Key Facts
- Per Capita Real GDP
- $29,603 Rank: 45/50 (2007)
- Population
- 4,661,900 Rank: 23/50 (2008)
- Per Capita Personal Income
- $31,295 Rank: 40/50 (2006)
- Unemployment Rate
- 4.00% Rank: 17/50 (2008)
- Business Tax Climate Index
- Rank: 21/50 (2008)
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Alabama: Introduction
Located in the heart of the U.S. South, Alabama borders the states of Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. With a population of over one million, the Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman area contains roughly one quarter of the entire state’s population. It is also home to some of Alabama’s biggest companies, including Regions Financial and Saks Incorporated. To help move products in and out of the state, the Alabama State Port Authority operates a deepwater port at Mobile. The port serves 100 overseas shipping lines and is connected to 16,300 miles of inland waterways connected to 23 states.
Alabama’s major industries include automotive, aerospace, and forest products. Over 350 automotive related manufacturers in the state make Alabama the second largest producer of automotives in the nation. The Marshall Space Flight Center at Huntsville produces many of NASA’s space equipment including the Saturn booster rockets. This has helped support the 300 related aerospace companies and the creation of 73,000 direct jobs in Alabama. However, the largest manufacturing industry is forest products. The state holds the second-largest timberland base in the U.S. with nearly 23 million acres and produced an estimated $13.3 billion of products in 2003.
