About this project
The City of Trussville is conveniently located off I-59, just 20-35 minutes from Birmingham depending on traffic. Home to a well regarded school district, Trussville is a magnet for families and has seen significant, sustained growth since 2012. In light of growth pressures, including land scarcity, increasing prices, infrastructure constraints, and school capacity, the City is interested in examining both growth barriers and opportunities. The Trussville Housing Needs Assessment and Zoning Audit is complementary to Trussville's current comprehensive planning process, Trussville 2.0: The Plan for Future Generations.
This study will analyze demographic trends; assess housing stock, availability, and development patterns; identify gaps in housing supply by unit type and income attainability; analyze linkages between housing and economic development needs; and evaluate existing barriers to housing production and access. Findings from this study will inform the housing chapter of Trussville 2.0.
This work is led by consultants CommunityScale, with support from Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative, the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, and other consulting members of the comprehensive plan team. Work spans from April 2026 to early 2027, with focus group meetings and other public events in summer 2026.
How is the job market changing?
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · B01001 LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) · Block crosswalk, Jobs by workplace block
- Geography NTAD Metropolitan Planning Organizations · Metropolitan planning organizations TIGER/Line Boundaries · Boundaries
- CommunityScale Data CommunityScale App Datasets · Job growth
Total job counts over time show how employment opportunities are growing or shrinking in a community. Comparing across geographies reveals which areas are attracting the most new employment.
Jobs grouped into four broad sector categories show the economic composition of a community.
Wage ranges for common occupations show how local pay compares across sectors. Bars show the 25th to 75th percentile annual salary range, with the median marked.
Job counts are derived from the LEHD LODES Workplace Area Characteristics (WAC) dataset published by the US Census Bureau.
How is the population changing?
- Census Population Estimates Program (PEP) · 2010–2025
- ACS 5-year estimates · B01001 · 2010–2024
- CommunityScale population projection model
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · B01001
- Geography Geographic Crosswalks · Tract crosswalk across Census years NTAD Metropolitan Planning Organizations · Metropolitan planning organizations TIGER/Line Boundaries · Boundaries
- CommunityScale Data CommunityScale App Datasets · Population forecast summary CommunityScale Population Forecasts · County population forecasts, Municipality population forecasts
Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.
Population change since a baseline year, broken out by age group. Each line shows the net gain or loss for one cohort, revealing which groups are driving growth or decline.
The share of households with children indicates family housing demand, while the share with people over 65 reflects the growing need for senior-friendly and accessible housing options.
Historical population comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program (PEP): counties directly from PEP's annual estimates by age, and municipalities from PEP sub-county totals with age detail from the American Community Survey (ACS). Projections use CommunityScale's PEP-anchored cohort-migration forecast model.
The model follows each five-year age cohort through the community's 2010–2024 population history and projects those cohort trends forward, launching from the most recent PEP estimate (2025). Group-quarters residents — college dorms, prisons, military barracks, nursing facilities — do not follow household demographics, so they are separated out, projected on their own trend, and added back. In small communities, where year-to-year cohort data is noisy, the model blends each cohort's trend toward the community's recent overall trend to keep projections stable.
Who is entering and leaving the workforce?
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · B01001
- Geography Geographic Crosswalks · Tract crosswalk across Census years NTAD Metropolitan Planning Organizations · Metropolitan planning organizations TIGER/Line Boundaries · Boundaries
- CommunityScale Data CommunityScale App Datasets · Population forecast by age CommunityScale Population Forecasts · County population forecasts, Municipality population forecasts
The share of people aged 25-34 indicates the pipeline of workers entering the labor force, while the share aged 65+ shows the pace of retirement. Comparing these trends reveals whether communities face a tightening or expanding labor supply.
Historical population comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program (PEP), with age detail from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates for municipalities. Projections use CommunityScale's PEP-anchored cohort-migration forecast model, which projects each age cohort's 2010–2024 trend forward from the most recent PEP estimate.
