GeorgiaEconomics
Metro Economic Profile · A Product of Economic Impact Group, LLC

Albany, GA

CBSA 10500 · 5-county MSA
As of June 2026
Population: 146,018 · State rank: 10 of 14
Data status. Each chart and table below carries a pill showing where its numbers come from. Figures refresh nightly from public statistical APIs; the as-of stamp above reflects the latest release.
Live — pulled from a public API on each refresh EIG composite — Economic Impact Group model from live inputs Partial — representative; not a live feed Demo — illustrative; live source pending
Indicator strip: Economic Drivers (QCEW) live; Relative Costs, Vitality & Quality of Life are EIG composites · values load from the live data pipeline
Economic Drivers
LogisticsHIGH
Manufact.HIGH
Top 2 LQ industries
Relative Costs
Living92%
Business89%
US = 100
Vitality Index
EIG composite
0.71
Rank: 47 of 387
Quality of Life
EIG composite (0–300)
182
Rank of 387 (lower=better)

AnalysisJune 2026 · Generated by Economic Impact Group, LLC from the data shown on this page

Every claim in this section is derived from a specific indicator displayed elsewhere on this page; section names in parentheses point to the source. This narrative is generated deterministically from the live data refresh shown in the as-of stamp — figures update on each refresh.

Labor Market

Albany's unemployment rate is 4.0% (Mar 2026) — the 12th-lowest of Georgia's 14 metros — yet total nonfarm employment is contracting (−2.8% YoY, Current Employment Trends). The movement is sectoral — retail trade (−2.7%) is contracting (Industry Employment).

Sector Mix

The metro's base is tilted toward government: government is 18.7% of employment versus 10.2% nationally (Comparative Employment) — location quotients of 1.8, the metro's defining industries (Economic Drivers). The largest sectors by headcount are government (18.7%) and retail trade (11.9%).

Trade Exposure

Goods exports totaled $0.3B in 2024 (Exports), about 3% of gross metro product — a modest trade intensity. S. America is the largest single destination market.

Housing

House-price growth has cooled to +4.4% YoY (House Price Index). The EIG valuation model places Albany modestly above income-implied fair value (+4%). Builders authorized roughly 141 single-family and 51 multifamily permits in 2025 (headline table). Affordability sits above breakeven: the EIG affordability index reads 163 (Housing Affordability) — a reading over 100 means the median household can qualify for the median home.

Demographics & Migration

Population reached about 146,018 (2024) and grew -0.5% into the latest year (Geographic Profile) — below the US pace, with net migration of −150 the main driver. The metro's age profile shows median age 38.1, younger than the US (~39), with Gen Z and Millennials a combined ~39% of residents (Population by Age). Educational attainment is below the US average, with 23.1% of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Inequality & Structural Position

A Gini coefficient of 0.46 sits below the US average (~0.48), pointing to broadly middling income inequality (Inequality table). Within the metro, roughly a third of neighborhoods report a median household income under $50k; the poverty rate of about 21% runs above the US average; the industrial diversity score (0.87, Industrial Structure) is below the Georgia average.

Synthesis

Albany pairs real strengths — an EIG credit score of BB+ (stable outlook) — with employment growth slowing (−2.8% YoY).

Forecast model pending · Historical columns are demo data. Demo Historical columns are illustrative trajectories that look plausible for a Sun Belt port metro; the 2025 column shows a handful of values pulled live from the existing data/msa.json feed (BLS LAUS unemployment, FHFA HPI, Census PEP population growth, BEA GDP per capita). Forecast columns are intentionally blank until Phase 2 of the rollout, when the Economic Impact Group ARIMA + Atlanta Fed consensus blend goes live.
Indicator 2019202020212022202320242025 2026F2027F2028F2029F2030F
Gross metro product ($B 2017$) 26.125.427.829.330.632.133.4 —————
  % change 3.0-2.79.45.44.44.94.1 —————
Total employment (000s) 183.2175.4184.9196.7206.4211.0216.2 —————
  % change 2.1-4.35.46.44.92.22.5 —————
Unemployment rate (%) 3.16.43.02.62.83.03.1 —————
Personal income growth (%) 5.24.89.13.75.45.85.1 —————
Median HH income ($K) 59.461.064.767.571.274.878.1 —————
Population (000s) 391.4395.0399.6404.0407.5410.0416.4 —————
  % change 1.40.91.21.10.90.61.6 —————
Net migration (000s) 4.83.24.03.93.52.45.7 —————
Single-family permits (#) 3,6103,8405,2104,1803,7204,2104,590 —————
Multifamily permits (#) 6107201,5402,2101,8601,3401,180 —————
FHFA HPI growth (%) 5.47.217.814.65.84.23.6 —————

