As the largest city in Alabama, the city of Birmingham stretches across Jefferson County and parts of Shelby County. Many of the most affluent neighborhoods, such as Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, and Hooverare, are situated near the tail end of the Appalachain Mountains. Birmingham's population can claim over 242,820 residents, 98,782 households, and 59,269 families according to the 2000 census. The average for household and family size were 2.37 and 3.09, respectively. The 2007 census reported the metropolitan area of Birmingham-Hoover as 1,108,210 citizens.
The potential for a good education is reflected in several of Birmingham’s high schools which are ranked among the best in the country. The city's per capita personal income is 15,663 dollars and the median for a household is around 26,735 dollars. With one of the largest banking centers in the south, it holds a rank as one of the most important centers in the Southeastern United States. Regions Financial, a Fortune 500 company, along with five other Fortune 1000 companies all have headquarters in the city.
Rated as one of America’s best cities to earn a living, the Alabamans who work in Birmingham enjoy the area’s competitive salary rates coupled with relatively low living expenses. Originally, the city's local economy revolved around the steel industry. In recent days, the city was transformed by efforts of the University of Alabama at Birmingham to introduce bio-technology and medical research. The economy also witnessed a boom from the banking industry, construction and engineering companies and major companies like AT&T and Bell South.