You're thinking of moving to Alabama, however you're not sure you've completely mulled-over all the super-important information before getting here at your decision. Well, potentially southern-bound good friend, you've pertained to the ideal place - we've put together a handy, 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 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 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 provide, besides huge advances in the space program and extremely smart individuals? Plenty - from lovely landscapes that'll have you clicking your shutter so fast your cam begins steaming, to tasty soul food, to seriously action-packed sporting events. Continue reading to find why you may just make Alabama your next relocation.
Task 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 system science, physical therapy, nursing, occupational treatment, airplane assembly and Emergency Medical Technician, among others, according to zippia.com. The highest-paid careers include pediatrician, nurse anesthetist, administrative law orthodontist, dental professional and judge, specifies bizjournals.com.
The existing joblessness rate is simply 3.5%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Data, so odds are respectable for discovering work upon your relocation. This number has actually also been on a nice, consistent decrease considering that 2010, when it was a much-higher 11.9%. The federal minimum wage is the exact same as the nationwide average, nevertheless, at $7.25/ hour, states minimum-wage. org.
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 aerial, 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 probability of discovering a brand-new location you'll love (and be able to afford) in the Yellowhammer State?
Well, zillow.com states that the median value of homes 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.
Houses in Alabama are mainly fairly new, too - zillow.com shows that most houses currently available were integrated in the decade 2000-2010. Not just are chances excellent for you to discover an inexpensive place to live, however you'll likewise be looking at newish properties, too.
That being said, there's not much in the method of new building turning 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 simply 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 like to gossip, are passive-aggressive, and might simply trick you with their underhanded insults. The expression "bless your heart" is not suggested warmly, but rather sarcastically - and if you hear it, chances are excellent that when you've left, you'll be spoken about.
Do not let that discourage you, though. Residents worry that the main vibe of their state is among true southern hospitality - they utilize "sir" and "ma'am" out of regard, and will give 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 actually do out of (buffooning) love.
You'll find yourself adjusting your vocabulary and pronunciations after a relocation to Alabama. Don't be the loser who sticks out like an aching thumb just because you're partial to your consonants.
Yellowhammer State Trivia
Montgomery, Alabama was the where a popular event took place on December 1, 1955 - the day when Rosa Parks bravely declined to give up her seat on the bus to a white male. 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 tourists and residents alike.
The individuals of the Cotton State are crazy about BARBEQUE - and we do mean CRAZY. They'll combat to the death (maybe not actually) over which dining establishment or local 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. Even Alabamians who privately hate the tune will begin to boogie when they hear that famous opening riff. The song has actually 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 unusual, 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 heavy and rich, 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 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 assembled of some of the state's piece de resistances.
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 click here and showcases distinct 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 Difficulty, 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 type of a huge offer. His 100th birthday was a huge event that drew a crowd of more than 100,000 individuals.
Cathedral Caverns State Park: Located in Woodville, this park provides cavern trips, campsites, backpacking and treking. It has the best entrance of any commercial collapse the world, and includes a sparkly Gems Mine with a gem mining experience readily available to all ages.
Talladega Superspeedway: AKA NASCAR's "most significant 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: Located in Summerdale, this overload 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 greatest 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 tallest Vulcan, we thought it might be worth taking into account a short-and-sweet list of a couple of advantages and disadvantages of relocating to Alabama.
Low expense of living: It's obvious that property in the Cotton State is pretty inexpensive, and taxes are quite low. We presume that's simply among the huge factors why 55% of relocators nationwide in 2017 chose this as their new home.
Nature + all four seasons: The terrain of Alabama is widely-varied, consisting of beaches, forests and mountains. Since of this, there are lots of activities for all various types of outdoorsy types. 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 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. Big names in all genres - ranging from jazz to rock 'n' roll to country - emerge here.
Food: As we've currently pointed out, Alabamians are die-hard foodies. The town of Birmingham alone has a tremendous 28 various food celebrations every year.
Proximity to major cities: Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans and Memphis are simply day-trips far 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 tourist attractions and more. Did you truly think 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 moisture causes cold temperatures to feel definitely freezing. 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 before you're miserable here.
Drug use: The more rural locations of the state have genuine issues with poverty, homelessness and block after block of abandoned homes. With this naturally comes troublesome drug use, and in Alabama's case, methamphetamine labs are a genuine battle to break down on (no pun meant).
Severe storms: While experiencing all 4 seasons can be argued as an advantage, it also means that there's chance for all sort of stormy weather - and this state sees a few of the most serious. For beginners, it's one of the most active tornado states. The spring and fall seasons bring heavy thunderstorms, and mid-year brings hurricanes. At any time of year, residents undergo durations of seemingly random rainstorms, that can stop as rapidly as they start. Locals joke, "If you do not like the weather here, wait five minutes."
Weird Laws
We 'd be doing you a significant disservice if we left without giving you a list of a few of the strangest, lamest and downright dumbest laws still around 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 railway track is punishable by death. They want to keep their railways without cattle, and they're actually 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 illegal to use a fake moustache in church since it could trigger laughter. Religion is no laughing matter to Alabamians.
It's unlawful to wear a mask in public. Guy, so what are we supposed to do on Halloween?
It's unlawful to play dominoes on Sunday. It disturbs the day of rest.
Prepared for Landing in the Heart of Dixie
Well friends, there you have it - a thoroughly created guide to some of the main contemplation points for long-term relocation. Obviously, we can't state and lie that we have the ability 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, amongst 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 real satisfaction compiling this guide for you, and we hope you have actually had your fill of Alabama goodies.
Best of luck - and don't forget to remember "Sweet Home Alabama."