Issues and Agencies: The State of Alabama’s Health
According to PARCA’s 2026 survey of public opinion, health care is now tied with education as Alabamians’ top priority for state government to address. Rising health care costs and an ongoing decline in federal support for health insurance coverage have raised anxiety about how they will pay for care. This installment of Issues and Agencies […]
Cities in the north, south, and east grow fastest; Central cities continue to see population flow to suburbs
Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in. Growth moderated across most of Alabama cities in 2025 according to new population estimates for Alabama cities. Printable PDF available here Earlier this year, state-level estimates showed […]
How a Change in Federal Regulations Could Threaten Life-Saving Progress in Alabama’s Opioid Crisis
PARCA’s 2026 Annual Forum, “From Crisis to Collaboration: How Data, Policy, and Partnership Saved Lives in Alabama,” spotlighted the multiagency collaboration and bold policy decisions that underpinned a sharp decline in overdose deaths in 2024 and 2025 in Alabama. But an April 24 decision by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that severely limits […]
Fewer 2025 High School Grads Passed Workplace Readiness Test
Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in. Despite the increasing emphasis on college and career readiness in Alabama high schools, fewer students are earning work-readiness certifications through the standardized test known as […]
Drop in International Migration Slows Net Population Growth in Most Alabama Counties
Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in. Decreasing immigration from abroad slowed population growth across Alabama’s counties in 2024 and 2025, though suburban counties and growth magnets in north and south Alabama […]
Population Growth Slows As Immigration is Curtailed
Population growth in Alabama and across the country has slowed, particularly when it comes to immigrants coming from abroad, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The estimates cover the period between July 2024 and July 2025. Domestic migration into Alabama also decreased but remains higher compared to rates seen in the […]
PARCA Partners with VOICES on the 2025 Alabama Kids Count Data Book
VOICES for Alabama’s Children published the 2025 Alabama Kids Count Data Book yesterday. For the 10th year in a row, PARCA worked with VOICES as a data partner for the project. Since 1994, the Alabama Kids Count Data Book has documented and tracked the health, education, safety, and economic security of children at the state and county levels. […]
Mapping Alabama’s Public-Nonprofit Partnership
Mapping Alabama’s Public–Nonprofit Partnership examines how Alabama’s nonprofit sector functions as an essential partner in the delivery of public services. The report is a collaboration between Alabama Association of Nonprofits and the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, with research conducted by PARCA. Alabama is home to 5,996 active 501(c)(3) organizations that file regular tax returns […]
Jefferson County Sees Lower Homicides and Drug Overdose Deaths So Far in 2025
Halfway through 2025, Birmingham’s homicide total is half what it was midyear 2024, a dramatic turnaround after a year of record-setting violence. According to data from the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, total homicides in Jefferson County have been trending down from a peak in 2021, despite the record number of homicides in the City […]
New Data Shows Progress on Third Grade Reading Continues
Due to a new higher standard, the number and percentage of third graders who failed to meet the grade-level reading benchmark rose in 2025. However, taking the higher standard into account, this year’s third graders showed continued improvement, indicating that the state’s focus on improving early grades literacy is continuing to pay dividends. This spring, […]