Welcome to Huntsville, the birthplace of Alabama in 1819 and today the space capital of America. Huntsville is one of the most recognized cities in the Southeast — consistently named as one of the best places to live and work by a variety of national publications. The city's solid economic growth and stability have provided its 300,000 residents with one of the nation's healthiest economies. Huntsville's average salaries are the highest in the Southeast, and the city also maintains an affordable cost of living.
Technology, space, and defense industries have a major presence here with the Army's Redstone Arsenal, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, and Cummings Research Park, home to several Fortune 500 companies.
Huntsville also offers a broad base of manufacturing, retail and service industries. Our quality of life is second to none, with a variety of educational, recreational, and cultural opportunities. We successfully combine the rich heritage of Southern hospitality with innovative high tech ventures and cultural diversity.
Huntsville has been recognized:
No. 3 on Expansion Management's list of ''cybermeccas,'' or high-tech cities for percentage of new jobs created. In the same issue, the magazine listed Huntsville 19th on its annual list of America's 50 hottest cities for business expansion and relocation (January 2001).
Newsweek magazine's top 10 "High Tech Havens" list. The report credits NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the Army for laying the foundation for Huntsville's tech worker base. Others say Huntsville has innovative thinkers and quality workers who have benefited from the NASA and Army investments of the past (April 2001).
29th of the top 50 small U.S. cities to start a business (Inc. magazine, December 2000).
5th city in the nation for computer software employment (Software & Information Industry Association, June 2000).
6th among communities for emerging high-tech jobs in the southeastern United States (CorpTech, April 2000).
10th in the nation for concentration of residents with college degrees (Applied Geographic Solutions, March 2000).
Fastest growing major metro area in Alabama and the 48th fastest in the U.S. from 1990 to 1999 (U.S. Census Bureau figures, March 2000).
Sources: Alabama Development Center and Huntsville Business Report, a publication of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, Alabama.