Moving to Alabama in 2023? Complete Relocation Guide

Cost of Living in Alabama

The cost of living in Alabama is rated 82.3. The United States average is 100.

That means Alabama’s cost of living is lower than the national average. Since you’re considering moving to Alabama, here’s the average cost of living in the state:

Alabama Housing Market

Alabama’s median home cost is $129,300 which is lower than the national average of $231,200. Buying a home can be one of the best housing options if you’re moving to Alabama. Over the last 10 years, the value of homes in Alabama has increased by 13.7%. Currently, home prices have risen by 6.9%.

How is the job market in Alabama?

Alabama has a booming job market with an unemployment rate that is lower than the national average.

That means getting a job after moving to Alabama is fairly easy. Here’s a breakdown of the job market in the state if you’re moving to Alabama:

Top industries in Alabama

Alabama’s economy is powered by several top industries. Some of these industries are also some of the largest in the country. Moving to Alabama could mean getting a chance to be a part of these industries. Here are the largest industries in Alabama if you’re moving to the state:

• Aerospace And Aviation
• Bioscience
• Agriculture
• Beverage Production
• Automotive
• Chemicals
• Metals
• Tourism

Tip: Often, you feel like calculating the moving cost before you connect with a moving company. To help you, we've got a free moving cost calculator.

Alabama tax info

Depending on where you’re moving from, you may end up paying higher or lower taxes by moving to Alabama.

To give you an idea of what to expect, here’s a breakdown of the key taxes in Alabama:

• Alabama state income tax is 2% - 5%
• Local income tax is 0% - 2%
• Alabama sales tax is 5% - 11.50%
• Property tax in Alabama is 0.40 average effective rate
• Alabama gas tax is 24 cents per gallon of regular gasoline
• Gas tax per gallon of diesel is also 25 cents

Best things to do in Alabama

Moving to Alabama means you’ll get the chance to see or do so many exciting things.

More so, Alabama is home to several remarkable attractions, and moving to the Yellowhammer state gives you the chance to see as many as you can. Here are some of the best things to do in the state if you’re moving to Alabama:

• Visit the US Space and Rocket Center (Huntsville)

  The world’s largest space museum exhibits more than 1,500 permanent rocketry and space exploration artifacts, which include rockets, engines, spacecraft, and simulators. Operated by the Government of Alabama, the museum is also the center for bus tours to nearby NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

• Tour the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Opelika)

  Robert Trent Jones designed a collection of championship golf courses across Alabama. Initially, the Trail had 378 holes but now there are 468 holes around 11 sites.

• Explore the Birmingham Zoo (Birmingham)

  A zoological park with 550 animals of 195 species, Birmingham Zoo also hosts different activities for visitors, such as a sea lion show. The animals in the zoo include sea lions, zebras, rhinos, and many endangered species from 6 continents.

• Catch a glimpse of the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park (Mobile)

  A military history park and museum, Battleship Memorial Park houses many aircraft and museum ships including USS Alabama and USS Drum, both National Historic Landmarks. There are gift shops, snack bars, picnic spots, and fishing areas for entertainment.

• Visit the McWane Science Center (Birmingham)

  A science museum and archive, McWane Science Center has an aquarium and an IMAX Dome Theater. The aquarium has 50 species of marine and freshwater aquatic life including small sharks. Visitors to the museum can also view a shark tooth through a microscope.

• Tour the Gulf Shores (Gulf Shores)

  Alabama’s beautiful beaches are famous for white sand and you cannot escape from their charm while in Alabama. There are a lot of activities to indulge in, including fishing, boating, trying different delicacies at some of the good restaurants.

• Explore the Huntsville Botanical Gardens (Huntsville)

  The 112-acre Huntsville Botanical Garden with grassy meadows to woodland paths and aquatic habitats to stunning floral collections is worth exploring in Huntsville, Alabama. It also homes the largest open-air butterfly house in the US. Apart from offering the cool serenity of nature, the garden also hosts multiple exhibits and programs year round.

• Visit the Cheaha State Park (Delta)

  The 2,800-acre public park got its name from Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in the state that is inside the park. There are numerous structures including a stone bathhouse, eleven stone cabins, two stone pavilions, Bunker Tower, and the Bald Rock Group Lodge inside the park along with many trailing points.

• Go to see the Point Mallard Park (Decatur)

  The 750-acre park has camping, hiking trails, biking trails, and a golf course. Open year-round, the park borders the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. Along with an ice skating complex, the park homes a wave pool, Olympic-size diving pool, water slides, and kiddie pools.

• Tour the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (Birmingham)

  The institute has multimedia exhibitions focusing on the history of African-American life and the struggle for civil rights in the US in the 1950s and 1960s. Opened in 1992, the institute has 25,000 visitors every week.

• Mobile History Museum (Mobile)

  Situated in downtown Mobile, the Mobile History Museum has over 117,000 objects displaying the rich, diverse, and often turbulent histories of Mobile and the surrounding area.

• Paul W. Bryant Museum (Tuscaloosa)

  The museum focuses on the history of football in Alabama with special emphasis on the legendary coach Bear Bryant. There are hundreds of photographs, uniforms, and sports memorabilia on display along with videos of Bama coaches, players, and unforgettable plays.

• Alabama Theater (Birmingham)

  The about hundred-year-old Alabama theater in Birmingham can seat up to 2,500 people and was once the largest in the Birmingham Theatre district. The theater was built during the silent film era, the theater was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in1977, and the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

• Toomer’s Corner (Auburn)

  Toomer’s Corner at Auburn is a landmark of the city since 1896 and is the destination for thousands of revelers who engage in the long-standing tradition of “rolling Toomer’s Corner;” a celebration occurring after every significant Auburn sports victory.

10 Safest Cities in Alabama

Moving to Alabama means you’ll be interested in the safest cities in the state. We’ve made a list of the top ten cities in Alabama to make it easier for you to narrow down your house-hunting efforts:

Best Schools & Universities in Alabama

If you’re moving to Alabama, you may be interested in some of the best schools in the state.