Small Towns? (Huntsville, Oxford, Jacksonville: relocating, house, rent)

[Mandy2007]

Hi..
Im relocating from Wisconsin to either Tn or Al...
Does anyone know of any cheaper small towns close to the tennessee border? i need to find a 1 bedroom/studio apartment for under $500/mo.. i wanted to relocate in Murfreesboro, Tn.. but i think thats a little to expensive for me cause ill be turing 18 this spring so this will be my first apartment.. but i just wanna start my life over cause i hate wisconsin and i know lots of ppl from Alabama and Tennessee so im hoping ill be happier down there... but another thing whats the real difference between Alabama and Tennessee? ive never been to Alabama but ive been to Tennnessee and i loved it so i dont know if i would like alabama.. is stuff between those states pretty close to the same thing? i want somewhere that has places to go 4wheeling and muddin with trucks so just any information that you have on the north part of Alabama and the Murfreesboro area of Tennessee would really help me..
Thanks So Much!
Mandy

[Bravo35223]

Mandy:

Frankly there is very little difference between AL and TN. I have friends and relatives in TN and visit them from time to time. It's really about the same.

You need to find a town somewhere in either state that will give you what you want. There is so much open land in both states that I am sure you can find plenty of space to go 4 wheeling....

What are you going to do for employment?

[harry chickpea]

Finding employment will be important. Rents in the country are inexpensive, in the towns and small cities a little more expensive. As an instance, the little house that was sold at auction last Saturday had been rented at $250/mo. As a renter, you won't find much difference between the two states. Tennessee has no personal income tax, so it might be a slightly better choice financially, but not enough to make a huge difference. You get carded for buying beer EVERY TIME in Tennessee, even if you are a little ol' lady of 80. Alabama has a little more sense, but has many dry counties. Not sure where the organized four wheeling and muddin happens, but there are a lot of four wheelers around.

[ShadowCaver]

There is ~150 mile long border between the two states - do you have any idea if ya'd rather be closer to Chattanooga or further west? You mentioned Murphreysboro, but that is then ~60 miles north of the border. There is a quite a big difference between the geography and the towns - much more mountainous/hilly on eastern section, getting smoother as ya go west. As mentioned in the above posts, the job market might be kinda scarce, and while rent could be lower, opportunities may also be too. If interested in being in the NE part of 'bama, the towns of Bridgeport, Higdon, and Bryant might be a thought. I lived on Sand Mountain for few years - and miss the people, scenery, and land; great place, IMHO. To some though, that mountain living in the 'boonies' ain't quite the cat's meow... However, Chattanooga or Huntsville could be traveled to w/in 1-2 hours w/o much problem.

[aweltzbarker29]

I've lived in northern Alabama my whole life. I've been to Tennessee also. I know Tennessee's mountain are higher in altitude than Alabama mountains. Tennessee also has a lottery, but Alabama doesn't. Yes, Alabama DOES have places to go muddin'! I'm from Jacksonville, Alabama. It is the home of Jacksonville State University. I don't know if you have heard of it, but it is a small college town. I currently live in Piedmont, Alabama. It is located about 10 miles north of Jacksonville. It is a smaller, country town. Plenty of places to go muddin'. You can find one bedroom apartments for under 500 a month. Jacksonville might be a little higher due to the college. Oxford, Alabama can be high also. You might can find apartments at 500 or less. It probably isn't as high as what you are use to in Wisconsin. Just thought I would give you a little insight on our life in the south. Good luck with your move! Also, we are currently in the middle of a drought! Get ready for crazy weather if you decide to move to Alabama. We have a secondary tornado season in Nov and Dec. It never snows and if you don't like the cold, just wait a couple of days and it will be 80! We also can have remnants of tropical storms.

[Keeper]

Let's get the main question answered 'where are you going to work?'
There are lots of places with apts less than $500 a month but the problem in small towns will be the pay which is usually min wage.
Small towns won't have movies or much of a night life normally.

[Reactionary]

"whats the real difference between Alabama and Tennessee?"

Alabama wears Red - Tennessee wears Orange.

Orange is good for Tennessee: they can wear it to the game on Saturday, wear it hunting on Sunday, and wear it during the week while they're on the side of the road picking up trash.

[ShadowCaver]

Originally Posted by Reactionary

"whats the real difference between Alabama and Tennessee?"

Alabama wears Red - Tennessee wears Orange.

Orange is good for Tennessee: they can wear it to the game on Saturday, wear it hunting on Sunday, and wear it during the week while they're on the side of the road picking up trash.

lol Was waiting for that one! Funny, had a TN engineer that working in our plant, in GA [I lived in AL ] - anyhow, he painted the interior of his office that god-awfully bright orange; had to wear welding goggles over sunglasses to go in there! Even the light coming out of his windows through the blinds - good grief, was like you were seeing a nuclear reactor...

[Threestep]

Originally Posted by Reactionary

"whats the real difference between Alabama and Tennessee?"

Alabama wears Red - Tennessee wears Orange.

Orange is good for Tennessee: they can wear it to the game on Saturday, wear it hunting on Sunday, and wear it during the week while they're on the side of the road picking up trash.

May I modify that for the AL/AU game?

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by ShadowCaver

lol Was waiting for that one! Funny, had a TN engineer that working in our plant, in GA [I lived in AL ] - anyhow, he painted the interior of his office that god-awfully bright orange; had to wear welding goggles over sunglasses to go in there! Even the light coming out of his windows through the blinds - good grief, was like you were seeing a nuclear reactor...

OMG! How could he work surrounded by that awful color? Of course, I have my living and dining rooms painted Martin-Senour's "Crimson Tide"...MUCH more soothing!!