2023 Population Estimates for Alabama Cities and Towns

• May 22nd, 2024

The U.S. Census Bureau released updated population estimates last week for Alabama’s 462 incorporated cities and towns. The new data estimates the population on July 1, 2023 using birth, death, and migration statistics, and revises the estimates for 2022, 2021, and 2020. These new estimates, along with other useful data, can be found on the Alabama Demographics page on the website of the Center for Business and Economic Research at The University of Alabama.

Click here to view the interactive map with the 2023 population data for cities and towns:Data Source:  2023 Population Estimates, U.S. Census Bureau Map made by Dr. Komla Khoumi

Population Growth

From 2022 to 2023, 259 cities and towns in Alabama experienced some population growth, gaining at least one person. Fifty-one of those places grew by more than 100 people, and six increased their population by more than 1,000 people. Table 1 below has the cities and towns in Alabama with the highest population growth.

Alabama’s Largest Cities

Population trends in the state’s fifteen largest cities varied: six large cities grew by more than 500 people, with the most growth in Huntsville (3,534), Athens (2,262), and Auburn (1,648).  Five of the state’s largest cities grew by less than 400 people, with some population levels only growing modestly. Four of the largest cities lost more than 100 people, with the largest decreases in the cities of Montgomery (-1,657) and Mobile (-695). Table 2 shows the population changes from 2022 to 2023 for Alabama’s largest cities.

Huntsville continued to experience significant growth, adding almost 10 people per day from 2022 to 2023 to reach a population of over 225,000. Huntsville has been Alabama’s most populous city since 2020 and, as of 2023, has almost 30,000 more people than the state’s next largest cities, Birmingham and Montgomery.

Fast Growing Populations

Fast-growing places are those with a high growth rate in population from 2022 to 2023. Of the fifteen fastest growing cities and towns in Alabama, four were in Baldwin County: Silverhill, Foley, Loxley, and Fairhope. Two other counties also had more than one city rank on as some of the fastest growing places: Triana and Owens Cross Roads are in Madison County, and Odenville and Margaret are in St. Clair County.

Population Loss

Some cities in Alabama lost population from 2022 to 2023, according to the latest estimates. Fifteen cities’ populations decreased by more than 100 people from 2022 to 2023. Eight of those cities were in Jefferson County, which you can see marked by an asterisk in Table 4.

Analysis and text by Susannah Robichaux, Socioeconomic Analyst and lead for the Alabama State Data Center. Interactive map by Dr. Komla Khoumi, Assistant Research Professional.

Rural Counties of Alabama 2020

• May 14th, 2024

UA Economists: Alabama’s Economic Growth Projected to Slow while Inflation Expected to Decrease

• April 16th, 2024

Tuscaloosa, Ala – Alabama’s economic growth is projected to slow while inflation is expected to slightly decrease through 2024, according to researchers at The University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER).

The state’s economy continued to grow in 2023, without being affected by stubborn inflation, monetary policy rate hikes, lingering labor shortages, and the continued effects of the Ukraine-Russian war, according to CBER.

Alabama’s economic output for 2024 is projected to increase 1.2%, compared to a projected increase of 1.4% for the United States. The projection comes after the state’s economic output grew by 1.9% in 2023, due to high consumer spending and a surge in exports. Nationally, the economic output grew by 2.4% in 2023, driven by pent-up demand and accumulated savings from the pandemic era.

“Most likely Alabama’s growth for 2023 will be revised upwards to slightly over 2.0%,” said Ahmad Ijaz, CBER’s executive director and director of economic forecasting.

Businesses and consumers spent almost $3 trillion in savings during the pandemic, which aided in avoiding a recession and sustain the economy . Economists estimate that approximately $1.0 trillion in accumulated savings are still remaining, and these funds could continue to keep both businesses and consumers buoyed despite high interest rates.

“Strong consumer spending in 2022 and 2023 was driven primarily by pent-up demand and accumulating savings built up during the pandemic era,” Ijaz said.

The Center for Business and Economic Research has produced forecasts of economic activity in Alabama since 1980. The center incorporates data from the last 30 years, including cycles and recoveries captured over the years, into its statistical and economic models. These forecasts cover Alabama’s gross domestic product, employment, and income by industry group and are published in the annual Alabama Economic Outlook, which includes and annual analysis into the national and state economy, including examinations of metro areas in Alabama. Forecast updates are provided quarterly. The 2024 Alabama Economic Outlook, available for free on the center’s website, reports consumer spending should increase by 1.9 percent in 2024 and 1.5% percent in 2025, which could be damped by high levels of consumer debt going forward.

“Alabama’s economy is still growing,” said Ijaz, “and will continue to do so despite recession fears triggered by higher interests rates.”

This year’s outlook includes the effects of population aging on labor force participation and whether Alabama really does have a labor shortage. The feature article highlights the need for economic stakeholders to incorporate a demographic perspective to improve the status of labor force participation in Alabama.

“There are clear patterns of population aging in Alabama that also shape the supply of the labor market,” said Dr. Nyesha Black, the director of demographics at CBER. “There are also significant shifts in the economic behaviors of younger male workers that are exerting a negative effect on Alabama’s overall labor force participation rate. In fact, Alabama’s labor force participation rates would be worse if it were not for the increased labor market engagement of women and workers who are 55 years and older.”

Mildly Confident Expansionary Forecast for Q2 2024

• April 16th, 2024

Reports for the Q2 2024 Alabama Business Confidence Index Now Available

The Alabama Business Confidence Index (ABCI) grew by 4.8 points to reach a mildly confident expansionary index of 54.1 in the Q2 2024 survey. All six component indexes saw increases from their Q1 2024 levels, though the magnitude varied from fairly low increase (2.2 points) to a large leap (9.6 points). Business leaders are forecasting second quarter growth with mild to strong confidence for all of the industry component indexes and the Alabama economy. The only negative index for the quarter is the US outlook, which has been contractionary since Q1 2022.

View the ABCI homepage for more details on the specific components of the statewide ABCI forecast which are also broken down by industry and firm size; or view individual metro reports for Birmingham-Hoover, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, and Huntsville. Historical reports are available for download from the ABCI archive.