So you're believing of moving to Alabama, however you're uncertain you have actually thoroughly mulled-over all the super-important information before reaching your decision. Well, possibly southern-bound buddy, you have actually come to the best location - we have actually put together a handy, delicious guide that will outline a few of the most crucial points for someone in your position to evaluate.
We do not blame you for wishing to move to the Heart of Dixie (as it's called) thinking about that the state is house to rocket scientists - Huntsville houses both the U.S. Area & 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 need to provide, besides substantial advances in the space program and unbelievably clever people? Plenty - from lovely landscapes that'll have you clicking your shutter so fast your cam starts steaming, to tasty soul food, to seriously action-packed sporting occasions. Continue reading to discover why you might just make Alabama your next relocation.
Job Market
According to U.S. Census data, about 4.875 million individuals currently reside in the Cotton State. About 11,447 of those individuals moved here in between 2016 and 2017. Also, get this - 55% of individuals in general in the U.S. who moved in the year 2017 moved to Alabama, according to the 2017 National Movers Study. Why are so many people are gathering here?
Well, for beginners, the state has numerous fast-growing task fields, including computer technology, physical therapy, nursing, occupational therapy, airplane assembly and Emergency Medical Technician, among others, according to zippia.com. The highest-paid careers include pediatrician, nurse anesthetist, administrative law dental professional, judge and orthodontist, specifies bizjournals.com.
The present joblessness rate is simply 3.5%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Data, so odds are pretty good for finding work upon your move. The federal minimum wage is the exact same as the nationwide average, nevertheless, at $7.25/ hour, mentions minimum-wage.
Do not forget that Alabama is house to NASA, the U.S. Area & Rocket Center and the Marshall Area Flight Center. If you've got a love for all-things aeronautical, this could effectively 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 likelihood of finding a new place you'll love (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 mean house lease is $995/month, with one-bedroom apartment or condos balancing $824/month in Birmingham.
Residences in Alabama are primarily relatively brand-new, too - zillow.com reveals that a lot of houses currently available were built in the decade 2000-2010. So not only are chances helpful for you to discover a budget friendly location to live, but you'll also be taking a look at newish homes, 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 happening in main Alabama, around Birmingham; a little in the southwest corner, near Mobile; and a small bit in the northern end of the state, in and around Huntsville.
If cheaper real estate, particularly around the state's hot-spots, attract you, you might simply wish to set your sights on the Heart of Dixie.
Culture and Natives
When relocating to a brand-new place, you may be curious about the individuals there. Will they become your friends, or will they be the type to make you chain your doors and stare out of a slit in your blinds in total fear?
According to residents, citizens can be a real combined bag. The consensus is that Alabamians love to chatter, are passive-aggressive, and may just deceive you with their deceptive insults. The phrase "bless your heart" is not meant warmly, however rather sardonically - and if you hear it, odds are good that once you have actually left, you'll be discussed.
Don't let that deter you. Residents stress that the main ambiance of their state is one of true southern hospitality - they utilize "sir" and "ma'am" out of respect, and will offer you a warm welcome and great deals of food. They may describe you as a Yankee if you're from the North, but this they in fact do out of (buffooning) love.
You'll discover yourself adjusting your vocabulary and pronunciations after a move to Alabama. Do not be the loser who sticks out like a sore thumb simply since you're partial to your consonants.
Yellowhammer State Trivia
Montgomery, Alabama was the where a famous occasion took place on December 1, 1955 - the day when Rosa Parks bravely refused to quit her seat on the bus to a white guy. 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 individuals of the Cotton State are crazy about BARBEQUE - and we do imply CRAZY. They'll battle to the death (perhaps not actually) over which restaurant or regional cookout serves up the finest.
Locals will CONSTANTLY rock out to "Sweet House Alabama" if it comes on the radio, and they'll crank it as much as 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 uncommon, supposedly 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 whatever in TABASCOĂ’ sauce.
It appears fitting, with a diet that abundant and heavy, that locals like to observe a slower rate of life. These self-proclaimed "salt of the earth" types will make you forget your health-enthusiast ways and have you grabbing seconds. Bring extra napkins.
