Located within the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains sits North Alabama, offering some of the most exquisite waterways and natural preserves that North America has to offer. It’s a dream destination for any outdoorsman or adventurer.
North Alabama also happens to be amongst the most highly-rated places to live in all 50 states. Huntsville ranked as the No. 2 Best Place to Live in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 rankings. Once a farm town, Huntsville gained national attention as it became a center for engineering and defense starting in the 1960s. Huntsville is now consistently among the fastest-growing metro areas in the state.
You might still be asking yourself what all the fuss is about. Is it for the wondrous natural landscapes? The deep roots in American history? While the winder of North Alabama could come from either of those things, this article is sure to reveal those secrets and more! In what follows, we’ll be discussing several reasons why North Alabama is one of the best places to live in the United States of America.
What Makes North Alabama a Great Place to Live?
While the reasons someone might want to visit Alabama include its natural outdoor beauty and its historic tourism culture, they’re not necessarily reasons for someone to want to live there.
When someone holds a strong desire to live somewhere, trivial influences aren’t typically at the top of the list. Instead, more practical considerations like employment rates, cost of living, entertainment value, and overall quality of life ratings are likely at the top of the list.
While being located within the foothills of the Appalachians and boasting several interesting attractions including the Tennessee River Waterway and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center are certainly reasons for its initial draw and shouldn’t be ignored, North Alabama offers much more to its citizens that make it atop the most desirable places to live in America.
The following are four (4) reasons why North Alabama is a highly desirable place to live:
- Job Opportunities
- Cost of Living
- Things to Do, Places to See
- Overall Quality of Life
Job Opportunities
North Alabama is home to many industries. Huntsville in particular is recognizable for its connection to NASA. The Marshall Space Flight Center is located in Huntsville in the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal grounds which has been a prominent area for NASA since the height of the space race. With the military base also being in North Alabama, a constant rotation of residents brings new people to the area.
North Alabama can be considered a high-tech sector as it has been named a top city for tech talent growth and namely #1 on CBRE’s annual list of up-and-coming tech markets for a third year in a row. Other private sector opportunities include science, engineering, and math with companies like Boeing, SAIC, Northrop Grumman, and Toyota.
Whether your industry of choice is tech, education, medicine, aerospace, engineering, or defense, you are sure to find a diverse and robust job market in North Alabama.
Cost of Living
Cost of living is an important factor for everyone. The local workforce is prioritizing the idea of employees being able to provide for themselves and their loved ones. The cost of living in North Alabama is 8% lower than the national average. Real estate ownership is at an all-time high and housing costs are 26% less than the national average. In fact, areas of North Alabama were selected as one of the nation’s 10 “hidden gem” real estate markets by the National Association of Realtors.
North Alabama boasts an extremely affordable cost of living all around, from gas and utilities to nightlife and entertainment. Whether you’re a middle-aged individual with a family or a retiree looking to relocate, North Alabama is a great, cost-efficient place to live.
Things to Do, Places to See
From outdoor activities and adventurous landscapes to tourist attractions, nature and parks, and historic museums, North Alabama has something to do and see for everyone. With warm summers and mild winters, this is a year-round destination experience.
First on the list of things to do, of course, is to explore all that the Appalachian Mountains have to offer. Monte Sano State Park (Huntsville) and DeSoto State Park (Fort Payne) offer stunning views and a combined 60 miles of hiking trails. For waterfall views, check out Noccalula Falls (Gadsden) and Little River Canyon (Fort Payne). Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Decatur offers wildlife observation opportunities and recreational opportunities. For grassy meadows, woodland paths, and unique floral displays, explore the 118 acres at the Huntsville Botanical Garden.
Beautiful Noccalula Falls in Gadsden, Alabama featuring the statue of Princess Noccalula overlooking the Black Creek ravine and 90-foot waterfall.
If you have kids, be sure to check out the U.S. Space and Rocket Center; home to Space Camp and a great day-trip for the entire family, not only for its educational and historical features, but also for entertainment. EarlyWorks Children’s Museum (Huntsville) and the Cook Museum of Natural Science (Decatur) also offer interactive, hands-on learning opportunities that are fun for the whole family.
If historical and cultural based trips are more your style, North Alabama has a rich history and plenty of opportunities to learn. Destinations like Constitution Village (Huntsville), the Jesse Owens Museum (Danville), the birthplace of Helen Keller (Tuscumbia), and FAME Recording Studios (Muscle Shoals) highlight the diverse and distinctive background of the state.
As you can tell, there’s no shortage of fun things to do and amazing things to see here in North Alabama. Once you’re done exploring for the day, don’t deprive yourself of all the amazing bars and restaurants the north side of the state has to offer.
Overall Quality of Life
Alabama in its entirety enjoys a comfortable climate year-round, offers its citizens a more-than-affordable cost of living, boasts copious amounts of things to do and places to see, and above all else, it’s surrounded by natural beauty including the Appalachian Mountains and the Tennessee Waterways!
For those reasons and more, Alabama, and North Alabama in particular (shout out to Huntsville, “The Rocket City!”) has an overall incredible quality of life for those residing.
Whether you’re an outdoor adventurer or an indoors historian, a young worker or a retiree, an American through-and-through or an ex-pat, North Alabama is a great place to live.
So, what are you waiting for? North Alabama and the foothills of the Appalachians await!