Who is entering and leaving the workforce? (peer communities)
- Congressional Budget Office CBO Per Capita Wage Growth · Per capita wage growth
- Federal Reserve FRED 30-Year Mortgage Rate · 30-year mortgage rate
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS CPI-U Inflation Ratios · Consumer price inflation factors
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · B01001, B11012, B15003, B17001 +27 more ACS Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), 5-Year · Household records, Person records, Puerto Rico household records, Puerto Rico person records Census Address Count Listing · Address counts, December 2025 LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) · Block crosswalk, Jobs by workplace block
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD Income Limits · Income limits
- U.S. Department of the Treasury Homeowners Insurance Premiums by ZIP Code · Premiums by ZIP code
- Zillow Zillow Housing Data · Home values and rents by ZIP code
- Geography Geographic Crosswalks · Place to county, Tract crosswalk across Census years, ZIP code to ZCTA Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Delineations · CBSA delineation (List 1) NTAD Metropolitan Planning Organizations · Metropolitan planning organizations TIGER/Line Boundaries · Boundaries TIGER/Line Land and Water Area · Land and water area
- CommunityScale Data CommunityScale App Datasets · Average homeowners insurance rates, Comparison community sets, Home values by geography, Household type by age group +5 more CommunityScale Population Forecasts · County population forecasts, Municipality population forecasts
The share of people aged 25-34 indicates the pipeline of workers entering the labor force, while the share aged 65+ shows the pace of retirement. Comparing these trends reveals whether communities face a tightening or expanding labor supply.
Historical population comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program (PEP), with age detail from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates for municipalities. Projections use CommunityScale's PEP-anchored cohort-migration forecast model, which projects each age cohort's 2010–2024 trend forward from the most recent PEP estimate. Comparison municipalities are Trussville's peer set (see about page).
How affordable is this community?
- ACS 5-year estimates · B19013, B25082, B25090 · 2010–2024
- Zillow ZHVI
- FRED 30-year fixed mortgage rate
- Insurance premium rates (CommunityScale)
- Congressional Budget Office CBO Per Capita Wage Growth · Per capita wage growth
- Federal Reserve FRED 30-Year Mortgage Rate · 30-year mortgage rate
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS CPI-U Inflation Ratios · Consumer price inflation factors
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · B01001, B19001, B19001A, B19001B +22 more ACS Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), 5-Year · Household records, Person records, Puerto Rico household records, Puerto Rico person records Census Address Count Listing · Address counts, December 2025 Census Building Permits Survey · Annual permits by county LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) · Block crosswalk, Jobs by workplace block
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD Income Limits · Income limits
- U.S. Department of the Treasury Homeowners Insurance Premiums by ZIP Code · Premiums by ZIP code
- Zillow Zillow Housing Data · Home values and rents by ZIP code
- Geography Geographic Crosswalks · Place to county, Tract crosswalk across Census years, ZIP code to ZCTA NTAD Metropolitan Planning Organizations · Metropolitan planning organizations TIGER/Line Boundaries · Boundaries
- CommunityScale Data CommunityScale App Datasets · Average homeowners insurance rates, Home values by geography, Household characteristics by income band, Household type by age group +6 more CommunityScale Population Forecasts · County population forecasts, Municipality population forecasts
This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.
| Geography | Home Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical | Affordable to median | Gap / Surplus | |
| Trussville, AL | $384,338 | $556,924 | +$172,586 |
Enter your household income and adjust assumptions to see what you could afford to buy in this community, compared to typical local prices. The calculator defaults to the current local median income, mortgage rate, and other financial assumptions factored into the housing affordability chart above.
How are households changing by income?
