Alabama vs. Indiana - Where Would You Live? (cost, state, better)

[manitopiaaa]

Alabama and Indiana aren't often considered as peers, but both have strong similarities:

• Both states are considered somewhat boring
• Both have primate cities that are often the butt of jokes (Naptown/Bombingham)
• Both have small coastlines (Indiana Dunes/Baldwin County) with legacy industrial port cities (Gary/Mobile)
• Both have small wooded areas (Hoosier National Forest/Appalachian Alabama) but are otherwise largely flat
• Both are known for their conservatism
• Both have moderate and predictable population growth
• Both have Rust Belts (South Chicago to South Bend vs. Birmingham/Steel Corridor) that still struggle
• Both were granted statehood within 3 years of each other
• Both have racing cultures (Indy 500 vs. Talladega)
• Both market themselves as low cost-of-living/family friendly states
• Both have famous sports-oriented universities (Purdue/Indiana/Notre Dame vs. Bama/Auburn/Troy)
• Both lie on the same latitude, with Indiana directly north of Alabama (a straight shot on I-65)
• Both have extremely upscale, wealthy suburbs (Vestavia Hills/Hoover vs. Fishers/Carmel)

Where would you live?

[TheTimidBlueBars]

Alabama.

Birmingham looks like an interesting, non-boring city to be in, and I'd also have Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Mobile, and other cities to check out. The Appalachians aren't far, or you can get to the Gulf for a weekend --- or Atlanta, or New Orleans. Most of all though, I have family all across Indiana and I'd rather keep some distance from all that. I haven't spent much time in the Deep South so it'd be a fresh start for me.

[BamaDave]

Alabama is not mostly flat. Most of the northern half of the state is hilly to (low) mountainous, and much of the state is wooded. Even the southern part of the state has some reasonable hills in spots. Much of the state is heavily wooded and not open farmland.

Indiana also has more wooded, hilly areas than one would expect from the stereotype of endless cornfields.

Proximity to Chicago is a plus for Indiana. I guess Alabama can claim proximity to Atlanta!

I strongly prefer Alabama's Gulf Coast beaches to a lakeshore. Palm trees, white sand, and surf. Much of it has become overdeveloped, and it's not *quite* as stunning as the beaches farther east along the Florida panhandle.

Overall, I would choose Alabama, but I'm strongly driven by natural setting and climate (I like heat over cold).

[Bluefox]

Wow, poll results are interesting. Neither state is great, but most people are voting for the state that comes in just about dead last in every quality of life index you could think of. Indiana has so much nicer areas than even the nicest area of Alabama. There’s no Hamilton County or Dune Acres or Beverly Shores in Alabama. Also no Purdues or Notre Dames. I guess people are voting based on cities and the fairly unwarranted disdain for Indianapolis is well known in this forum. Just not sure why there’s so much love for Birmingham and/or Huntsville and/or Mobile.

[CrazedCamper]

Probably Indiana because I prefer cooler weather but I have to give a nod to Alabama for not having a ghetto coastline.

[Surge0001]

Originally Posted by Bluefox

Wow, poll results are interesting. Neither state is great, but most people are voting for the state that comes in just about dead last in every quality of life index you could think of.

Obviously never been to Alabama I see. You should probably expand that horizon.

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by Surge0001

Obviously never been to Alabama I see. You should probably expand that horizon.

Aunt and cousins live there near Huntsville. It wasn’t a very pleasant experience. Huntsville itself was fine but nothing special IMO. Birmingham and Mobile - would not go back. Huntsville, sure. But not in the area we were at.

[Surge0001]

Originally Posted by Bluefox

Aunt and cousins live there near Huntsville. It wasn’t a very pleasant experience. Huntsville itself was fine but nothing special IMO. Birmingham and Mobile - would not go back.

You are among the rare few that I have encountered that has an issue with Mobile. When did you visit either city, because Mobile and Birmingham are completely different beasts than they were even just 4 years ago?

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by Surge0001

You are among the rare few that I have encountered that has an issue with Mobile, sounds like you were just looking for a bad experience instead trying to great a good one

I didn’t have a bad experience per se. I just didn’t really think it had much to offer compared to say New Orleans or even the Texas Coast. Plus, the hurricane risk alone would rule it out for me. And it seemed like a lot of rundown areas though there were some parts that I liked. Similar to NOLA or Galveston but less redeeming qualities.

[EscAlaMike]

As a Florida native who chose to relocate to Alabama and raise my family here, I’d choose Alabama of course.

It offers everything Indiana does but with better beaches, better scenery (Cheaha Mountain anyone?), more interesting cities with more character, and a much better climate, especially from October to May.

Also from what little experience I have of Indiana’s secondary cities and small towns, Alabama’s eat its lunch. Let me just say that shopping at the Walmart in Seymour was quite the cultural experience. It was more redneck and trashy than anything I’ve seen in Alabama.

If I were to choose a Midwestern state to relocate to, Missouri, Michigan, and Ohio are all better options than Indiana.

I don’t want to sound like an Indiana hater, but I guess I kind of am, lol. I visited South Bend this summer, and other than Notre Dame (which was spectacular), the city itself was nothing special. Fort Wayne is pleasant, but bland. It’s certainly no Huntsville, and I’m not even a huge Huntsville fan. NW Indiana is industrial like Mobile, but lacks the culture and vibrancy.

And nobody’s even mentioned the food!