Best Places to Live in Alabama

Just the sound of the name "Alabama" brings different things to mind for different people. Some think of a championship football team, others, a celebrated country music band and still others, the setting for popular movies. In fact, the "Yellowhammer State" represents all those things, and more. Sports, culture, outdoor recreation and literary personalities are all home-grown and thriving in Alabama. In addition, the friendly business climate has employers and job-seekers flocking to the state.

Is Alabama a Good Place to Live?

No place is perfect for everyone. Snowbirds will be frustrated by the humid, subtropical, southeastern climate. Frosts are more common over the winter. The average annual temperature sits at 64 degrees Fahrenheit, and summer temps can climb to the triple digits, though cool breezes regularly waft in from the Gulf of Mexico. Aside from climate, violent crime rate is low but slowly climbing in recent years. Property crimes, however, are on a steep decline according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

In terms of public schools, Alabama ranks low among the states. Household income comparisons also put the state in the bottom tier of rankings. At the same time, taxes are modest, as is the cost of living. In addition, home prices are cut-rate compared to other parts of the U.S. Care to search for a house for sale in Alabama? Take a look at this list of available properties.

Does renting make more sense for your situation? Here are a number of rental units open in Alabama.

Where Are the Cheapest Places to Live in Alabama?

Among the more affordable Alabama towns and cities to live is Albertville. The median sales price for an owner-occupied house is $125,000, while median monthly rent sits at $684.

Electric bills average around $156 per month, and an uninsured visit to the doctor comes in around $100. Hamilton is an even better bargain, with median home value at $101,400. Rent is a modest $496. In Hamilton, a gallon of milk costs $1.03, and a dental check-up/cleaning is just over $80. Monthly electric costs are around $131 and a haircut comes to $16.33 with tip.

Attalla is perhaps the most affordable place to live. Median owner-occupied houses sell for, on balance, $92,300; unit rentals amount to $538; and a visit to a primary care physician requires just $83. Going to a movie demands $11 from an adult.

Where Are the Safest Places to Live in Alabama?

Daleville, with a population of 5,096, experiences eight violent crimes and 56 non-violent crimes in the course of a recent year. This puts the community over 62 percent below the state crime rate and over 51 percent below the national crime rate. With 34,368 residents, Vestavia Hills suffered 30 violent crimes and 435 non-violent ones in the same year.

This places the Birmingham suburb almost 60 percent below the overall crime rate for Alabama and over 47 percent below the crime rate for the whole United States. Rainbow City's 9,500 denizens were subject to just one violent crime last year and 50 larceny and property crimes. Almost 89 percent under the U.S. crime rate, Rainbow City ranks almost 84 percent below that of Alabama.

Is Alabama a Good Place to Retire?

An increasing number of people are choosing to spend their final years in Alabama. Opting for small-town atmospheres over the stacked and bundled condos of Boca Raton and Myrtle Beach, Alabama retirees can enjoy the Victorian homes and historic atmosphere of myriad small towns in Alabama. Natural beauty abounds in this state, and the cultural benefits of larger cities are not far away. Meanwhile the lower taxes and cost of living, particularly with regard to health care, combine with a temperate climate, abundant recreational options and the Gulf of Mexico to provide for a comfortable and happy retirement. While not the traditional choice, Alabama is certainly a logical one.

The Best Small Towns in Alabama

Southern Living magazine believes Alabama is a mecca for road trip aficionados. These are found on twisting back roads and set amidst a ton of natural beauty. Bed and breakfast establishments are many and each town offers its own historical eccentricities that are found nowhere else.

  • Opelika -- is a sister town to Auburn (War Eagle!) where people can find an old-fashioned speakeasy, a gracious tea house and a vintage record store, among the other attractions.

  • Bayou La Batre -- was made famous in the movie Forrest Gump. Known as the Seafood Capital of Alabama, it remains a quaint fishing village that welcomes tourists.

  • Fairhope -- Also situated on the Gulf, Fairhope is home to the Grand Hotel resort, a posh and gorgeous campus where guests can indulge in spas, dining and recreation.

  • Cullman -- is a northern Alabama gem, to which sweet-toothed Alabamans flock for the glazed doughnuts at the Duchess Bakery. Also here is the Ave Maria Grotto, a huge park dotted with small-scale reproductions of some of the world's most beautiful churches.

If Opelika looks inviting, check out these home listings. Like wise for Bayou La Batre, Fairhope and Cullman.

Best Cities in Alabama

The largest cities in Alabama are Huntsville, Montgomery and Birmingham. Alabama cities grew because of the combination of abundant agriculture at the outskirts, railroads and highways. As American cities go, they are modest in population, under 250K, but important economic centers.

Huntsville is the fastest growing Alabama city, and the largest. Once a small town, Huntsville became a center of aerospace technology in the 1960s. if you are looking for a house in Huntsville, there are plenty for sale.

The capital of Alabama, Montgomery remains a city with legacies of the Civil War and civil rights movement. It is the political and cultural canter of the state with beautiful houses on the real estate market.

Birmingham is another Alabama city central to civil rights history. Its fables restaurants earned Birmingham the title of "Dinner Table of the South. Culture thrives here, and this city invites new residents to share in its treasures. Homes of all kinds can be found in Birmingham.