Huntsville Continues to Surge, Remaining Big 3 Cities Jockey for Position, while Rural Areas Lose Population in 2024
New population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau place Mobile as the state’s second-largest city, behind booming Huntsville and ahead of Birmingham and Montgomery, both of which saw population declines according to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Mobile’s new status takes into account the city’s 2023 annexations of neighborhoods in Mobile […]
Huntsville and Baldwin Continue Population Gains, Birmingham Remains in Top 50 of U.S. Metros
The Huntsville area and Baldwin County continue to add more new residents, while growth in Shelby County and St. Clair County helped the Birmingham Metro Area return to positive growth after two years of population loss. That’s according to new estimates of population change in U.S. counties and metro areas published by the U.S. Census […]
New estimates show Huntsville as the state’s second-largest city.
Huntsville’s population grew past Montgomery’s and crossed the 200,000 mark in 2019, making the Rocket City the second largest city in Alabama. If those estimates are accurate and current trends prevail, Huntsville will surpass Birmingham within the next three years to become the state’s largest city. With the official 2020 Census count now in the […]
Research Archive
PARCA Research Archive Tool for Comparing Performance on Alabama Public School Standardized Testing ByThomas Spencer September 30, 2026 Education Research Center The State Department of Education released the results of the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) in August. PARCA provides this internet-based data visualization tool to help educators… Read More How Alabama Education Spending Compares […]
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 […]
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 […]
ACT Scores Edge Down; Struggle to Recover from the Pandemic Continues
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. The average ACT score for 2025 Alabama public high school graduates decreased slightly compared to 2024, stalling what had been an incremental recovery from a […]
Board of Directors
Board of Directors PARCA is governed by a board of business and civic leaders from across Alabama. The board deliberately spans the state’s political spectrum. Its central responsibility is protecting PARCA’s independence. Board Member Login *Executive Committee +Ex-Officio Member Leadership Kim Lewis PRESIDENT CEO PROJECTXYZ, Inc. Charles Nailen VICE PRESIDENT Retired CEO/Owner BBG Specialty Foods, Inc. Judd […]
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 […]
A Varied Pattern of Population Growth and Decline across Alabama Counties
According to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, Jefferson and Mobile counties grew, and Montgomery narrowed its population losses in 2024 thanks to an increase in international migration. International immigration also padded growth in Madison and Baldwin Counties, though growth there was largely driven by domestic migration—new residents moving in from other counties […]