[A&M Bulldawg]

Alabama has been growing at a steady or slow pace. South Carolina, a state slightly smaller than Alabama, has been growing more than Alabama. Will Alabama ever be one of the fastest growing states in the south, let alone the country?

[southernnaturelover]

Hope not.

[7spider]

I agree, slow smart growth is ok, but you don't want it to get out of control like Atlanta and Charlotte.

[bhamguy]

I agree that slow, smart growth is better, but how long do you guys think that will last? Realize that not only are our larger cities experiencing growth, but our smaller cities are as well. Take a look at Auburn/Opelika, Decatur, Tuscaloosa, Dothan, and even Anniston. It is inevitable that Alabama is going to continue, and going to get faster at it. You even have smaller cities in the state such as Atmore(with there new Creek casino resort), Smiths Station(metro Columbus, GA/Auburn), and the beaches. Then you have the bigger boys. Each major metro area of the state is seeing growth with some faster than others. Huntsville and Mobile city limits are experiencing growth temendously, as well as Montgomer(at a slower pace). Hopefully the Black Belt areas of Alabama(closest to Montgomery) will get noticed, and economic growth could come to those areas. Here in Birmingham, it is only a matter of time when our city limits will make a turn around. Our metro area is growing at a fairly good pace. I-20 is a part of the emerging "I-85 Megalopolis--from Raleigh to Birmingham" according to some studies done by various universities. That means that Birmingham is going to meet up with Atlanta's rapid growth to the west of it's metro area. It is already happening in St. Clair County, Talladega County, and Calhoun County(Anniston), and I am sure that it will soon be in Cleburne County(apart of the Atlanta metro area I think). From Birmingham to Tuscaloosa is growing, but at a slow rate, so I guess that is why it isn't included. The southern areas of Birmingham are continuing their growing at a fast rate. Mobile is also included in a much smaller, less significant(at the moment) megapolis. So get ready, in a couple of years, Alabama will be even more a part of the "New South" than it already is...which is good and needed. It is time for change from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

[Southlander]

Decatur is NOT growing.
And nobody else will be for a while.

[7spider]

I agree it will be a while before you see a lot of growth. there is a huge inventory of unsold homes and a lot of subdivisions that have been started, but have turned into ghost towns. Gotta have the jobs to support the growth, and with all the companies that are going belly up nowadays it'll be hard to grow too much, which may be a blessing in disguise.

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by bhamguy

I agree that slow, smart growth is better, but how long do you guys think that will last? Realize that not only are our larger cities experiencing growth, but our smaller cities are as well. Take a look at Auburn/Opelika, Decatur, Tuscaloosa, Dothan, and even Anniston. It is inevitable that Alabama is going to continue, and going to get faster at it. You even have smaller cities in the state such as Atmore(with there new Creek casino resort), Smiths Station(metro Columbus, GA/Auburn), and the beaches. Then you have the bigger boys. Each major metro area of the state is seeing growth with some faster than others. Huntsville and Mobile city limits are experiencing growth temendously, as well as Montgomer(at a slower pace). Hopefully the Black Belt areas of Alabama(closest to Montgomery) will get noticed, and economic growth could come to those areas. Here in Birmingham, it is only a matter of time when our city limits will make a turn around. Our metro area is growing at a fairly good pace. I-20 is a part of the emerging "I-85 Megalopolis--from Raleigh to Birmingham" according to some studies done by various universities. That means that Birmingham is going to meet up with Atlanta's rapid growth to the west of it's metro area. It is already happening in St. Clair County, Talladega County, and Calhoun County(Anniston), and I am sure that it will soon be in Cleburne County(apart of the Atlanta metro area I think). From Birmingham to Tuscaloosa is growing, but at a slow rate, so I guess that is why it isn't included. The southern areas of Birmingham are continuing their growing at a fast rate. Mobile is also included in a much smaller, less significant(at the moment) megapolis. So get ready, in a couple of years, Alabama will be even more a part of the "New South" than it already is...which is good and needed. It is time for change from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

I live in Atmore and I can tell you it's not growing, but instead shrinking. The population of the whole county has actually declined a bit. The jobs at the new casino are only replacing jobs lost in other areas.

[A&M Bulldawg]

What makes South Carolina's population grow at faster rates than Alabama's?

[chj]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

I live in Atmore and I can tell you it's not growing, but instead shrinking. The population of the whole county has actually declined a bit. The jobs at the new casino are only replacing jobs lost in other areas.

I agree about atmore at the moment, but, I think that once the casino and the other projects get established atmore will start growing. I look for atmore to start growing once the steel plant in mobile opens. If I'm not mistaken it will be built in the northern part of the county and is about an hour from atmore, so, I think that once it opens up along with the casino and rivercane atmore will start to grow. I don't think that the old part of atmore will grow, but, I think the location by the interstate will.

[7spider]

I think the reason South Carolina has more growth is because it's on that I-95 corridor. They get all those people from Ny/NJ, Penn., Virginia etc. that are looking for a Florida alternative. While we were living in the Atlanta area we owned a condo in the Myrtle Beach area, once we discovered the Alabama coast we liked this area much better.