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 good friend, you've pertained to the right location - we've put together a convenient, delicious guide that will lay out some of the most crucial points for someone in your position to examine.
We don't blame you for wishing to relocate to the Heart of Dixie (as it's called) considering that the state is house to rocket researchers - Huntsville houses both the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and the Marshall Area Flight Center at the Redstone Arsenal. 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 offer, besides big advances in the area program and unbelievably clever people? Plenty - from stunning landscapes that'll have you clicking your shutter so quick your camera starts steaming, to savory soul food, to seriously action-packed sporting events. Continue reading to find why you may just make Alabama your next relocation.
Job Market
According to U.S. Census data, 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, airplane assembly and EMT, among others, according to zippia.com. The highest-paid careers consist of pediatrician, nurse anesthetist, administrative law dental expert, judge and orthodontist, mentions bizjournals.com.
The present joblessness rate is simply 3.5%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, so odds are pretty great for discovering work upon your relocation. The federal minimum wage is the same as the national average, however, at $7.25/ hour, states minimum-wage.
Do not forget that Alabama is home to NASA, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and the Marshall Space Flight. If you've got a love for all-things aeronautical, this might extremely well be the brand-new house of your dreams.
Housing
You're probably 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 enjoy (and have the ability to manage) in the Yellowhammer State?
Well, zillow.com mentions that the mean worth of houses currently 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.
Houses in Alabama are mainly fairly new, too - zillow.com shows that many houses currently available were built in the decade 2000-2010. Not only are odds excellent for you to discover a budget-friendly location 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 nowadays, according to zillow.com. A little is occurring in central Alabama, in and around Birmingham; a little in the southwest corner, near Mobile; and a little bit in the northern end of the state, around Huntsville.
If less expensive housing, specifically around the state's hot-spots, interest you, you may just desire 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 best 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 variety. The agreement is that Alabamians enjoy to chatter, are passive-aggressive, and may simply trick you with their deceptive insults. The phrase "bless your heart" is not suggested warmly, however rather sarcastically - and if you hear it, odds are excellent that as soon as you've left, you'll be talked about.
Don't let that deter you, however. Locals stress that the primary ambiance of their state is one of real southern hospitality - they use "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, however this they in fact do out of (mocking) love.
You'll discover yourself changing your vocabulary and pronunciations after a move to Alabama. Do not be the loser who sticks out like an aching thumb just due to the fact that you're partial to your consonants.
Yellowhammer State Trivia
Montgomery, Alabama was the where a well-known event happened on December 1, 1955 - the day when Rosa Parks fearlessly declined to quit her seat on the bus to a white guy. Today, to honor this local female's act of bravery, the Rosa Parks Library and Museum stands in the town of Montgomery, drawing in great deals of locals and travelers alike.
Individuals of the Cotton State adore BBQ - and we do mean CRAZY. They'll combat to the death (maybe not actually) over which dining establishment or local cookout provides the best. These are not conversations to be entered into gently. Be prepared to explain, and protect, your stance.
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 rich 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 residents 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 primary attractions.
Here just a few of the state's can't- miss out on sights and activities:
U.S. Space & Rocket Center: Found in Huntsville, this museum includes access to the historic Shuttle Park and Rocket Park and showcases special artifacts from the country's space expedition. It's thought about to be the world's largest space museum, and lays out the history of the U.S. area program. It's also home to the yearly, highly expected Area Camp program including the Aviation Challenge, in which trainees go through training in flight simulators.
Vulcan statue: In Birmingham, the world's tallest 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 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, camping sites, hiking and backpacking. It has the largest entryway of any business cavern 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's situated in Lincoln and includes an extremely prepared for annual NASCAR race, the Alabama 500. The race opts for 188 laps, covering just 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 featuring a too-close-for-comfort view of numerous alligators and various sort of wildlife. This is the location for you if you're into gazing one of humanity's most significant natural predators virtually right in the face.
Benefits and drawbacks of Residing In the Heart of Dixie
Before you perfect your BBQ dish and run to see the alligators and the world's highest Vulcan, we believed it may be worth taking into consideration a short-and-sweet list of a few advantages and disadvantages of transferring to Alabama.
Low expense of living: It's no trick that genuine estate in the Cotton State is quite cheap, and taxes are pretty low. We suspect that's just one of the big reasons 55% of relocators across click here the country in 2017 picked this as their brand-new house.
Nature + all 4 seasons: The surface of Alabama is widely-varied, consisting of mountains, beaches and forests. There are plenty of activities for all various types of outdoorsy types due to the fact that of this. Residents likewise like to mention 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: Since 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 largest annual music event. Big names in all genres - ranging from jazz to rock 'n' roll to country - emerge here.
Food: As we've already mentioned, Alabamians are die-hard foodies. The town of Birmingham alone has a whopping 28 different food festivals every year.
Distance to significant cities: Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans and Memphis are just day-trips away from the Heart of Dixie. This prime location lends itself to many chances to see all type of celebrations, concerts, museums, state parks, shopping destinations and more. Did you actually think you 'd be bored here?
Humidity: Make that winter humidity. While the humidity in the summer is undoubtedly bad, it's the winter season that separates die-hard Alabamians from wannabees - the additional moisture causes cold temperatures to feel definitely freezing. Locals say that it's not uncommon 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 usage: The more rural locations of the state have real problems with hardship, homelessness and block after block of deserted houses. With this naturally comes bothersome drug usage, and in Alabama's case, methamphetamine labs are a real battle to crack down on (no pun planned).
Extreme storms: While experiencing all four seasons can be argued as a good thing, it likewise implies that there's opportunity for all kinds of rainy weather - and this state sees some of the most severe. For beginners, it's one of the most active tornado states.
Unusual Laws
We 'd be doing you a significant disservice if we left without offering 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 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 railroad track is punishable by death. They wish to keep their railways devoid of livestock, and they're really severe about it.
It's unlawful to impersonate a priest. Genuine. Stop practicing your impression in the mirror, and put your comical efforts towards brand-new material - you'll thank us later on.
Since it might cause laughter, it's illegal to use a fake moustache in church. (See? We informed you they were super-serious about their church.) Religion 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.
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 say and lie that we have the ability to give you definitely all the important information that could influence your choice (we 'd be here for days), but it's our hope that we have actually given you a great launching pad to fire up your decision rocket from.
Now it depends on you to decide (after possibly doing some more research) if you can picture yourself in the Yellowhammer State, among the not-at-all and impressive challenging rocket researchers, the fast racecar motorists, the soul-filled foodies, and the always-hungry alligators. It's been a real enjoyment assembling this guide for you, and we hope you've had your fill of Alabama goodies.
Best of luck - and do not forget to memorize "Sugary food House Alabama."