“Sweet Home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue…”
Regardless of where you come from, these lyrics are probably burned in your brain. If you plan to move to Alabama, the diverse breathtaking scenery, tasty food, plentiful celebrations, and increasing opportunities will make the Yellowhammer State feel like home indeed.
Exploring The Heart of Dixie
Climate and nature
If you are a nature lover and outdoors enthusiast, Alabama will not disappoint you. Its nature has so much to offer: lush rainforests, picturesque waterways, breathtaking mountain views, and sandy white beaches. Yes, you read it right: beaches! Alabama has a 52-mile coastline, blessed with white silver sand and peacock blue waters. You can go deep fishing or watch diverse birds on the shores of Orange Beach and Dauphin Island.
Alabama has a typical subtropical type of climate, where you can experience all four seasons. The summers are very hot, and the winters mild. However, the average temperature of 64 °F makes the weather feel very nice all year long.
Coming from California, the major difference in the climate you’ll feel is the summer humidity. You may need some time to adjust. Frequent thunderstorms and tornados during spring and fall will also become your new normal. Hence, a piece of advice is to avoid moving during these seasons. A good month to move would be October, for example, or even the winter months.
Relaxed lifestyle
Depending on where you live in California, you may already be used to a laid back lifestyle. It will persist in Alabama too, but this time it will have the Yellowhammer State touch.
The people of Alabama like to organize festivals for pretty much anything you can think of: from the Shakespeare Festival, Renaissance Festival, and Book Festival to the National Peanut Festival. Homemade food is a major ingredient at these events, especially different types of BBQ. So, you better come hungry.
The Alabama lifestyle is not just about eating and celebrating though. Sports play an important role, especially football. The support for college football is intense, and the University of Alabama has always performed very well in the football season, oftentimes ranking as No.1. In case you don’t have a favorite college team yet, you should probably start looking. After all, it’s always fun to join those heated football talks, isn’t it?
Increasing employment and low cost of living
Alabama has around 5 million inhabitants, which is a small number compared to the 40 million California dwellers. However, Alabama has been a flourishing state during the last years. As of November 2019, its unemployment rate was only 2.9%. To remark, CA unemployment was 3.9%.
Infrastructure development, as well as a significant focus on innovation, have been two of the major keys to the state’s economic growth. Seven research universities are located in Alabama. One example is the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Not to forget that the Cotton State is also the home of the largest NASA center.
The Californian tech-driven innovation at Silicon Valley is replaced by the Alabama science innovation in space, medicine, and automotive industries. These are the sectors that are also currently generating the most jobs. If you happen to have a background in one of them, then your employment in Alabama will most likely be guaranteed right away.
In addition, Alabama is significantly more affordable than the Golden State. For example, living in Los Angeles can be 100% more expensive than living in Huntsville, AL. Housing and transportation costs are what make the most difference. And even though the salaries in Alabama are lower, they are also taxed less: up to 5%.
All in all, your standard of living may be more affordable in the Yellowhammer State, which is why more people are considering moving there.
Interesting facts about Alabama
- We mentioned that one of the largest NASA operating centers is in Alabama. What is more interesting, is that the Alabama workers were the ones who build the first historical rocket that sent humans on the Moon.
- Iron and steel – two of the key raw materials for manufacturing. Surprisingly, Alabama is the only state in the US with all major natural resources needed to make them. At this point, I would say it has strategic importance. Would you agree?
- Alabama as a word per se comes from the Creek Indian language, where it means “tribe”.
- As you know, before becoming a federal republic, the US used to be a Confederation. Mongomery, AL was its birthplace and capital.
- Remember all the festivals I mentioned above? Well, the Florence Renaissance is so important that it’s recognized as Alabama’s official fair.
Bringing you car to the Heart of Dixie
Even though Alabama has invested in the expansion of its infrastructure in terms of roads, trains, and airports, its public transportation system has a long way to go. For example, there are no public means that operate past 11 p.m., not even on the weekends. There are also frequent delays due to maintenance.
Therefore, in order to efficiently get around in The Cotton State, you’ll need a car. So if you’re moving, we recommend shipping your car from California to Alabama. You’ll have 30 days to register your vehicle from the moment you move in. To do that, you will need:
- Legible copy of the original Certificate of Title
- Out-of-state registration
- Power of attorney (in case of a leased vehicle)
- Driver license or non-driver ID (For all owners)
- Insurance (Policy Number & NAIC Number)
- Proof of residency
- Vehicle must be brought to the License Office for inspection
For more information, visit Alabama’s Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division. To learn about the mandatory requirements of driving in the state, check the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
California is a long way from Alabama – 2,164 miles or 32-hour drive. Therefore, this is a classic example when shipping your car instead of driving is a good idea.
Corsia Logistics vehicle relocation experts will explain how car shipping works, including our door-to-door auto transport option. We have years of experience in shipping different types of vehicles across the US: classic cars, sports cars, luxury vehicles, EVs, boats – you name it.
Customer service is at the center of everything we do, and clear and honest communication with our clients is very important to us. So, feel free to call (818) 850.5258 or drop us a line via our online chat and ask how we can be of service. We’re looking forward to shipping your vehicle from California to Alabama or anywhere else in the US.