- ACS 5-year estimates · B25007, B01001, B19001, B19113 · 2010–2024
- HUD Income Limits · FY 2025
- BLS CPI-U · 2010–2024
- Census PUMS 5-year · 2019–2023
- Congressional Budget Office CBO Per Capita Wage Growth · Per capita wage growth
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS CPI-U Inflation Ratios · Consumer price inflation factors
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · B01001, B19001, B19113, B25001 +6 more ACS Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), 5-Year · Household records, Person records, Puerto Rico household records, Puerto Rico person records Census Address Count Listing · Address counts, December 2025 LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) · Block crosswalk
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD Income Limits · Income limits
- U.S. Department of the Treasury Homeowners Insurance Premiums by ZIP Code · Premiums by ZIP code
- Zillow Zillow Housing Data · Home values and rents by ZIP code
- Geography Geographic Crosswalks · Tract crosswalk across Census years, ZIP code to ZCTA NTAD Metropolitan Planning Organizations · Metropolitan planning organizations TIGER/Line Boundaries · Boundaries
- CommunityScale Data CommunityScale App Datasets · Average homeowners insurance rates, Home values by geography, Household type by age group, Households by income band +3 more CommunityScale Population Forecasts · County population forecasts, Municipality population forecasts
Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.
| AMI Group | Income Range | Households |
|---|---|---|
| <30% AMI | <$31K | 729 |
| 30-50% AMI | $31K - $52K | 793 |
| 50-80% AMI | $52K - $83K | 1,496 |
| 80-100% AMI | $83K - $104K | 1,102 |
| 100-120% AMI | $104K - $125K | 990 |
| >120% AMI | >$125K | 4,783 |
Household change since a baseline year, broken out by income group. Each line shows the net gain or loss for one income bracket, revealing which groups are driving household growth or decline.
How are household types changing?
- ACS 5-year estimates · B09021, B11015, B19131 · 2010–2024
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · B01001, B09021, B11015, B19131
- Geography Geographic Crosswalks · Tract crosswalk across Census years NTAD Metropolitan Planning Organizations · Metropolitan planning organizations TIGER/Line Boundaries · Boundaries
- CommunityScale Data CommunityScale App Datasets · Household types, Population forecast by age CommunityScale Population Forecasts · County population forecasts, Municipality population forecasts
This chart shows how household composition has changed over time, comparing the distribution of household types between 2015 and 2023. Changes in household types can indicate shifting demographics and evolving housing needs in a community.
Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.
Cost burden measures the share of household income spent on housing. Households paying more than 30% are considered cost burdened, while those paying more than 50% are severely cost burdened. Lower-income households typically face the highest rates of cost burden.
Cost burdened households pay 30% or more of their income on housing. Severely cost burdened households pay 50% or more. Tracking these rates over time shows whether affordability is improving or worsening. Toggle between combined (Total), Homeowners, and Renters to see how burden differs by tenure.
Household type data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. Household types include family households (married couples, single parents) and non-family households (people living alone, unrelated roommates).
When was the housing built?
- Congressional Budget Office CBO Per Capita Wage Growth · Per capita wage growth
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau HMDA Loan Application Register (loan-level) · Loan application register (2018 onward)
- Federal Reserve FRED 30-Year Mortgage Rate · 30-year mortgage rate
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS CPI-U Inflation Ratios · Consumer price inflation factors BLS OEWS Wage Percentiles · Wage area definitions, Wages by occupation
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · B01001, B01002, B01003, B07001 +40 more ACS Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), 5-Year · Household records, Person records, Puerto Rico household records, Puerto Rico person records Census Address Count Listing · Address counts, 2020, Address counts, December 2023, Address counts, December 2024, Address counts, December 2025 +4 more Census Building Permits Survey · Annual permits by county, Annual permits by place LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) · Block crosswalk, Jobs by workplace block
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD CDBG Entitlement Communities · CDBG entitlement grantees HUD Income Limits · Income limits
- U.S. Department of the Treasury Homeowners Insurance Premiums by ZIP Code · Premiums by ZIP code
- Zillow Zillow Housing Data · Home values and rents by ZIP code
- Geography Geographic Crosswalks · Place to county, Tract crosswalk across Census years, ZIP code to ZCTA NTAD Metropolitan Planning Organizations · Metropolitan planning organizations TIGER/Line Boundaries · Boundaries
- CommunityScale Data CommunityScale App Datasets · Average homeowners insurance rates, Build Now scenario, Cost burden by income group, Home values by geography +19 more CommunityScale Population Forecasts · County population forecasts, Municipality population forecasts
The age of the housing stock reveals construction booms, periods of stagnation, and how much of the community's housing predates modern building codes. The most recent decade uses building permit data for a more current picture of construction activity.
