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Alabama trails South in population growth

59K views 462 replies 28 participants last post by  krazeeboi 
#1 ·


The South now rivals the West in population growth during the first decade of the 21st century, but among Southern states, Alabama lags.

The population of the South region increased 13.1 percent from April 1, 2000, to July 1, 2009, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Wednesday. The West region's population increased 13.2 percent, the Northeast just 3.2 percent and the Midwest 3.8 percent.

The United States as a whole grew 9.1 percent, and the nation now has an estimated population of 307 million.

Alabama grew only 5.9 percent in the decade to reach an estimated population of 4,708,708, far behind growth in the South as a whole.

In the Census Bureau's 16-state South region, Alabama was 13th. Georgia was the leader with 20.1 percent population growth, followed by Texas, 18.8 percent; North Carolina, 16.6 percent; and Florida, 16 percent.

The three states in the South with slower growth than Alabama were Mississippi, 3.8 percent; West Virginia, 0.6 percent; and Louisiana, 0.5 percent.
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#2 ·
5.9% is not terrible by most standards. That's higher growth than just about every northeastern or midwestern state.

The only reason Alabama lags is because the growth in the state's fastest-growing metro areas is being countered by decline in many of the rural southern and western parts of the state (you know, the parts of Alabama people tend to imagine the entire state is like...); and because our fastest-growing metro areas aren't that big to begin with, there's still a lot of ground to cover.

I have no doubt that next decade will be the decade where Alabama joins the likes of Tennessee, Virginia, and South Carolina as true growth machines due to spillover from the rest of the Piedmont-Atlantic megalopolis, particularly into the northeastern quadrant of the state roughly in a line along I-65 and I-20.
 
#4 · (Edited)
You just never know what can happen. NC has been one of the "leaders" of the South since the 1950's. But before that time, NC was a more "backwater" state. NC was basically a coastal West Virginia before the 1950's; we were called the "Rip Van Winkle state" in the 1800's and early 1900's because we were "asleep" economically, culturally, politically and educationally. People were leaving NC back then for better oppurtunities in states west of the Appalachians. But for the last few decades, people have been coming here in droves for new oppurtunities; even in this reccession. Many are retiring here too.

AL may just have some growth pick up in 10 or 20 years.....ya just never know. States go in cycles.
 
#6 ·
Sure about that? NCs growth has looked remarkably consistent since the mid 1800's. A few boom decades, only one decade under 10% growth, and the rest in the 12-17% range. The population base is obviously larger, which means the raw numbers are higher, but percentage wise it has been very steady.

Year Population Growth

1850 869,039
1860 992,622 14.2%
1870 1,071,361 7.9%
1880 1,399,750 30.7%
1890 1,617,949 15.6%
1900 1,893,810 17.1%
1910 2,206,287 16.5%
1920 2,559,123 16.0%
1930 3,170,276 23.9%
1940 3,571,623 12.7%
1950 4,061,929 13.7%
1960 4,556,155 12.2%
1970 5,082,059 11.5%
1980 5,881,766 15.7%
1990 6,628,637 12.7%
2000 8,040,550 21.3%
Est. 2008 9,222,414 14.7%
 
#7 ·
This state also has an history of not being innovative in education and job creation. The current gov's idea of economic development is some chicken plant in the middle of nowhere, while metros like Birmingham cant even get state funding for mass transit. Bottom line is if im an outsider from somewhere worth a shit, why would I wanna move to Alabama?.
 
#9 ·
This state also has an history of not being innovative in education and job creation. The current gov's idea of economic development is some chicken plant in the middle of nowhere, while metros like Birmingham cant even get state funding for mass transit. Bottom line is if im an outsider from somewhere worth a shit, why would I wanna move to Alabama?.
 
#11 ·
I think we have to put things in perspective. While our population growth has lagged, our economic growth has not, and has been higher in proportion to our population growth compared to other states. Alabama's per capita income and economic output have improved considerably this decade. Alabama went from being 48 or 49 in 2000 to being in the high 30's. There are now at least 10 states lower than us, not just Mississippi or West Virginia.

http://www.swivel.com/data_columns/spreadsheet/4435772
 
#13 ·
South Carolina is a lot more attractive than Alabama for a number of reasons, mainly location, location, location.

One it is much closer to the Northeastern states, and those are the states people are leaving in droves to come South. SC is in a much better place to benefit from that than AL.

Two SC is located between 2 high growth states in NC and GA. And when you consider where a lot of the growth is coming from AL is located on the 'other side' of a high growth rate in GA. Then of course slow growth MS is on the other side of AL.

Three, a lot more coastline in SC. If all other things were equal, the fact that pretty much the entire state is not only a few hours from the ocean but a lot of that coastline is SC is huge.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Georgia: The reason why this state is experincing nice and steady growth is of course Atlanta which is leading the south in growth if im not mistakin.Atlanta is very appealing to young professionals and if the city of Atlanta wasn`t in Georgia what would the state offer ? There are no other cities in Georgia with the exception of Atlanta that can even come close to Alabama`s big four. Out side of the Atlanta metro Georgia is Mississippi in my opionion !

South Carolina : Growth is due to retirment and the same as with South Carolina non of S.C`s large cities can compare in size with Alabama`s larger cities but S.C has more coast than Alabama.




