The U.S. State of Alabama currently has 35 statistical areas that have been delineated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

On July 21, 2023, the OMB delineated nine combined statistical areas, 13 metropolitan statistical areas, and 13 micropolitan statistical areas in Alabama. As of 2023, the largest of these is the Birmingham-Cullman-Talladega, AL CSA, encompassing the area around the state's third-largest city, Birmingham.

Statistical areas

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has designated more than 1,000 statistical areas for the United States and Puerto Rico. These statistical areas are important geographic delineations of population clusters used by the OMB, the United States Census Bureau, planning organizations, and federal, state, and local government entities.

The OMB defines a core-based statistical area (commonly referred to as a CBSA) as the county or counties (or county-equivalents) surrounding at least one densely-settled core of at least 10,000 population, "plus adjacent counties having a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured through commuting ties with the counties containing the core". The OMB further divides core-based statistical areas based on population into metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for those with at least 50,000 and micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs) for those with 10,000 to 49,999 people.

The OMB defines a combined statistical area (CSA) as two or more adjacent core-based statistical areas where the employment interchange rate (% commuting from A to B plus % commuting from B to A) is at least 15%. The primary statistical areas (PSAs) include all combined statistical areas and any core-based statistical area that is not a constituent of a combined statistical area.

The 35 United States statistical areas and 67 counties of the State of Alabama
Combined statistical area2023 population (est.)Core-based statistical area2023 population (est.)County2023 population (est.)Metropolitan division2023 population (est.)
Birmingham-Cullman-Talladega, AL CSA1,367,706Birmingham, AL MSA1,184,290Jefferson County, Alabama662,895none
Shelby County, Alabama233,000
St. Clair County, Alabama95,552
Walker County, Alabama64,728
Blount County, Alabama59,816
Chilton County, Alabama46,431
Bibb County, Alabama21,868
Cullman, AL μSA92,016Cullman County, Alabama92,016
Talladega-Sylacauga, AL μSA91,400Talladega County, Alabama81,132
Coosa County, Alabama10,268
Huntsville-Decatur-Albertville, AL-TN CSA895,383 859,214 (AL)Huntsville, AL MSA527,254Madison County, Alabama412,600
Limestone County, Alabama114,654
Decatur, AL MSA158,635Morgan County, Alabama125,133
Lawrence County, Alabama33,502
Albertville, AL μSA100,756Marshall County, Alabama100,756
Fort Payne, AL μSA72,569DeKalb County, Alabama72,569
Fayetteville, TN μSA36,169Lincoln County, Tennessee36,169
Mobile-Daphne-Fairhope, AL CSA665,147Mobile, AL MSA411,640Mobile County, Alabama411,640
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL MSA253,507Baldwin County, Alabama253,507
Montgomery-Selma, AL CSA421,645Montgomery, AL MSA385,480Montgomery County, Alabama224,980
Elmore County, Alabama90,441
Autauga County, Alabama60,342
Lowndes County, Alabama9,717
Selma, AL μSA36,165Dallas County, Alabama36,165
Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, GA-AL CSA566,030 301,006 (AL)Columbus, GA-AL MSA323,768 58,744 (AL)Muscogee County, Georgia201,877
Russell County, Alabama58,744
Harris County, Georgia36,654
Chattahoochee County, Georgia8,661
Marion County, Georgia7,440
Talbot County, Georgia5,718
Stewart County, Georgia4,674
Auburn-Opelika, AL MSA201,585Lee County, Alabama183,215
Macon County, Alabama18,370
Alexander City, AL μSA40,677Tallapoosa County, Alabama40,677
noneTuscaloosa, AL MSA278,290Tuscaloosa County, Alabama237,373
Pickens County, Alabama18,688
Hale County, Alabama14,888
Greene County, Alabama7,341
