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 friend, you have actually come to the right location - we've put together a handy, delicious guide that will outline 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 ridiculously wise people? 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. Read on to discover why you might simply make Alabama your next move.
Job Market
According to U.S. Census information, about 4.875 million people presently live in the Cotton State. About 11,447 of those people moved here in between 2016 and 2017. Likewise, get this - 55% of the individuals overall in the U.S. who relocated the year 2017 relocated to Alabama, according to the 2017 National Movers Study. Why are so many people are gathering here?
Well, for starters, the state has several fast-growing job fields, consisting of computer technology, physical therapy, nursing, occupational therapy, 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, mentions bizjournals.com.
The existing 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. This number has also been on a good, consistent decrease considering that 2010, when it was a much-higher 11.9%. The federal minimum wage is the very same as the nationwide average, nevertheless, at $7.25/ hour, states minimum-wage. org.
Do not forget that Alabama is house to NASA, the U.S. Area & Rocket Center and the Marshall Area Flight Center. This might really well be the brand-new house of your dreams if you have actually got a love for all-things aeronautical.
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 like (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 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 offered were developed in the decade 2000-2010. So not only are odds good for you to find a budget-friendly location to live, however you'll likewise be taking a look at newish properties, too.
That being stated, there's not much in the way of brand-new building and construction 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 tiny bit in the northern end of the state, around Huntsville.
If less expensive housing, especially around the state's hot-spots, interest you, you might just wish to set your sights on the Heart of Dixie.
Culture and Natives
When relocating to a brand-new place, you might be curious about the individuals there. Will they become your friends, or will they be the type to make you chain your doors and gaze out of a slit in your blinds in total paranoia?
According to residents, citizens can be a real combined bag. The consensus is that Alabamians love to chatter, are passive-aggressive, and might just fool you with their questionable insults. The expression "bless your heart" is not indicated warmly, but rather sarcastically - and if you hear it, chances are excellent that when you've left, you'll be talked about.
Do not 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 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 transfer to Alabama. The town of Burmingham, to Alabamians, has a quiet 'g', and is pronounced "Burmin'- ham". Don't lose who stands out like a sore thumb simply due to the fact that you like your consonants. In addition, Alabamians have their own catch-phrase when they're all set to act: "Fixin' to."
Yellowhammer State Trivia
Montgomery, Alabama was the where a well-known event took place on December 1, 1955 - the day when Rosa Parks bravely refused to quit her seat on the bus to a white guy. Today, to honor this local lady's act of bravery, the Rosa Parks Library and Museum stands in the town of Montgomery, attracting great deals of residents and travelers alike.
The individuals of the Cotton State are crazy about BARBEQUE - and we do imply CRAZY. They'll battle to the death (perhaps not actually) over which restaurant or regional 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 approximately 11. When they hear that famous 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 rare, apparently 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 everything in TABASCOĂ’ sauce.
It appears fitting, with a diet that abundant and heavy, that locals like to observe a slower speed of life. These self-proclaimed "salt of the earth" types will make you forget your health-enthusiast ways and have you reaching for seconds. Bring additional 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. Prior to you go racing off like you're a motorist at Talladega Superspeedway, inspect out 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 activities and sights:
U.S. Area & Rocket Center: Located in Huntsville, this museum consists of 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 area museum, and lays out the history of the U.S. space program. It's likewise house to the annual, highly prepared for Space Camp program including the Air travel 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 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 tours, campgrounds, treking and backpacking. It has the widest entrance of any industrial cavern in the world, and includes a sparkly Gemstone 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 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 kinds 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.
Benefits and drawbacks of Residing 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 taking into consideration a short-and-sweet list of a couple of benefits and drawbacks of relocating to Alabama.
Low cost of living: It's obvious that realty in the Cotton State is quite inexpensive, and taxes are quite low. We believe that's just one of the big reasons that 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. Since of this, there are a lot of activities for all various types of outdoorsy types. Locals also like to point out 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: Since 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 discussed, Alabamians are die-hard foodies. The town of Birmingham alone get more info has a whopping 28 different food festivals every year. Among them are the Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-Off, Taste of Homewood, BBQ for Building, Girls Inc. Cajun Cook-Off and BHamBurger Fight. Seriously, do not consume anything for a while prior to you show up here - you'll be stuffing 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 place lends itself to countless opportunities to see all kinds of celebrations, shows, museums, state parks, going shopping tourist attractions and more. Did you truly think you 'd be bored here?
While the humidity in the summertime is unquestionably bad, it's the winter that separates die-hard Alabamians from wannabees - the extra wetness triggers cold temperature levels to feel absolutely frigid. Residents state that it's not unusual for a 45-degree day on the thermometer to feel closer to 10 degrees.
Substance abuse: The more backwoods of the state have real issues with hardship, homelessness and block after block of abandoned houses. With this naturally comes bothersome substance abuse, and in Alabama's case, methamphetamine laboratories are a real struggle to punish (no pun meant).
Severe storms: While experiencing all 4 seasons can be argued as a great thing, it also suggests that there's chance for all kinds of stormy weather condition - and this state sees some of the most serious. For starters, it's one of the most active twister states.
Odd Laws
We 'd be doing you a major injustice if we left without providing you a list of some of the strangest, lamest and downright dumbest laws still in presence 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 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 click here 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 off. Duh. You know how heated those dominoes matches can get!
Gotten ready for Landing in the Heart of Dixie
Well friends, there you have it - a thoroughly designed guide to some of the primary consideration points for irreversible relocation. Naturally, we can't lie and say that we're able to offer you absolutely all the crucial details that might influence your choice (we 'd be here for days), but it's our hope that we have actually given you a great introducing pad to fire up your decision rocket more info from.
Now it depends on you to decide (after possibly doing some further research study) if you can picture yourself in the Yellowhammer State, among the remarkable and not-at-all challenging rocket researchers, the speedy 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.
Excellent luck - and don't forget to remember "Sugary food Home Alabama."