Accolades
What others are saying about the Birmingham region
- Metropolitan Birmingham ranks 28th among "America's Best Bang-For-The-Buck Cities". Forbeslook at the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas and compiled statistics across three measures: foreclisures as a percentage of housing units; vacancies; unemployment rates; a three year gob growth forecast; a three year home price forecast; housing affordibility; mean real estate taxes and median travel time to work. Metropolitan Birmingham ranked third best in the nation for Real Estate Taxes; and seventh best in the nation for Job Forecast. 12/7/2009 Forbes
- The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council ranked Alabama the ninth most entrepreneurial friendly state in the nation, moving up one spot from its number 10 ranking in 2008. The council's "Small Business Survival Index" considers 36 costs to small businesses that are imposed by or reported by the government. Most factors are taxes, including personal income taxes, corporate income taxes, property taxes, unemployment taxes and health insurance. 12/2/2009 Birmingham Business Journal
- Site Selection magazine ranked Alabama seventh in the nation for its business climate. 11/2/2009 Birmingham Business Journal
- Metropolitan Birmingham ranks among the top-ten metropolitan areas for per capita income (PCI) growth. With a 2008 PCI of $40,379, Birmingham Metropolitan experienced a 262.5% PCI growth rate between 1983 and 2008. Bizjournals' PCI growth rate formula compared the top 100 largest metropolitan areas PCI growth rates against the U.S. average for 25 different time spans, yielding an overall score for income growth. 9/29/2009 Bizjournals
- Two major universities in the Birmingham region report drastic increases in enrollment during the fall 2009. The University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) reported fall enrollment increases of 6.5% and 4.5% respectively. The University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) now has 28,807 students; UAB has 18,047 students. 9/11/2009 Birmingham News
- UAB has an economic impact of more than 3-billion, including more than 90 new companies spun off from university research since 1986. The university employs almost 19,000 direct employees (Alabama's largest employer) with 53,000 full-time direct and indirect jobs in the community related to UAB. 8/20/2009 UAB
- The Birmingham VA Medical Center ranks 8th nationally among the 153 Veterans Administration hospitals for quality of care and patient satisfaction: Inpatient satisfaction:1; clinical quality measures (in the VA southeast network - Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina):1; The rise in the ranking at the Birmingham VA came under the direction of Rica Lewis payton (Director of the medical center since august 2008) 8/19/2009 Birmingham News
- According to U.S. News & World Report, Birmingham is listed among the top-ten cities primed for a real estate recovery. "The city’s biggest bank, Regions Financial, is on a government lifeline, but overall Birmingham’s economy is a healthy blend of insurance, medicine, publishing, biotech, and higher ed." 8/11/2009 U.S. News & World Report
- During the first six months of 2009, Birmingham (City) witnessed a 12% decline in crime. Between January and June, Birmingham saw a: 9% drop in homicide; burglary, 9%; rape, 21%; robbery, 21; aggravated assault, 4%; theft, 11% and auto theft, 30%. 8/11/2009 Birmingham News
- Regional Universities gained top rankings in selected categories from the Princeton Review Rankings: UAB: 3rd, Lots of race / class interaction; 11th, Happiest students; 14, Best recreational athletic facilities Samford University: 10, Most religious students; 10, Good relations with the community; 10, Future Rotarians and Daughters of the Revolution; 12, Not gay friendly; 13, Most conservative students; 17, Little use of marijuana. Birmingham Southern College: 5, Major Greek scene; 15, Students not politically active. 7/27/2009 Princeton Review
- The Cahaba River is featured in the August issue of the Smithsonian magazine. The Cahaba, which at 140-miles is among the longest free-flowing rivers in the Southeast, has more fish species per-mile than any other river in North America and has an abundance of rare and endangered snails, mussels and other aquatic species along with a treasure trove of rare plants growing in and near the river. 7/22/2009 Smithsonian magazine
- Three of the nation's top 100 best places to live are located in Metropolitan Birmingham: Calera: 83; Alabaster: 85; Helena: 90 7/13/2009 Money magazine
- Birmingham ranks as the most generaous city in America. Birmingham area residents give 3.6 pecent of their household income to charity. 7/3/2008 Birmingham News
