Proof that Huntsville is booming shows in the new Census numbers.

CityofHuntsvilleStar Huntsville officially took the lead as Alabama’s largest city by population at 215,006, edging out Birmingham for the top spot by just over 14,000 people.

According to newly released data Thursday from the US. Census Bureau, Huntsville showed a growth of 34,611 people since the 2010 census, while Birmingham’s population shrunk by 11,000, putting the Magic City second at 200,733.

“The numbers released today by the Census Bureau are not surprising and reflect what we’ve known for a long time – the Rocket City is on the move,” Mayor Tommy Battle said in a statement.

“The investments we’ve made in our infrastructure, public safety and quality-of-life make us attractive to job creators, from the largest industries to the smallest retail startups. Jobs bring people. We’re happy they’ve chosen to make Huntsville their home, and together we’ll build on our strong foundation in the years to come.

“The numbers validate predictions we’ve heard for a while. And while we may be the biggest city in the state, we’re not going to stop striving to be the best in everything we do.”

Madison County got more good news from the census today showing that Madison experienced a whopping 33 percent population increase over 2010 with 56,933 residents.

Birmingham is just ahead of Montgomery for the second largest city in Alabama by 130 people.

Alabama’s overall population increased by 5.1 percent, growing to more than 5 million people.

“We’ll continue to work with our regional, state and national partners to strengthen our infrastructure and attract more businesses and industries,” Battle said. “Collaboration helped make the Rocket City what it is today, and we’ll continue to build on our successes as we move forward.”