Finding the Best Places to Retire Since 2006!
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Home to the University of Alabama, Pretty Tuscaloosa is a Lively City with Athletic Events, Museums, Film Festivals and More
The heart of Tuscaloosa, Alabama's fifth largest city, lies along the banks of the Black Warrior River in the west central section of the state. It is the home of the University of Alabama (40,000 students), Stillman College (1,100 students) and Shelton State Community College (5,500 students).
Not only are these universities responsible for much of the city's cultural life, but they also offer a rich menu of lifelong learning and collegiate athletics. Tuscaloosa's Bama Theatre hosts film festivals and national acts. Other city arts venues include the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center and the new Tuscaloosa amphitheater. Residents enjoy beachfront and riverfront areas at Palm Beach County's Coral Cove Park. The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum offers a coffee and book club, twilight Yoga, climbing tours, and outdoor hikes in the surrounding natural area. The inlet is also the site of one of the region's many marinas. The Lighthouse ArtCenter manages a gallery, classes, Plein Air excursions, and workshops.
Public parks consist of an array of lakes, green space, and recreation centers. Housing styles include ranch rambler, raised ranch rambler, Federal, Craftsman and others. The adjacent Lake Lurleen State Park has fishing piers and boat rentals.
Population: 110,000 (city proper)
Age 45 or Better: 30%
Cost of Living: 20% below the national average
Median Home Price: $295,000
Climate: Summer temperatures are in the 80s and 90s, and winter temperatures are in the 40s, 50s and 60s. On average the area receives 53 inches of rain per year.
At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients? Yes
At Least One Hospital Accredited by Joint Commission? Yes
Public Transit: Yes
Crime Rate: Meets the national average
Public Library: Yes
Political Leanings: Conservative
College Educated: 36%
Cons: The tornado risk is 210% higher than the national average. The poverty rate is above the national average. Some of this, but not all, is attributed to the large student population.
Is Alabama Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement? Yes
Notes: Tuscaloosa has grown 12% within the last decade, and home prices have increased 8% from last year.
Recommended as a Retirement Spot? With the above average poverty rate, location matters, but Tuscaloosa is a place to consider for retirement.
Alabama:
The Heart of Dixie was admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819. The Cotton State was a major player in both the American Civil War and the American Civil Rights Movement. Montgomery was once the capital of the Confederacy and also the heart of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
The current economy is fed by agriculture, auto production, and aerospace. Only Arkansas and Georgia produce more broiler chickens. Alabamians built the Apollo 11 rocket and helped land the first human on the moon.
Bordered by Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, and the Gulf of Mexico, Alabama covers 52,423 square miles of land and water. Topography ranges from mountains and plateaus to river valleys, lowlands, and coastal plains. Average rainfall is 56 inches per year. Growing seasons can be long and summers hot. Winters are normally mild.
Mobile, Alabama has the oldest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. Nicholas Langlois introduced Carnival to the city in 1703, 15 years before New Orleans was founded.
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