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Cost of living, pay and housing

34.23° N · 85.77° W · GEOID 0167920

Sand Rock

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

Limited data population under 5,000

AlabamaSand Rock, ALSand RockSand Rock

The short answer

Sand Rock is home to 868 people. Median household income is $73,333 a year and median rent is $983 a month, 16.1% 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 $218,800, about 3.0x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$983
28% below the median place
Median household income
$73,333
9% below the median place
Median home value
$218,800
31% below the median place
Unemployment
3.9%
21% 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 Sand Rock

  • Only 0% of workers mostly work from home, fewer than in 99% of the 2,104 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 101 Alabama places.
  • 96% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 97% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 120 Alabama places.
  • Households average 3.31 people, larger than in 95% of places its size. It is the highest of 120 Alabama places.
  • 22% of homes stand vacant, more than in 90% of places its size.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs only about $173 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 86% of places its size.
01

Moving to Sand Rock

Cherokee County gains about 18.9 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in1,354
Moved out1,005
Net+349

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Chattooga County, GA6948+21

Within Alabama, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within AlabamaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$60K
Leavers$48K

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

Who moves here
7.0% 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 Cherokee County report $59,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $47,700, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$39,300 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $983 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,156 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $218,800.
Getting to work
24 minutes each way on average; 0.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Laurel, MT matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7
18.9
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving out7
$47,683
32% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSand RockAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure7.0%21% above
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure18.9above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$59,51316% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$47,68332% below
02

What it costs to live here

Homeownership is 95.8%, 44% above the median place.

Sand Rock16.1%
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
$39,320
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
16.1%
21% below the median place
Home price to income
3.0x
22% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
16%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$61,200
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Sand Rock, $983 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Sand Rock? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
95.8%
44% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$695
79% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.3%
65% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureSand RockAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$98328% below
Rent to income116.1%21% below
Property tax rate10.3%65% below
Home price to income13.0x22% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$98639% below
HUD area median income3County figure$73,60031% below
Property tax paid (median)1$69579% below
Median home value1$218,80031% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure2.0%36% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure63.4%23% above
Homeownership195.8%44% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure40.1%21% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,15638% below
Vacant homes122.3%215% above
Median year built119901% above
03

Work and pay

Works from home is 0.0%, below the median place (median 12.4%).

Works from home1
0.0%
below the median place (median 12.4%)
Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$32,488
19% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSand RockAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$73,3339% below
Income per person1$32,48819% below
Unemployment1County figure3.9%21% below
Average annual pay5County figure$46,69229% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure4.6%24% above
Jobs5County figure5,44696% below
Poverty rate1County figure14.8%37% above
Mean commute124 min3% below
Works from home10.0%below (median 12.4%)
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Household size is 3.3, 32% above the median place.

Household size1
3.3
32% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
84.3%
9% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
20.1%
37% below the median place
All 9 people measures
MeasureSand RockAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population18686646th largest
Population change since 202064.9%327% above
Median age136.86% below
Bachelor's or higher120.1%37% below
High school or higher186.9%6% below
Household size13.332% above
Born abroad1County figure2.0%77% below
No health insurance1County figure7.2%12% above
Homes with broadband184.3%9% below
05

Life in Sand Rock

1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars11.8 −43%
Shops29.1 −4%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.0 −51%
Doctors' offices and clinics18.1 −10%
Child care centers2.4 +4%

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

Public schools10
1
89% below the median place
Public school students10
783
84% below the median place
Students per teacher10
18.6
21% above the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureSand RockAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10189% below
Public school students1078384% below
Students per teacher1018.621% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure11.843% below
Shops per 10k8County figure29.14% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure2.051% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure18.110% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.44% above
National Register listings9County figure192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 44.6, 50% below 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 Sand Rock. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk12
44.6
50% below the median place
Annual precipitation11
53.9 in
23% above the median place
Natural hazard risk12
63.3
32% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSand RockAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure90°F3% above
January average low11County figure32°F27% above
Average temperature11County figure61°F12% above
Annual precipitation11County figure53.9 in23% above
Natural hazard risk12County figure63.332% below
Hurricane risk12County figure62.911% below
Tornado risk12County figure83.02% above
Wildfire risk12County figure68.211% above
Heat wave risk12County figure44.650% below
Median air quality index13Metro figure415% below
Good air days13Metro figure77.3%13% above
08

Sand Rock in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 17% of the median income in 2030, up from 16% 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$983/mo (2022)$1,370/mo$1,090 to $1,720/mo+4.2%
Median household income$73,333 (2024)$94,000$79,500 to $111,000+4.2%
Median home value$218,800 (2024)$308,000$223,000 to $424,000+5.8%
Population620 (2025)640610 to 670+0.7%

The median home would be worth 3.3 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.0 now.

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

09

Places like Sand Rock

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

PlaceRentIncome
Laurel, MT$974$68,474Compare
Fremont, NE$1,080$71,152Compare
Excelsior Springs, MO$975$72,609Compare
Catoosa, OK$1,066$72,467Compare
Catoosa, OKExcelsior Springs, MOFremont, NELaurel, MTSand Rock, ALSand RockLaurelFremontExcelsior SpringsCatoosaSand RockLaurelFremontExcelsior SpringsCatoosa

Common questions

Is Sand Rock a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Only 0% of workers mostly work from home, fewer than in 99% of the 2,104 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 101 Alabama places. 96% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 97% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 120 Alabama places. On cost, space and class size it scores 93 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Sand Rock expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 16.1% 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 $218,800.

What salary do you need to live in Sand Rock?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $39,320 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Sand Rock?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Laurel, MT, Fremont, NE, Excelsior Springs, MO and Catoosa, OK.

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. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 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
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  13. 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 Sand Rock with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Sand Rock itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/sand-rock-alabama

Citytistics. “Sand Rock, Alabama.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/sand-rock-alabama/

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