Improving Alabama

[SouthSky]

Originally Posted by Rail Claimore

Here are the CSA numbers for the big 4, assuming current definitions:

Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman CSA 1,208,453
Jefferson 658,466
Shelby 195,085
St Clair 83,593
Cullman 80,406
Walker 67,023
Blount 57,322
Chilton 43,643
Bibb 22,915

Mobile-Daphne-Fairhope CSA 595,257
Mobile 412,992
Baldwin 182,265

Huntsville-Decatur CSA 571,422
Madison 334,811
Morgan 119,490
Limestone 82,782
Lawrence 34,339

Montgomery-Alexander City CSA 427,691
Montgomery 229,363
Elmore 79,303
Autaga 54,571
Tallapoosa 41,616
Coosa 11,539
Lowndes 11,299

Just randomly searched to see if there was new commuting data from the Census for 2010 (there was, so I did some searching) and here are the results for Alabama metros:

(Using 2010 numbers and 2009 numbers for year-over-year reference)
Large % increases in BLUE (>.5%)
Large % decreases in RED (>.5%)

Reminder: typically, MSA counties need 25% and CSA need 15% to be included.

Birmingham
Shelby 48.8% (MSA) Up from 48.2%
St. Clair 45.0% (MSA) Down from 45.2%
Cullman 13.9% (out of CSA?) Down from 14.5%
Walker 27.9% (MSA) Down from 28.2%
Blount 42.8% (MSA) unchanged
Chilton 18.2% (CSA) Down from 18.3%
Bibb 18.8% (CSA) Down from 19.2%

Population:
Jefferson-Shelby-St.Clair-Walker-Blount MSA: 1,061,489
Jefferson-Shelby-St.Clair-Walker-Blount-Chilton-Bibb CSA: 1,128,047
Jefferson-Shelby-St.Clair-Walker-Blount-Chilton-Bibb-Cullman CSA: 1,208,453 (if Cullman is included)

Huntsville
Morgan 21.9% (CSA) Up from 21.4%
Limestone 39.4% (MSA) Up from 38.7%
Lawrence 11.2% (x) Up from 10.2%
Marshall 15.8% (CSA) Up from 15.5%
Jackson 12.2% (x) Down from 12.9%

Population:
Madison-Limestone MSA: 417,593
Madison-Limestone-Morgan-Marshall CSA: 630,102
Madison-Limestone-Morgan-Marshall-Lawrence CSA: 664,441 (if you include Lawrence in the future)

Mobile
Baldwin 25.4% (MSA) Up from 25.1%
Washington 27.9% (MSA) Up from 19.1%
Clarke 13.3% (on verge of CSA) Up from 12.3%
Monroe 9.4% (x) Up from 8.3%
Escambia 9.0% (x) Down from 9.1%
Choctaw 9.1% (x) Up from 6.2%

Population:
Mobile-Baldwin-Washington MSA: 612,838
No CSA with current figures moving Baldwin (and Washington) to MSA
Mobile-Baldwin-Washington-Clarke CSA: 638,671 (if Clarke is included in the future)

Montgomery
Elmore 45.3% (MSA) Down from 46.0%
Autaga 42.7% (MSA) Up from 42.3%
Tallapoosa 10.1% (x) Up from 9.5%
Coosa 9.6% (x) Up from 7.0%
Lowndes 26.3% (MSA) Up from 25.9%
Macon 16.1% (CSA) unchanged
Bullock 16.2% (CSA) Up from 14.2%
Crenshaw 20.2% (CSA) Up from 19.2%
Pike 10.7% (x) Down from 10.9%

Population:
Montgomery-Elmore-Autauga-Lowndes MSA: 371,536
Montgomery-Elmore-Autauga-Lowndes-Macon-Bullock-Crenshaw CSA: 420,808

Ranking Alabama's potential future MSAs (Big 4):

1. Jefferson-Shelby-St.Clair-Walker-Blount MSA: 1,061,489
2. Mobile-Baldwin-Washington MSA: 612,838
3. Madison-Limestone MSA: 417,593
4. Montgomery-Elmore-Autauga-Lowndes MSA: 371,536

CSAs:

1. Jefferson-Shelby-St.Clair-Walker-Blount-Chilton-Bibb CSA: 1,128,047
2. Madison-Limestone-Morgan-Marshall CSA: 630,102
3. Montgomery-Elmore-Autauga-Lowndes-Macon-Bullock-Crenshaw CSA: 420,808