The county economy 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.
Etowah County is a county of Alabama with 103,105 residents. Its economy produced $4,026 million in 2024 (ranked #16 of 67 counties) and had 33,010 jobs with an average annual pay of $46,564 (#56 for pay). The unemployment rate was 3.8% in 2026M09. It is part of the Gadsden, AL metropolitan area (central county).
Etowah County produced about $4,026 million of goods and services in 2024, which is 1.2% of the combined output of the 67 counties of Alabama that BEA reports (about 2.0% of the state's population lives here), and ranks it 16th of 67 on that measure. Per resident that is $39,044, 39% below the state average; the average for all counties of the state taken together is $63,959. In current dollars output grew 5.9% from 2023 to 2024, before adjusting for inflation. The gap between its output rank (16th) and its output-per-resident rank (45th) shows that population is large relative to the value of what is produced here.
BLS counts 33,010 jobs located in Etowah County on average in 2024, spread over 2,439 employer sites (about 14 jobs per site). That is 0.32 jobs for every resident, above the 0.31 of the typical county in Alabama, which tells you whether the county is a place people mostly commute to for work or a place they commute from. The average annual pay per job was $46,564, 24% below the average of all counties in the state ($46,564 against $60,926). Average pay is total wages divided by jobs, so it is pulled up by high earners and counts part-time jobs as whole jobs; it is not the pay of a typical worker. The number of jobs rose 1.1% from 2023 to 2024.
The three largest private industries are health care and social assistance (25.1% of private jobs, $56,095 a year on average), retail trade (17.2% of private jobs, $32,677 a year on average), manufacturing (15.6% of private jobs, $50,886 a year on average). Together they hold 57.8% of private-sector jobs. Among industries with at least 3% of jobs, the best paying is finance and insurance at $68,074 a year, followed by wholesale trade ($63,953). The county is specialised in several industries: manufacturing (1.6 times the US share, 4,344 jobs); health care and social assistance (1.5 times the US share, 6,994 jobs); retail trade (1.5 times the US share, 4,813 jobs). A location quotient above 1 means an industry employs a larger share of workers here than in the whole country, so these are the industries where local employers compete hardest for skills. Several of the biggest employers pay well below the county average: accommodation and food services ($20,496). Jobs there are plentiful but the pay is lower than the headline average suggests.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate in Etowah County was 3.8%, about the same as the average of the state's counties (3.8% against 3.7%). The labour force (people working or looking for work) numbered 42,026. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 2.4% (2025M12) to 4.1% (2026M06); the latest month is preliminary and BLS revises it. These county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month across years.
The median household income was $54,563 (ACS 2020–2024), 15% below the state median ($54,563 against $63,999). The guide covers 3 cities with this as the main county: Gadsden, Rainbow City, Southside. Open any of them for rent, home values, commuting and climate. Within the county, median rent runs from $808 in Gadsden to $1,184 in Southside, so where you live matters as much as which county you pick.
Counties close to Etowah County in output are Talladega County, Cullman County, Lauderdale County, Dale County. Compare their jobs, pay and unemployment on their own pages.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ | Rank among the 67 counties of Alabama ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 103,105 | 13 of 67 |
| GDP 2024 | $4,026 million | 16 of 67 |
| GDP per resident | $39,044 | 45 of 67 |
| Jobs (QCEW 2024) | 33,010 | 14 of 67 |
| Average annual pay | $46,564 | 56 of 67 |
| Job change vs 2023 | +1.1% | 33 of 67 |
| Unemployment rate (lower is better) | 3.8% | 28 of 67 |
| Median household income | $54,563 | 34 of 67 |
Federal jobs in Alabama (395) →All cities of AlabamaState guide: Alabama
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.
Cities of this guide whose main county is Etowah County (and 1 more that extend into it).
