You're thinking of moving to Alabama, but you're not sure you've completely mulled-over all the super-important information before getting here at your decision. Well, potentially southern-bound friend, you've pertained to the right place - we have actually assembled an useful, yummy guide that will outline a few of the most crucial points for someone in your position to evaluate.
We do not blame you for wanting to transfer to the Heart of Dixie (as it's called) considering that the state is home to rocket researchers - Huntsville homes both the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and the Marshall Area 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 space program and extremely smart individuals? Plenty - from beautiful landscapes that'll have you clicking your shutter so quick your electronic camera starts steaming, to tasty soul food, to seriously action-packed sporting occasions. Read on to discover why you might simply make Alabama your next relocation.
Job Market
According to U.S. Census information, about 4.875 million people currently live in the Cotton State. Get this - 55% of the individuals overall in the U.S. who moved in the year 2017 moved to Alabama, according to the 2017 National Movers Study.
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, states bizjournals.com.
The present joblessness rate is simply 3.5%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Data, so chances are pretty good for finding work upon your move. The federal minimum wage is the exact same as the national average, however, at $7.25/ hour, states minimum-wage.
Don't forget that Alabama is home to NASA, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and the Marshall Space Flight Center. This might really well be the brand-new house of your dreams if you've got a love for all-things aeronautical.
Housing
You're probably 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 have the ability to manage) in the Yellowhammer State?
Well, zillow.com mentions that the mean worth of houses presently on the market is $128,900, with an average listing cost of $190,000. The average home rent is $995/month, with one-bedroom houses averaging $824/month in Birmingham.
Homes in Alabama are mostly fairly new, too - zillow.com shows that most homes presently readily available were constructed in the years 2000-2010. Not only are odds excellent for you to discover a budget-friendly place to live, but 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 and construction appearing these days, according to zillow.com. A little is occurring in central Alabama, around Birmingham; a little in the southwest corner, near Mobile; and a little bit in the northern end of the state, in and around Huntsville.
If cheaper real estate, specifically around the state's hot-spots, attract you, you may just want to set your sights on the Heart of Dixie.
Culture and Locals
When transferring to a new place, you may be curious about individuals there. Will they become your friends, or will they be the type to make you chain your doors and look out of a slit in your blinds in overall paranoia?
According to residents, homeowners can be a genuine blended bag. The agreement is that Alabamians enjoy to gossip, are passive-aggressive, and might simply trick you with their underhanded insults. The phrase "bless your heart" is not suggested warmly, however rather sarcastically - and if you hear it, odds are excellent that when you've left, you'll be talked about.
Do not let that discourage you. Locals stress that the primary vibe 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 (buffooning) love.
You'll discover yourself adjusting your vocabulary and pronunciations after a relocation 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 event took place on December 1, 1955 - the day when Rosa Parks fearlessly 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 lots of travelers and locals alike.
The individuals of the Cotton State are crazy about BBQ - and we do indicate CRAZY. They'll fight 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 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 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 rich and heavy, that locals like to observe a slower pace of life. These self-proclaimed "salt of the earth" types will make you forget your health-enthusiast methods and have you reaching for seconds. Bring additional napkins.
Must-See Alabama Fun + Activities
We understand you're currently halfway 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, have here a look at this list we have actually put together of a few of the state's piece de resistances.
Here simply a few of the state's can't- miss activities and sights:
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 considered to be the world's biggest space museum, and describes the history of the U.S. area program. It's also home to the yearly, highly expected Area Camp program including the Aviation Difficulty, in which trainees go through training in flight simulators.
Vulcan statue: In Birmingham, the world's tallest cast iron statue stands an excellent 56 feet high. Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and forge, represents the state's roots in the iron and steel industry - and he's type of a huge deal. His 100th birthday was a big event that drew a crowd of more than 100,000 people.
Cathedral Caverns State Park: Located in Woodville, this park provides cavern trips, campgrounds, backpacking and treking. It has the best entrance of any industrial cave in the world, and includes a sparkly Gems Mine with a gem mining experience available to all ages.
Talladega Superspeedway: AKA NASCAR's "most significant and baddest" track, it lies in Lincoln and includes an extremely anticipated 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 Alley: Located in Summerdale, this swamp sanctuary has a raised boardwalk including a too-close-for-comfort view of numerous alligators and various kinds of wildlife. If you're into staring one of mankind's most significant natural predators virtually right in the face, this is the location for you.
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 transferring to Alabama.
Low expense of living: It's obvious that property in the Cotton State is pretty cheap, and taxes are pretty low. We think that's simply among the huge reasons that 55% of relocators across the country in 2017 chose this as their new home.
Nature + all four seasons: The terrain of Alabama is widely-varied, including 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 summertimes 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. Big names in all genres - ranging from jazz to rock 'n' roll to country - make appearances here.
Food: As we've already mentioned, Alabamians are die-hard foodies. The town of Birmingham alone has a whopping 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, concerts, museums, state parks, shopping destinations and more. Did you actually believe you 'd be bored here?
Humidity: Make that winter humidity. While the humidity in the summer is undeniably bad, it's the winter that separates die-hard Alabamians from wannabees - the additional wetness triggers cold temperatures to feel absolutely frigid. Residents state 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 hardship, homelessness and block after block of abandoned houses. With this naturally comes bothersome substance abuse, and in Alabama's case, methamphetamine labs are a real battle to punish (no pun meant).
Severe storms: While experiencing all 4 seasons can be argued as a great thing, it also suggests that there's opportunity for all kinds of stormy weather condition - and this state sees some of the most serious. For starters, it's one of the most active twister states.
Strange Laws
We 'd be doing you a significant injustice if we left without giving you a list of a few of the strangest, lamest and downright dumbest laws still out there in the state you're considering 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 few from onlyinyourstate.com:
Putting salt onto a railway track is punishable by death. They wish to keep their railways devoid of cattle, and they're truly serious about it.
It's prohibited to impersonate a priest. Genuine. 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. (See? We told you they were super-serious about their church.) Faith 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 pals, 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're able to provide you definitely all the essential information that could affect your decision (we 'd be here for days), however it's our hope that we've provided you an excellent launching pad to fire up your choice rocket from.
Now it's up to you to decide (after possibly doing some additional research) if you can picture yourself in the Yellowhammer State, among the impressive and not-at-all challenging rocket scientists, the quick racecar drivers, the soul-filled foodies, and the always-hungry alligators. It's been a genuine satisfaction compiling this guide for you, and we hope you have actually had your fill of Alabama goodies.
Good luck - and do not forget to remember "Sweet House Alabama."