Economic Health Check

Recent-quarters trajectory across the leading indicators

Recent-quarters trajectory

arrows reflect change vs. prior quarter
Indicator Q2 24Q3 24Q4 24Q1 25Q2 25Q3 25
Employment (000s) 196.1197.0198.2199.0200.1201.3
Avg weekly wage ($) 1,1801,1921,2051,2211,2381,254
Establishments 14,82014,91015,00515,12015,24015,360
Unemployment rate (%) 3.23.13.03.02.92.9
Labor force (000s) 205.3206.1207.0208.2209.4210.6
Sources: BLS QCEW (MSA totals: employment, avg weekly wage, establishments) + LAUS (unemployment rate, labor force), quarterly. EIG-assembled Demo

Business Cycle Index

Jan 2015 = 100 · Albany vs. Georgia vs. US
EIG composite: Stock-Watson-style coincident index combining BLS CES employment and LAUS unemployment for the MSA. EIG composite Demo

Employment

Sector composition, recent trends, and breadth of growth

Industry Employment

% change year-ago, by super-sector
Source: BLS CES year-over-year employment change by super-sector (latest month). Demo

Current Employment Trends

% change year-ago, 3-mo MA
SectorApr 25Oct 25Apr 26
Total nonfarm2.22.42.5
Construction3.12.61.8
Manufacturing4.86.27.1
Trade1.41.00.6
Trans & Warehousing3.65.16.4
Information-0.8-1.4-1.9
Financial Activities1.10.90.8
Prof & Bus Svcs0.40.71.2
Edu & Health3.73.94.1
Leisure & Hospitality2.83.23.5
Government1.61.41.4
Source: BLS CES (NAICS super-sector level, MSA detail). Demo

Diffusion Index

By supersector · YoY · >50 = broad expansion · metro vs Georgia vs US
Share of 11 major industries (CES supersectors) with higher employment than a year ago, for the metro, Georgia and the US (same basket at each level). Source: BLS CES. Demo

Relative Employment Performance

Jan 2015 = 100 · Albany, GA, and US
Source: BLS CES, rebased to start of series = 100. Demo

Relative Employment Forecast

Updated vs. 6 months prior
2-Year
—
Pending Phase 2 model
5-Year
—
Pending Phase 2 model

House Price Index

2005 Q1 = 100, NSA
Source: FHFA HPI (purchase-only, MSA series). Demo

Housing

Affordability, valuation, and price trends

Rental Affordability

Index, >100 = more affordable than US
Source: Census ACS B25064/B19013 (median rent / median HH income), indexed to US=100. Demo

House Price Trends

Modeled valuation: % over/under fair value
EIG composite: HPI residual vs. local fundamentals (income, rents, rates). EIG composite Demo

Housing Affordability

Index, >100 = median HH can afford median home
EIG composite: ACS income (B19013) vs. income needed for the median home (ACS B25077 × FHFA HPI; Freddie Mac PMMS 30-yr rate). EIG composite Demo

Industrial Structure

Top employers, diversity, productivity, and trade

Major Employers

Largest employers, auto-discovered from public sources
A representative major-employer list for Albany is compiled automatically on each data refresh. If none appears here yet, discovery is pending for this metro.
Representative

Industrial Diversity

Hachman index, 1.0 = mix identical to the US (most diversified)

Hachman index of 0.86 — closer to 1.0 means an industrial mix more like the U.S. overall. Albany is more diversified than the Georgia average.

EIG composite: Hachman index from QCEW employment shares (MSA vs US). EIG composite Demo

Entrepreneurship

Broad-based startup rate · US = 100
Source: Census Business Dynamics Statistics (establishment entry rate, indexed US=100). Demo

Productivity

Real output per worker
BEA GMP ÷ BLS employment (Albany live; GA/US illustrative). Demo

Exports — by Product, 2024

Transportation equipment4,820
Chemicals1,310
Paper & pulp1,050
Machinery (except electrical)820
Food & kindred products440
Fabricated metals290
Other1,180
Total ($M)9,910

By Destination, 2024

Asia3,840
European Union2,610
Canada & Mexico1,720
South America820
Africa340
Rest of world580
Source: ITA Metropolitan Area Export Data via api.trade.gov. Demo

