So you're considering moving to Alabama, however you're uncertain you have actually thoroughly mulled-over all the super-important information before getting here at your decision. Well, potentially southern-bound friend, you have actually come to the right place - we've put together a convenient, tasty guide that will lay out some of the most crucial points for someone in your position to evaluate.
We do not blame you for desiring to move to the Heart of Dixie (as it's called) thinking about that the state is home to rocket scientists - Huntsville homes both the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and the Marshall Space Flight Center at the Redstone Toolbox. The U.S. Army's lead rocket engineer, Wernher von Braun, led NASA's rocketry program throughout the '60s.
What else does the Yellowhammer State have to use, besides huge advances in the area program and ridiculously wise individuals? Plenty - from beautiful landscapes that'll have you clicking your shutter so quick your camera starts steaming, to tasty soul food, to seriously action-packed sporting events. Keep reading to discover why you might simply make Alabama your next move.
Job Market
According to U.S. Census information, about 4.875 million people presently live in the Cotton State. Get this - 55% of the people overall in the U.S. who moved in the year 2017 moved to Alabama, according to the 2017 National Movers Research Study.
Well, for beginners, the state has several fast-growing job fields, consisting of computer technology, physical therapy, nursing, occupational therapy, aircraft assembly and EMT, among others, according to zippia.com. The highest-paid careers include pediatrician, nurse anesthetist, administrative law orthodontist, judge and dental practitioner, states bizjournals.com.
The current unemployment rate is just 3.5%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Stats, so chances are quite excellent for discovering work upon your relocation. The federal minimum wage is the very same as the national average, nevertheless, at $7.25/ hour, mentions minimum-wage.
Don't forget that Alabama is home to NASA, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and the Marshall Area Flight. If you have actually got a love for all-things aeronautical, this could extremely well be the new home of your dreams.
Real estate
You're most likely going to desire a location to live after you move (we're simply thinking), so what's the possibility of discovering a brand-new location you'll enjoy (and be able to manage) in the Yellowhammer State?
Well, zillow.com mentions that the mean worth of houses presently on the marketplace is $128,900, with a typical listing rate of $190,000. The typical house lease is $995/month, with one-bedroom homes balancing $824/month in Birmingham.
Residences in Alabama are primarily relatively brand-new, too - zillow.com reveals that a lot of houses currently offered were developed in the decade 2000-2010. Not only are odds good for you to find an inexpensive place to live, however you'll likewise be looking at newish residential or commercial properties, too.
That being said, there's not much in the method of brand-new building popping up these days, according to zillow.com. A little is taking place in main Alabama, around Birmingham; a little in the southwest corner, near Mobile; and a tiny bit in the northern end of the state, in and around Huntsville.
If more affordable real estate, particularly around the state's hot-spots, appeals to you, you may simply wish to set your sights on the Heart of Dixie.
Culture and Locals
When moving to a brand-new location, you might be curious about the individuals there. Will they become your friends, or will they be the type to make you chain your doors and gaze out of a slit in your blinds in total paranoia?
According to residents, citizens can be a real mixed bag. The agreement is that Alabamians like to gossip, are passive-aggressive, and might just fool you with their underhanded insults. The expression "bless your heart" is not indicated warmly, but rather sarcastically - and if you hear it, odds are excellent that as soon as you have actually left, you'll be talked about.
Do not let that deter you. Locals stress that the primary ambiance of their state is one of real southern hospitality - they utilize "sir" and "ma'am" out of respect, and will offer you a warm welcome and lots of food. They might describe you as a Yankee if you're from the North, but this they in fact do out of (mocking) love.
You'll find yourself adjusting your vocabulary and pronunciations after a relocation to Alabama. Don't be the loser who sticks out like a sore thumb simply because you're partial to your consonants.
Yellowhammer State Trivia
Montgomery, Alabama was the where a famous event took place on December 1, 1955 - the day when Rosa Parks bravely refused to quit her seat on the bus to a white man. Today, to honor this regional woman's act of bravery, the Rosa Parks Library and Museum stands in the town of Montgomery, bring in great deals of locals and travelers alike.
The people of the Cotton State adore BARBEQUE - and we do mean CRAZY. They'll battle to the death (perhaps not literally) over which dining establishment or local cookout provides the best. These are not conversations to be entered into gently. Be prepared to explain, and safeguard, your stance.
Locals will CONSTANTLY rock out to "Sweet House Alabama" if it comes on the radio, and they'll crank it approximately 11. When they hear that popular opening riff, even Alabamians who covertly dislike the tune will start to boogie. The tune has made such an impression on the culture that it's even printed on license plates.
Alabamians pride themselves on their abundant food and cultural pride. They have rare, allegedly lobster-tasting shrimp called "Royal Reds" from the Gulf of Mexico, fried green tomatoes, super-sweet tea (heavy on the sweet, light on the tea) and MoonPies - and they smother everything in TABASCOĂ’ sauce.
It appears fitting, with a diet that abundant and heavy, that locals like to observe a slower speed of life. These self-proclaimed "salt of the earth" types will make you forget your health-enthusiast ways and have you grabbing seconds. Bring additional napkins.
Must-See Alabama Fun + Activities
We understand you're already midway out the door, travel luggage in hand, ready to make your move to the Heart of Dixie, however cool your jets for a moment. Before you go racing off like you're a motorist at Talladega Superspeedway, have a look at this list we have actually compiled of some of the state's piece de resistances.
