Birmingham Has A New Name-Sort Of
BIRMINGHAM Ala.
Al.com
March 14, 2025
New population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau were released earlier this week, and they included all sorts of interesting figures. But one of the most surprising findings had nothing to do with the numbers.
Alabama’s largest metropolitan area had a new name.
Long known as the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area — home to more than 1.2 million people, nearly a quarter of the state’s population — the state’s biggest population center is now referred to as just the Birmingham, AL, Metropolitan Area.
Sorry, Hoover.
The name change is new for 2024. The metro was called Birmingham-Hoover from 2003 to 2023.
It’s unclear why the change was made. Names for core based statistical areas, which include metros, are determined by the Office of Management and Budget. They include the name of the largest principal city — in this case Birmingham — and up to two other principal cities, depending on whether they fit certain requirements.
In the latest OMB bulletin on the matter, Hoover is not listed as a principal city in the metro.
The change is reflected in federal references to the area. The Census Bureau now lists the metro only as Birmingham on new releases, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the new name as one of the upcoming changes to metropolitan statistical area delineations.
Hoover’s population is estimated to have fallen slightly between 2020 and 2023, the last year estimates for cities are available. But just barely — about 0.2%.
Hoover is home to more than 92,000 people, compared to Birmingham’s, nearly 197,000.
