You're thinking of moving to Alabama, but you're not sure you have actually thoroughly mulled-over all the super-important information before showing up at your decision. Well, possibly southern-bound buddy, you have actually concerned the best location - 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 wishing 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 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 use, besides huge advances in the area program and ridiculously wise individuals? Plenty - from beautiful 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 discover why you might simply make Alabama your next move.
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 Research Study.
Well, for starters, the state has numerous fast-growing task fields, consisting of computer technology, 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 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 very well 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 possibility of finding a brand-new location you'll enjoy (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 cost of $190,000. The mean house lease is $995/month, with one-bedroom apartment or condos balancing $824/month in Birmingham.
Houses in Alabama are mainly relatively new, too - zillow.com shows that many houses currently available were integrated in the decade 2000-2010. So not only are odds good for you to discover a budget friendly location to live, but you'll also be looking at newish properties, too.
That being said, there's not much in the method of brand-new building and construction appearing nowadays, according to zillow.com. A little is happening in central 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, specifically around the state's hot-spots, attract you, you may just wish to set your sights on the Heart of Dixie.
Culture and Natives
When transferring to a 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 overall fear?
According to residents, locals can be a real mixed bag. 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, 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. 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 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 simply since you're partial to your consonants.
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 quit 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 locals and travelers alike.
The individuals of the Cotton State are crazy about BARBEQUE - and we do mean CRAZY. They'll battle to the death (perhaps 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. 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, 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 a look at this list we have actually compiled of some of the state's piece de resistances.
Here simply a few of the state's can't- miss sights and activities:
U.S. Area & Rocket Center: Located in Huntsville, this museum includes access to the historical Shuttle Park and Rocket Park 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 also home to the yearly, extremely 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 excellent 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 hiking. It has the best entryway of any commercial cave in the world, and includes 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 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 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 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 quite cheap, and taxes are pretty low. We think that's just among the huge reasons that 55% of relocators across the country in 2017 picked this as their new home.
Nature + all four seasons: The surface of Alabama is widely-varied, including beaches, mountains and forests. Because of this, there are lots of activities for all various types 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 spring 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 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 simply day-trips away 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 think you 'd be tired here?
Humidity: Make that winter season humidity. While the humidity in the summer season is unquestionably bad, it's the winter that separates die-hard Alabamians from wannabees - the extra moisture triggers cold temperature levels to feel absolutely frigid. Locals state that it's not unusual for a 45-degree day on the thermometer to feel closer to 10 degrees. It may not be long before you're unpleasant 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 homes. With this naturally comes problematic substance abuse, and in Alabama's case, methamphetamine laboratories are a genuine struggle to crack down on (no pun planned).
Serious storms: While experiencing all four seasons can be argued as an excellent thing, it likewise implies that there's opportunity for all sort of rainy weather - and this state sees some of the most extreme. For starters, it's one of the most active twister states. The spring and fall seasons bring heavy thunderstorms, and mid-year brings typhoons. At any time of year, residents undergo durations of relatively random downpours, that can stop as rapidly as they start. Locals joke, "If you do not like the weather here, wait five minutes."
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 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 railroad 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 since 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.
Gotten ready for Landing in the Heart of Dixie
Well friends, there you have it - a thoroughly designed guide to a few of the primary consideration points for irreversible relocation. Naturally, we can't state and lie that we're able to offer you absolutely all the crucial details that might affect your decision (we 'd be here for days), however it's our hope that we've offered you a good introducing pad to fire up your choice rocket from.
Now it's up to you to choose (after potentially doing some additional research study) if you can visualize yourself in the Yellowhammer State, amongst the outstanding and not-at-all intimidating rocket researchers, the rapid racecar chauffeurs, the soul-filled foodies, and the always-hungry alligators. It's been a genuine pleasure compiling this guide for you, and we hope you have actually had your fill of Alabama goodies.
Best of luck - get more info and do not forget to remember "Sweet House Alabama."