Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety9#845/924
Economy76#219/925
Housing52#441/925
Health47#495/925
Healthcare51#450/923
Environment10#826/917
Education69#290/925
Infrastructure52#446/925
Community31#640/925
Leisure & amenities51#451/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Birmingham, AL metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Unemployment rate · low2.7%
96/100Alabama 2.8%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Pharmacies · high2.5 /10k
92/100Alabama 2.3 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · high$1,371
90/100Alabama $1,240United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Distance to an airport · low18 mi
88/100Alabama 46 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · low0.48%
87/100Alabama 0.37%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Income adjusted for local prices · high$75,645
84/100Alabama $64,523United States $73,2042024U.S. Bureau of Economic AnalysisAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Homicide rate · high11.7 /100k
6/100Alabama 9.8 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high9.1 µg/m³
7/100Alabama 8.6 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Median Air Quality Index · high52
9/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Average commute time · high27.0 min
12/100Alabama 25.5 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.484
14/100Alabama 0.479United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Loneliness · high37.1%
14/100Alabama 36.3%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 33% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+33 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
80.1% (2015-2019) → 90.3% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
43.2 /100k (2021) → 23.1 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−46%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Homicide rateImproving
20.6 /100k (2021) → 11.7 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−43%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Mental health providersImproving
149 /100k (2021) → 209 /100k (2025)
+40%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k
Firearm deathsImproving
32.0 /100k (2021) → 20.9 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−35%5 yearsUS 14.7 /100k → 12.1 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Birmingham, AL metro area improved on 14 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 5 moved within the margin of error and 7 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

Restaurants+15%6.1 /10k → 7.0 /10k
Arts & recreation+29%3.0 /10k → 3.9 /10k
Gyms+21%1.2 /10k → 1.5 /10k
Firearm deaths−17%25.1 /100k → 20.9 /100k
Real income+34%$56,426 → $75,645

Declined4

Rent / income+1.5 points29.1% → 30.6%
Rent burden+3.2 points47.8% → 51.1%
Pharmacies−14%2.9 /10k → 2.5 /10k
Price / income+0.5×2.9× → 3.4×

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Birmingham, AL metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.0 /10k2020	3.9 /10k2025	+29%	Improved	86%
Average commute time	26.5 min2015-2019	27.0 min2020-2024	+0.5 min	Within the margin of error	45%
Average weekly wage	$1,1152020	$1,3712025	+23%	Improved	48%
Bachelor's degree or higher	31.4%2015-2019	33.7%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Improved	39%
Broadband subscriptions	80.1%2015-2019	90.3%2020-2024	+10 points	Improved	64%
Child poverty rate	19.2%2015-2019	18.9%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Distance to an airport	17 mi2020	17 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	7%
Drug overdose deaths	32.1 /100k2020	23.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−28%	Improved	55%
Effective property tax rate	0.51%2015-2019	0.48%2020-2024	−0 points	Little change	16%
Firearm deaths	25.1 /100k2020	20.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−17%	Improved	78%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−1.9%	Little change	43%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.2 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+21%	Improved	71%
High school diploma or higher	89.0%2015-2019	90.4%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Improved	40%
Home price to income ratio	2.9×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	45%
Homicide rate	17.7 /100k2020	11.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−34%	Improved	61%
Income adjusted for local prices	$56,4262019	$75,6452024	+34%	Improved	65%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4832015-2019	0.4842020-2024	+0.001	Within the margin of error	52%
Median household income	$57,4472015-2019	$71,4982020-2024	+24%	Improved	35%
New business applications	13.6 /1k2020	15.8 /1k2025	+16%	Improved	13%
Pharmacies	2.9 /10k2020	2.5 /10k2025	−14%	Declined	36%
Poverty rate	14.1%2015-2019	13.8%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Public libraries	0.6 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	−2%	Little change	47%
Public transit commuters	0.6%2015-2019	0.4%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	58%
Rent as share of income	29.1%2015-2019	30.6%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Declined	27%
Rent-burdened households	47.8%2015-2019	51.1%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Declined	30%
Restaurants and bars	6.1 /10k2020	7.0 /10k2025	+15%	Improved	87%
Suicide rate	13.8 /100k2020	13.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+0.6%	Little change	60%
Traffic deaths	16.2 /100k2015-2019	16.3 /100k2020-2024	+0.4%	Little change	62%
Unemployment rate	6.0%2020	2.7%2025	−3.3 points	Improved	59%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.4%2015-2019	10.4%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	42%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Birmingham, AL metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Birmingham, AL metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Birmingham, AL metro area itself moved +0.3 points in standing on average over the same 28 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,184,613 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

465,003 households (±2,429)

Birmingham, AL metro area
United States share

Under $25k17%78,238
$25k–50k19%87,657
$50k–75k16%76,172

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

465,003 households (±2,429)

Birmingham, AL metro area
United States share

Own71%329,222
Rent29%135,781

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+1.9 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

544,375 workers (±4,282)

