The city of Birmingham continues to see a slight loss of residents each year, while small cities in Shelby County, south of Birmingham, are among some of the fastest growing in Alabama. That’s according to new city population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey shows Birmingham’s estimated 2018 population to be 209,880, which represents a 0.51 percent population loss compared to 2017. The city lost about 1,080 residents from 2017 to 2018, according to the survey.

Since 2010, Birmingham has lot about 2,357 residents. In the last eight years, the city has teetered between gaining and losing a few hundred residents each year, leading to a gradual decline.

“We will take a close look at the estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. We have had a record-breaking year in capital investment in the city in 2018 and 2,100 additional residents found employment in the city in 2018 over 2017. That investment and employment growth lays the groundwork for neighborhood revitalization and transformational investment in workforce development through the Birmingham Promise,” said Rick Journey, director of communication for the mayor’s office.

"Both revitalizing our neighborhoods and creating opportunity for our residents is the way forward for the city. As we approach the 2020 Census, Mayor Woodfin has designated senior level staff to lead the city’s efforts to make sure every Birmingham resident is counted.”

If Huntsville continues to grow at the current rate, Huntsville will outgrow Birmingham in six years, the population data suggests.

While Birmingham’s citywide population is shrinking, the demand for housing in the downtown area is growing, said Donald Gambril, the director of Rock Apartment Advisors.

In recent years, a number of new apartment complexes and condominium units have gone up in downtown. Gambril said many of these developments are attracting mostly young professionals.

“While Birmingham’s population doesn’t have outstanding growth, we’ve all seen the sort of revitalization of downtown with more restaurants, entertainment venues. These make downtown a more attractive location than it was 10 years ago,” Gambril said.

Relative to the jobs available in downtown, there wasn’t much housing available years ago, he said. With more young Americans choosing to rent instead of buy a home, a trend many national officials say is here to say, Gambril said he expects the demand for housing in downtown to continue.

The seven-county Birmingham-Hoover metro area is the state’s largest, with 1.15 million people, or more than a fifth of the state’s total population. That metro continues to grow slightly, fueled mainly by growth in Shelby and St. Clair counties.

The cities driving that growth in Shelby County are Chelsea and Calera. Both Chelsea and Calera are among the 10 fastest growing Alabama cities of 10,000 residents or more. That’s since 2010. And both are among the fastest growing from 2017 to 2018. Chelsea is second only to Fairhope in rate of growth in the last year.

From 2017 to 2018, Chelsea’s population increased 3.86 percent—an addition of about 500 people. Calera’s population grew 2.8 percent—an addition of about 390 people.

Since 2010, Chelsea’s population has grown 32.8 percent, representing an addition of about 3,300 people. Calera’s population has grown 23.75 percent, representing an addition of about 2,700 people.

Helena, which is in both Jefferson and Shelby Counties, is also among the fastest growing cities with about 2,700 people moving there since 2010. From 2017 to 2018, Helena’s population grew 2.4 percent, representing an addition of about 450 people. The population has grown 16.2 percent since 2010.

Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer said the city is drawing families who want access to what Birmingham offers, but want to live in a smaller, more family oriented city.

“We’re family oriented, close enough to the city for people to be able to commute to work and have conveniences we don’t have here in Chelsea. But, we’re also good for people who like not being in the city,” Picklesimer said. “We have lots of amenities for our families with community centers and three athletic complexes. It’s an atmosphere people want to move to.”

He said about 89 percent of Chelsea residents own their homes, which makes the city’s population less transient than cities with a large amount of apartment complexes. In 2018, 277 new home permits were granted. Picklesimer said more subdivision plans are also being submitted.

The city is also working to build a new fire station on the east end of the city, where the majority of growth is happening.

“We’re excited about the growth and don’t see it slowing up,” he said.

Also near Birmingham, Trussville and Pelham have grown more than 11 percent since 2010.

Other cities in Jefferson, Shelby and St. Clair counties have seen steady growth since 2010. Since 2010, Moody’s population has grown 11.4 percent, Alabaster’s population has grown 9.8 percent and Pell City’s population has grown 8.6 percent.

Hoover also continues to grow. Hoover’s population rose by 4.2 percent since 2010. Leeds grew 2.3 percent during the same time.

Irondale, Gardendale and Vestavia Hills have grown slightly since 2010. Each city saw a less than 2 percent increase in population.

Four other Birmingham metro-area cities were among the Top 10 fastest shrinking cities since 2010. Those cities include Jasper, Hueytown, Fairfield and Center Point.

More from the census in Huntsville

More from the census in Mobile

More from census statistics statewide: Alabama’s fastest growing and shrinking cities