Decatur AL (Birmingham, Huntsville, Hartselle: best neighborhoods, homes, unemployment rate)

[KIWI from downunder]

A tourist from Dectur was visiting nzl,he told me he was from Decatur Alabama. Only talked for few mins. I Just wanted to know what Decatur is like as a town. agriculture or manufacturing town,Scenery,economy,etc
Always nice to know what there home town or cities are like to live in. thanks

[NicoleC]

Decatur is a small city on the outskirts of a medium sized city, Huntsville. Not quite a suburb, but not quite it's own city either, despite having a long history. Huntsville is a city with a very high tech economy in rocketry and engineering. Decatur itself has a diverse economy without really ONE thing, although you would probably say it was manufacturing if you had to pick something. GE is there, as well as some of the rocketry manufacturing for those same high tech Huntsville companies and the Meow Mix plant.

While much of the city is rather uninspired, there is a beautiful old town which is predominantly Victorian styled and Decatur is located right on the Tennessee River/Wheeler Lake with some lovely views. Decatur sees a fair amount of tourism as well, and the port -- while not the huge industry it used to be before airplanes -- is still an important river port.

The population is an interesting mix of highly educated engineers and scientists and old fashioned country folk.

Outside of Decatur is Alabama countryside. This part of Alabama is mostly flat and slightly rolling, with pastureland for beef cows and some small farming plus, of course, some cotton, mostly to the north.

[Southlander]

Actually Decatur, with about 53,000 residents, IS its own city, meaning there is a very low percentage of people who commute FROM Decatur to other areas for work...probably just as many or more commute TO Decatur to work in manufacturing plants. Those plants include chemical (3M, BP, Solutia, Daikin, Toray), steel processing (Nucor, Micor, Ferralloy), fiber (Hyosung, formerly Goodyear Tire), appliance building (GE), agriculturally related (Meow Mix, Wayne Farms, Alabama Farmers Co-op, Bunge America), and even rockets (United Launch Alliance). The list includes 19 Fortune 500 companies. Part of the reason they're here is because Decatur is a transportation hub: we have north-south and east-west interstate highways, north-south and east-west railroad lines, plus the Tennessee River. Another reason is cheap electricity!
We have the first wave pool ever built in the United States. We also have the oldest hot-air balloon rally in the Southeast, the Alabama Jubilee Hot-Air Balloon Classic.
Here's more than you EVER (!) wanted to know about Decatur: Decatur Morgan County Chamber of Commerce and Welcome to Decatur-Morgan County, Alabama: Great Schools, High Quality of Life and Low Cost of Living in Decatur, Alabama, Hartselle, Alabama and more
Thank you very much for asking! I'm glad our fellow citizen made a good impression. I hope to visit beautiful New Zealand one day!

[KIWI from downunder]

USA is so large i dont think i will be able to visit Alabama for a while,but you never know. Watched the film Sweet home Alabama,so there is an incentive to go.

[Bravo35223]

Originally Posted by Southlander

Actually Decatur, with about 53,000 residents, IS its own city, meaning there is a very low percentage of people who commute FROM Decatur to other areas for work...probably just as many or more commute TO Decatur to work in manufacturing plants. Those plants include chemical (3M, BP, Solutia, Daikin, Toray), steel processing (Nucor, Micor, Ferralloy), fiber (Hyosung, formerly Goodyear Tire), appliance building (GE), agriculturally related (Meow Mix, Wayne Farms, Alabama Farmers Co-op, Bunge America), and even rockets (United Launch Alliance). The list includes 19 Fortune 500 companies. Part of the reason they're here is because Decatur is a transportation hub: we have north-south and east-west interstate highways, north-south and east-west railroad lines, plus the Tennessee River. Another reason is cheap electricity!
We have the first wave pool ever built in the United States. We also have the oldest hot-air balloon rally in the Southeast, the Alabama Jubilee Hot-Air Balloon Classic.
Here's more than you EVER (!) wanted to know about Decatur: Decatur Morgan County Chamber of Commerce and Welcome to Decatur-Morgan County, Alabama: Great Schools, High Quality of Life and Low Cost of Living in Decatur, Alabama, Hartselle, Alabama and more
Thank you very much for asking! I'm glad our fellow citizen made a good impression. I hope to visit beautiful New Zealand one day!

I learned a lot again...wow didn't know it had that many firms....very diversified. Also didn't know that the port was so important there...what's your unemployment rate?

[NicoleC]

The unemployment rate for Decatur in September was 3.3%, same as Birmingham but higher than Huntsville's 2.8% -- and all of the above well below the overall US rate of 4.5%.

Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas

[3girlmama]

I am looking for inside info. on the best neighborhoods and schools in Decatur. City or county? Public or Private? Looking for homes in the $350,000 range. Need the transition to be somewhat painless for the girls.

[MsMuir]

Hi.....Just wondering if any of you good folks in Decatur
know anything about the construction, (or lack thereof),
on the Belt Line.

Seems they just stopped! It's been going on for a
couple of years, it seems....anyone have any insight?