[RocketDawg]

Alabama gained about 25,000 in the latest population estimates.

https://www.al.com/news/2022/12/alab...n-in-2022.html

[Nemean]

Well, it looks like there's tiers of southern growth:

Bonkers Stupid Crazy Growth (+400k): TX & FL

Stupid Crazy Growth (+120k): GA & NC

Crazy Growth (+80k): SC & TN

Strong Growth (+24k): OK, VA & AL

Good Growth (+17k): AR

Growth (+5k): KY

Regression (-9k): MS

Hangover Regression (-30k): LA


This is, actually pretty comfy growth. It's at a pace Aldot could plan things out if it wanted to (AKA, not going to happen).

Spoiler

The last state rail plan already mentioned the potential feasibility of a Birmingham-Montgomery passenger line that could be extended to Mobile, as well as noting an Atlanta-Birmingham line, and it's getting updated next year (public input comments ended on Nov 30th). It was kinda odd seeing Bham-Gump-Mobile mentiones, as Huntsville-Birmingham-Montgomery makes more sense, with expansion plans for Mobile and Nashville. At least there's the sunset limited and the Atlanta-Auburn-Montgomery lines to add to the Birmingham-Atlanta line to talk about. So there's automatically more to talk about this go around. Maybe we could go full dream mode and imagine Shoals or Dothan spurs.

[TimCity2000]

Some additional interesting info in this article today: Alabama saw big spike in new arrivals from other states in 2022


Alabama is growing surprisingly quickly, thanks entirely to new arrivals.

People are moving to Alabama in larger numbers than the state has seen in at least a decade, and it’s helping to boost Alabama’s population in a time where the state continues to see more deaths than births.

New population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show Alabama gained almost 25,000 people from July 1, 2021 to July 1, 2022. But the state added more than 33,000 people through migration during that same year, meaning new arrivals made up for an otherwise shrinking population.

That was the ninth highest net increase from migration in the country, and the highest total for Alabama in at least the last decade. The vast majority of that - about 86% - came from domestic migration, or people moving in from other states.

Alabama has seen a huge increase in new arrivals in recent years. The state’s annual net gain from new arrivals is up 950% since 2014.

That in-migration has kept Alabama from shrinking, as the state continued to see more deaths than births in 2022. Roughly 8,600 more Alabamians died from July 2021 to July 2022 than were born.

It’s the third consecutive year Alabama saw more deaths than births, after 2020 marked the first time in modern history that happened here. As COVID-19 tore through Alabama, the last three years have been the deadliest in the state’s history.

Still, Alabama managed to grow during that time.

The state’s population loss due to natural change was more than offset by the number of people who moved here. Overall, Alabama added about 25,000 people from 2021 to 2022, the 15th highest increase in the nation, and the biggest raw growth Alabama has seen in years.

Even before the start of the pandemic, Alabama was starting to see a shift in population change. The state’s net population gain from migration has increased every year since 2014, and that increase accelerated in 2020, even as the pandemic raged.

[RocketDawg]

The 8600 deaths is a little scary. I don't remember how many died as a result of Covid but it was a large number.

I suspect the places with the greatest in-migration from other states is in the usual areas, those being Baldwin and the Huntsville area. Probably many retirees move to Baldwin County from colder parts of the country for the nice beaches and mild winters. County estimates will be released in late March with individual cities and towns in late May (with data dates of July 2022, just like the states). So, those estimates will be well out of date when they're released - not sure why it takes almost a year in some cases to run the numbers.

I'm almost positive that last years estimate was 5,039,000-ish; now they're saying that July 2021 (on Census Quick Facts) was 5,049,000. Don't know if that's a mistake, or there was an interim update of some sort.

[PortCity]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

The 8600 deaths is a little scary. I don't remember how many died as a result of Covid but it was a large number.

I suspect the places with the greatest in-migration from other states is in the usual areas, those being Baldwin and the Huntsville area. Probably many retirees move to Baldwin County from colder parts of the country for the nice beaches and mild winters. County estimates will be released in late March with individual cities and towns in late May (with data dates of July 2022, just like the states). So, those estimates will be well out of date when they're released - not sure why it takes almost a year in some cases to run the numbers.

I'm almost positive that last years estimate was 5,039,000-ish; now they're saying that July 2021 (on Census Quick Facts) was 5,049,000. Don't know if that's a mistake, or there was an interim update of some sort.

I'm confident that Madison is now the state's 2nd largest county,Mobile 3rd and Baldwin 4th, Shelby 5th , Montgomery 6th/7th and Tuscaloosa 7th /6th.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by PortCity

I'm confident that Madison is now the state's 2nd largest county,Mobile 3rd and Baldwin 4th, Shelby 5th , Montgomery 6th/7th and Tuscaloosa 7th /6th.

I think it'll be one more year at least. At the July 2021 estimate the difference in the two counties was about 20,000. I doubt that many people have moved into Madison in one year, but probably will by 2025, maybe 2024.

[EscAlaMike]

The lesson I took from this is that Alabamians need to start having more children.

[PortCity]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I think it'll be one more year at least. At the July 2021 estimate the difference in the two counties was about 20,000. I doubt that many people have moved into Madison in one year, but probably will by 2025, maybe 2024.

A fee years ago there was a 2025 prediction that it would. So you are spot on.

[Columbus1984]

Thoughts on Auburn/Opelika and metro Columbus merging into one metro? It’s already a CSA, would love to see this become one metro.

[PortCity]

Originally Posted by Columbus1984

Thoughts on Auburn/Opelika and metro Columbus merging into one metro? It’s already a CSA, would love to see this become one metro.

By 2025 I can see it happening.