CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

34.53° N · 85.90° W · GEOID 0162075

Powell

DeKalb County, Alabama · part of the Fort Payne, AL metro

Limited data population under 5,000

AlabamaPowell, ALPowellPowell

The short answer

Powell is home to 912 people. Median household income is $61,786 a year and median rent is $931 a month, 18.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $116,400, about 1.9x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$931
32% below the median place
Median household income
$61,786
23% below the median place
Median home value
$116,400
64% below the median place
Unemployment
4.1%
15% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Powell

  • The median home is worth 1.9 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 96% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 120 Alabama places.
  • 30.8% of residents live below the poverty line, more than in 95% of places its size.
  • 20% of homes stand vacant, more than in 88% of places its size.
01

Moving to Powell

DeKalb County gains about 7.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in2,832
Moved out2,442
Net+390

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Cherokee County, AL160161−1
Dade County, GA50

Within Alabama, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within AlabamaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$50K
Leavers$43K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of DeKalb County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into DeKalb County report $50,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $42,700, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$37,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $931 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,308 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $116,400.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 4.4% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Sylvester, GA matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving out7
$42,666
39% below the median place
Income of households moving in7
$50,466
28% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasurePowellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.3%25% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure7.2above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$50,46628% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$42,66639% below
02

What it costs to live here

Property tax paid (median) is $450, 86% below the median place.

Powell18.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$37,240
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
18.1%
11% below the median place
Home price to income
1.9x
51% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
18%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$50,800
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Powell, $931 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Powell.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Powell? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax paid (median)1
$450
86% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.4%
57% below the median place
Vacant homes1
20.2%
187% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasurePowellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$93132% below
Rent to income118.1%11% below
Property tax rate10.4%57% below
Home price to income11.9x51% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$92143% below
HUD area median income3County figure$70,10035% below
Property tax paid (median)1$45086% below
Median home value1$116,40064% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure2.5%20% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure64.8%26% above
Homeownership172.1%9% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure44.4%12% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,30830% below
Vacant homes120.2%187% above
Median year built119850% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$20,120
50% below the median place
Poverty rate1
30.8%
186% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasurePowellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$61,78623% below
Income per person1$20,12050% below
Unemployment1County figure4.1%15% below
Average annual pay5County figure$52,32421% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure3.8%3% above
Jobs5County figure23,86184% below
Poverty rate130.8%186% above
Mean commute122 min12% below
Works from home1County figure4.4%65% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 79.7%, 14% below the median place.

Homes with broadband1
79.7%
14% below the median place
High school or higher1
79.0%
14% below the median place
Household size1
2.8
12% above the median place
All 9 people measures
MeasurePowellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population19126646th largest
Population change since 202064.0%244% above
Median age136.95% below
Bachelor's or higher1County figure14.1%56% below
High school or higher179.0%14% below
Household size12.812% above
Born abroad1County figure7.8%11% below
No health insurance1County figure15.5%142% above
Homes with broadband179.7%14% below
05

Life in Powell

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars12.2 −41%
Shops35.3 +17%
Arts, recreation and fitness1.7 −59%
Doctors' offices and clinics13.6 −33%
Child care centers1.1 −52%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Child care centers per 10k8
1.1
52% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
12.2
41% below the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
1.7
59% below the median place
All 8 schools and local life measures
MeasurePowellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools9County figure20122% above
Public school students9County figure12,277151% above
Students per teacher9County figure16.04% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure12.241% below
Shops per 10k8County figure35.317% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure1.759% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure13.633% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.152% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Annual precipitation is 57.4 in, 31% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Powell. Larger places are fetched first.

Annual precipitation10
57.4 in
31% above the median place
Heat wave risk11
64.0
29% below the median place
Natural hazard risk11
80.4
13% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasurePowellAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high10County figure87°F1% above
January average low10County figure31°F24% above
Average temperature10County figure60°F9% above
Annual precipitation10County figure57.4 in31% above
Natural hazard risk11County figure80.413% below
Hurricane risk11County figure69.71% below
Tornado risk11County figure88.38% above
Wildfire risk11County figure73.820% above
Heat wave risk11County figure64.029% below
Median air quality index12County figure415% below
Good air days12County figure77.3%13% above
08

Powell in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 18% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 18% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$931/mo (2024)$1,200/mo$990 to $1,460/mo+4.3%
Median household income$61,786 (2024)$79,000$67,000 to $93,500+4.2%
Median home value$116,400 (2024)$165,000$119,000 to $227,000+5.9%
Population946 (2025)970930 to 1,010+0.5%

The median home would be worth 2.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 1.9 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Powell

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Sylvester, GA$896$58,417Compare
Tallassee, AL$964$66,752Compare
Wagoner, OK$868$57,917Compare
Osceola, IA$943$68,284Compare
Osceola, IAWagoner, OKTallassee, ALSylvester, GAPowell, ALPowellSylvesterTallasseeWagonerOsceolaPowellSylvesterTallasseeWagonerOsceola

Common questions

Is Powell a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The median home is worth 1.9 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 96% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 120 Alabama places. 30.8% of residents live below the poverty line, more than in 95% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 75 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Powell expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 18.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $116,400.

What salary do you need to live in Powell?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $37,240 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Powell?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Sylvester, GA, Tallassee, AL, Wagoner, OK and Osceola, IA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  10. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  11. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  12. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Powell with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Powell itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/powell-alabama

Citytistics. “Powell, Alabama.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/powell-alabama/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.