Here simply a few of the state's can't- miss sights and activities:
U.S. Area & Rocket Center: Located in Huntsville, this museum consists of access to the historic Shuttle Park and Rocket Park and showcases distinct artifacts from the nation's area exploration. It's thought about to be the world's biggest space museum, and details the history of the U.S. space program. It's also house to the annual, highly prepared for Space Camp program featuring the Air travel Challenge, in which students go through training in flight simulators.
Vulcan statue: In Birmingham, the world's highest cast iron statue stands an outstanding 56 feet tall. Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and create, represents the state's roots in the iron and steel industry - and he's kind of a big offer. His 100th birthday was a huge celebration that drew a crowd of more than 100,000 individuals.
Cathedral Caverns State Park: Found in Woodville, this park offers cave trips, campsites, backpacking and hiking. It has the largest entryway of any business cavern in the world, and features a sparkly Gemstone Mine with a gem mining experience offered to any ages.
Talladega Superspeedway: AKA NASCAR's "greatest and baddest" track, it lies in Lincoln and includes an extremely anticipated yearly NASCAR race, the Alabama 500. The race chooses 188 laps, covering just over 500 miles. Now that's a lot of high-speed left turns.
Alligator Alley: Found in Summerdale, this overload sanctuary has a raised boardwalk including a too-close-for-comfort view of hundreds of alligators and different type of wildlife. This is the location for you if you're into gazing one of mankind's most significant natural predators almost right in the face.
Benefits and drawbacks of Living in the Heart of Dixie
Before you ideal your BARBEQUE dish and run to see the alligators and the world's highest Vulcan, we believed it may be worth taking into account a short-and-sweet list of a few advantages and disadvantages of relocating to Alabama.
Low expense of living: It's obvious that property in the Cotton State is quite low-cost, and taxes are quite low. We believe that's simply one of the big reasons that 55% of relocators nationwide in 2017 selected this as their new home.
Nature + all four seasons: The terrain of Alabama is widely-varied, consisting of beaches, mountains and forests. Because of this, there are plenty of activities for all different breeds of outdoorsy types. Residents likewise like to explain that they experience all 4 seasons and see weather condition from all over the spectrum - from snow and ice storms to hot, damp summer seasons and spring torrential rainstorms.
Music: Due to the fact that of its area, the Yellowhammer State draws great deals of huge music acts each year. The Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores is the state's biggest yearly music occasion. Huge names in all categories - varying from jazz to rock 'n' roll to nation - make looks here.
Food: As we've currently pointed out, Alabamians are die-hard foodies. The town of Birmingham alone has read more a tremendous 28 various food celebrations every year.
Distance to major cities: Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans and Memphis are just day-trips away from the Heart of Dixie. This prime location provides itself to many chances to see all type of festivals, shows, museums, state parks, shopping attractions and more. Did you really believe you 'd be tired here?
Humidity: Make that winter season humidity. While the humidity in the summertime is unquestionably bad, it's the winter that separates die-hard Alabamians from wannabees - the extra moisture triggers cold temperature levels to feel definitely frigid. Locals say that it's not unusual for a 45-degree day on the thermometer to feel closer to 10 degrees. If you're not into feeling the extremes in every season, it might not be long prior to you're miserable here.
Drug use: The more rural areas of the state have genuine issues with poverty, homelessness and block after block of abandoned houses. With this naturally comes bothersome drug usage, and in Alabama's case, methamphetamine labs are a real battle to split down on (no pun meant).
Serious storms: While experiencing all four seasons can be argued as an excellent thing, it likewise means that there's chance for all kinds of stormy weather - and this state sees some of the most extreme. For starters, it's one of the most active twister states.
Odd Laws
We 'd be doing you a major injustice if we left without providing you a list of some of the strangest, lamest and downright dumbest laws still out there in the state you're thinking about making your next homeland. We've assembled a few that'll have you raising an eyebrow in no time.
Here are just a couple of from onlyinyourstate.com:
Putting salt onto a railroad track is punishable by death. They wish to keep their railways devoid of livestock, and they're truly severe about it.
It's unlawful to impersonate a priest. Genuine. So stop practicing your impression in the mirror, and put your comical efforts towards brand-new material - you'll thank us later on.
It's prohibited to wear a phony moustache in church since it could cause laughter. Religious beliefs is no laughing matter to Alabamians.
It's illegal to use a mask in public. Man, so what are we expected to do on Halloween?
It's illegal to play dominoes on Sunday. It interrupts the day of rest. Duh. You understand how heated those dominoes matches can get!
Prepared for Landing in the Heart of Dixie
Well good friends, there you have it - a carefully created guide to some of the primary contemplation points for long-term relocation. Obviously, we can't lie and say that we have the ability to provide you definitely all the essential information that could affect your decision (we 'd be here for days), but it's our hope that we have actually provided you a great launching pad to fire up your decision rocket from.
Now it depends on you to decide (after possibly doing some further research study) if you can picture yourself in the Yellowhammer State, among the remarkable and not-at-all challenging rocket scientists, the quick racecar motorists, the soul-filled foodies, and the always-hungry alligators. It's been a real satisfaction compiling this guide for you, and we hope you've had your fill of Alabama goodies.
Excellent luck - and don't forget to remember "Sugary food Home Alabama."