So you're thinking of moving to Alabama, however you're uncertain you have actually thoroughly mulled-over all the super-important information before getting to your decision. Well, potentially southern-bound friend, you have actually come to the right location - we have actually assembled 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 transfer to the Heart of Dixie (as it's called) thinking about that the state is home to rocket researchers - 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 big advances in the area program and ridiculously wise individuals? Plenty - from gorgeous landscapes that'll have you clicking your shutter so quick your electronic camera starts steaming, to savory soul food, to seriously action-packed sporting events. Continue reading to find why you might just make Alabama your next relocation.
Job Market
According to U.S. Census data, about 4.875 million individuals presently reside in the Cotton State. Get this - 55% of the people in general in the U.S. who moved in the year 2017 moved to Alabama, according to the 2017 National Movers Research Study.
Well, for starters, the state has several fast-growing job fields, consisting of computer system science, physical therapy, nursing, occupational therapy, airplane assembly and Emergency Medical Technician, among others, according to zippia.com. The highest-paid careers consist of pediatrician, nurse anesthetist, administrative law dentist, orthodontist and judge, mentions 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 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 extremely well be the new house 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 love (and be able to afford) in the Yellowhammer State?
Well, zillow.com states that the average value of homes currently on the market is $128,900, with an average listing price of $190,000. The median home rent is $995/month, with one-bedroom apartment or condos balancing $824/month in Birmingham.
Houses in Alabama are mainly relatively brand-new, too - zillow.com reveals that a lot of houses currently available were integrated in the decade 2000-2010. Not only are odds excellent for you to discover a cost effective place to live, however you'll likewise be looking at newish residential or commercial properties, too.
That being stated, there's not much in the way of brand-new building and construction appearing these days, according to zillow.com. A little is happening 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 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 best buddies, or will they be the type to make you chain your doors and stare out of a slit in your blinds in overall fear?
According to locals, locals can be a real variety. The consensus 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 meant warmly, however rather sardonically - and if you hear it, odds are good that as soon as you have actually left, you'll be discussed.
Don't let that deter you, however. Residents stress that the main 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 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 find yourself changing your vocabulary and pronunciations after a move to Alabama. The town of Burmingham, to Alabamians, has a silent 'g', and is noticable "Burmin'- ham". Because you're partial to your consonants, do not be the loser who sticks out like a sore thumb just. In addition, Alabamians have their own catch-phrase when they're all set to take action: "Fixin' to."
Yellowhammer State Trivia
Montgomery, Alabama was the where a popular occasion took place on December 1, 1955 - the day when Rosa Parks bravely declined to provide up her seat on the bus to a white man. Today, to honor this regional female's act of bravery, the Rosa Parks Library and Museum stands in the town of Montgomery, drawing in great deals of tourists and residents alike.
The people of the Cotton State love BARBEQUE - and we do suggest CRAZY. They'll combat to the death (maybe not literally) over which restaurant or regional cookout provides the very 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 seems fitting, with a diet that abundant and heavy, that residents like to observe a slower pace 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 Enjoyable + Activities
We know you're already midway out the door, luggage in hand, prepared 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 simply 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 unique artifacts from the nation's area exploration. It's considered to be the world's biggest area museum, and describes the history of the U.S. area program. It's likewise home to the annual, extremely anticipated Space Camp program including the Air travel Challenge, in which trainees 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 big deal. His 100th birthday was a substantial celebration that drew a crowd of more than 100,000 people.
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 Gemstone Mine with a gem mining experience available to any ages.
Talladega Superspeedway: AKA NASCAR's "greatest and baddest" track, it's situated in Lincoln and includes a hugely anticipated annual NASCAR race, the Alabama 500. The race chooses 188 laps, covering simply over 500 miles. Now that's a lot of high-speed left turns.
Alligator Alley: Located in Summerdale, this overload sanctuary has a raised boardwalk including 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 almost right in the face.
Benefits and drawbacks of Living in the Heart of Dixie
Before you ideal 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 relocating to Alabama.
Low expense of living: It's obvious that realty in the Cotton State is pretty inexpensive, and taxes are pretty low. We presume that's simply among the huge reasons that 55% of relocators nationwide in 2017 chose this as their new home.
Nature + all four seasons: The terrain of Alabama is widely-varied, including forests, mountains and beaches. Because of this, there are plenty of activities for all different breeds of outdoorsy types. Locals also like to explain that they experience all four seasons and see weather from all over the spectrum - from snow and ice storms to hot, humid summers and springtime torrential downpours.
Music: Because of its place, the Yellowhammer State draws lots 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 already mentioned, Alabamians are die-hard foodies. The town of Birmingham alone has a whopping 28 various food celebrations every year. Amongst them are the Exceptional Structure Chili Cook-Off, Taste of Homewood, BARBEQUE 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 away from the Heart of Dixie. This prime place lends itself to countless opportunities to see all sort of celebrations, performances, museums, state parks, going shopping destinations and more. Did you truly believe you 'd be bored here?
Humidity: Make that winter humidity. While the humidity in the summer is undeniably bad, it's the winter season 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 closer to 10 degrees. It may not be long before you're miserable here if you're not into feeling the extremes in every season.
Substance abuse: The more backwoods of the state have genuine problems with poverty, homelessness and block after block of deserted houses. With this naturally comes troublesome substance abuse, and in Alabama's case, methamphetamine laboratories are a genuine battle to punish (no pun here intended).
Extreme storms: While experiencing all 4 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.
Weird 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 in existence 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 want to keep their railways 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 unlawful to wear a phony moustache in church because it might cause laughter. 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 unlawful to play dominoes on Sunday. It interrupts the day of rest.
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 irreversible relocation. Obviously, we can't state and lie 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 have actually 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 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.
All the best - and do not forget to remember "Sweet House Alabama."