Huntsville isn’t just growing—it’s welcoming the equivalent of a small neighborhood every month.

As of July 1, the Rocket City’s estimated population reached 249,102, a 15.9% increase since the 2020 Census. That’s 18 new residents a day, with 34,000 people choosing Huntsville as their hometown over the past five years.

According to the City and its Planning Department, Huntsville has climbed into the top 20 fastest-growing cities in the nation among U.S. cities with populations over 100,000 and now ranks as one of the 100 largest cities in the country.

“We are proud to welcome new people to Huntsville every day,” Mayor Tommy Battle said. “But more important than the growth is the execution of our strategy to manage that growth and continue to provide a high quality of life both for our residents who have been here for decades and those who have recently moved here. This strategy includes ample housing inventory across multiple price points, along with key infrastructure investments such as roads and excellent schools.”

RELATED: Alabama’s population shifts: Where people are moving

City officials based the estimates on residential construction activity, such as certificates of occupancy, demolitions, and moves, as well as utility signups and historical demographic trends. They use the Planning Department’s real-time data—rather than only relying on the 2020 Census—to prepare for the effects of the influx of people.

Housing growth reflects the city’s deliberate strategy for smart development. From January to June 2025, Huntsville added a net total of 1,945 housing units, bringing the city’s total to 120,904. While the pace has slowed slightly compared to record-breaking years, Huntsville is still on track to add more than 4,000 new housing units by the end of 2025. That would mark the fourth consecutive year of historically high housing development, well above pre-2020 averages.

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].