| City ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ | Median home value ⇅ | Bachelor's+ ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden | 33,374 | $40,345 | $808 | $116,800 | 15.5% |
| Rainbow City | 10,284 | $56,398 | $1,048 | $223,000 | 20.8% |
| Southside | 9,483 | $76,487 | $1,184 | $226,500 | 23.2% |
| Boaz | 10,814 | $49,846 | $663 | $199,200 | 15.8% |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 6,994 | 25.1% | $56,095 | 1.48 |
| Retail trade | 4,813 | 17.2% | $32,677 | 1.46 |
| Manufacturing | 4,344 | 15.6% | $50,886 | 1.60 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,561 | 12.8% | $20,496 | 1.19 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,824 | 6.5% | $41,284 | 0.94 |
| Construction | 1,078 | 3.9% | $58,648 | 0.62 |
| Wholesale trade | 950 | 3.4% | $63,953 | 0.73 |
| Finance and insurance | 935 | 3.3% | $68,074 | 0.70 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 825 | 3.0% | $59,316 | 0.59 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 737 | 2.6% | $49,160 | 0.74 |
| Professional and technical services | 603 | 2.2% | $56,800 | 0.26 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 361 | 1.3% | $18,004 | 0.65 |
| Educational services | 275 | 1.0% | $30,824 | 0.40 |
| Real estate and rental | 251 | 0.9% | $42,757 | 0.49 |
| Information | 153 | 0.5% | $53,734 | 0.25 |
| Utilities | 126 | 0.5% | $118,290 | 1.00 |
| Management of companies | 89 | 0.3% | $106,758 | 0.16 |
A location quotient above 1 means the industry is more concentrated here than in the US. BLS withholds sectors with too few employers.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Labour force | 42,026 |
| Employed residents | 40,415 |
| Unemployed residents | 1,611 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% |
| Jobs located in the county (QCEW) | 33,010 |
| Employer sites | 2,439 |
Residents employed and jobs located here differ: many residents commute to other counties.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP 2024 ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Unemployment ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 667,755 | $65,539 million | $98,149 | 367,081 | $71,562 | 3.8% |
| Mobile County | 412,590 | $30,123 million | $73,009 | 175,327 | $61,700 | 4.3% |
| Madison County | 405,718 | $38,958 million | $96,023 | 229,807 | $77,051 | 3.2% |
| Baldwin County | 246,989 | $13,446 million | $54,441 | 85,118 | $51,157 | 3.3% |
| Tuscaloosa County | 237,552 | $14,447 million | $60,818 | 99,288 | $59,535 | 4.1% |
| Shelby County | 230,211 | $17,333 million | $75,291 | 85,169 | $66,772 | 3.0% |
| Montgomery County | 226,718 | $19,859 million | $87,593 | 132,903 | $61,610 | 4.1% |
| Lee County | 181,134 | $9,275 million | $51,205 | 66,643 | $53,394 | 3.4% |
| Morgan County | 124,471 | $8,389 million | $67,396 | 52,617 | $59,944 | 3.1% |
| Calhoun County | 116,090 | $6,288 million | $54,161 | 43,778 | $51,354 | 4.1% |
| Limestone County | 111,233 | $6,971 million | $62,669 | 34,080 | $62,717 | 3.0% |
| Houston County | 108,140 | $8,043 million | $74,379 | 50,877 | $53,521 | 3.7% |
| Etowah County | 103,105 | $4,026 million | $39,044 | 33,010 | $46,564 | 3.8% |
| Marshall County | 99,748 | $5,278 million | $52,917 | 40,812 | $48,206 | 3.3% |
| Lauderdale County | 95,830 | $3,929 million | $40,995 | 30,845 | $46,767 | 4.0% |
| Saint Clair County | 94,166 | $3,156 million | $33,520 | 21,980 | $51,425 | 3.3% |
| Cullman County | 90,566 | $4,285 million | $47,311 | 31,068 | $51,811 | 3.4% |
| Elmore County | 89,526 | $3,118 million | $34,831 | 21,539 | $48,014 | 3.1% |
| Talladega County | 81,021 | $4,496 million | $55,496 | 31,690 | $58,301 | 4.1% |
| DeKalb County | 72,269 | $3,061 million | $42,350 | 23,367 | $50,391 | 3.4% |
| Walker County | 64,841 | $2,568 million | $39,612 | 18,709 | $48,692 | 3.6% |
