Huntsville area life? (Mobile, Decatur, Madison: houses, neighborhoods, buy)

[Campn87]

Hey y’all!

So my husband and I are looking to move back to his “hometown” cause he spent 10 years in Huntsville but that was 8 years ago working in the rocket business.. We’ve lived in both Illinois and Florida so we’ve went from drastic climate to drastic climate.

He’s been wanting to move back there for a while and I was the one who wasn’t sold yet. I was just scared of living in “small cities” after enjoying huge cities like Chicago and Orlando, but now as I’m getting older I’m not the same person. I’ve lots of questions for everyone who can help shed some light.

One big thing is weather, what’s that like? Online info is so conflicted. Do you get 4 seasons? Does it snow much? Humidity? What’s the nature like there, flat, hilly?

Also what’s the bug population like!? Coming from Florida, I’m sick of fire ants biting me and sweating 30 seconds after leaving the house. Like people here in Florida say, Florida is kinda gross.

How are the houses like? What can we get for $300,000-$350,000? Are HOAS common? And where? Madison, Decatur? Other areas we should check out? What about traffic!?

Are people friendly, or keep to themselves?

And schools? That’s the only thing my husband isn’t confident in.

I’m sorry about all the random questions, please feel free to add anything you feel like you need to that I’m probably missing on here. I’m certain I’m leaving out important things I should ask about.

Lots of thanks!

[Trail]

Great questions.
Metro population about 450,000 and growing quickly. Fastest growing city of the 4 “major” Alabama cities.

Weather wise I think we get all 4 seasons especially compared to FL. Winters obviously are not anything like Chicago. I would say on avg Dec-Feb are lows about 25-35 and highs 45-55 usually. Summers are hot and humid however less humid than FL. Usually highs around 90, lows around 70-75. Terrain is mountainanous compared to FL and IL. I think it’s beautiful but I’m biased of course.

Bugs are common in the warm months. However no bugs from about Nov- April which is nice.

Cost of living here is CHEAP! You could buy plenty of house with $300k. New neighborhoods will have HOA’s older neighborhoods won’t. We have the second lowest property taxes by state in the nation.

Schools are good. Madison has the edge on public schools in the area however compared to other bigger cities I’ve lived in I think both Huntsville (Huntsville HS and grissom HS) and Madison are fine. Traffic is worse in Madison and west of Huntsville if you had to commute from Decatur or Athens to Huntsville / Redstone Arsenal. However traffic is also relative if you’re coming from Orlando or Chicago. I would say for most people they could choose a 10-30min commute and live pretty much anywhere they wanted.

LOTS of trails and green spaces here as well. If you like hiking you will love this area.

I hope this helps!

[MTransplant]

We lived in Hunstville for 8 years. Schools are the best in Madison although folks in south Huntsville may argue.
The summer can be dreadful with 95-100 F and humidity 80%, it could last from end of April until end of September. There are lots of state parks around within 1-2 hrs drive, but you will enjoy it in shoulder months. I am an avid hiker, but I will not do it during summer.

The city is growing very quickly, so there is a growth pain, such as traffic, especially going west. Lots of new developments are in this direction, but city road infrastructure is lagging. So if you work in Arsenal and have house in west Madison, prepare for heavy traffic in rush hour.

Cost of living is cheap compared to both places, Chicago and Orlando, and people are very nice. It is a good place to raise the family and overall pretty safe. We were tired of what seems like endless summer months with excruciating heat and high humidity and moved to Montana. No regrets.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by MTransplant

We lived in Hunstville for 8 years. Schools are the best in Madison although folks in south Huntsville may argue.
The summer can be dreadful with 95-100 F and humidity 80%, it could last from end of April until end of September. There are lots of state parks around within 1-2 hrs drive, but you will enjoy it in shoulder months. I am an avid hiker, but I will not do it during summer.

The city is growing very quickly, so there is a growth pain, such as traffic, especially going west. Lots of new developments are in this direction, but city road infrastructure is lagging. So if you work in Arsenal and have house in west Madison, prepare for heavy traffic in rush hour.

Cost of living is cheap compared to both places, Chicago and Orlando, and people are very nice. It is a good place to raise the family and overall pretty safe. We were tired of what seems like endless summer months with excruciating heat and high humidity and moved to Montana. No regrets.

That's stretching it a bit. Yes, temps will occasionally reach 95 degrees, and even sometimes 100 (it's been a while), and humidity is sometimes 80%. But more importantly, the high humidity isn't the same time as the highest temperatures. If it was, we'd be in the tropics. Higher humidity is late night and early morning.

A more typical summer day would be 90 degrees with humidity around 60%, and lows at night upper 60s-lower 70s, and humidity sometimes over 90% at the lowest temp of the day.

A better way of looking at things is the dewpoint temperature. It's seldom above 75 but that's pretty uncomfortable. A more normal dewpoint is upper 60s, lower 70s during the summer.

[Campn87]

Awesome replies so far! Thank you everyone! I’m a bit worried about the weather now, cause it’s my least favorite Florida aspect, the hot humid months. Has anyone here lived in both Florida and Alabama so they can compare them to me? My husband said it does get very hot and humid in Huntsville but only for like a month (maybe 2) while here it lasts 5-6 months!

Please describe to me your 4 seasons if you have time!

[Preston3124]

https://www.weather-us.com/en/alabam...sville-climate

To me July and August are the only really hot months. You will experience hot stretches in June and September but overall they are pleasant months. Of course I prefer hot to cold so take that into consideration.

