197,282
Population
Sunny Days: 211
42100 Affordability
69100 Schools
39100 Diversity
63100 Safety
You can't be from Montgomery, Alabama, and not have a background in the church. It's at the core of who we are as a people.
-Octavia Spencer
Montgomery, Alabama
The Gump
The Best Thing About Montgomery?
Warm Weather
I feel like this might be cheating, and something people might pick for other southern cities, but the things Montgomery has to offer makes the weather seem even better. With summer highs usually hovering around the high 80s and winter highs in the 50s, you’re bound to find at least a few good days to get outside every week of the year. From outdoor concerts, to family trips to the zoo, to hiking and biking down the miles and miles of park trails, you’ll never run out of ways to enjoy the warm weather in Montgomery!
Here's a local on weather in Montgomery: Having lived in several of the same places you have, and living in East Alabama now- it’s very similar to Houston. Just oppressive heat/humidity. Fall is lovely though (I think last year it was on a Thursday in mid-December). People claim there is a winter here, but I haven’t needed anything heavier than a flannel. Ever. Lol. I sometimes try to wear a hoodie because I like them, but always end up pushing the sleeves up or just outright carrying it lol.
For more reviews of Montgomery from locals check out: The Buzz
The Worst Thing About Montgomery
Schools
If you can afford to send your kids to private schools, you’ll probably be fine, but for the rest of the city, maybe not so much. The public schools are known for being subpar.
Here's the pov of a local on the school choices: There are over 30 private schools in Montgomery because the public schools are so bad. You can find good ones at a range of price points, run by many different denominations. I recommend doing a web search as there is an article published every year ranking the top ones.
Lifestyle of Montgomery
Somewhat Suburban
The greatest growths in population here in recent years have been in areas away from downtown and just outside the city. If you’re looking to move to the Montgomery area, most recommend looking in areas like Millbrook, Prattville and Pike Road just outside the city, where public schools are rated better, crime rates are lower and you’re close enough to check out the great outdoors and downtown nightlife. Housing prices in most of these suburban hotspots are still below the national average, and you’re probably gonna want a car no matter where you live due to the sprawl, so commuting in doesn’t make that big of a difference.
Why You Should Move Here Now?
Growth
That growth in the area is no accident. Some smaller universities in the area provide a solid job base and larger employers like Hyundai, Maxwell Air Force Base and Koch Foods have helped drive growth as well. With low cost of living, job opportunities, great weather, and a ton of things to do, now is a great time to take a look at Montgomery.
Living in Montgomery
Neighborhoods in Montgomery
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The Area
Known for civil rights movements and the individuals like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks that led them, Montgomery rests along the bank of the Alabama River in a southern area synonymous for its hot and humid weather. The city is built on rolling terrain that might surprise those inexperienced with the south and is located in south/central Alabama, just a couple hours from the Gulf of Mexico. Two major interstate highways, I-65 and I-85 meet near the geographical center of the city, leading to Nashville to the north and Atlanta to the northeast respectively.
Garden District
College Students
Montgomery is home to a diverse selection of colleges and universities including Alabama State University, Auburn University at Montgomery, and Huntingdon College. ASU students tend to live on campus or to the east in neighborhoods like the Garden District. Cloverdale has a decent selection of older houses that students sometimes live in as well. College students across Montgomery often complain that there’s not much to do for people their age in Montgomery, and going downtown is something that students often do to get closer to the action.
- Garden District
- Cloverdale
- Downtown
Cottage Hill
Young Professionals
Cottage Hill is an area that many young people call their home in Alabama’s capital. There are a number of restaurants and other social options. The neighborhood is probably the most walkable one in the city and has a solid location near downtown. Cloverdale is another area that affords young residents with reasonable rental costs for cute homes and a variety of eating and hang out options. There’s a popular and lovely spring concert series in Cloverdale as well for those musically inclined.
- Cottage Hill
- Cloverdale
- Garden District
Millbrook
Young Families
The common answer that you will receive when asking where families should move in the Montgomery area is the suburbs. Public schools in the city itself are not highly regarded, and better educational opportunities and solid housing options are thought of as more plentiful outside of the city. One suburb that is located a short drive from Montgomery is Millbrook. Millbrook has a comparable if not better restaurant and bar scene than Montgomery itself and is known for being safer than the city as well. Prattville is also just across the river from Montgomery and itself has a lot of local businesses and solid schools. Its relative proximity to the city also provides the opportunity to escape downtown as well.
- Millbrook
- Prattville
- Coosada
Blue Ridge
Established Families
Blue Ridge is a bit further from Montgomery and offers more of a rural feel than neighborhoods and suburbs closer to the city, but its solid schools and living options make it one of the best spots in the area for those families willing to be a bit further away from the action. Pike Road is a tight knit community south of Montgomery that is also close to the highway leading to the smaller city of Troy Alabama. It’s a more quiet community than much of the surrounding area and is known for the lush green fields that cover most of it.
- Blue Ridge
- Pike Road
- Coosada