| Autauga County | 59,947 | $2,251 million | $37,557 | 12,383 | $50,826 | 3.4% |
| Blount County | 59,518 | $1,535 million | $25,790 | 9,094 | $45,687 | 3.2% |
| Russell County | 58,811 | $2,313 million | $39,322 | 14,057 | $47,497 | 4.4% |
| Colbert County | 58,022 | $3,559 million | $61,331 | 24,495 | $58,010 | 3.8% |
| Coffee County | 54,920 | $2,323 million | $42,298 | 17,365 | $46,411 | 3.7% |
| Jackson County | 53,053 | $2,144 million | $40,413 | 15,446 | $49,421 | 3.9% |
| Dale County | 49,599 | $3,915 million | $78,941 | 18,260 | $64,321 | 4.0% |
| Chilton County | 45,992 | $1,655 million | $35,985 | 9,143 | $47,595 | 3.4% |
| Tallapoosa County | 40,938 | $1,910 million | $46,659 | 13,046 | $47,093 | 3.9% |
| Covington County | 37,628 | $1,662 million | $44,179 | 12,174 | $47,800 | 3.9% |
| Dallas County | 36,858 | $1,724 million | $46,782 | 11,290 | $49,753 | 5.3% |
| Escambia County | 36,629 | $1,686 million | $46,037 | 12,924 | $51,384 | 4.7% |
| Chambers County | 34,192 | $1,240 million | $36,271 | 9,087 | $52,152 | 3.0% |
| Lawrence County | 33,276 | $865 million | $25,981 | 6,054 | $51,594 | 3.3% |
| Pike County | 32,987 | $2,067 million | $62,647 | 15,411 | $51,656 | 4.3% |
| Franklin County | 31,966 | $1,337 million | $41,817 | 10,956 | $48,266 | 3.7% |
| Marion County | 29,184 | $1,328 million | $45,520 | 10,222 | $48,179 | 3.8% |
| Geneva County | 26,887 | $827 million | $30,775 | 5,471 | $42,591 | 3.5% |
| Cherokee County | 25,443 | $797 million | $31,311 | 5,352 | $44,658 | 3.7% |
| Barbour County | 24,643 | $986 million | $40,002 | 7,711 | $45,590 | 4.8% |
| Winston County | 23,682 | $1,141 million | $48,177 | 7,998 | $51,725 | 3.9% |
| Clarke County | 22,543 | $1,130 million | $50,120 | 8,150 | $51,247 | 5.7% |
| Randolph County | 22,510 | $690 million | $30,663 | 4,883 | $43,183 | 4.1% |
| Bibb County | 22,130 | $642 million | $29,027 | 4,828 | $53,062 | 3.5% |
| Monroe County | 19,388 | $848 million | $43,742 | 5,953 | $53,376 | 6.4% |
| Marengo County | 18,851 | $1,108 million | $58,776 | 7,271 | $53,415 | 4.8% |
| Pickens County | 18,721 | $569 million | $30,381 | 3,718 | $50,820 | 4.5% |
| Macon County | 18,691 | $765 million | $40,923 | 4,827 | $56,933 | 5.2% |
| Butler County | 18,630 | $904 million | $48,511 | 6,789 | $45,927 | 4.5% |
| Henry County | 17,647 | $681 million | $38,593 | 3,919 | $56,425 | 3.5% |
| Fayette County | 16,053 | $480 million | $29,912 | 3,926 | $44,897 | 3.9% |
| Cleburne County | 15,426 | $464 million | $30,056 | 2,721 | $54,823 | 3.5% |
| Washington County | 15,143 | $1,301 million | $85,903 | 5,197 | $86,857 | 3.6% |
| Hale County | 14,829 | $386 million | $25,997 | 2,607 | $49,126 | 5.0% |
| Clay County | 14,192 | $577 million | $40,638 | 4,241 | $44,540 | 4.1% |
| Lamar County | 13,693 | $474 million | $34,580 | 3,403 | $50,837 | 4.0% |
| Crenshaw County | 13,122 | $606 million | $46,216 | 3,556 | $48,253 | 4.0% |
| Choctaw County | 12,380 | $728 million | $58,771 | 3,299 | $61,814 | 4.8% |
| Sumter County | 11,878 | $451 million | $38,003 | 2,849 | $47,332 | 5.4% |
| Conecuh County | 11,275 | $507 million | $44,988 | 3,294 | $47,783 | 4.9% |
| Coosa County | 10,300 | $252 million | $24,503 | 1,452 | $51,388 | 3.6% |
| Wilcox County | 10,172 | $473 million | $46,461 | 2,682 | $56,070 | 6.1% |
| Bullock County | 10,058 | $375 million | $37,325 | 2,788 | $50,696 | 3.9% |
| Lowndes County | 9,833 | $538 million | $54,693 | 2,675 | $66,726 | 5.4% |
| Perry County | 8,031 | $260 million | $32,370 | 1,826 | $42,082 | 6.6% |
| Greene County | 7,424 | $283 million | $38,158 | 1,741 | $43,043 | 6.5% |
103,105 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024).
$4,026 million in 2024 (BEA, current dollars).
3.8% in 2026M09 (BLS, not seasonally adjusted; the latest month may be revised).
33,010 jobs on average in 2024 with an average annual pay of $46,564 (BLS QCEW).