | $73,441,000 | 5.5% | 1 |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $72,724,000 | 5.4% | 2 |
| Peoples Independent Bank | $17,885,000 | 1.3% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 3,474 across 8 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls highly concentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 8 banks with deposits in the county = 56.1² + 10.5² + 7.6² + … (5 more) = 3,474
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 | $570,377,052 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $87,425,587 |
| Department of Transportation | $14,832,473 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $8,544,913 |
| Department of Defense | $4,297,725 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $3,966,046 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $1,966,087 |
| Department of Agriculture | $1,711,780 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $1,182,336 |
| Department of Justice | $70,106 |
| Small Business Administration | $0 |
| Department of Homeland Security | -$6,613 |
That is $29,911 per covered job, against 23,188 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $693.6 m / 23,188 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $29,911
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 | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| 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 #
St. Clair County, AL: 11 findings, 1 at a watch level and 10 noted
watchSt. Clair County, AL's average weekly wage is -20.7% against a year earlier, a watch level here: average weekly wage below the same quarter a year earlier, before inflation (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.avgWeeklyWage = -20.7 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published, nominal dollars; convention chosen for this dashboard, not an official level
noteSt. Clair County, AL's average weekly wage was 20.7% lower 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
- -20.7 % = 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
noteSt. Clair County, AL's covered employment was 4.3% 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
- +4.3 % = 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
noteSt. Clair County, AL's typical asking rent rose 0.3% from $1,658 in July 2026 to $1,663 in August 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- +0.3% = (1662.8333333333333 - 1658.4646270593598) / 1658.4646270593598 × 100
- 1662.8333333333333 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
- 1658.4646270593598 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-07
noteSt. Clair County, AL's years of wages of 5.2 ranks 1st of 7 counties in the Birmingham metro, against a median of 4.6.
Period 2026-08.Show the arithmetic
- 100 on the 0-to-100 scale across 7 counties in the Birmingham metro that published yearsOfWages
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 11 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.