Dothan-Enterprise-Ozark, AL CSA256,866Dothan, AL MSA153,349Houston County, Alabama108,462
Geneva County, Alabama26,988
Henry County, Alabama17,899
Enterprise, AL μSA55,643Coffee County, Alabama55,643
Ozark, AL μSA49,871Dale County, Alabama49,871
Florence-Muscle Shoals-Russellville, AL CSA186,977Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL MSA153,349Lauderdale County, Alabama96,814
Colbert County, Alabama58,361
Russellville, AL μSA31,802Franklin County, Alabama31,802
noneAnniston-Oxford, AL MSA116,429Calhoun County, Alabama116,429
Gadsden, AL MSA103,241Etowah County, Alabama103,241
Chattanooga-Cleveland-Dalton, TN-GA-AL CSA1,003,363 53,467 (AL)Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA580,971Hamilton County, Tennessee379,864
Walker County, Georgia69,489
Catoosa County, Georgia68,910
Marion County, Tennessee29,382
Sequatchie County, Tennessee17,161
Dade County, Georgia16,165
Dalton, GA MSA144,722Whitfield County, Georgia103,687
Murray County, Georgia41,035
Cleveland, TN MSA129,612Bradley County, Tennessee111,579
Polk County, Tennessee18,033
Athens, TN μSA69,369McMinn County, Tennessee55,678
Meigs County, Tennessee13,691
Scottsboro, AL μSA53,467Jackson County, Alabama53,467
Summerville, GA μSA25,222Chattooga County, Georgia25,222
Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL CSA7,241,538 34,079 (AL)Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA MSA6,327,662Fulton County, Georgia1,079,105Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA MD4,934,074
Gwinnett County, Georgia983,526
DeKalb County, Georgia762,992
Clayton County, Georgia298,300
Forsyth County, Georgia272,887
Henry County, Georgia254,613
Coweta County, Georgia155,892
Douglas County, Georgia149,160
Carroll County, Georgia127,098
Fayette County, Georgia123,251
Newton County, Georgia120,135
Walton County, Georgia106,702
Rockdale County, Georgia95,987
Barrow County, Georgia92,792
Spalding County, Georgia69,946
Pickens County, Georgia35,969
Lumpkin County, Georgia35,258
Dawson County, Georgia31,732
Butts County, Georgia26,887
Morgan County, Georgia21,460
Meriwether County, Georgia20,931
Pike County, Georgia20,461
Lamar County, Georgia20,401
Jasper County, Georgia16,455
Heard County, Georgia12,034
Cobb County, Georgia776,743Marietta, GA MD1,393,588
Cherokee County, Georgia286,602
Paulding County, Georgia183,164
Bartow County, Georgia115,041
Haralson County, Georgia32,038
Athens-Clarke County, GA MSA222,060Clarke County, Georgia129,933none
Oconee County, Georgia44,182
Madison County, Georgia32,191
Oglethorpe County, Georgia15,754
Gainesville, GA MSA217,267Hall County, Georgia217,267
LaGrange, GA-AL μSA104,821 34,079 (AL)Troup County, Georgia70,742
Chambers County, Alabama34,079
Rome, GA MSA100,113Floyd County, Georgia100, 113
Jefferson, GA μSA88,615Jackson County, Georgia88,615
Calhoun, GA μSA59,757Gordon County, Georgia59,757
Cornelia, GA μSA48,757Habersham County, Georgia48,757
Cedartown, GA μSA44,223Polk County, Georgia44,223
Thomaston, GA μSA28,263Upson County, Georgia28,263
noneTroy, AL μSA33,137Pike County, Alabama33,137
Eufaula, AL-GA μSA26,865 24,585 (AL)Barbour County, Alabama24,585
Quitman County, Georgia2,280
noneCovington County, Alabama37,952
Escambia County, Alabama36,558
Marion County, Alabama29,244
Cherokee County, Alabama25,666
Winston County, Alabama23,611
Randolph County, Alabama22,786
Clarke County, Alabama22,337
Monroe County, Alabama19,229
Marengo County, Alabama18,684
Butler County, Alabama18,382
Fayette County, Alabama15,967
Cleburne County, Alabama15,639
Washington County, Alabama15,022
Clay County, Alabama14,111
Lamar County, Alabama13,661
Crenshaw County, Alabama13,101
Choctaw County, Alabama12,252
Sumter County, Alabama11,727
Conecuh County, Alabama11,174
Wilcox County, Alabama9,944
Bullock County, Alabama9,897
Perry County, Alabama7,738
State of Alabama5,108,468
The 26 core-based statistical areas of the State of Alabama
2023 rankCore-based statistical areaPopulation
