Economic Profile

Economic Profile on Bessemer, Alabama

The City of Bessemer is part of the Birmingham-Hoover SMSA in north central Alabama, a metropolitan region of approximately 1 million. It is located near the junction of U.S. Interstate Highway 20 and U.S. Interstate Highway 65.

What is the city's population?
What is the city's per capita income?
What type of businesses/industries make up the city's economic base?
What economic activity takes place in Bessemer's downtown?
What is Bessemer's unemployment rate?
How large is Bessemer's downtown area?

Q: What is the city's population?

A: In the 2000 U.S. Census, Bessemer's population was 29,672. It serves as the central city for western Jefferson County (in the Birmingham-Hoover, Alabama MSA), an area comprised of over 75,000 people.

Q: What is the city's per capita income?

A: According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Bessemer's per capita income was $12,232. Within a ten-mile ring of the city's central business district, the data collection firm ESRI reveals a per capita income figure of $22,834.

Q: What type of businesses/industries make up the city's economic base?

A: Bessemer remains an industrial center, with manufacturers of ductile pipe, steel products, and foundry materials. However, it is also the home of Milo's Famous Tea and the southeastern distribution hub for Piggly-Wiggly grocery stores.

Q: What economic activity takes place in Bessemer's downtown?

A: Downtown Bessemer is the home to a Jefferson County courthouse, with over 300 people on staff, and is the center for Bessemer municipal operations. Recently, the city completed a $4 million renovation of its downtown library, making it one of the largest libraries in the Birmingham-Hoover metropolitan area. Downtown is also home to the Bessemer Development Board's small business incubator, the Downtown Entrepreneurial Center. Several retail establishments continue to thrive in downtown, including United Textiles and Simmons Sporting Goods.

Q: What is Bessemer's unemployment rate?

A: Throughout much of this decade (2000-2008), Bessemer's rate has centered around 5%, making it slightly higher than state and metro averages, but consistent with national totals.

Q: How large is Bessemer's downtown area?

A: A six-square block area of downtown was placed upon the National Register of Historic Places in the late 1990s. However, downtown encompasses more than a half square mile - from Interstate 59/20 to the main-line tracks of Norfolk-Southern Railway. Inside this area, there are commercial, residential, and a few light industrial-zoned properties.

The Official Web Site of the

Bessemer Downtown Redevelopment Authority