Comparative Employment & Income

Sector mix and earnings, Albany vs. Georgia vs. US, 2025
Sector % of Total Employment Average Annual Earnings ($)
AlbanyGAUS AlbanyGAUS
Construction5.84.65.2$72,300$84,190$83,082
Manufacturing11.48.68.1$93,500$77,848$86,565
Durable7.64.55.0$108,200$81,048$91,999
Nondurable3.84.23.1$64,100$74,431$77,635
Transportation/Utilities9.76.04.6$71,200$76,089$77,159
Wholesale Trade5.04.63.9$84,500$103,269$103,885
Retail Trade10.610.49.8$39,200$42,798$44,582
Information1.12.41.9$78,900$142,345$175,839
Financial Activities4.25.75.8$71,400$116,191$125,789
Prof. & Bus. Services10.815.214.3$78,300$95,383$104,389
Education & Health Services13.614.116.8$61,400$67,640$64,021
Leisure & Hospitality13.210.410.6$38,200$35,118$38,543
Other Services3.23.53.8$54,800$62,542$64,341
Government11.414.414.8$68,400$72,103$77,906
Sources: BLS QCEW (employment shares + annual wages, county-aggregated to MSA). Demo

Demographics & Migration

Population structure, household income, and migration flows

Block Groups by Income

% of total block groups
Source: Census ACS 5-year, block-group median HH income (Albany live; US illustrative). Demo

Economic Inequality

IndicatorValue
Gini coefficient0.46
Poverty rate (%)13.4
Neighborhoods under $50k median (%)22.4
Sources: Census ACS 5-yr — Gini (B19083), poverty (B17001), block-group median HH income (B19013). Demo

National metro rank omitted — no automatable MSA-level ranking source.

Per Capita Income

Sources: BEA Regional CAINC1 (per-capita personal income). Demo

Migration Flows — Into Albany

Hinesville GA2,840
Atlanta GA1,930
Jacksonville FL1,420
Charleston SC980
New York NY790
Augusta GA-SC610
Tampa FL510
Total in-migration18,500

From Albany

Hinesville GA2,340
Jacksonville FL1,180
Atlanta GA1,160
Charleston SC740
Net migration+5,700
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration, 2022 (latest), CBSA-aggregated. Demo

Generational Breakdown

% of population
Source: Census ACS 5-yr, sex-by-age table B01001 (generations grouped by approximate 15-yr age bands). Demo

Educational Attainment

% of adults 25+
Source: Census ACS table B15003. Demo

Population by Age

% of population, 5-year bins
Source: Census ACS 5-yr, table B01001 (Albany live; US illustrative). Demo

Geographic Profile

Land area, density, and housing stock characteristics

Net Migration

Annual, domestic vs. foreign
Source: Census PEP county components-of-change, MSA-aggregated. Demo

Population & Housing Characteristics

IndicatorUnitsValue
Total land areasq mi1,628
Population densitypop / sq mi312
Median ageyears36.2
Total housing unitsthousands176.2
Owner occupied% of total57.4
Renter occupied% of total34.1
Vacant% of total8.5
1-unit detached% of total62.1
Multifamily% of total28.4
Median year builtyear1992
Source: Census ACS 5-year (structure, tenure, age) + Census Gazetteer (land area). Demo
About this report. Prepared by Economic Impact Group, LLC and published on the Georgia Economics platform. Built from public & subscription-free data sources only: BLS (CES, QCEW, LAUS), BEA (Regional GDP & Personal Income), Census Bureau (PEP, ACS, BPS, Business Formation Statistics, USA Trade Online, F-33 School System Finances), FHFA (HPI), EPA AirData (annual AQI by CBSA), FRED, IRS SOI migration, ITA TradeStats, and Georgia Ports Authority monthly statistics. Sections flagged with a Proxy pill use Economic Impact Group composite measures where the source data is not directly published (business cycle index, valuation model, vitality, quality-of-life). The Vitality composite blends labor-force participation (ACS B23025), latest-year personal-income growth (BEA), young-adult 25–34 share (ACS B01001) and net-migration rate (IRS SOI). The Quality-of-Life composite blends air quality (EPA median AQI), long commute share (ACS), housing affordability and poverty (ACS). Crime is deliberately excluded from the Quality-of-Life composite: no clean, automated, current MSA-level crime feed exists — the FBI Crime Data API reports only by agency/state and is key-gated, and the FBI's by-MSA crime table was discontinued after 2019, so rather than freeze a stale 2019 figure the metric is omitted. Forecast columns (ARIMA) and the EIG credit score are live composite estimates, labeled accordingly. Refreshed nightly via GitHub Actions; the as-of stamp at the top of the page reflects the latest underlying release.