Housing Trends
Housing trends are an important indicator of economic activity and vitality,
in an area through the representation of population growth. In slower
growing areas, housing data may reveal abandonment or migration. These
trends also represent market decisions relating to home ownership or rental
properties. The rate of housing development is a strong indicator of the
overall rate of development taking place in a region, which may result in
potential incompatible land uses in conjunction with operations at
Maxwell AFB.
Essentially, housing trends have the potential to indicate future types of
residential and commercial development. The following information
portrays housing market trends, median monthly gross rents, percentage of
basic allowance for housing (BAH) and median home values within the
JLUS Study
Area.
Table 2‐3.
Although the
total housing
units for the
City of
Montgomery
and
Montgomery
County were
lower than the
11 percent
increase
reported by
the State, the
data provided
in Table 2‐3
June 2017
JLUS Study Area Total Housing Units, 2000‐2010
Number Percent
Jurisdiction
2000
2010
Change
Change
Alabama
1,963,711
2,171,853 208,142
11%
Autauga
County 17,662 22,135 4,473 20%
Elmore
County 25,733 32,657 6,924 21%
Montgomery
County 95,437 101,641 6,204 7%
City of
Montgomery 86,787 92,115 5,328 6%
9,562 13,541 3,979 29%
City of
Prattville
Autauga and Elmore counties are not participating JLUS communities
Source: US Census Bureau, Housing Units, 2000, 2010
indicates that there has been more than two times the amount of total
housing units within the City of Prattville from 2000 to 2010, than in the
state.
Table 2‐4.
Median Monthly Gross Rent in Surrounding
Jurisdictions, 2000 – 2010
Jurisdiction 2000 2010 Number
Change Percent
Change
Alabama $447 $644 $197 31%
Autauga County $537 $769 $232 30%
Elmore County $486 $685 $199 29%
Montgomery County $526 $760 $234 44%
City of Montgomery $528 $761 $233 44%
City of Prattville $557 $809 $252 31%
Autauga and Elmore counties are not participating JLUS communities.
Source: US Census Bureau, Median Gross Rent (Dollars) 2000, 2010
An increasing number of potential renters lead to a higher demand for
rental units. A demand‐driven rise in cost of rent affects both the local
economy and the housing market. Understanding trends in rent costs can
account for certain housing trends. Table 2‐4 shows the change in median
monthly gross rents for communities in the JLUS Study Area from 2000 to
2010.
During this timeframe, the median monthly rent increased in both the City
of Montgomery and Montgomery County by 44 percent. The cost of rent in
the City of Prattville experienced increases in median rent that are similar to
the increase for the state of Alabama. The rent in Montgomery County is
higher than the median gross rent for the state by $116.
For military personnel who seek off‐base accommodation, a BAH is provided
to support housing affordability. The BAH is a stipend given to military
personnel who choose to live off‐base or cannot be accommodated in
Background Report
Page 2‐9