While Birmingham’s population originally grew with the blazing steel industry, people are now drawn from other burgeoning corporations. The uniqueness in Birmingham’s dynamic population, lies in its history and the future to come. The fascination remains in how people have moved around Birmingham rather than from Birmingham.

 

As they move, the demographics of the city are manipulated which at times can seem as if the city is trending in a way that isn’t necessarily so. According to data from the US Census Bureau, Birmingham itself is declining in population while suburbs such as Hoover and Vestavia Hills are quickly growing. It’s also not uncommon to find once thriving suburbs, stagnant in growth or in fact in decline, such as Irondale and Bessemer. It is also important to note that these changes won’t always affect a community in a positive way, whether that be in gentrification or a lack of increase of per capita income.

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Although Birmingham and Jefferson County are old, its residents are predominantly young. The 2010 Census presents that 21.53% of Birmingham residents are under the age of 17, as well as 66.06% of residents sitting between 18 to 64 years of age. This can be attributed to the attractiveness that Birmingham now holds to families and individuals.

 

This allure is brought from booming business which provide ample opportunity for employment and economic growth through a bustling medical industry, flourishing corporations and trendy small businesses. with appealing communities to raise a family and live. In addition, Birmingham is home to several major universities (Samford University, Birmingham Southern, The University of Alabama at Birmingham) which draw recent high school graduates and in many cases keep them after college graduation.

 

Birmingham is considered “the buckle” of the Bible belt, so it is no surprise that there are hundreds of churches to be found in the city and 90 percent of the state profess belief in God according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama. Where in the past Birmingham was predominantly comprised of Christian communities, now the city is home to more worldly religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and more as immigrants move into the city.

 

As religious areas grow, the identity of Birmingham changes with the people who are begin to call the city home. Birmingham is also unique in that it houses several “mega churches” which pull thousands of attendees each weekend. Some of these include Church of the Highlands, The Church at Brook Hills and Briarwood Presbyterian Church. These faith based institutions help establish people in Jefferson County as well as aid with the economy by providing jobs.

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While we can look to Birmingham’s past to understand where it is today, it is important to understand its growth and change to fully appreciate where it is going. As people come and go from Jefferson County, the communities will continue to evolve and shape how we experience the city around us. With new ideas, religions, and the evolving family structure, Birmingham is quickly becoming an attractive place of both residency and tourism.

 

It is important to note that as people shift within the city, it's imperative that we care for the communities that perhaps aren’t changing for the better, whether this be their population is decreasing or their per capita income essentially stays the same. Birmingham as a whole will thrive, when every community is pursuing prosperity, because at the end of the day what makes Birmingham unique, is its people.