You're thinking of moving to Alabama, but you're not sure 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, tasty guide that will lay out some of the most essential points for someone in your position to evaluate.
We do not blame you for wishing to move to the Heart of Dixie (as it's called) considering that the state is house to rocket researchers - Huntsville homes both the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and the Marshall Space 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 have to use, besides huge advances in the area 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 treatment, airplane assembly and Emergency Medical Technician, to call a few, according to zippia.com. The highest-paid careers consist of pediatrician, nurse anesthetist, administrative law dental expert, judge and orthodontist, states 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 Space Flight Center. This might really well be the new home of your dreams if you've got a love for all-things aeronautical.
Housing
You're probably going to want a place to live after you move (we're just thinking), so what's the possibility of discovering a brand-new place you'll enjoy (and have the ability to pay for) in the Yellowhammer State?
Well, zillow.com specifies 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 brand-new, too - zillow.com reveals that a lot of houses currently offered were built in the decade 2000-2010. So not only are odds great for you to find an inexpensive place to live, however you'll likewise be looking at newish residential or commercial properties, too.
That being stated, there's very little in the method of new construction 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 tiny 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 wish to set your sights on the Heart of Dixie.
Culture and Locals
When transferring to a new place, you may be curious about the people 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, citizens can be a real mixed bag. The agreement is that Alabamians like to gossip, are passive-aggressive, and might just fool you with their questionable insults. The expression "bless your heart" is not implied warmly, but rather sarcastically - and if you hear it, chances are great that once you have actually left, you'll be spoken about.
Don't let that deter you. Residents stress that the primary 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 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 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 individuals of the Cotton State are crazy about BARBEQUE - and we do mean CRAZY. They'll battle 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. 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 additional 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, here 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. Area & Rocket Center: Found in Huntsville, this museum includes access to the historic Shuttle bus Park and Rocket Park and showcases special artifacts from the country's space expedition. It's thought about to be the world's largest area museum, and lays out the history of the U.S. space program. It's likewise house to the yearly, highly expected Area Camp program featuring the Aviation Difficulty, in which trainees undergo 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, treking and backpacking. It has the best entrance 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 sort of wildlife. This is the place for you if you're into staring one of mankind's most significant natural predators virtually right in the face.
Pros and Cons 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 thought it might be worth thinking about a short-and-sweet list of a couple of benefits and drawbacks of relocating to Alabama.
Low cost of living: It's no secret that realty in the Cotton State is pretty inexpensive, and taxes are quite low. We suspect that's just one of the big reasons 55% of relocators across the country in 2017 selected 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 summer seasons and spring torrential downpours.
Music: Because of its location, the Yellowhammer State draws lots of huge music acts each year. The Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores is the state's biggest yearly music occasion. Huge names in all categories - varying from jazz to rock 'n' roll to nation - make looks here.
Food: As we have actually currently discussed, Alabamians are die-hard foodies. The town of Birmingham alone has a massive 28 different food festivals every year. Among them are the Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-Off, Taste of Homewood, BARBEQUE for Structure, Girls Inc. Cajun Cook-Off and BHamBurger Fight. Seriously, do not consume anything for a while before 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 far from the Heart of Dixie. This prime location lends itself to many chances to see all sort of celebrations, shows, museums, state parks, shopping attractions and more. Did you actually believe you 'd be tired here?
While the humidity in the summertime is undeniably bad, it's the winter 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.
Substance abuse: The more backwoods of the state have real problems with hardship, homelessness and block after block of abandoned houses. With this naturally comes problematic substance abuse, and in Alabama's case, methamphetamine laboratories are a real struggle to split down on (no pun planned).
Serious storms: While experiencing all four seasons can be argued as an excellent thing, it likewise means that there's chance for all kinds of rainy weather - and this state sees some of the most extreme. For starters, it's one of the most active tornado states.
Odd Laws
We 'd be doing you a major injustice 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 assembled a few 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 desire to keep their railroads without livestock, and they're truly severe about it.
It's unlawful to impersonate a priest. For real. So stop practicing your impression in the mirror, and put your comical efforts towards new material - you'll thank us later on.
It's prohibited to wear a phony moustache in church since it might cause laughter. Faith is no laughing matter to Alabamians.
It's unlawful to use a mask in public. Guy, 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 designed guide to some of the primary contemplation points for irreversible relocation. Naturally, we can't state and lie that we're able to provide you absolutely 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 choose (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 assembling this guide for you, and we hope you have actually had your fill of Alabama goodies.
Best of luck - and do not forget to memorize "Sweet House Alabama."