Alabama is a state with so many nicknames. The Heart of Dixie, The Cotton State, and the Lizard State are just some of them. However, Alabama is for sure a good place to move to for many reasons. Beside affordable homes, it has a rich historical background and a lot of nature to enjoy. Furthermore, if you are thinking about moving from California to Alabama, there are some things you should know. You should prepare for the long-distance relocation. This preparation means you need to find the perfect home for you and your family and choose the best season. Enjoy our guide to your relocation to Alabama!
What are the biggest cities in Alabama?
When you are moving from California to Alabama, you should know what are the biggest and the most popular cities there. You will probably not find a city as big as LA, but here are the biggest cities in the Cotton State.
The biggest city in Alabama is Birmingham. It has a population of around 212,000. It is the home of the biggest park in the country – Red Mountain Park.
The capital of the Alabama State is Montgomery. It has a population of around 206,000 and rich historical background.
A bit smaller than Montgomery is Mobile, and it’s positioned right “below” it. This city is a rainy city, so if you are looking for sunshine, this one may not be the right choice for you.
Which city to choose when moving to Alabama?
Moving from California to Alabama – here’s what you need to do
When moving from California to Alabama you need to plan ahead and stay organized. This is recommended to everyone who is relocating for the first time and is not sure how the whole process goes. Since this is not just a local move, jet a move across the country the best thing would be to hire professional movers. A licensed and experienced moving company like this will handle all your things with ease, so you don’t need to worry about them being lost or damaged. In this case, you may want to hire Alabama movers to move you long distance. They are familiar to your final destination and will be able to give you better advice.
You can also lower moving costs
Moving across the country surely is expensive but there is no need to pay more than you have to. Use the online calculator at verifiedmovers.com to see how much it would be to move from California to Alabama. Once you get the price you can start to consider ways to lower the moving cost. For example, go through your items and see if there are some things you can leave behind. Furthermore, organize your house for several weeks and even months before the actual move. This will give you the perfect opportunity to get rid of all the unnecessary stuff. Also, you can get free moving boxes. There is no need to buy moving containers when you are not likely to need them. Ultimately, they will only take up space in the new house.
Weather in Alabama
One of the first things you need to think about when moving from California to Alabama is the weather. If the weather is not suited for you, it will affect your lifestyle and moving process. Most of the year, Alabama weather is really nice. Even though summertime temperatures can reach 90 degrees, it is usually a bit lower, around 75-80 degrees. Winter temperatures are usually between 30-65 degrees, and there is very little snow. Both spring and fall have average temperatures of around 40-60 degrees. So as you can see, pleasant weather is what you can expect throughout the year. However, the biggest difference between the weather in California and Alabama is the humidity. Summertime humidity can make pleasantly warm day make unbearably heavy. It will take some time getting used to. After a while, you probably won’t even notice it.
You can expect mild weather in Alabama
Even though Alabama is pretty lucky when it comes to weather, you need to choose the right season for the move. Organize your move around the weather to reduce the stress when moving actually approaches. Keep in mind that the spring and fall months are stormy months. So, it would be great if you could avoid these for your relocation. Additionally, hurricanes and tornadoes are also possible, so you should surely think about those when moving. Luckily, there are warnings and drills if hurricanes or tornadoes are happening, and authorities will update people about it. Probably the best month you can choose for the move is October when the weather is dry and pleasant.
Jobs, taxes, and cost of living
This state has a great job market, considering the population of around 5 million people. This is why a lot of people moved here in the last few years. People, especially young ones, are considering long distance move to Alabama because of the industries that are growing all the time. For example, tech and computer industry is the most popular choice. Additionally, medical practices are in need of nurses, physical therapists, dentists, pediatricians.
Furthermore, the growing industry isn’t Alabama’s only advantage. The state has a quite low cost of living. This is reason enough to consider moving from California to Alabama. However, the average salary is also lower, so keep that in mind. Especially if your salary depends on tips, the minimum wage can be quite low.
Also, Alabama has a relatively low-cost tax system. The amount you have to pay depends on your income, county where you live and your marital status. You can easily use the online tax calculator to check the amount of your taxes.
Living in Alabama will be like this
Moving from California to Alabama will bring some changes to your lifestyle. In Alabama, people lead calmer, slower and less complicated lives. They like to organize festivals all the time and celebrate everything. These festivals also include a lot of tasty homemade food. Additionally, the nature of Alabama is amazing. Both beaches and mountains are worth moving here for. And, if you are a fan of sports, Alabama will be a heaven for you. Since people here are great football fans, they’ll expect you to declare your support to one of the college teams.
Moving to Alabama means a lot of football
Schools
If you are moving from California to Alabama with kids, you also need to think about schools. You need to choose a city or neighborhood to suit your family’s needs. This means that you need to consider the distance from your home to a local school. Your kids won’t like to spend a lot of time traveling to school. However, the education of your children is not something you need to worry about when relocating to Alabama. The education system quality improved a lot in recent years. The average results of Alabama schools and colleges have been higher and higher.
Depending on the age of your kids, there are many elementary and high schools to choose from. Good elementary schools in Alabama are Dean Road Elementary School, Cary Woods Elementary School, and Shades Cahaba Elementary School. As for high schools, think about schools such as Spain Park High School or Bob Jones High School. In case your older ones are going to college there are many good ones. For example, take Auburn University or the University of Alabama into consideration.
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