3 of the 5 fastest-growing cities in the state are here in North Alabama

Downtown Madison — Madison is the fastest-growing city in the state. (Ben Johnson / Hville Blast)

A study by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama released last week shows Madison as the fastest-growing city in the state, and is joined among the top 5 by Huntsville and Athens.

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Madison, Athens, Huntsville all saw big population leaps in 2025

Population Change in Incorporated Places 2025 2 1 — Madison, Huntsville and Athens are some of the fastest-growing cities in Alabama. (PARCA)

Research performed by PARCA on 2025 population growth throughout the state shows Madison and led all Alabama cities in growth over the past year. Madison added 4,157 residents while Huntsville saw a net gain of 3,280 in 2025. Together, the two cities have added almost 30,000 residents since 2020.

Athens added 1,582 new residents in 2025, placing the city as the fourth fastest-growing city in Alabama.

“As Huntsville continues to see job growth in technology, defense, government, and manufacturing, the city is well-positioned, thanks to its annexation strategy, to attract new movers. At the same time, Madison and nearby Athens continue to grow robustly. In fact, cities across the northern tier of the state seem to be benefiting from the surge.”

_{Thomas Spencer, PARCA}

North Alabama cities continue to grow

Huntsville has been one the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. over the last five years. (Ben Johnson / Hville Blast)

Huntsville recently became one of the 100 most populated cities in the country, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Since becoming Alabama’s largest city in 2020, Huntsville’s population has increased by 15.9% and the city welcomes an average of 18 new residents per day, according to the City of Huntsville’s data in 2025.

PARCA points to Huntsville’s annexation strategies as a reason for much of the city’s growth and its potential for more growth.

“Huntsville avoided being hemmed in by surrounding suburbs and was able to capture growth. For a time, residential growth in the area was concentrated in Madison, which continues to receive a generous share of new arrivals. But Huntsville has now strategically annexed a circle around Madison and has extended its western boundary to Interstate 65.

Much of the land that Huntsville has annexed was undeveloped farmland and relatively flat, creating new frontiers for future development in the city limits and preventing a rival from arising.”

_{Thomas Spencer, PARCA}

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