Living in Montgomery: What to Know Before Moving to Montgomery
Wondering what life is like in The Heart of Dixie? Here’s what to know before you pack your bags to move to Montgomery, AL:
Pros and Cons of Living in Montgomery
Pros:
- Centrally located within the state of Alabama
- Easy access to several industries and government agencies
- Long-distance interstate options to other areas in the Southeast
- Great private schools, entertainment venues, and sports
- Revitalized downtown area
Cons:
- Higher than usual temperatures
- Busy traffic patterns at certain times of the day
- A sprawling suburb feel
- Public schools are not highly rated, but there are many private school options
- Lack of air transportation with no large-scale airport
Tax Rates
As with anywhere you go, the tax rates are a significant factor. Montgomery, Alabama, is no different, of course, but does have relatively low property taxes when compared to metropolitan cities of its size or larger.
- Property: The average property tax rate for Montgomery County is only 0.393%. A typical residence with a value of $250,000 would result in about $983 in property taxes per year.
- Sales: Montgomery, like much of the rest of the state, has been trying to fund its public schools with voter-approved sales tax increases over the years. The current sales tax is 10%, comprised of state, county, city, and special allocations.
- Income: Alabama’s income tax is broken up into three tax brackets based on income. Depending on your earnings, you’ll pay 2%, 4%, or 5%.
Housing Market
The Montgomery housing market is a bit of a conundrum. Like far too many large, older cities, the downtown area, despite recent revitalization efforts, can feel abandoned in places, while much of the new development is pushing outward into the suburbs. As of September 2019, Montgomery’s real estate market is red hot – home prices have gone up over 5% in the last year, though they still haven’t returned to pre-recession levels. Despite being a seller’s market, for a city with a population of over 200,000 people and a median household income of only about $43,500, there are some great property deals to be had.
- Median home price: $84,300
- Median rent: $712 per month (1 BR)
- Own vs. Rent: Approximately 63% of residents own, while 37% rent
Cost of Living
In almost every category, the cost of living in Montgomery is lower than that of the rest of the state and the country. Housing, groceries, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses, for example, all came in well below average. Healthcare and utilities were negligibly higher or within a few decimal points.
Out of its nationwide standard ranking of 100, BestPlaces.net ranks Montgomery at 80.1 for the cost of living. A family of four living in the metro area can expect their monthly expenses to total $6,731, while that same family elsewhere in Montgomery County can expect a total of $6,662, according to EPI.org’s Family Budget Calculator. Compared to the rest of the US, Montgomery’s cost of living is a breath of fresh air. Healthcare is only slightly higher, as is the cost of utilities. Otherwise, every other category was around ten points lower than the national average, while housing was less than half that of the national average.
Weather & Natural Disasters
The weather in Montgomery is surprisingly mild, considering its Deep South location. The average annual high temperature is only 76.5, while the average low is only 53.5. Of course, those are just the averages. The two hottest months of the year—July and August—both average 92 degrees, while the two coldest months of the year are December and January, which both dip down to around 36 degrees.
If you don’t love the cold, this might be your new favorite city: Montgomery’s average snowfall is so minimal that it doesn’t even register on the US Climate Data site. However, that’s not to say the city is without precipitation. With an abundance of warm, moist air floating in from the Gulf, Montgomery gets 51 inches of rain annually, compared to the U.S. average of 38 inches. The wettest months of the year are February, March, and August, which each get an average of five to six inches of rain per year.
As far as natural disasters go, the entire South is mindful of tornado weather. This city is far enough inland that even the wild hurricane season doesn’t make much of an impact, other than to send some much-needed rain. Spinoff tornadoes have been a concern in some major storms over the years, but it’s not common.
Economy and Job Market
Montgomery’s economy lags a little behind the rest of the country, but it has experienced an upward trend over the past couple of years. There’s definite spending power for new arrivals who come in to fill open jobs.
As of July 2019, the unemployment rate is only 4.1%, and the median household income is around $44,000 a year. These statistics mean it’s a little behind the rest of the country, according to BestPlaces.net. Nationwide, the July 2019 unemployment rate was down to 3.7%, and the median household income was $57,000 per year. However, with lower living costs and low tax rates, you can expect your paycheck to go further in The Gump.
