By David Sher
ComebackTown has published hundreds of columns with the intent to improve our Birmingham region.
Disappointingly, when I, or one of my guest columnists praise Birmingham, we often receive negative comments from folks who live in the suburbs or out-of-county, particularly Shelby County.
The comments go something like this, “How can you say anything nice about Birmingham? Crime is out of control, the politicians are all crooked, the city is losing population, and the best thing I ever did was to move my family out of Jefferson County to Shelby County, where the sun always shines and everything is rainbows and flowers.”
Shelby County is a nice place to live, but putting down Birmingham and Jefferson County does not help people who live in Shelby County. Particularly when Shelby County is financially dependent on Birmingham and Jefferson County.
Why Shelby County is included in the Birmingham-Hoover Metro
The Birmingham-Hoover Metro is composed of seven counties: Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, and Walker counties.
“Metro areas (MSA’s) are defined “as broad labor-market areas that include central counties with one or more urban areas with populations of 50,000 or more people. They also include outlying counties that are economically tied to the core counties as measured by labor-force commuting.”
According to the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, “A county has to have 25% of its workforce commuting into the Birmingham-Hoover MSA to be included in the MSA. This is why Walker County keeps dropping in and out, it floats right at that percentage.
“There are about 48,000 Shelby County workers who commute into Jefferson County. This makes up about 38% of the Shelby County workforce.”
If Jefferson County were to implode, 38% of the Shelby County workers would lose their jobs.
According to the Alabama Department of Commerce’s 2023 annual report, job growth, company recruitment, and capital investment is languishing in our Birmingham-Hoover Metro—which by definition includes Shelby County.
That lack of job growth and economic opportunity impacts all of us whether we live in the City of Birmingham, Jefferson County, or Shelby County.
Those of us who live in the suburbs don’t really want to live around a donut hole.
Particularly when that donut hole includes UAB, the Birmingham airport, the Museum of Art, the Zoo, Protective Stadium, Legacy Arena, and just about every other major amenity.
A weak Birmingham does not make a more prosperous Shelby County.
It’s in our own self-interest to support all parts of our Birmingham region no matter where we live.
David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown. He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).
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Invite David to speak for free to your group about how we can have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. dsher@comebacktown..com.
David, your observation about our airport, UAB and the many amenities that exist in our region because of Birmingham, is spot on. There can be no doubt that we are stronger together–as is the story of every other metropolitan area in the USA.
I agree that those living outside of the city limits of Birmingham, need Birmingham to thrive. But, just as importantly, Birmingham needs our entire metropolitan area, inclusive of our sister cities, to thrive as well. If we can agree that our future is collective, we will succeed together.
So true David. I don’t think the negative commenters want Birmingham to fail, but they do want to highlight and point out the source of most/all of the region’s problems…. it’s Birmingham city. It’s like the big bully on the team.. You have to have them to win, but everyone hates them. They don’t wish them to fail, they wish them to change.
The metro isn’t large enough to have suburbs that can stand alone, they depend way too much on Bham proper (probably because of cheap office space, i don’t know). So it’s more important for the Birmingham region that the “hub” is strong. Therefore, it will get more criticism, as it should.
I just don’t think anyone wants it to fail, but we’re tired of them bullying us bringing us all down.
Thanks, David. Why can’t we all just get along?
One more reason OTM people are often at odds with Bham… By a LARGE margin, it’s OTM people who lose their kids to competing metros. They constantly see, hear, and feel the detriment that is Birmingham. It hits you hard when your child is having a great life, finding more things to do, and more opportunity to thrive in the Nashvilles, ATLs, or whatever Florida/Texas city. In turn, it causes us to grimace towards the city that wasn’t “good enough” to compete.
Now, I know all of us here wish the best for the region and have an emotional allegiance towards it. But man we tend to overestimate our clout and we don’t really realize how far behind we are at competing in the “I would love to live there and I think I can do well there” race.
I’m not a naysayer or whatever acronym y’all made up to shun truth-sayers. I’m pointing out why many of us are frustrated. We’re tired of getting beat and we can’t fire the coach.
So that’s one reason why we can’t get along. Another may be a racial thing but I’ll let someone else fight that battle.
Go David GO!
Your facts are very well connected!
Race and class are intertwined we should be proud and celebrate this racial diversity in the MSA as a rising tide does uplift all boats.
David,
Before you cast any more judgement on Birmingham outsiders, I have an eye opening project for you to do. Its going to require you to spend some money, invest your time and take a risk, but heck, you only live once, right? Come up with an idea for a business in the city limits of Birmingham… a restaurant , a store, a car repair shop …. Anything you think would help the area where you decide to put it. Then, find a building to put your business into. Make sure this building is old and needs a lot of renovation. After it is bought or rented and you have your plan of what you want to do, go down to City Hall to get a business license and a building renovation permit. Welcome to Hell. After six months, see if you can still write a cheerleading article about Birmingham or will instead write a war story, This is reality. It is the best educator.
I was raised and lived in Homewood and live in Shelby County now, but have never understood why individuals dislike Birmingham and live here. I have seen Birmingham change for the better over my life time and it is great to included in the Birmingham Metro Area.
Tommy, that’s easy. It’s hard to move sometimes. Friends are here, job may be here, family is here, etc. But that doesn’t mean you have to like and appreciate underperformance. That’s why many people move while they’re young and then have the ability to start fresh somewhere with more opportunities. This kind of satisfied mentality is why we don’t compete. You don’t see a need to try. You may be very happy with everything in your world, but globally, thinking bigger, the region is vastly underperforming and that is a downward spiral. You say things have gotten better but I’d ask better than what?
South Jefferson and Shelby Counties are where Birmingham’s white flight went to decades ago. Now, their flight has added to the continual traffic gridlock and urban sprawl of “over-the-mountain” towns and communities. They want to complain about the construction of the Northern Beltline through that part of Jefferson County as being unnecessary, and that they have a greater need for highway improvements. Well, they created their problem of congestion, so let them live with it!
While I don’t have a dog in this fight, I will add my two cents. In 2006 I accepted a position in Birmingham, moving from the metro Atlanta area. After looking in all the familiar locations (Hoewood, Hoover, etc.), we said what the heck and purchased a loft on 1st Avenue downtown. Best decision we could have made!
Being new to the area, we were immediatley welcomed into the downtown community and made many great friends. We never felt unsafe, and loved being able to walk to exisiting restruants, the BJCC and other attractions. It was awesome to see new ammenities open, and downtown to thrive.
Unfortunately, work forced us to relocate to NE Tennesse in 2015 and now back to the metro Atlanta area. Every time we tell folks that we lived in Birmingham for nine great years they seem surprised. Our response is “we’d move back to the Magic City in a hearbeat”.
Hopefully more current residents will realize what a great place they have to live.