[jpatt10]

I think if both of you factor out the students and faculty in both communities, both are pretty poor areas. I've spent time in both areas and often thought if it weren't for the schools these places would be dumps.

To the OP, from Auburn it is about 2.5 hours to both Birmingham and Dothan, then toss on another 1.5 to 2 hours from Dothan to Panama City Beach, I think I would prefer living in the middle.

[mm42]

Originally Posted by sedriskell

There is A WHOLE LOT MORE that goes into it other than yearly income, including the type of income a person is getting.

No, there isn't. It is calculated by yearly income.

See this graph?



See the spike at 18-24 years old? See how the poverty level is BELOW the state average for almost every other age group?


And Gainesville is almost exactly the same, 36% below poverty rate:

http://www.city-data.com/poverty/pov...e-Florida.html

[sedriskell]

Ok, I apologize, you're right. I was looking at the percentage of families below the poverty line. Gainesville's poverty rate is similar to that of Tuscaloosa's.

It is a lot more complicated than yearly income. They take into account who you live with, your accommodations, how many people are in the family. And this comes directly from the census bureau's website Poverty - How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty (http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/povdef.html - broken link)
I'm not trying to ague.

Either way you spin it, the Auburn area's poverty rate IS higher than that of Tuscaloosa's.

Now we've gone and turned this into another rivalry conversation...

[mm42]

Originally Posted by sedriskell

Ok, I apologize, you're right. I was looking at the percentage of families below the poverty line. Gainesville's poverty rate is similar to that of Tuscaloosa's.

It is a lot more complicated than yearly income. They take into account who you live with, your accommodations, how many people are in the family. And this comes directly from the census bureau's website Poverty - How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty (http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/povdef.html - broken link)

Oh, OK. I was looking at city-data's listings, the ones I linked, which are strictly based on income.

According to city-data, Gainesville is 36%, Auburn is 30%, and Tuscaloosa is 28.3%. And just to throw in some more examples, Clemson, SC is 33% and Ithaca, NY is 40%. This is clearly a "college town" thing and has nothing to do with Auburn being inferior to Alabama.

Either way you spin it, the Auburn area's poverty rate IS higher than that of Tuscaloosa's.

Now we've gone and turned this into another rivalry conversation...

Not a rivalry conversation for me - I don't give a flip about either school.

[drfranklin]

I'm a graduate of Alabama ('95) and visit T-town occasionally. I had a GREAT time and rec'd a quality education. The campus is gorgeous, there's a multitude of activities, and the city itself is not bad at all. Yes, Tuscaloosa is a "city" and has more amenities than Auburn.

Now, I've been to Denver (not sure if you're from there - your post just mentions Colorado) - and Denver (and surrounds) has some of the best outdoor activities in the country (great biking) - not to mention an awesome light rail system. Also, Denver (and most of Colorado) has some of the best weather in the country. (My wife and I nearly moved to Denver about a year and a half ago.) Colorado to Alabama is going to be huge change - but since you have family in Birmingham/Dothan - this will ease your pain.

As for UA or AU, visit both - both universities will give a high quality education. Enjoy your time in grad school and immerse yourself in the culture - you never know, you may want to stay.

[sedriskell]

Yea, both are great schools. I personally don't like the city of Auburn, not because of football, but because it's just never attracted me. However, I do like Opelika, it seems like a beautiful town.

As drfranklin said, visit both places if you can, that's the only way you can really decide.

[ttownfeen]

If you're looking for a more progressive atmosphere than Colorado, Alabama is not the place to look.

[sedriskell]

This is true. Alabamians like to keep to what they believe in and don't like extreme change much. However, I think you'll still like it.

[Alatex]

Let's not beat ourselves up too much.
Yes, a lot of older people are set in their ways, and Alabama has a lot of older people, rather than just the hordes of young transplants who fill trendier places, but for all its faults, Alabama is handling the "national economic downturn" much better than most other states.

I have a huge home town bias here, as the huge advantage to me for Tuscaloosa is an underrated lot of outdoor activities (Lake Tuscaloosa is often a "forgotten" amenity since it is for locals rather than tourists, and the city's growing "Riverwalk" area is where a lot of locals enjoy walking every day). There's also a surprising amount of history for a city its size (owing to its status as a former state capital and as the home of the state's oldest and largest university).
That said, Auburn has the advantage of proximity to Georgia (metro Columbus in particular) and its amenities, and I expect the growth rate to follow the more rapid pace of "suburban Georgia" than the more typically sluggish pace of growth you see in most of Alabama.
In short, both are good options with bright futures. Auburn's growth is a bit newer and more suburban in nature, and Tuscaloosa's is more tied to history and natural surroundings, so it's mostly a matter of personal preference. I know people who grew up in Auburn and attended university there who moved to Tuscaloosa and retired here, and I know people who grew up in Tuscaloosa and attended university here who moved to Auburn-Opelika.

I wouldn't worry much about "poverty" in either city.
My elderly aunt and uncle are technically below the poverty line, yet they has never needed any government assistance or housing, they've never had any trouble with the law, and they're both college graduates.
The cost of living is favorable enough that even though they don't have much money, they live within their means and have a good life in Tuscaloosa. In most states, they'd have been priced and taxed out.

[sedriskell]

All of what Alatex said is pretty much true. Though, I would argue that both Tuscaloosa and Auburn (the cities) have been experiencing quite similar growth rates in the recent years.

Also, I would argue that the distance between Auburn and Columbus, and Tuscaloosa and Birmingham is roughly the same. I'm look at this on a map in my head, so I may be wrong.