Where do locals work? Most of Montgomery’s population works in the manufacturing, retail, hospitality/restaurant, and education industries. The largest employer, though, is in public administration. The city and state governments employ 24% of workers or over 12,000 employees. Montgomery is also home to Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base and a Hyundai manufacturing plant, both of which keep thousands of Montgomery residents on their payrolls.
Traffic and Transportation
Getting around Montgomery is somewhat less challenging than most cities of this size. While certainly a car-dependent city, the options to reach other parts of the state or the region are very accessible. I-65 (which links to Mobile in the South and Birmingham in the North) and I-85 (which takes commuters to Atlanta and beyond) both cross through the city but do so in out-of-the-way locations, which won’t interfere with your morning commute. A certain state highway, Hwy 231, also provides easy north-south access to other parts of the state.
WalkScore.com rates Montgomery as a “car-dependent” city, with a score of only 27 for getting around on foot. Its transit score drops to a 16, which is surprising considering the city’s long history of offering public transportation to some of the neediest neighborhoods. Its bike score of 32 makes it a “somewhat bikeable” city, despite the convergence of several major state highways and interstates. Essentially, to live in an around Montgomery, you’re going to need a reliable vehicle for even the most basic errands.
Schools and Universities
One of the more surprising and encouraging things about Montgomery, Alabama, is its focus on education. In addition to the public school system and the many private schools, the city offers numerous higher education choices. Some of these include Huntingdon College, Faulkner University, Alabama State University, Auburn University-Montgomery, Virginia College (a well-known trade and technical school), and more.
In the lower grades, Montgomery Public Schools operates the school system for the city and the outlying Montgomery County area. This school district serves some 29,500 students across 53 K-12 campuses. Though district-wide schools have greatly divergent ratings, some of the city’s public high schools have been ranked the best in the state in recent years, as well as ranked in the Top 20 in the nation according to US News and World Report. The system operates several magnet schools, while numerous private and religious schools are in operation to meet different residents’ needs.
What to Do
When it comes to activity, Montgomery is no stranger to putting on a show… literally! It’s the home of the world-renowned Alabama Shakespeare Festival, numerous museums, Civil Rights historical sites, the State Capital, several critical Confederate history locations, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. The White House of the Confederacy is located in the city, as are several commemorative sites that honor the Montgomery bus boycott, the march to Selma, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and much more.
Of course, sports reigns supreme in much of the South, and Montgomery is no different. A Montgomery Biscuits minor league baseball game is a great way to pass a summer afternoon, and ice skating at Eastdale Mall no matter what time of year is a lot of fun.
Crime
The city has a crime rate of about 51 incidents per 1000 residents per year, according to NeighborhoodScout.com. That data means it’s safer than just 5% of all US cities, which doesn’t sound very appealing until you consider that the overwhelming majority of crimes are non-violent offenses. In 2018, experts ranked it as the state’s safest large city.
For violent crimes, Montgomery ranks about double that of the entire US, but there’s an important note to understand: while Montgomery has about 4.22 violent crimes per 1000 residents, the entire country has around 2.49 violent crimes per 1000 residents.
Utility Providers
Nothing is worse than moving into a new home that doesn’t have running water or power. Make sure to schedule the turn-on of your utilities before your move!
- Gas: For natural gas, most Montgomery residents rely on Spire, formerly Alagasco.
- Electricity: One of the most common electric companies across the region is Southern Company, and its Alabama Power serves Montgomery.
- Trash collection: For trash pickup, the city’s Sanitation Department might serve your address, or you may have to arrange a private contract with a company like Amwaste.
- Water & Sewage: Montgomery Water Works provides residents of Montgomery with water and wastewater services. New applications are subject to a $100 minimum deposit. Request new service online here.
- Internet, phone, and cable services: As for internet and cable service, there are many options to choose from, and some new residents find they can transfer their old nationwide provider account to their new address. While there are local options, many people contact a larger company like Charter/Spectrum Cable, AT&T DirecTV, or Dish Network.