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What you need to know before you move to Alabama

Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama Road Sign along Interstate 10 in Robertsdale, Alabama USA, near the State Border with Florida.

Sweet home Alabama is waiting to welcome you. Before you pack your bags and play the song on full blast, here are a couple of things you need to know about the Heart of Dixie.

Cost of living

Living in Alabama is considerably cheaper than other states. Let’s take a closer look at cost of living in the state.

Housing

Real estate in Alabama is relatively affordable. Although home values have gone up by 6.4 percent in 2017, the median home value in the state is still a reasonable $128,300, according to Zillow.

The median price for homes for sale is higher, at $205,904, whereas the mean price of homes recently sold is $141,500. These figures still bode well if you are planning on purchasing your own home in Alabama.

Meanwhile, if you’ve set your sights on renting for the meantime, expect to pay at least $1,000 for a rental in a hot neighborhood or area.

When it comes to availability, housing supply in Alabama is relatively stable. Additionally, options are fairly new, with a bulk of the homes in the market built between 2000 and 2010.

Job market

Alabama has continuously drawn many people to its boundaries, not just because of the affordable housing, but the steady influx of job opportunities in the Southeast as well.

Primary industries in Alabama are iron and steel production, mining, aerospace, and wood products. That said, there is also an increasing demand for professionals in the fields of EMT, computer science, physical therapy, and nursing.

Major employers in Alabama include Redstone Arsenal, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Maxwell Air Force Base, and the state government.

Living in Alabama

Local climate

A state in the Southeast region, Alabama is known for its humid subtropical climate. That means it’s usually warm in the state, with the average annual temperature in the state at 64 °F. It gets even warmer for cities and towns to the coastal areas, near the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, the regions in the north and northeast, especially up in the Appalachians, experience relatively cool temperatures.

Temperatures get hot every summer, with the state recorded to have the hottest summers in the country. Meanwhile, winters are very mild. Alabama also receives a generous amount of rainfall each year. Storms and hurricanes are prevalent, especially along the Gulf Coast.

Sports culture

Alabamians love sports, especially college football. When you talk to local sports enthusiasts, you might hear of the Auburn University Tigers and the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, considered the biggest rivals in the Southeastern Conference.

In the world of professional sports, Alabama also has several teams. There’s the Birmingham Barons for minor league baseball, and Tennessee Valley Tigers, a women’s football team.

NASCAR is also quite popular in Alabama, with the Talladega Superspeedway complex located in the state.

Getting around

Traveling in and around Alabama is convenient, thanks to several transportation infrastructures scattered around the state.

Air travel – There are many airports located in Alabama, with the major ones including Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) and Huntsville International Airport (HSV.)

Train – Alabama is served by the Crescent, one of Amtrak’s passenger trains, that mainly travels the whole length of eastern United States. Hop aboard at the following stations: Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Anniston.

Road network – A complex network of thoroughfares traverse throughout Alabama, including Interstate 65, I-20/I-59, I-85, and I-22. These can take you to neighboring states and cities, such as Atlanta, Georgia; Memphis, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

Explore Alabama and Lake Wedowee real estate with us, Wedowee Lake and Lands Realty, LLC. Connect with the team today at 1-256-357-9600.