2023 estimateChange2020 CensusChange2010 Census
1Birmingham, AL MSA1,184,290+0.31%1,180,631+4.66%1,128,047
2Huntsville, AL MSA527,254+7.23%491,723+17.75%417,593
3Mobile, AL MSA411,640−0.76%414,809+0.44%412,992
4Montgomery, AL MSA385,480−0.15%386,047+3.07%374,536
5Tuscaloosa, AL MSA278,290+3.58%268,674+12.32%239,207
6Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL MSA253,507+9.38%231,767+27.16%182,265
7Auburn-Opelika, AL MSA201,585+4.03%193,773+19.84%161,699
8Decatur, AL MSA158,635+1.37%156,494+1.73%153,829
9Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL MSA155,175+2.91%150,791+2.48%147,137
10Dothan, AL MSA153,349+1.55%151,007+3.69%145,639
11Anniston-Oxford, AL MSA116,429−0.01%116,441−1.80%118,572
12Gadsden, AL MSA103,241−0.19%103,436−0.95%104,430
13Albertville, AL μSA100,756+3.22%97,612+4.94%93,019
14Cullman, AL μSA92,016+4.72%87,866+9.28%80,406
15Talladega-Sylacauga, AL μSA91,400−1.23%92,536−1.38%93,830
16Fort Payne, AL μSA72,569+1.34%71,608+0.70%71,109
17Columbus, GA-AL MSA (AL)58,744−0.74%59,183+11.78%52,947
18Enterprise, AL μSA55,643+4.07%53,465+7.04%49,948
19Scottsboro, AL μSA53,467+1.69%52,579−1.22%53,227
20Ozark, AL μSA49,871+1.10%49,326−1.84%50,251
21Alexander City, AL μSA40,677−1.53%41,311−0.73%41,616
22Selma, AL μSA36,165−5.97%38,462−12.23%43,820
23LaGrange, GA-AL μSA (AL)34,079−1.99%34,772+1.63%34,215
24Troy, AL μSA33,137+0.39%33,009+0.33%32,899
25Russellville, AL μSA31,802−0.97%32,113+1.29%31,704
26Eufaula, AL-GA μSA (AL)24,585−2.53%25,223−8.14%27,457
Columbus, GA-AL MSA323,768−1.56%328,883+6.85%307,788
Eufaula, AL-GA μSA26,865−2.16%27,458−8.38%29,970
LaGrange, GA-AL μSA104,821+0.60%104,198+2.90%101,259
The nine combined statistical areas of the State of Alabama
2023 rankCombined statistical areaPopulation
2023 estimateChange2020 CensusChange2010 Census
1Birmingham-Cullman-Talladega, AL CSA1,367,706+0.49%1,361,033+4.51%1,302,283
2Huntsville-Decatur-Albertville, AL-TN CSA (AL)859,214+5.11%817,437+11.13%735,550
3Mobile-Daphne-Fairhope, AL CSA665,147+2.87%646,576+8.62%595,257
4Montgomery-Selma, AL CSA421,645−0.67%424,509+1.47%418,356
5Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, GA-AL CSA (AL)301,006+2.29%294,267+14.83%256,262
6Dothan-Enterprise-Ozark, AL CSA258,863+2.00%253,798+3.24%245,838
7Florence-Muscle Shoals-Russellville, AL CSA186,977+2.23%182,904+2.27%178,841
8Chattanooga-Cleveland-Dalton, TN-GA-AL CSA (AL)53,467+1.69%52,579−1.22%53,227
9Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL CSA (AL)34,079−1.99%34,772+1.63%34,215
Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL CSA7,241,538+3.53%6,994,671+14.41%6,113,835
Chattanooga-Cleveland-Dalton, TN-GA-AL CSA1,003,363+2.89%975,226+4.93%929,449
Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, GA-AL CSA566,030+0.37%563,967+10.34%511,103
Huntsville-Decatur-Albertivlle, AL-TN CSA895,383+5.00%852,756+10.90%768,911

Urban areas

Due to suburbanization, the typical urban area is polycentric rather than being centered around a large historic core city. Huntsville is unique in that it is split into two separate urban areas, one for most of the city and Madison, and the smaller one including the Big Cove valley area and part of northern Owens Crossroads.

Urban area2020 population (est.)SettlementsCountyCombined statistical areaCore-base statistical areaMetropolitan division
Albertville, Alabama38,476AlbertvilleMarshallHuntsville–Decatur–Albertville, ALAlbertville, AL μSAN/A
Alexander City, Alabama8,920Alexander CityTallapoosaColumbus–Auburn–Opelika, GA-ALAlexander City, AL μSA
Andalusia, Alabama6,391AndalusiaCovingtonN/A
Anniston–Oxford, Alabama78,302Anniston OxfordN/A
Arab, Alabama7,849ArabMarshallHuntsville–Decatur–Albertville, ALAlbertville, AL μSA
Athens, Alabama23,204AthensLimestoneHuntsville–Decatur–Albertville, ALHuntsville, AL MSA

See also

Notes

External links

32°46′46″N 86°49′43″W/32.7794°N 86.8287°W/ 32.7794; -86.8287(State of Alabama)