Anytime there is anything to be compared that includes Auburn and Tuscaloosa it will harken back to the rivalry between the universities located in the two cities, even populations. The new U.S. Census 2023 Population estimates were released today and the show Auburn leading Tuscaloosa in new citizens.

The newest estimate reveals the City of Auburn is winning the population growth battle with Tuscaloosa. The “Loveliest Village on the Plains “and home to Auburn University, added 1,600 new residents in 2022-23 to their 82,000 population. It is now the State of Alabama’s 7th largest city.

The state’s fifth largest city is Tuscaloosa, the home to the University of Alabama. The Druid City added 760 new residents to the 111,000 population during the same time period.

Across the river, Northport added 88 new citizens as the city continues its population growth.

Huntsville, now the state’s largest city, added 3,535 new residents its 225,564 population. According to the Census Bureau that works out to adding ten new residents a day to 'The Rocket City".

The state’s second largest city is Birmingham. The "Magic City" seems to have lost saw some of its enchantment. 246 residents were deducted from the 196,644-population base. The Birmingham Metropolitan area continues to be the state's largest.

Alabama’s third largest city is the "Capitol City" of Montgomery. While the county population increased, the city's numbers continue a downward slide.  They lost 1,650 people from a195,287 population.

The "Port City" of Mobile dropped with 697 residents leaving the city’s 205,000 population. Montgomery remains the state's second largest city.

46 Alabama cities saw population growth while 21 lost residents.

The civil rights hub, Selma has the fastest contracting population. The population there is now just 16,666. Part of that population loss is a result of the devastating EF-4 tornado that destroyed a large percentage of the city's residential areas. Because of that, many people moved to other nearby cities like Prattville, which gained 564 residents.

half of the state's cities showing population growth are the cities in Baldwin County which a growing number of retirees is now calling home.

Almost half of the cities who lost population in the estimate were in the Black Belt.

Alabama overall is seeing a small population growth according to the estimate.

The United States added 1.6 million people with more states experiencing population growth than any year since the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic.

The expansion of the South — now the nation’s most populous region — accounted for 87% of the nation’s growth in 2023. Most of that growth was in Texas, Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee.