Huntsville is ranked No. 1 on a new list of “North America’s Next 25 up-and-coming markets for tech talent.” The list also includes Birmingham at No. 22.

Most of the new top 25 are in the South and Midwest, the report by the real estate services and investment company CBRE Group.

Huntsville had 23,620 tech professionals in 2022 followed by Colorado Springs with 23,440.

Huntsville has seen double-digit growth in technology jobs with a five-year growth rate of 14 percent and total tech wages rising 13 percent. That’s an average tech salary in Huntsville of $96,000 compared to Colorado Springs’ $90,000 average.

The CBRE analysis says technology’s growing presence and impact in business and personal time means growing worldwide demand for tech talent. That means smaller markets heavy with tech workers like Huntsville are growing.

The date is obtained from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from April 2023.