Jobs, pay and daily life in Dothan, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Dothan is a city in Alabama with 71,514 residents. The median household earns $55,792 a year and the median rent is $960 a month, which is 20.6% of the median household income. It is part of the Dothan, AL metropolitan area, where BLS counts 60,720 jobs.
How Dothan compares. Among the 80 largest places in Alabama, Dothan is #8 by population, #65 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #64 for remote work (#1 = most), #25 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Houston County, is #19 of 67 counties for average pay ($53,521).
Dothan has 71,514 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.4% of the population of Alabama. It covers 90 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 793 people per square mile. The median age is 40.2, about the same as the state median (40.2 against 39.3).
The median gross rent is $960 a month (rent plus utilities), 5% below the state median ($960 against $1,007). Over a year that is 20.6% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $194,000, which is 3.5 times the median household income ($55,792); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 57.1% of households own their home, 19% below the state average (57.1% against 70.2%).
The Dothan, AL metropolitan area has 60,720 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $38,170 a year, 25% below the national median ($38,170 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are transportation and material moving (7,000 jobs, median $37,680); sales and related (6,980 jobs, median $31,260); office and administrative support (6,810 jobs, median $37,360). The area is most specialised in healthcare practitioners and technical (1.5 times) and sales and related (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($63,750) and transportation and material moving ($37,680). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Houston County was 3.7%. 57.2% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Houston County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 83.8% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 0.8% walk, 5.0% work from home. 9.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 35% below the state average (9.6% against 14.7%).
27.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, about the same as the state share (27.6% against 28.4%). 3.7% of residents were born outside the United States, 8% below the state share (3.7% against 4.0%). The poverty rate is 19.3%, 24% above the state rate (19.3% against 15.6%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 82°F (27.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 48°F (9.0°C). About 1,377 mm (54 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (152 mm) and Oct the driest (76 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Ozark (21 miles, rent 28% lower); Enterprise (27 miles, rent 14% higher); Eufaula (49 miles, rent 27% lower); Troy (51 miles, rent 4% lower). Rent differences are against Dothan; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Alabama (395) →State guide: AlabamaCountry guideHouston CountyAlabama rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 395 federal postings open in Alabama (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Alabama →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 2,360 | 1.55 | $28,770 | $22,050 | $45,720 | -19% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,940 | 1.47 | $67,430 | $53,490 | $84,930 | -31% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,640 | 2.04 | $61,900 | $38,550 | $74,820 | +6% |
| Cashiers | 1,630 | 1.35 | $27,040 | $20,170 | $33,090 | -18% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,330 | 1.20 | $33,910 | $26,220 | $44,270 | -9% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,260 | 1.09 | $35,960 | $26,790 | $46,160 | -11% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,200 | 0.80 | $22,360 | $20,010 | $26,960 | -28% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,190 | 1.78 | $39,500 | $28,170 | $56,220 | -17% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 990 | 2.25 | $43,410 | $26,880 | $71,830 | -11% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 960 | 1.08 | $24,520 | $15,750 | $34,430 | -30% |
| Nursing Assistants | 930 | 1.64 | $29,830 | $23,670 | $37,090 | -29% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 890 | 0.53 | $27,160 | $23,090 | $37,270 | -24% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 840 | 0.83 | $36,180 | $29,110 | $50,310 | -19% |
| General and Operations Managers | 840 | 0.61 | $96,840 | $49,060 | $204,630 | -8% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 820 | 3.28 | $26,020 | $22,120 | $30,410 | -16% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 740 | 0.86 | $28,290 | $22,250 | $36,400 | -23% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 740 | 1.36 | $34,560 | $27,090 | $42,940 | -23% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 700 | 1.45 | $59,240 | $32,980 | $103,170 | -18% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 690 | 1.83 | $35,560 | $28,970 | $47,480 | -23% |
| Security Guards | 650 | 1.30 | $30,720 | $23,510 | $63,680 | -19% |
These figures are for the whole Dothan, AL metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $38,170 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.8% |
| Retail trade | 13.3% |
| Manufacturing | 9.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 9.0% |
| Construction | 5.8% |
| Public administration | 5.7% |
| Other services | 4.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.3% |
| Information | 0.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.7% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where Dothan lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Dale County, Henry County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston County | 108,140 | $8,043 million | $74,379 | 50,877 | 3,720 | $53,521 | +0.6% | 3.7% | 48,879 |
| Dale County | 49,599 | $3,915 million | $78,941 | 18,260 | 1,130 | $64,321 | +1.5% | 4.0% | 19,070 |
| Henry County | 17,647 | $681 million | $38,593 | 3,919 | 420 | $56,425 | -0.1% | 3.5% | 8,048 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 8,171 | 20.9% | $62,325 | 1.12 |
| Retail trade | 8,074 | 20.7% | $37,874 | 1.59 |
| Accommodation and food services | 5,267 | 13.5% | $21,619 | 1.14 |
| Manufacturing | 4,322 | 11.1% | $52,996 | 1.03 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,895 | 7.4% | $32,774 | 0.97 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,519 | 6.4% | $68,571 | 1.26 |
| Construction | 2,156 | 5.5% | $62,651 | 0.81 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,404 | 3.6% | $75,440 | 0.40 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,175 | 3.0% | $45,081 | 0.77 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,087 | 2.8% | $87,140 | 0.53 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 578 | 1.5% | $19,927 | 0.68 |
| Real estate and rental | 459 | 1.2% | $52,263 | 0.58 |
| Educational services | 446 | 1.1% | $49,420 | 0.42 |
| Information | 369 | 0.9% | $57,348 | 0.39 |
| Management of companies | 134 | 0.3% | $232,141 | 0.16 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 83.8% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 0.8% |
| Work from home | 5.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,792 |
| Income per person | $35,321 |
| Median gross rent per month | $960 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.6% |
| Median home value | $194,000 |
| Homeowners | 57.1% |
| Poverty rate | 19.3% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 83.8 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $38,170 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.00%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 40.2 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 88.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 27.6% |
| Born abroad | 3.7% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 57.2% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9.0 | 48 | 93 |
| Feb | 11.3 | 52 | 125 |
| Mar | 14.8 | 59 | 114 |
| Apr | 18.8 | 66 | 122 |
| May | 23.3 | 74 | 82 |
| Jun | 26.8 | 80 | 130 |
| Jul | 27.6 | 82 | 152 |
| Aug | 27.4 | 81 | 149 |
| Sep | 25.2 | 77 | 105 |
| Oct | 20.4 | 69 | 76 |
| Nov | 14.4 | 58 | 87 |
| Dec | 10.8 | 51 | 142 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ozark | AL | 21 mi | 14,327 | $48,944 | $694 |
| Enterprise | AL | 27 mi | 29,505 | $73,125 | $1,098 |
| Eufaula | AL | 49 mi | 12,584 | $47,392 | $698 |
| Troy | AL | 51 mi | 17,716 | $50,717 | $922 |
| Bainbridge | GA | 54 mi | 14,404 | $45,422 | $791 |
| Albany | GA | 76 mi | 67,224 | $47,240 | $931 |
| Pike Road | AL | 83 mi | 10,574 | $117,091 | $1,653 |
| Tuskegee | AL | 83 mi | 8,938 | $38,000 | $757 |
| Phenix City | AL | 87 mi | 38,499 | $50,053 | $967 |
| Tallahassee | FL | 87 mi | 201,875 | $57,409 | $1,293 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
71,514 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$960 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.6% of the median household income.
$55,792 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.7% (BLS county, Houston County (latest month 2026M09)).
Alabama. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.