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.
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