Which metro areas in Alabama are people moving to?
Huntsville, AL (22.2 per 1,000 residents), Dothan, AL (6.3 per 1,000 residents) and Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL (3.4 per 1,000 residents) drew the most people from the rest of the U.S. for their size among Alabama metro areas in 2025.
Data as of 2025 · updated
All 9 ranked Alabama metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Per 1,000 residents, 2025 | Net movers 2025 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huntsville, AL | 22.2 | +12,351 | 556,444 |
| 2 | Dothan, AL | 6.3 | +983 | 156,266 |
| 3 | Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 3.4 | +526 | 156,609 |
| 4 | Auburn-Opelika, AL | 2.7 | +553 | 208,013 |
| 5 | Decatur, AL | 1.6 | +249 | 160,326 |
| 6 | Birmingham, AL | 0.5 | +599 | 1,197,766 |
| 7 | Columbus, GA-AL | −0.3 | −111 | 324,830 |
| 8 | Montgomery, AL | −1.4 | −560 | 388,747 |
| 9 | Tuscaloosa, AL | −3.2 | −907 | 281,850 |
How this is ranked
Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025). Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.
Get the report for any Alabama county — $99
The County Growth and Demographics Report for any county as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.
Every purchase also includes a CSV of every table in the report, ready for a spreadsheet.
- Not useful? Email us within 14 days for a full refund
- Sold by Simply Stats LLC (NC)
- Secure Stripe checkout (Apple Pay/Google Pay)
- Instant PDF download
- PDF + CSV of every table
Refund terms: Terms. · How we compute every number
Questions
Which metro area in Alabama gains the most people from the rest of the country?
Huntsville, AL: 22.2 per 1,000 residents, ahead of Dothan, AL (6.3 per 1,000 residents) and Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL (3.4 per 1,000 residents), of 9 Alabama metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.