American Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

The United States stretches across North America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Americans in Birmingham include academics, researchers, business professionals, students, military families and people who have married and settled in the city.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 1,790 people living in the city had been born in the United States; and 632 Birmingham residents described their ethnic group as North American. The North American figure covers people with roots in both the United States and Canada.

Working for Birmingham

American residents work in education, research, business, finance, technology and healthcare, and American academics and students are a valued part of the city's universities. American companies have offices and operations in and around Birmingham, bringing jobs and investment.

Healthcare, education and the skilled trades are three of the pillars of the city's economy. The NHS is one of Birmingham's biggest employers, its universities teach tens of thousands of students, and there is steady demand for electricians, plumbers, carpenters, decorators and handymen in every neighbourhood, alongside business, transport, hospitality, retail and the city's growing digital and creative industries. People from every background keep these sectors running, and the American community shares in that effort.

Culture and community life

Independence Day on 4 July and Thanksgiving in November are celebrated with food and gatherings, and American football, basketball and baseball have growing followings in Britain. Birmingham, Alabama, named after the English city in 1871, shares its namesake's history of iron and steel.

Like so many of the communities that make up modern Birmingham, the American community shows how a city can be home to many cultures at once. Its members are proud of where they come from, and just as proud to be Brummies.