Historical demographics of Birmingham

Historical demographics of Birmingham have been reported by the U. S. Census Bureau and other references.

Birmingham Census Counts, 1880-2020

year     pop.     change     %change

1880 |   3,086 |    -     |    -     |
1890 |  26,178 | +23,092  | +748.3%  | (see 1889 Birmingham annexation)
1900 |  38,178 | +12,000  |  +46.8%  |
1910 | 132,685 | +94,507  | +245.4%  | (see Greater Birmingham)
1920 | 178,806 | +46,121  |  +34.8%  |
1930 | 259,678 | +80,872  |  +45.2%  |
1940 | 267,583 |  +7,905  |   +3.0%  |
1950 | 326,037 | +58,454  |  +21.9%  |
1960 | 340,887 | +14,850  |   +4.6%  |
1970 | 300,910 | -39,977  |  -11.7%  |
1980 | 284,413 | -16,497  |   -5.5%  |
1990 | 265,968 | -18,445  |   -6.5%  |
2000 | 242,820 | -23,128  |   -8.7%  |
2010 | 212,237 | -30,583  |  -12.6%  |
2020 | 200,733 | -11,504  |   -5.4%  |

The success of the Greater Birmingham campaign in establishing the city as a major Southern metropolis was celebrated with a "Census Jubilee". Birmingham formally challenged the 2010 U.S. census, which showed a 12.6% decline in population.

Population estimates since the 2000 census

year     pop.    change   %change     cum.    %cum.     v.2010   % v.2010

2000 | 242,051 |   n/a  |   n/a   |    n/a  |  n/a    |        |
2001 | 239,786 | -2,265 | -0.94%  |  -2,265 | -0.94%  |        |
2002 | 237,153 | -2,633 | -1.10%  |  -4,898 | -2.02%  |        |
2003 | 235,959 | -1,194 | -0.50%  |  -6,092 | -2.52%  |        |
2004 | 233,540 | -2,419 | -1.03%  |  -8,511 | -3.52%  |        |
2005 | 232,137 | -1,403 | -0.60%  |  -9,914 | -4.10%  |        |
2006 | 231,368 |   -769 | -0.33%  | -10,683 | -4.41%  |        |
2007 | 230,618 |   -750 | -0.32%  | -11,433 | -4.72%  |        |
2008 | 230,228 |   -390 | -0.17%  | -11,843 | -4.88%  |        |
2009 | 230,131 |    -97 | -0.04%  | -11,580 | -4.92%  |        |
2010 | 212,237 |-17,894 | -7.77%  | -29,474 | -12.3%  |   n/a  |   n/a
2011 | 212,413 |   +176 | +0.08%  | -29,638 | -12.4%  |   +176 | +0.08%
2012 | 212,038 |   -375 | -0.18%  | -30,013 | -12.4%  |   -199 | -0.09%
2013 | 212,113 |    +75 | +0.04%  | -29,938 | -12.4%  |   -124 | -0.06%
2014 | 212,247 |   +134 | +0.06%  | -29,804 | -12.3%  |    +10 | +0.00%
2015 | 212,461 |   +214 | +0.10%  | -29,590 | -12.2%  |   +224 | +0.11%
2016 | 212,157 |   -304 | -0.14%  | -29,894 | -12.4%  |    -80 | -0.04%
2017 | 210,710 | -1,447 | -0.68%  | -31,341 | -12.9%  | -1,527 | -0.72%   
2018 | 209,880 |   -830 | -0.39%  | -32,171 | -13.3%  | -2,357 | -1.11%
2019 | 209,400 |   -480 | -0.23%  | -32,651 | -13.5%  | -2,837 | -1.34%
2020 | 200,733 | −8,667 | -4.14%  | -41,318 | –17.1%  |-11,504 | -5.42%
2021 | 197,575 | -3,158 | -1.57%  | -44,476 | -18.4%  |-14,662 | -6.91%
2022 | 196,910 |   -665 | -0.34%  | -45,141 | -18.6$  |-15,327 | -7.22%

* 2011 through 2022 estimates were as announced each year, not as later revised.

Birmingham Population by Race

year     total     black    %b      white    %w

1880 |   3,086 |    -    |   -   |    -    |  - 
1890 |  26,178 |  11,254 | 43.0% |  14,909 | 57.0%
1900 |  38,415 |  16,575 | 43.1% |  21,832 | 56.8%
1910 | 132,685 |  52,305 | 39.4% |  80,369 | 60.6%
1920 | 178,806 |  70,230 | 39.3% | 108,550 | 60.7%
1930 | 259,678 |  99,077 | 38.2% | 160,551 | 61.8%
1940 | 267,583 | 108,938 | 40.7% | 158,622 | 59.3%
1950 | 326,037 | 130,025 | 39.9% | 195,922 | 60.1%
1960 | 340,887 | 135,113 | 39.6% | 205,620 | 60.3%
1970 | 300,910 | 126,388 | 42.0% | 173,729 | 57.8%
1980 | 284,413 | 158,224 | 55.6% | 124,729 | 43.9%
1990 | 265,968 | 168,277 | 63.3% |  95,655 | 36.0%
2000 | 242,820 | 178,372 | 73.5% |  58,457 | 24.1%
2010 | 212,237 | 155,791 | 73.4% |  47,258 | 22.3%
2020 | 200,733 | 136,731 | 68.1% |  45,993 | 22.9%

Greater Birmingham, 1909

section                                    pop est

Birmingham (in corporate limits)        | 45,000
Pratt City (incorporated)               |  7,000
Ensley (incorporated)                   |  6,000 
Avondale (incorporated)                 |  4,000
Woodlawn (incorporated)                 |  3,750
East Lake (incorporated)                |  3,500
North Birmingham (incorporated)         |  3,500
Wylam (incorporated)                    |  2,000
West End (incorporated)                 |  1,000
Elyton, Smithfield, Powderly (not inc)  |  4,500
Gate City, Irondale (not inc)           |  2,500
Sayreton (not incorporated)             |  2,500
Thomas (not incorporated)               |  1,500
East Birmingham (not incorporated)      |  1,000
Kingston (not incorporated)             |  1,000
Lewisburg (not incorporated)            |  1,000
Clifton (not incorporated)              |  1,000
Total                                   | 90,750

Italian immigration in Birmingham, 1890-1920

year     pop.     %change

1890 |   130 |  -
1900 |   504 |  +489.3%
1910 | 1,846 |  +366.3%
1920 | 2,160 |  +117.0%

Additional notes

• On February 4, 1891 the Birmingham Age-Herald reported that, "There are thirty-two Chinamen in Birmingham and sixty in Alabama." Two pages later, the same edition reported that the U.S. census estimated the state's Chinese population at 40, and that, "a gentleman of this city who is fond of the Celestials," made his own calculation, giving the figure for Birmingham as "more than thirty," and for Alabama, 58.

References

• "Our Chinese Population" (February 4, 1891) Birmingham Age-Herald, p. 8
• Various U. S. Census tables cited in "Birmingham's Population, 1880-2000" at the Birmingham Public Library website. [1] - accessed April 24, 2006
• Population Estimates. U. S. Census Bureau - accessed July 13, 2008
• Birmingfind (1981) The Italians: From Bisacquino to Birmingham. Birmingham: Birmingfind.
• Cruikshank, George H. (1920) History of Birmingham and Its Environs: A Narrative Account of Their Historical Progress, Their People, and Their Principal Interests 2 volumes. Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Company. - via Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections
• Bryant, Joseph D. (June 30, 2011) "Birmingham plans to contest 2010 Census, which showed city shrank by 12.6 percent" The Birmingham News