Huntsville jumps #40 to #17 in Best Performing Cities list (Birmingham, Montgomery: assess, stats)

[bigspring01]

Latest annual list of the Best Performing Cities from Milken Institute illustrates why Huntsville has, and continues to show remarkable growth. Milken, nonpartisan nonprofit, assessed 403 U.S. metros using 13 economic metrics, from data Jan. 2022-Aug. 2023. The report divided cities into large and small metros. Huntsville ranked #16 among the U.S. 200 largest cities — a 24-point jump from its 2023 ranking of #40. That the rate of growth will be sustained is supported Huntsville’s ranking of #17 nationally for expected short-term growth.

Huntsville #16: 13.3% job growth 2017-2022; 4.3% job growth 2021-2022; short-term job growth 3.7%

Montgomery #149: 0.5% job growth 2017-2022; 2.4% job growth 2021-2022; short-term job growth 1.8%

Mobile #151: 2.5% job growth 2017-2022; 3.2% job growth 2021-2022; short-term job growth 2.1%

Birmingham/Hoover #158: 4.5% job growth 2017-2022; 2.8% job growth 2021-2022; short-term job growth 0.7%

Among small cities:

Anniston/Oxford: 0.1% job growth 2017-2022; 1.6% job growth 2021-2022; short term job growth 1.5%

Decatur: 8.1% job growth 2017-2022; 3.1% job growth 2021-2022; short-term job growth 1.3%

Dothan: 6.3% job growth 2017-2022; 3.7% job growth 2021-2022; short-term job growth 2.4%

Gadsden: -10.4% job growth 2017-2022; 1.1% job growth 2021-2022; short-term job growth 0.9%

Tuscaloosa: 2.3% job growth 2017-2022; 3.7% job growth 2021-2022; short-term job growth 3%

Link to full report: https://milkeninstitute.org/best-performing-cities

[harry chickpea]

There is another term for continually examining and comparing sizes and abilities. Unless one is reaching for an award or prize... yeah, whatever... the measurement of size of shoes on a clown generally is more an indication of a red nose and beep-beep horn than anything with greater meaning.

Huntsville is growing - the stats mean far less than the reasons why it is doing so.