Biggest Retail Cities in Alabama: Top 25 Towns Ranked
Alabama has 36,017 independent retail places spread across 359 towns. Birmingham leads with 2,981 — 8.3% of the state. The top 25 towns, and the eight most common store types, by count.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Alabama by the numbers
Where the stores are
Alabama has 36,017 independent retail places — 705.0 per 100,000 residents, 0.97× the national average of 724.8 and 37th of the 50 states and D.C. on retail density.
Birmingham holds 2,981 of them (8.3% of the state total). Huntsville is second with 2,513 (7.0%). The 25 towns below account for 55.7% of Alabama's retail; 359 towns in the state have at least five places.
The most common store type is the construction supplies store (3,917, 10.9% of the state's retail), followed by miscellaneous stores (2,333).
Top 25 retail towns in Alabama
Independent retail places per city or town, with each town's share of Alabama's 36,017 total. Only towns with at least five places are counted.
| # | City / town | Retail places | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | 2,981 | 8.3% |
| 2 | Huntsville | 2,513 | 7.0% |
| 3 | Mobile | 1,977 | 5.5% |
| 4 | Montgomery | 1,713 | 4.8% |
| 5 | Dothan | 1,025 | 2.8% |
| 6 | Tuscaloosa | 975 | 2.7% |
| 7 | Hoover | 721 | 2.0% |
| 8 | Decatur | 687 | 1.9% |
| 9 | Florence | 678 | 1.9% |
| 10 | Foley | 602 | 1.7% |
| 11 | Madison | 586 | 1.6% |
| 12 | Gadsden | 559 | 1.6% |
| 13 | Auburn | 530 | 1.5% |
| 14 | Cullman | 524 | 1.5% |
| 15 | Opelika | 419 | 1.2% |
| 16 | Prattville | 400 | 1.1% |
| 17 | Bessemer | 398 | 1.1% |
| 18 | Athens | 397 | 1.1% |
| 19 | Anniston | 380 | 1.1% |
| 20 | Pelham | 369 | 1.0% |
| 21 | Fairhope | 354 | 1.0% |
| 22 | Daphne | 325 | 0.9% |
| 23 | Enterprise | 316 | 0.9% |
| 24 | Jasper | 314 | 0.9% |
| 25 | Northport | 306 | 0.8% |
Counts use the city/town label on each place, so boroughs, villages and unincorporated areas appear separately from their parent city.
Most common store types in Alabama
The eight largest independent-retail categories in Alabama, with each one's share of the state's 36,017 places.
| # | Store type | Places | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction Supplies Store | 3,917 | 10.9% |
| 2 | Miscellaneous Store | 2,333 | 6.5% |
| 3 | Clothing Store | 2,150 | 6.0% |
| 4 | Furniture and Home Store | 1,950 | 5.4% |
| 5 | Hardware Store | 1,683 | 4.7% |
| 6 | Print Store | 1,628 | 4.5% |
| 7 | Discount Store | 1,486 | 4.1% |
| 8 | Shoe Store | 1,463 | 4.1% |
Each place is counted once under its primary retail category. Grocery, pharmacy, fuel, liquor, cannabis, automotive and mall categories are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
- Which city in Alabama has the most retail stores?
- Birmingham, with 2,981 independent retail places — 8.3% of Alabama's 36,017 total. Huntsville is next with 2,513.
- How many independent retail stores are in Alabama?
- 36,017 shoppable independent retail places, or 705.0 per 100,000 residents (0.97× the U.S. average of 724.8). That ranks Alabama 37th of 51 for retail density.
- What is the most common type of store in Alabama?
- The construction supplies store: 3,917 places, or 10.9% of Alabama's retail. Miscellaneous Stores are second at 2,333.
Related reports
National retail reports
More states
- Biggest Retail Cities in West Virginia: Top 25 Towns Ranked12,281 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Wisconsin: Top 25 Towns Ranked49,031 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Wyoming: Top 25 Towns Ranked5,799 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Alaska: Top 25 Towns Ranked6,125 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Arizona: Top 25 Towns Ranked45,964 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Arkansas: Top 25 Towns Ranked23,046 retail places
Data & method
- Source: Foursquare Open Source Places (U.S. slice, Apache-2.0), counted by Useful Economy. Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimates (July 1, 2023).
- What counts as retail: an open place carrying a Retail category label. Grocery and other food retail, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel, liquor, cannabis, tobacco and vape, automotive, gun and hunting, adult, betting, fireworks, markets and shopping malls are excluded, so the counts describe shoppable independent storefronts rather than all commerce.
- Counting rule: each place is counted once, under its primary retail category and the city/town label on its address. Town tables include only towns with at least five places. Per-100k figures divide by state population; city populations are not used.
- Generated: September 15, 2026. Figures refresh when the source data is re-counted.
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