[Campn87]

Originally Posted by Preston3124

https://www.weather-us.com/en/alabam...sville-climate

To me July and August are the only really hot months. You will experience hot stretches in June and September but overall they are pleasant months. Of course I prefer hot to cold so take that into consideration.

I really do too, especially after spending a few winters in Illinois. And I love spending time outside on the pool and Florida provides that but it just keeps on going and going even until December! I’m sure Alabama is an upgrade when it comes to weather hands down!

Do you need jackets, scarves, boots etc in the winter? Or would wearing long sleeve suffice? I think my husband and I will try to drive up to Huntsville end of this month to really experience it again, I’ve been to Huntsville once but it was only for one day cause we were visiting Chattanooga.

I think you get Publix too? Can’t give up that boar’s head! Where are all the shopping and restaurants located?

Today it’s 60F here in Orlando, and my hands are freezing! Have a great weekend!

[FatTails]

I lived in Florida for several years and Florida's humidity is worse than here. Huntsville has maybe two months where the summer is uncomfortable. I never really enjoyed Florida's weather because of the humidity. Nothing ever dried and I was wet just walking to the mailbox. Much more pleasant here. The flip side is that winter here is much colder. You definitely get four seasons. It's beautiful out right now. All just my opinion.

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by Campn87

I really do too, especially after spending a few winters in Illinois. And I love spending time outside on the pool and Florida provides that but it just keeps on going and going even until December! I’m sure Alabama is an upgrade when it comes to weather hands down!

Do you need jackets, scarves, boots etc in the winter? Or would wearing long sleeve suffice? I think my husband and I will try to drive up to Huntsville end of this month to really experience it again, I’ve been to Huntsville once but it was only for one day cause we were visiting Chattanooga.

I think you get Publix too? Can’t give up that boar’s head! Where are all the shopping and restaurants located?

Today it’s 60F here in Orlando, and my hands are freezing! Have a great weekend!

At least 14 Publix in the area,
Home - Huntsville/Madison County Chamber
https://www.downtownhuntsville.org/
MidCity Huntsville
https://www.facebook.com/CityCentreHSV/
The Shops Twickenham Square
https://www.bridgestreethuntsville.com/
Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment
https://srsre.com/property-search?pr...ison-MadisonAL

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by Campn87

I really do too, especially after spending a few winters in Illinois. And I love spending time outside on the pool and Florida provides that but it just keeps on going and going even until December! I’m sure Alabama is an upgrade when it comes to weather hands down!

Do you need jackets, scarves, boots etc in the winter? Or would wearing long sleeve suffice? I think my husband and I will try to drive up to Huntsville end of this month to really experience it again, I’ve been to Huntsville once but it was only for one day cause we were visiting Chattanooga.

I think you get Publix too? Can’t give up that boar’s head! Where are all the shopping and restaurants located?

Today it’s 60F here in Orlando, and my hands are freezing! Have a great weekend!

Yes, only a couple of really hot and humid months, and sometimes there will be fronts that make things comfortable. It's not miserable, and not nearly as bad as Florida. Spring and Fall (generally April, May, early June and second half of September, and October) are usually quite pleasant with very little heating or cooling required. Forests are generally diciduous so there is nice fall color.

Winters can get pretty cold. Freezing is the norm at night, and you can expect several days a year when the high is below freezing. But you can also expect some pretty decently warm days in the middle of the winter. Temps vary a lot in the winter. We get snow occasionally, and have had over 20 inches in a season. Flurries are common, but measureable snow only happens 2 or 3 times a winter on the average. The last couple of winters haven't had much but 4 or 5 winters ago there was about 15 inches in two successive years. Basically, winters vary a lot. The lowest record temperature for Huntsville is -11F, but the county holds the state record at -27 at New Market (January 1966, I think). So no, just having a long sleeve won't cut it. You'll need coats. I have a down-filled coat from LL Bean that works well, and a wool overcoat for more "formal" occasions. Sometimes a jacket is OK, but not usually. Golf courses don't shut down seasonally, but there are many days when they're closed. If it's above freezing, they're open, but you might freeze if you play.

Yes, there is a Publix grocery store on about every corner, and they're building more. There's one 2 miles to my north, and a larger one 2 miles to my south. Kroger is a biggie here too.

Upper end shopping is Bridge Street (a "lifestyle" center) https://www.bridgestreethuntsville.com, Parkway Place, an enclosed mall Shop | Parkway Place Huntsville AL and about a million "strip malls". There are something like 14 Wal Marts in Madison County, and 3 or 4 Target Super Centers. You can buy pretty much anything you want here except a lottery ticket. Town Madison is a large development underway (townmadison.com), downtown is being developed (CityCentre at Big Spring | Upscale in Downtown Huntsville), MidCity is another large development underway (MidCity Huntsville), Redstone Gateway is a large retail/office development both on and off Redstone Arsenal (https://redstonegateway.us), and Clift Farms will start soon, which is a residential/mixed use development. There are other fairly major things going on too. You might want to read the Huntsville/Madison Development News thread here on the forum.

Our neighborhood pool is generally open from Memorial Day (late May) until Labor Day (early September), so pools are definitely a seasonal thing.

Weatherwise, there's about as much diference from here to Mobile as there is from here to Chicago. Mobile is hotter year 'round, especially in the winter, and Chicago is colder, especially in the winter.

Does all this give you an idea what you're moving to? This entire area is quite active and progressive.