Historical decades use the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, table B25034 (Year Structure Built). The 2020s decade uses the US Census Building Permit Survey for a more accurate and up-to-date count of recent construction.
How much new housing is being permitted?
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · B01001 Census Building Permits Survey · Annual permits by county, Annual permits by place
- Geography NTAD Metropolitan Planning Organizations · Metropolitan planning organizations TIGER/Line Boundaries · Boundaries
Annual building permits reflect the pipeline of new housing construction. Single family permits show detached home building activity, while multifamily permits (units in buildings with 2+ units) indicate apartment and townhome development. Together they reveal how a community's housing supply is growing and what types of housing are being added.
Cumulative change in jobs, households, and building permits since 2010 reveals whether housing construction is keeping pace with employment and population growth.
Building permit data comes from the US Census Building Permit Survey, 2010-2024. Permits are reported by county and by permit-issuing place.
How much new housing is being permitted? (peer communities)
- Congressional Budget Office CBO Per Capita Wage Growth · Per capita wage growth
- Federal Reserve FRED 30-Year Mortgage Rate · 30-year mortgage rate
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS CPI-U Inflation Ratios · Consumer price inflation factors
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · B01001, B11012, B15003, B17001 +27 more ACS Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), 5-Year · Household records, Person records, Puerto Rico household records, Puerto Rico person records Census Address Count Listing · Address counts, December 2025 Census Building Permits Survey · Annual permits by county, Annual permits by place LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) · Block crosswalk, Jobs by workplace block
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD Income Limits · Income limits
- U.S. Department of the Treasury Homeowners Insurance Premiums by ZIP Code · Premiums by ZIP code
- Zillow Zillow Housing Data · Home values and rents by ZIP code
- Geography Geographic Crosswalks · Place to county, Tract crosswalk across Census years, ZIP code to ZCTA Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Delineations · CBSA delineation (List 1) NTAD Metropolitan Planning Organizations · Metropolitan planning organizations TIGER/Line Boundaries · Boundaries TIGER/Line Land and Water Area · Land and water area
- CommunityScale Data CommunityScale App Datasets · Average homeowners insurance rates, Comparison community sets, Home values by geography, Household type by age group +5 more CommunityScale Population Forecasts · County population forecasts, Municipality population forecasts
Annual building permits reflect the pipeline of new housing construction. Single family permits show detached home building activity, while multifamily permits (units in buildings with 2+ units) indicate apartment and townhome development. Together they reveal how a community's housing supply is growing and what types of housing are being added.
Cumulative change in jobs, households, and building permits since 2010 reveals whether housing construction is keeping pace with employment and population growth.
Building permit data comes from the US Census Building Permit Survey, 2010-2024. Permits are reported by county and by permit-issuing place. Comparison municipalities are Trussville's peer set (see about page).
What does the housing stock look like?
- ACS 5-year estimates · B25024, B25032, B25041, B25042 · 2020–2024
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · B01001, B25024, B25032, B25041 +1 more
- Geography Geographic Crosswalks · Tract crosswalk across Census years NTAD Metropolitan Planning Organizations · Metropolitan planning organizations TIGER/Line Boundaries · Boundaries
- CommunityScale Data CommunityScale App Datasets · Housing stock, Population forecast by age CommunityScale Population Forecasts · County population forecasts, Municipality population forecasts
The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.
This chart shows rental and homeowner vacancy rates over time. A healthy rental vacancy rate is around 7.5%, and a healthy homeowner vacancy rate is around 1.5%. Rates well below these thresholds suggest a tight housing market with limited options for people looking to move.