Are you thinking about living in Dothan or the Wiregrass area and you're wondering who you can trust to give you the full lowdown of what life is like here? In this episode of Home Grown, I’m going to give you the good, bad, and ugly of living in Dothan, Alabama. I’ll also share the top 3 reasons people love living here so you can decide if it’s right for you.
The first and foremost reason is people love living in Dothan is because it’s an up-and-coming city. The city has enjoyed a year-over-year increase in demand and sales price of residential real estate. That boom only continues to grow.
Dothan is a rising star in the state of Alabama as the largest city within a 75 square mile radius. Because of that, it has become a leader in the region for jobs, hospitality, higher education, retail, shopping, and the medical field.
Another reason why people love living here is the attractions. As Dothan continues to develop and improve, many attractions and accommodations are being added to our area every year for our community's enjoyment. More and more parks are being opened along with local businesses bringing more entertainment and historical value to the city. There are also more sports facilities being offered for our area’s youth.
Additionally, the cost of living is below the national average. And don’t forget that Dothan is blessed with an excellent climate featuring great weather throughout the year. Temperatures average anywhere from a low of 42 degrees to a high of 91 degrees. It very rarely dips under 28 degrees, so if you're tired of living in snow, we don't have that.
With its location as a hub of all the area's highways—along with its proximity to Interstate 10 in Florida—it’s only a little over 3 hours to Atlanta and less than 1.5 hours away from Montgomery or Panama City Beach. Being close to the beach is a huge plus when you want to get out of town.
Another pro of living in Dothan is the sense of community. Being in the Bible Belt, the community is very close-knit and there are always people willing to lend a hand. You can find many ways to volunteer and help throughout the community, with different events that may be sponsored throughout the year and especially during this pandemic.
The outpouring of assistance through Dothan with different organizations, private individuals, and churches has been just outstanding. It shows how much of a caring and loving place the Wiregrass is. There are also tons of family events to take part in.
One thing that most people might not know about Dothan is the rich local history that embodies what we’re all about. Founded in only 1885, this city has grown very fast from its agricultural roots and has begun to dominate the region with its cultural and agricultural development. Much of that rich history still shows in downtown Dothan, where you can enjoy small-town America, coffee shops, and restaurants. And we love our food: we’re one of the highest per-capita restaurant cities in the nation.
The natural beauty of the area can also be seen at Landmark Park and the Botanical Gardens. These parks allow you to enjoy natural beautiful spaces. You can observe the beauty that the Wiregrass produces naturally all over Dothan.
Another great thing that you might want to check out when you're in downtown Dothan is all of the murals we have. We’re a mural city, and a lot of our artwork portrays our local history and heroes such as Johnny Mack Brown, or Sherman Rose of the Tuskegee Airmen.
While there are a lot of pros to life here, there are of course a few cons. Of course, nowhere is perfect, so you’ll want to be aware of these not-so-great things.
The first con about living in Dothan is that there is no interstate. While we are close to Interstate 10 in Mariana, Florida—which is only 30 to 45 minutes away—that interstate only runs east and west in Florida. Of course, we are the hub of all of the area's highways and we can jump on a highway and travel anywhere we want. That's why I love living here. It’s so easy to travel anywhere I want.
Something that has been talked about for years and years and still has not happened is an interstate connector. It’s supposed to go from Mariana, Florida at the end to Montgomery, Alabama. When that happens, it may or may not pass directly through Dothan. If it does, it definitely will bring more growth to our area.
One more thing you may want to keep in mind is something that may be a part of any small-town America. While Dothan may not be a very small, tiny town, everyone still knows everyone. Everyone's either grown up together, went to school together, goes to church together, works together, or something like that. So if you don’t like to have someone all up in your business, you might want to live in a larger city.
Lastly, a possible ties into our small-town vibe and that’s culture shock. If you're from up north or out west and have never lived in the deep South, Alabama is different. We get a lot of people who relocate from other states throughout the United States, and they don't quite realize that well. We have Southern hospitality, and you are in the Bible Belt. With that being said, we've got old-fashioned manners, people do go to church, you're going to see religion up front, and people do pray.
So if someone holds the door open for you, say thank you. They mean it with love and care. It just shows how great our people in our community are here in the Wiregrass area.
I hope this gave you some insight into what it's like to live in Dothan and the Wiregrass area. We help people every day move and relocate here, and we'd love to help you as well. If you should have any more questions about Dothan, Alabama, or the Wiregrass area as a whole, please feel free to reach out and I’d be happy to connect.
Don’t forget to also subscribe to my channel so you never miss an episode of Home Grown, the one show all about the Wiregrass area. Stay tuned to see what area I feature next!