Alabama ranks #37 among US states for total patents filed in 2018, with 1,173 patents from 852 inventors across 139 cities. On a per-capita basis that is 0.2 patents per 1,000 residents, a standard benchmark for comparing state-level R&D intensity.
Top Cities in Alabama 2018
| Rank | City | Patents | Inventors |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Huntsville, AL | 182 | 130 |
| #2 | Madison, AL | 153 | 92 |
| #3 | Birmingham, AL | 120 | 91 |
| #4 | Auburn, AL | 83 | 64 |
| #5 | Mobile, AL | 46 | 34 |
| #6 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 44 | 35 |
| #7 | Decatur, AL | 39 | 31 |
| #8 | Fairhope, AL | 31 | 8 |
| #9 | Harvest, AL | 24 | 12 |
| #10 | Hoover, AL | 22 | 17 |
| #11 | Northport, AL | 19 | 13 |
| #12 | Montgomery, AL | 16 | 12 |
| #13 | Athens, AL | 13 | 11 |
| #14 | Pell City, AL | 13 | 12 |
| #15 | Pelham, AL | 13 | 11 |
| #16 | Opelika, AL | 13 | 10 |
| #17 | Spanish Fort, AL | 11 | 11 |
| #18 | Vestavia Hills, AL | 10 | 8 |
| #19 | Owens Cross Roads, AL | 10 | 8 |
| #20 | Toney, AL | 9 | 3 |
| #21 | Elkmont, AL | 8 | 5 |
| #22 | Trussville, AL | 8 | 6 |
| #23 | Bessemer, AL | 7 | 4 |
| #24 | Fort Payne, AL | 7 | 5 |
| #25 | New Hope, AL | 7 | 2 |