Census Snapshot: Alabama back-to-school shopping by the numbers

It is back-to-school month in Alabama, and for parents, that means shopping.

The Census Bureau published a trove of data for the occasion, shedding light on school-related retail. Ranging from bookstores to department stores, here are some highlights of how Alabama and its bigger counties, stack up against the rest of the country.

— Family clothing stores. The Census Bureau counts 28,951 such establishments throughout the country, and 466 in Alabama. They are a bit more common in Alabama — 9.63 for every 100,000 residents, compared with 9.09 per 100,000 nationwide.

But revenue per worker is less in the Yellowhammer State. The annual payroll of $102.4 million, works out to $12.36 per employee. Although there is no way to determine from the data how that payroll is distributed, it does offer a rough picture of compensation. The national figures is $15.71.

Among Alabama counties included in the survey — many smaller counties were left out and the agency withheld data for others that had too few stores — the highest revenue-per-employee mark is Russell County, at $16.81. At $9.43, Mobile County is the lowest figure.

— Office supplies and stationery stores. Prevalence is about the same — 1.93 stores per 100,000 Alabama residents, compared with 2.15 for the country as a whole. The payroll-per-employee figure is $21.80 nationally but a hefty $24.63 in Alabama.

The Census Bureau has data only for 10 Alabama counties, but among those, Jefferson is the highest at $27.92, while Morgan brings up the rear at $16.53.

— Department stores. They are slightly more common in America, at 2.49 per 100,000 residents, than in Alabama, at 2.38.

Payroll also is similar — $20.44 per worker in the United States, vs. $19.22 per employee in Alabama. Madison County has the highest ratio at $21.29, with Lauderdale coming in at the bottom, with a ratio of $16.05.

— Bookstores. Are Alabamians bibliophiles? The Census Bureau says the Heart of Dixie has a higher concentration of bookstores than the nation as a whole, 2.48 per 100,000 vs. 2.02 nationally.

But bookstore workers are better-paid elsewhere. The payroll is $15.36 per worker in America, according to the latest data, compared with $13.37 in Alabama.

Limestone is number one at $18.26; Tuscaloosa County is last at $9.72.

— Children’s and infants’ clothing stores. The concentration of these types of stores is nearly identical statewide and throughout the nation — 2.22 per 100,000 residents nationwide, and 2.21 in Alabama.

The payroll-per-employee ration of $14.97 nationally exceeds the state figure, $13,90.

Among Alabama counties surveyed, Mobile’s is the highest at $18.29 per employee. The lowest is Houston County, as $9.58.

@BrendanKKirby is a senior political reporter at LifeZette and author of “Wicked Mobile.”