Huntsville's growing like crazy—take a look at these new numbers

BIg Spring Park, Huntsville — DYK that Big Spring Park was the source of fresh water for Huntsville until the 1950s? (Hville Blast)

Anybody who’s been paying attention for the past few years knows Huntsville’s growing like crazy. New numbers just in from the City of Huntsville’s Long Range Planning Division prove it. Keep reading for highlights.

The 2021 Development Review—what it is + who’s behind it

Every year, the City of Huntsville pulls together construction and real estate data from City Records and the North Alabama Multiple Listing Service (NALMLS). This year’s result: the 2021 Huntsville Development Review (HDR).

A lot of brainpower goes into the HDR, including:

City Planner James Vandiver as editor
Contributions from the following departments:
- Long-Range Planning
- Planning Services
- Community Development
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

“The Huntsville Development Review confirms what we’ve known all along—Huntsville is a strong, healthy community primed for continued success. From day one, we’ve set ourselves apart by focusing on smart, manageable growth. We will continue our focus on achieving and handling our growth in infrastructure, housing, jobs and quality of life.”
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle

Check out these numbers

Year-over-year increases

62.8%: residential building permits
76.7%: residential certificates of occupancy
37.4%: permits to add or make improvements to existing single-family structures

Number of

4,731: multifamily units approved by Huntsville Planning Commission
4,198: single-family residential units sold in the Huntsville city limits in 2021
708: nonresidential (commercial, office, industrial, etc.) building permits issued in 2021
2,772: housing units added in Huntsville since 2020

Averages