Madison County has a contingent of 32,872 federal employees, postal employees and federal/postal retirees (2009 Census)
Huntsville, which is located within Madison County, is in Alabama's Fifth Congressional District. Huntsville is a growing city with a large federal employee population. Even though the city lost its official identity with the loss of its postmark it continues to shine as an economic star.
Madison County has the largest population of federal employees, postal employees and federal/postal retirees in the entire state. Madison County (*Fifth Congressional District) has a contingent of 32,872 federal employees , postal employees and federal/postal retirees. This number has grown exponentially since the 2009 census with major government entities/commands moving to the area over the past several years. This population count does not include the civilian workforce and defense contractors that support the federal workforce. The Rocket City primarily thrives and exist based on a population supported by the defense and space industries. Huntsville is home to Redstone Arsenal and the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Huntsville at one time had a large Huntsville Postal Service Mail Processing & Distribution Facility that housed a large population of postal workers. Unfortunately, with little support from Alabama congressmen and Huntsville city leaders, Huntsville actually lost its postmark, identity and more than half its mail handlers to the Birmingham Mail Facility. As you may note, your mail has been slowed and is now postmarked in Birmingham. In fact, if it were not for the U.S. Postal Service postponing mail processing facility closures and consolidations, the entire mail processing facility on Wall Triana would have closed in 2014. The loss of Huntsville's postmark and subsequent official postal identity remains a scar upon a city that boast large economic development. On a positive note the loss of the historic Huntsville postmark made it a collectors item among postmark collectors.
Huntsville, Alabama is known as the Rocket City.
Source: Huntsville Economic Development
