Overshadowed no more, Decatur’s mayor sets 75,000 population goal: ‘We’re taking off now’

While nearby neighbors like Huntsville, Athens, and Madison have seen rapid expansion in recent years, Decatur’s population growth has remained largely stagnant. However, newly inaugurated Mayor Kent Lawrence is betting that the River City is finally ready to break out of the shadows.

"We may be a little behind those other cities, but we’re taking off now," Lawrence told 205focus.com. He believes the city is finally capturing national attention, bolstered by a recent accolade from U.S. News & World Report, which ranked Decatur 60th in the nation in its Best Places to Live rankings. It stands as the top-ranked city in North Alabama and third across the state.

Aiming for 75,000

Mayor Lawrence has set an ambitious target: growing the city’s population from its current base of approximately 58,000 to 75,000 residents. He sees the ongoing economic shifts in the Tennessee Valley—driven by the arrival of the U.S. Space Command headquarters and the FBI’s expansion at Redstone Arsenal—as a primary engine for this growth.

"Decatur is the No. 3 town in the state of Alabama to move to," Lawrence said. "We’re a great community. We’re big enough to have a lot of things to do here, but we’re small enough to still have community."

This momentum is further highlighted by the city’s ability to host major events, including the Alabama Jubilee and this week’s massive Rock the South music festival, which moved to Decatur from its previous home in Cullman.

Development and Infrastructure

To support his growth goals, Lawrence is championing a wave of residential and commercial projects. Construction is set to begin on the South Brook mixed-use development, a project taking over 80 acres of the former Decatur Country Club property. Other major residential additions, such as the Foxwood development in the Burningtree area, are also in the pipeline.

While other regional hubs have seen a surge in apartment living, Decatur is finally catching up. Following nearly 30 years without new apartment construction, two complexes are currently under development south of Beltline Road. Downtown, the city is also pushing for residential density, with the Casa Grande Park development project moving forward and additional discussions underway for housing in the Bank Street area.

Lawrence noted that an estimated $1.5 billion has been invested throughout the city over the last two years. A key component of this effort is the $10 million 6th Avenue (U.S. 31) beautification project, which aims to improve safety and aesthetics along the primary corridor by early 2027. Additionally, the city is supporting academic expansion, including new dormitories and athletic fields for the Alabama Center for the Arts.

The city is also pushing forward with an expansion of the Cook Museum of Natural Science. The $35 million project, which includes a new hotel and parking deck, aims to solidify the institution’s role as a regional STEM hub.

Public Safety Focus

A cornerstone of Lawrence's administration is a commitment to public safety. While the department faced scrutiny following the 2023 police shooting of Steve Perkins, the mayor has high praise for the direction taken under Police Chief Torry Mack.

The data appears to support the administration’s outlook. In the first quarter of 2026, the department reported that violent crime dropped by 45.16%, while property crime decreased by 6.42%. Part I offenses have dropped from 140 to 119 compared to the previous year. For Lawrence, these metrics are essential to his broader vision: "a thriving, safe growing city where everybody has trust in the government and pride in their neighborhood."