Jobs, pay and daily life in Fort Payne, 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.
Fort Payne is a city in Alabama with 14,927 residents. The median household earns $47,479 a year and the median rent is $679 a month, which is 17.2% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Fort Payne compares. Among the 80 largest places in Alabama, Fort Payne is #49 by population, #2 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #70 for college degrees (#1 = most), #69 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, DeKalb County, is #39 of 67 counties for average pay ($50,391).
Fort Payne has 14,927 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Alabama. It covers 56 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 265 people per square mile. The median age is 37.4, 5% younger than the state median (37.4 against 39.3).
The median gross rent is $679 a month (rent plus utilities), 33% below the state median ($679 against $1,007). Over a year that is 17.2% 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 $157,000, which is 3.3 times the median household income ($47,479); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 69.3% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (69.3% against 70.2%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of DeKalb County was 3.4%. 57.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in DeKalb County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 78.3% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 1.4% walk, 7.2% work from home. 11.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 19% below the state average (11.8% against 14.7%).
17.3% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 39% below the state share (17.3% against 28.4%). 9.3% of residents were born outside the United States, 134% above the state share (9.3% against 4.0%). The poverty rate is 32.5%, 108% above the state rate (32.5% against 15.6%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 79°F (26.3°C), and the coolest is Jan at 39°F (3.9°C). About 1,320 mm (52 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (139 mm) and Oct the driest (88 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: Scottsboro (24 miles, rent 22% higher); Rome (32 miles, rent 52% higher); Boaz (32 miles, similar rent); Albertville (33 miles, rent 28% higher). Rent differences are against Fort Payne; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Alabama (395) →State guide: AlabamaCountry guideDeKalb 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.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 20.6% |
| Education and health care | 19.6% |
| Other services | 10.9% |
| Retail trade | 9.1% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.6% |
| Construction | 5.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.9% |
| Public administration | 3.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.5% |
| Information | 2.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.8% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Fort Payne lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County | 72,269 | $3,061 million | $42,350 | 23,367 | 1,482 | $50,391 | +2.6% | 3.4% | 32,300 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 6,443 | 36.3% | $66,087 | 3.36 |
| Retail trade | 2,612 | 14.7% | $33,788 | 1.12 |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,318 | 13.0% | $45,565 | 0.69 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,978 | 11.1% | $21,276 | 0.93 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,233 | 6.9% | $55,232 | 1.34 |
| Administrative and waste services | 818 | 4.6% | $39,292 | 0.59 |
| Construction | 744 | 4.2% | $68,554 | 0.61 |
| Professional and technical services | 405 | 2.3% | $60,163 | 0.25 |
| Finance and insurance | 386 | 2.2% | $55,568 | 0.41 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 286 | 1.6% | $42,496 | 0.41 |
| Real estate and rental | 169 | 1.0% | $46,520 | 0.47 |
| Information | 166 | 0.9% | $71,914 | 0.38 |
| Educational services | 106 | 0.6% | $19,387 | 0.22 |
| Management of companies | 57 | 0.3% | $73,193 | 0.14 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 46 | 0.3% | $24,855 | 0.12 |
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 | 78.3% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 1.4% |
| Work from home | 7.2% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 11.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,479 |
| Income per person | $26,126 |
| Median gross rent per month | $679 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 17.2% |
| Median home value | $157,000 |
| Homeowners | 69.3% |
| Poverty rate | 32.5% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
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 | 37.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 79.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 17.3% |
| Born abroad | 9.3% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 57.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.9 | 39 | 112 |
| Feb | 6.0 | 43 | 125 |
| Mar | 10.6 | 51 | 119 |
| Apr | 15.4 | 60 | 112 |
| May | 20.1 | 68 | 113 |
| Jun | 24.5 | 76 | 100 |
| Jul | 26.3 | 79 | 115 |
| Aug | 26.1 | 79 | 95 |
| Sep | 22.7 | 73 | 98 |
| Oct | 16.3 | 61 | 88 |
| Nov | 9.8 | 50 | 104 |
| Dec | 5.7 | 42 | 139 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottsboro | AL | 24 mi | 15,712 | $53,929 | $830 |
| Rome | GA | 32 mi | 38,189 | $54,435 | $1,032 |
| Boaz | AL | 32 mi | 10,814 | $49,846 | $663 |
| Albertville | AL | 33 mi | 22,813 | $56,099 | $872 |
| Gadsden | AL | 36 mi | 33,374 | $40,345 | $808 |
| Rainbow City | AL | 43 mi | 10,284 | $56,398 | $1,048 |
| Calhoun | GA | 43 mi | 18,183 | $58,750 | $873 |
| Southside | AL | 43 mi | 9,483 | $76,487 | $1,184 |
| Jacksonville | AL | 45 mi | 14,437 | $51,814 | $820 |
| East Ridge | TN | 46 mi | 22,070 | $62,247 | $1,147 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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vs
14,927 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$679 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 17.2% of the median household income.
$47,479 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.4% (BLS county, DeKalb County (latest month 2026M09)).
Alabama. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.