Commercial Real Estate Market in Athens, AL
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
310 active listings and 1,606 off-market properties in Athens, AL. Commercial property asks $68/SF to buy and $15.30/SF/Yr to lease.
Market Trends
Athens, AL spans 254.6 square miles in Limestone County, Alabama. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Athens, AL runs 20.2% across the South region in 2025, up from 14.4% in 2019.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Retail
Retail space in Athens, AL asks $127/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 5.4% across the South region in 2025, down from 7% in 2020.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Athens, AL runs 7.9% across the South region in 2025, up from 6% in 2019. Nearly 2.3x the 2022 low of 3.5%.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Multifamily
Multifamily vacancy in Athens, AL runs 11.3% across the South region in 2025, up from 8.5% in 2022.
Vacancy Rate % in South region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 66.6%
- Commercial 11.3%
- Civic 8.3%
- Industrial 7.7%
- Planned_development 5.6%
- Mixed use 0.5%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Estate Residential And Agricultural District
Low Density Single Family Residential District
General Business District
High Density Single Family Residential District
Light Industrial District
Athens, AL zones 26,939 acres across 23 districts. Commercial zoning covers 11.3% of zoned land, residential 66.6% and industrial 7.7%. The largest single district is Estate Residential And Agricultural District at 27.6%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 19% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Estate Residential And Agricultural District (EST)
Districts EST R-1 R-2 (1) R-MH Non-residential Uses 1 2 3 4 5 Airstrips specifically oriented to agricultural use (aerial spraying, “crop dusters”) and privately-owned personal aircraft intended for non-commercial use SE Animal hospitals and kennels SE Cemeteries SE SE SE SE Clubs, non-profit SE SE SE SE SE SE SE Commercial livestock operations C Dairying, a…
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Athens, AL has 57,891 residents in 26,614 households. Density runs 227 people per square mile. Median household income here is $74,252 and median gross rent $1,020 a month.
57,891
Population
26,614
Households
2.2
Avg Household Size
41
Median Age
27%
College-Educated
86%
High-School Grad
254.6 sq mi
ZIP Area
227
Density / Sq Mi
$74,252
Median Household Income
$44,578
Median Earnings
$1,020
Median Rent
$234,036
Median Home Value
Tools
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Hightower | — | — |
| Hillsboro | — | — |
| Decatur | — | $11.13 |
| Tanner | — | — |
Commercial property in Athens, AL asks $68/SF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Athens?
Commercial property in Athens, AL asks an average of $68 per square foot. The 4 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $165/SF. Retail carries the highest asking price at $127/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Athens?
Asking lease rates in Athens, AL average $15.30 per square foot per year.
What zoning applies to commercial property in Athens?
Athens, AL zones 26,939 acres across 23 districts, of which 11.3% is commercial and 7.7% industrial. The largest single district is Estate Residential And Agricultural District at 27.6% of zoned land. Districts EST R-1 R-2 (1) R-MH Non-residential Uses 1 2 3 4 5 Airstrips specifically oriented to agricultural use (aerial spraying, “crop dusters”) and privately-owned personal aircraft intended for non-commercial use SE Animal hospitals and kennels SE Cemeteries SE SE SE SE Clubs, non-profit SE SE SE SE SE SE SE Commercial livestock operations C Dairying, a… Residential zoning covers 66.6% and open space 0%.
Where does Realmo's Athens market data come from?
Realmo compiles Athens, AL figures from 5 recent recorded sales, 298 active sale listings, 12 active lease listings, 1,606 tracked off-market properties, the current Athens zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 298 active for-sale and 12 active for-lease listings in Athens, AL. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 26,939 zoned acres across 23 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- office vacancy is reported at South region level, retail vacancy is reported at South region level and industrial vacancy is reported at South region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