Alabama : Has good job growth and a very diverse economy from sending men and women to the moon all the way to building large ships. Alabama`s coast is not as large as S.C`s coast but is far more attractive Myrtle Beach,SC has nothing on Alabama`s Sugary white sand and emerald like water. Aalabama`s Mountainous and Gulf Coast areas are fast growing areas and is very attractive to not only the retirment age but the young as well especially the Gulf Coast.

The problem is that there are still negative and ignorant stereotypes that are still thought of when the State of Alabama is being mentioned. I believe after all the stereotypical ignorance is being washed then Alabama will be able to put it`s foot in the door for more growth.


Deleware A southern state ?

( No offense to anyone from any of the states that are mentioned above.)
 
#28 ·
South Carolina : Growth is due to retirment and the same as with South Carolina non of S.C`s large cities can compare in size with Alabama`s larger cities but S.C has more coast than Alabama.
SC can easily claim Charlotte, Savannah, and Augusta as their own. As a matter of fact, SC's fastest growing county is a suburb of Charlotte (York county).
 
#18 ·
Alabama is still known as a poor, backwater state, and we havent done anything in the last decade to change that image. Still ranked in the bottom 10 in education and health, conservative in culture and politics (almost taliban like), no real international airport in the state. Birmingham is the largest metro, but its 10-15 years behind any other city its size in the region.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Alabama will never advance until we stop outlawing dildos! Seriously, these are the kinds of things that makes us look like a backwater shit hole because these are the kinds of ignorant things this state does. From the outside looking in, can you blame anyone for not wanting to live here? I can't. If this is the window we are showing the world, we have a long hard road ahead of us. To the rest of the world we are a backwater shit hole, and until we stop acting like one, that perception is never going to change.

Even our largest city often seems stuck in another era and can't seem to do anything right without shooting itself in the foot. Those are the kinds of things people on the outside latch onto very quickly.
 
#27 ·
I would also like to take the this time to point out that outside of Huntsville, Alabama cities are not that attractive for people to move to.

Montgomery is a dump that would probably be losing population in the metro if it weren't the capital city.

Birmingham doesn't offer anything you can't find in other places of its size. Downtown is terrible, but the suburbs are nice I guess.

Mobile is decent, but still nothing to brag about.
 
#29 ·
Yep, no SC city is as dense as Birmingham, but the metro areas can compare to AL.

SCs largest CSAs/MSAs:
Greeneville-Spartansburg- 1,241,618 estimated +10.6% growth since 2000
Columbia- 765,886 +12.09%
Charleston- 644,506 +17.39%
Myrtle Beach- 257,380 +30.90%
Rock Hill- 217,448 +32.1%

Rock Hill is of course part of metro Charlotte.

ALs largest CSA/MSAs:
Birmingham- 1,198,932 +6.13%
Mobile- 580,748 +7.49%
Huntsville-Decatur- 545,770 +11.78%
Montgomery- 417,511 +4.32%
Dothan- 237,006 +5.99%

SC has more people in their larger metro areas, and AL has more in their smaller metro areas (for now).
 
#30 · (Edited)
You can make the same argument that Mississippi has Memphis and New Orleans as close-by major cities with spillover into the state, but only Memphis and Charlotte seem to actually appear to be be be two/three-state metros. I've been to Savannah and Augusta, and there is very little spillover into South Carolina. As you as you cross the Savannah River in those cities, the landscape changes instantaneously from urban to rural.

Montgomery is a dump that would probably be losing population in the metro if it weren't the capital city.

Birmingham doesn't offer anything you can't find in other places of its size. Downtown is terrible, but the suburbs are nice I guess.

Mobile is decent, but still nothing to brag about.
I seriously beg to differ in the case of Mobile. Though without the hooks of a French Quarter or town squares, it's just as nice at New Orleans, Savannah, or Charleston. But it gets the shaft from the standard anti-Alabama bias. If you analyze what you're saying about Birmingham, you're basically saying it is just as nice as similar-sized cities. Montgomery has it's charms, but if you think that only thing it has is state government, than you're mistaken. It has two military instillation and auto manufacturing as other major anchors of its economy.

So, I have to ask if you've ever been to these cities and spent a good amount of time there, if you are just going by "conventional wisdom"?
 
#33 ·
No, he is correct, outside of Atlanta other places in Georgia do not have the components you need to truly boom. The state has very pedestrian numbers outside of its largest city.

Athens is the fastest growing of the other areas, and it gets the customary state university bump that you will see pretty much everywhere throughout the country. Another thing that tends to lead to a population bump is being the state capital, and of course Atl has that wrapped up.

Atlanta 5,729,304 +25.96%

Augusta 534,218 +6.91%
Columbus 442,953 +5.22%
Savannah 404,296 +10.79%
Macon 390,674 +9.49%
Athens 189,264 +13.96%
Albany 164,919 +4.49%
 
#41 ·
Those are CSA numbers. These are the fastest growing metros outside of Atlanta. Athens doesn't have a CSA combination so its numbers are the same.

Gainesville +32.70%
Warner Robins +20.22%
Savannah, GA +14.11%


Back the Alabama...

Alabama will never advance until we stop outlawing dildos!
Even our largest city often seems stuck in another era and can't seem to do anything right without shooting itself in the foot. Those are the kinds of things people on the outside latch onto very quickly.
I understand the ***** lobby is organizing a boycott. :colgate:
 
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