Selma is once again being listed among the fastest-shrinking cities in Alabama, but city leaders say there is more behind the numbers.
) - Selma is once again being listed among the fastest-shrinking cities in Alabama, but city leaders say there is more behind the numbers. Recent population estimates show Selma has continued to lose residents in recent years.
Mayor Johnny Moss said he believes one of the biggest reasons for the decline is the impact of the January 2023 tornado, which damaged homes across the city and forced some residents to relocate.
“Well, I know that there were several factors over the last two years, one being the tornado that came through the city,” Moss said. “I think we knew we probably had lost about 1,500, I think between 1,200 and 1,500 residents. ” Moss said many of those residents did not leave because they wanted to. He said some families were forced to move because there were not enough homes available after the storm.
“When the tornado came in, it kind of ravished a lot of areas of our city,” Moss said. “Residents were forced to move. ” According to Moss, some of the damaged homes were rental properties, and some landlords chose not to rebuild or repair those properties. Now, Moss said the city is working to “right the ship” by focusing on housing, public safety, jobs and the overall quality of life in Selma.
One of the city’s current priorities is cleaning up blighted and damaged properties. Moss said since November 3, the city has demolished 145 houses.
“As you clean up the city, as you reduce the criminal activity, then you can go out and recruit business and industry, as well as developers who want to help us bring in some more affordable homes to our area,” Moss said. The mayor also said two new apartment complexes are in the works. Lincoln II is expected to be completed within the next month and will bring 56 units.
Another development, Dole Point on Citizens Parkway, is also expected to bring 56 units.
“We want to continue to do that so that we can recruit business and industry, we can keep the citizens that we have here, and hopefully get some more citizens to start moving back to Selma,” Moss said. The mayor also pointed to the number of people who work in Selma and Dallas County but live somewhere else. Moss said nearly 6,000 people drive into Selma or Dallas County every day for work.
He said if more housing becomes available, some of those workers may consider moving to Selma instead of commuting. Moss said he understands rent and housing costs are going up everywhere because of inflation, but he believes Selma can still be a more affordable place for people who already work in the area.
“If you’re driving back and forth, you’re paying all this money in gas, and you can move back here and stay here and have a reduced rental rate,” Moss said. Moss said he knows people often focus on Selma’s population decline, but he wants residents and people outside the city to understand the full story. He said the population numbers came after the tornado, which impacted neighborhoods from West Selma to East Selma.
“This calculation was done after the tornado, and we knew that we lost some citizens,” Moss said. “It wasn’t that we were trying to drive people out of here. They were just forced to leave because of the damage that the tornado caused to our entire community. ” Moss said his administration will continue working to improve housing, reduce crime, attract businesses and change how people view Selma.
“We’re just going to fight to make sure that we change the perception of our city,” Moss said. “We’ve made this a better place to live. And we’re working daily and we’re working diligently to make sure that we make that change. ”Copyright 2026 WSFA. All rights reserved.
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