Must-See Alabama Fun + Activities
We understand you're already midway out the door, travel luggage in hand, ready to make your relocate 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, check out this list we have actually compiled of some of the state's piece de resistances.
Here just a few of the state's can't- miss out on sights and activities:
U.S. Area & Rocket Center: Located in Huntsville, this museum includes access to the historical Shuttle bus Park and Rocket Park and showcases distinct artifacts from the nation's area exploration. It's thought about to be the world's largest area museum, and lays out 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 high. 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 huge offer. His 100th birthday was a huge celebration that drew a crowd of more than 100,000 individuals.
Cathedral Caverns State Park: Located in Woodville, this park offers cavern trips, campsites, backpacking and hiking. It has the best entryway of any commercial cave in the world, and features a sparkly Gems Mine with a gem mining experience readily available to all ages.
Talladega Superspeedway: AKA NASCAR's "biggest and baddest" track, it's situated in Lincoln and includes an extremely prepared for annual NASCAR race, the Alabama 500. The race opts for 188 laps, covering simply over 500 miles. Now that's a great deal of high-speed left turns.
Alligator Street: Located in Summerdale, this swamp sanctuary has an elevated boardwalk including a too-close-for-comfort view of numerous alligators and various kinds of wildlife. This is the location for you if you're into gazing one of humanity's greatest 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 thought it might be worth taking into consideration a short-and-sweet list of a couple of benefits and drawbacks of relocating to Alabama.
Low cost of living: It's obvious that realty in the Cotton State is quite inexpensive, and taxes are quite low. We believe that's just one of the big reasons that 55% of relocators nationwide in 2017 selected this as their new home.
Nature + all 4 seasons: The terrain of Alabama is widely-varied, consisting of beaches, mountains and forests. Because of this, there are lots of activities for all different breeds of outdoorsy types. Residents likewise like to explain that they experience all 4 seasons and see weather from all over the spectrum - from snow and ice storms to hot, humid summertimes and springtime torrential downpours.
Music: Since of its place, the Yellowhammer State draws great deals of big music acts each year. The Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores is the state's largest annual music event. Big names in all genres - ranging from jazz to rock 'n' roll to country - make appearances here.
Food: As we've currently mentioned, Alabamians are die-hard foodies. The town of Birmingham alone has a tremendous 28 various food celebrations every year. Amongst them are the Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-Off, Taste of Homewood, BBQ for Building, Girls Inc. Cajun Cook-Off and BHamBurger Battle. Seriously, don't eat anything for a while prior to you show up here - you'll be packing your face in no time.
Distance to significant cities: Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans and Memphis are simply day-trips far from the Heart of Dixie. This prime place lends itself to countless chances to see all sort of celebrations, shows, museums, state parks, shopping attractions and more. Did you really believe you 'd be tired here?
While the humidity in the summertime is undeniably bad, it's the winter that separates die-hard Alabamians from wannabees - the additional wetness causes cold temperatures to feel absolutely freezing. Residents say that it's not uncommon for a 45-degree day on the thermometer to feel click here closer to 10 degrees.
Substance abuse: The more backwoods of the state have real problems with hardship, homelessness and block after block of abandoned houses. With this naturally comes problematic substance abuse, and in Alabama's case, methamphetamine laboratories are a real struggle to punish (no pun meant).
Serious storms: While experiencing all four seasons can be argued as an excellent thing, it also 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 in presence in the state you're thinking about making your next homeland. We have actually compiled a couple of that'll have you raising an eyebrow in no time.
Here are just a couple of from onlyinyourstate.com:
Putting salt onto a railway track is punishable by death. They want to keep their railways totally free of livestock, and they're truly serious about it.
It's prohibited to impersonate a priest. For real. So stop practicing your impression in the mirror, and put your comedic efforts towards brand-new material - you'll thank us later on.
It's prohibited to wear a phony moustache in church because it might cause laughter. Faith is no laughing matter to Alabamians.
It's unlawful to use a mask in public. Guy, 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 given you an excellent launching pad to fire up your choice rocket from.
Now it depends on you to decide (after possibly doing some further research study) if you can envision 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 have actually had your fill of Alabama goodies.
Excellent luck - and don't forget to remember "Sweet Home Alabama."