Fortune launched its third annual Fortune’s 50 Best Places to Live for Families 2024, showcasing the cities and towns across America that best support the unique needs of multigenerational families. Alabaster was named 34th best city to live in chosen from a criteria of 2,000 cities that fit its qualification criteria. The wide-ranging city analysis provided a broad array of places that offer essential resources from health care to education as well as a sense of community.
Ward 5 Councilman Jamie Cole got his start in the media world at Time Inc. and led one of the company’s flagship list programs, the “Best Places to Live in Rural America.” We asked him to provide some thoughts about how these lists come together, and why he believes Alabaster rose to the top.
Were you surprised by this ranking?
“Yes and no. Yes, because it’s always interesting to have a national, New York-based media title recognize a Southern city this way. No, because I know how great we have it here. And it’s no secret, really. We were on Money magazine’s list of the 50 Best Places To Live In America in 2020, and to say the city is undergoing change since then would be the understatement of the year.”
Did they describe us accurately?
“I think they nailed it for the moment we are in right now. Obviously our success at the highest stages of high school athletics has been a plus, and Money actually mentioned that. I love that they mention Alabaster CityFest, and we have been consistently named one of America’s best communities for music education (nammfoundation.org/what-we-do/best-communities-music-education). Our mayor and council have supported arts funding at every turn, and this administration has almost doubled arts funding over the past four years.”
Fortune Well editor Jennifer Fields said, “In our research, the cities that rose to the top were those that had a range of resources and amenities that appeal to their oldest and youngest residents.” What is your take on what we have to offer on the younger side?
“Mayor Brakefield and many on this council have focused on making Alabaster one of the best cities for outdoor activities in Alabama. Our Parks and Rec department is second to none for youth sports. Meanwhile, the visionary decision to create our own city school district, which was initiated when Mayor Brakefield was a council member and was executed by a phenomenal school board and a generational superintendent hire in Wayne Vickers, has transformed our schools for a whole generation of kids here. It’s a draw for young families and makes Alabaster a great place to live for young people.”
What do you think Fortune would say if they knew about all the projects under way right now?
“I think we’d move right on up that list! The new amphitheater, the new rec center, the new library, new retail, the expanded commitment to outdoor activities, and essential amenities like our own ambulance care that just make our city safer and more livable. There is so much more to come.”
They talk about sense of community? What does that mean?
“You see it at every event, every public place, even in social media interaction. People who live here are passionate and engaged. They want what’s best for our city and want to maintain what makes it unique and special. But that also means having the resources and amenities here that keep our residents near home, and in turn our tax dollars, right here in Alabaster. A lot of people say, “Oh, we are trying to be this city or that city,” naming a place nearby that has experienced growth. Nah, we are trying to keep you from having to drive to that city to do the things you want to do with your family. That’s the difference.”