Should I Move To Mobile AL?
You may have this question in your mind if you plan to move.
We’re biased (I mean, we do live here).
But we’ll give you both sides of the coin. Let’s learn a bit about Mobile first…
If you want all of this in a single place, start with our epic guide to Mobile.
There is a growing interest in small to medium-sized cities as people begin to leave larger cities like New York and San Francisco.
Mobile, Alabama, can be a great place to move to if you prefer a smaller city.
The area is a great place to raise a family because of its high diversity and low cost of living.
It definitely has some of the most affordable real estate prices in the country!
However, higher-than-average crime rates have hurt the city of Mobile’s reputation.
Many citizens get upset when ‘big things don’t come our way.’ Mobile is known to many as “the city of perpetual potential.”
Ok, let’s dig in.
It would be best to explore beforehand the pros and cons of living in Mobile, AL.
Pros – Should I Move To Mobile AL
Things move at a slower pace in Mobile, where people like to take it easy and chill. In the present, that’s a great thing to feel.
These advantages await you if you decide to make a move to this area. If you come from a city that’s always on the hustle, you will notice this slower pace of life.
Low Cost Of Living
Living in Mobile is also affordable, which is one of the main reasons people love it.
When it comes to owning a house, this city’s average house price is $123,600, which makes this advantage particularly true.
Compared to the national average of $230,000 to $260,000, this is an excellent price at approximately half the price.
Overall, Mobile has a lower cost of living than many areas (real estate prices being a big part of this!)
Related Reading: Places To Eat – The Best Spots To Try In Mobile – Read More About The Spots Here
Good Educational System
Many individuals, particularly those who aren’t familiar with Mobile, do not know that this city has a good education system.
Schools in Mobile are usually solid, with exam scores higher than the national average, and high school graduation rates are also above average.
There are public schools and plenty of private schools in the area, so you can give your kids an excellent education.
Many want to enroll their child at a public school, but for those who wish their kids to attend a private school, there are plenty of options. Some argue that private school education is much better.
Highly Diverse
Mobile is one of the Southern cities where the population is still evenly divided. Half of the population is black, while the other half is white, making the city pretty evenly split.
The city has less Hispanic or Latin population, but it seems as though the city continues to become more diverse.
You can most certainly find your cultural group here. If you want to be exposed to it, you’ll be able to find it.
Related Reading – Black History In Mobile Alabama – Click Here To Read The Amazing History.
Great Location on The Gulf Coast
Mobile is situated 2 hours east of New Orleans and only 45 minutes from the Florida border.
From the heart of town, you can get to a beach in 45 minutes that has sugary white sand. In less than 30 minutes, you can be in the delta and away from people looking out for alligators.
The city is well situated on the coast, and this is a benefit that is often overlooked.
Cons
When it comes to the cost of living, Mobile is a great choice, but it’s not all good news in this city.
The city’s population has been in decline because of some disadvantages of living in Mobile. After looking at all the disadvantages of living in this country, it may become more apparent why.
Economic Decline
Despite Mobile’s recent efforts to improve, the city’s unemployment rate remains high, and wages remain low.
The official unemployment rate in this city is 5.4 percent; however, this does not consider the high underemployment rate.
Work opportunities can’t get much better here as the salary is low even for employed people.
There is a wide gap between the average household income and the national average, $43,521. Alabama has lower wages than most other states, but Mobile has some large gaps.
As a result, even though the cost of living here is low, many people still struggle to pay their rent or afford daily expenses.
Mobile has done a lot to attract a lot of larger employers to the area. With large companies like Airbus building planes in Alabama, it’s led to lots of other related plane companies relocating to Mobile as well.
[2023 note: many projects are underway, like the expansion of the shipping channel that will have cascading positive effects on the entire local economy. More info coming soon!]
High Crime Rate
The overall crime rate is a concern. The rates are higher than normal, and Mobile has made some national lists of ‘unsafe cities’.
But, in all reality, many of the largest cities that you probably enjoy visiting have also made these lists.
The city is well aware and has heavily invested in resources in safety for the city over the last few years.
Hopefully, this investment will continue.
Population Movement
Many individuals in Mobile leave the city in search of better career opportunities elsewhere.
Gradual migration is occurring, but this isn’t a complete mass movement.
There is a decrease in population; it is seeking to grow its population through annexation. Although this isn’t the best long-term, in near future, it’s a smart move as it will allow Mobile to cross the 200,000 population mark and be in the running for federal grant money for projects.
More effort is being made to train our local young folks in order to retain that talent in the city of Mobile.
So Should You Move To Mobile, Alabama?
The short answer is “yep.”
Many labeled Mobile as “the city of perpetual potential” over the years, but we’ve seen passionate citizens creating great things in the community.
Just have a poke around this website, and you can see the goodness that we see.
If you are thinking of moving here and you have ideas, you can put those ideas into motion.
That’s part of the beauty of a city of our size.
You won’t get lost in an ocean of millions.
You can make waves.
See you here 😉
FAQ
Why are houses so cheap in Mobile, Alabama?
Pretty great, right? Please don’t go tell all your friends.
For starters, real estate prices are on the lower end of the spectrum. A lot of it has to do with income levels and the price of land.
The financial ability of buyers helps drive the markets.
Add the fact that the property taxes are some of the lowest in the nation, and you have the perfect recipe for cheap houses! See you in Mobile, Alabama 🙂
