Tuscaloosa County · Alabama · South · 111k residents
Tuscaloosa, AL: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Tuscaloosa: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Alabama median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,186/wk. Alabama's corporate income tax rate is 6.5%. Commercial electricity averages 13.6¢/kWh.
Compare Tuscaloosa side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,186/wk
Corporate income tax
6.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
39.4%
Commercial electricity
13.6¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Tuscaloosa's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
34/100
Steady
Ranks Tuscaloosa's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $255,500 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $150 |
| Property tax rate | 0.4% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $875/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,067/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.41% |
| Sales tax | 9.3% |
| Corporate income tax | 6.5% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,186/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.4% |
| Commercial electricity | 13.6¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 23.1/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $104,870 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $75,250 |
| Wage: General manager | $101,210 |
| Wage: Customer service | $37,990 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $32,210 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $50,190 |
| Wage: Electrician | $60,110 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $29,630 |
| Cost of living index | 83 |
| Groceries index | 97 |
| Utilities | $190/mo |
| Transit pass | $45/mo |
| Gas price | $2.95/gal |
| Healthcare index | 92 |
| Childcare (per child) | $750/mo |
| Median household income | $51,464 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% |
| Population | 111k |
| Crime index | 55/100 |
| School rating | 4.3/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 91/100 |
| Avg. commute | 25 min |
| Sunny days / year | 215 days |
| July high | 92°F |
| January low | 35°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +1.4% |
| Home price MoM | +0.1% |
| Rent YoY | +4.2% |
| Rent MoM | +0.7% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -0.6% |
| Building permits YoY | -1.4% |
| Ocean coast | 200 mi |
| Big lake | 100 mi |
| Mountains | 103 mi |
| Major airport | 53 mi |
| Ski resort | 288 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Northport, AL · 31k
- Hueytown, AL · 16k
- Bessemer, AL · 25k
- Alabaster, AL · 34k
- Helena, AL · 22k
Similar size
- Hoover, AL · 93k
- Auburn, AL · 81k
- Dothan, AL · 72k
- Madison, AL · 60k
- Decatur, AL · 57k
Real listings in Tuscaloosa
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Tuscaloosa a good place to run a business?
- Alabama's corporate income tax rate is 6.5%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,186/wk; commercial electricity averages 13.6¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Tuscaloosa, AL?
- Tuscaloosa indexes at 83 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,067/mo and a acs median home value of $255,500.
- How much does a house cost in Tuscaloosa?
- The acs median home value in Tuscaloosa is $255,500 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Tuscaloosa?
- A two-bedroom in Tuscaloosa rents for about $1,067/mo.