Birmingham, AL metro area
United States share

Drive alone78%424,026
Carpool7.9%43,088
Public transit0.4%1,916

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Birmingham, AL employ 110,860 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 9 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Birmingham, AL by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Registered Nurses17,850 jobs	17,850	$78,680US $97,550	−19%	1.58×
Retail Salespersons15,280 jobs	15,280	$31,450US $35,410	−11%	1.17×
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive10,900 jobs	10,900	$44,580US $47,540	−6%	1.91×
Stockers and Order Fillers10,890 jobs	10,890	$35,660US $37,330	−4%	1.15×
Cashiers10,690 jobs	10,690	$29,310US $32,880	−11%	1.03×
Fast Food and Counter Workers10,080 jobs	10,080	$27,020US $31,200	−13%	0.78×
Customer Service Representatives9,850 jobs	9,850	$40,530US $44,770	−9%	1.13×
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers9,170 jobs	9,170	$54,460US $58,640	−7%	1.33×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand8,200 jobs	8,200	$37,500US $40,240	−7%	0.83×
General and Operations Managers7,950 jobs	7,950	$123,560US $105,770	+17%	0.68×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Birmingham, AL.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Birmingham, AL has 27,200 employer establishments, 229 for every 10,000 residents (0.92× the US rate of 248), with 480,717 paid employees at an average annual pay of $63,506. The Census Bureau also counts 100,875 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 27,200; 100,875 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 229; US 248
Paid employees: 480,717
Average annual pay: $63,506; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Birmingham, AL by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	2,226	18.8	0.90×About typical	33,279	$81,095	5,128
Restaurants and other eating places	1,969	16.6	0.90×About typical	40,104	$22,011	519
Specialty trade contractors	1,501	12.7	0.82×About typical	19,619	$69,076	6,547
Lessors of real estate	1,155	9.7	0.79×Fewer than typical	6,388	$73,562	9,856
Limited-service restaurants	1,128	9.5	1.19×About typical	22,326	$19,611	206
Religious organizations	1,104	9.3	1.68×More than typical	12,903	$27,191	—
Offices of physicians	775	6.5	1.01×About typical	11,708	$94,299	1,198
Legal services	746	6.3	1.17×About typical	5,466	$119,180	1,329
Building equipment contractors	732	6.2	1.03×About typical	10,298	$66,797	1,528
Construction of buildings	678	5.7	0.76×Fewer than typical	9,375	$95,432	3,707
Services to buildings and dwellings	662	5.6	0.83×About typical	8,504	$36,094	7,577
Gasoline stations	661	5.6	1.72×More than typical	3,771	$29,017	58

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 1,186,458 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $997.8M on contracts performed in Birmingham, AL metro area: $833 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $997.8M; +86% vs FY2025
Per resident: $833; US $1,994
Sole-source: 7.9%; US 30%
Single offer: 4.6%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of State$488M49%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$160.5M16%
Department of Veterans Affairs$112.8M11%
Department of the Army$69M6.9%
Defense Logistics Agency$68.1M6.8%
Federal Bureau of Investigation$31.1M3.1%
U.S. Secret Service$10.1M1.0%
Federal Acquisition Service$9.4M0.9%

Top recipients

CADDELL CONSTRUCTION CO. (DE), LLC$484.2M49%
NAPHCARE LLC$155.5M16%
BL HARBERT INTERNATIONAL LLC$55.4M5.6%
FORESTWOOD FARM, INC.$39M3.9%
C & C CONTRACTORS LLC$31.1M3.1%

Spending by fiscal year

334.3MFY2017
372.8MFY2018
440.8MFY2019
362.5MFY2020
349.1MFY2021
988.3MFY2022
428.6MFY2023
603.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$589.4M59%
General medical and surgical hospitals · 6221$150.3M15%
Other food manufacturing · 3119$53.3M5.3%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$31.1M3.1%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$18.8M1.9%
Other nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing · 3279$16M

Largest awards

ACADEMIC ZONE DESIGN-BUILD PROJECT, REDSTONE ARSENAL, ALABAMA$519.7M
BRASFIELD & GORRIE LLC· Jefferson County, AL· Construction & real property· May 7, 2024 – Jun 24, 2026· 15F06724F0000733
DESIGN BUILD CONSTRUCTION SERVICE FOR US EMBASSY ULAANBAATAR$484.2M
CADDELL CONSTRUCTION CO. (DE), LLC· Jefferson County, AL· Construction & real property· Sep 2, 2026 – Sep 2, 2026· 19AQMM26C0243
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE TECHNOLOGY BUILDINGS 2 & 3 WITH PARKING GARAGES$420.4M
BRASFIELD & GORRIE LLC· Jefferson County, AL· Construction & real property· Nov 22, 2022 – Sep 18, 2026· 15F06723F0000010
A: PROJECT TITLE: PRACTICAL PROBLEM VENUE (PPV) B: SET ASIDE: NONE/FULL AND OPEN C: MAGNITUDE OF CONSTRUCTION: ESTIMATED BETWEEN 100,000,001 AND $250,000,000.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $10.8B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Birmingham, AL metro area: $9,053 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $10.8B; −3.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $9,053; US $12,955
Loan face value: $4.9B; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$4.5B41%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$1.4B13%
93.773 · Medicare Hospital Insurance$885.8M8.2%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$732.5M6.8%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$713.9M6.6%
93.770 · Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage$495.8M4.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$470.4M4.3%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$229M2.1%

Top recipients (organizations)

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM$379.4M3.5%
BIRMINGHAM, AL
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$222.9M2.1%
MONTGOMERY, AL
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT$113.3M1.0%
BIRMINGHAM, AL
ALA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY$110.1M1.0%
CLANTON, AL
NAVIGATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PARTNERS, INC.

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$5.9B55%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$2.8B26%
Department of Health and Human Services
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$828.7M7.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs
National Institutes of Health$329.5M3.0%
Department of Health and Human Services
Federal Highway Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

9.9BFY2021
9.7BFY2022
10.1BFY2023
10.4BFY2024
11.2BFY2025
10.8BFY2026

County aggregates

89%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Birmingham, AL

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

BirminghamPrincipal city198,173

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Alabama

Areas based in Alabama, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M13820

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Birmingham, AL metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Birmingham, AL

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Alabama

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined4

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type