Why a Colorado transplant made the move to Huntsville
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Chance Hill moved to the Huntsville area from Colorado Springs four years ago primarily for work.
Why it matters: The announcement of the Space Command move was immediately followed by questions of how many people would move along with it — and what they'd be getting themselves into.
- Hill's story offers a preview of what transplants might experience if they move to the Rocket City.
Zoom in: For Hill, who focuses on the space sector in his work for a government contractor, a big positive point was the cost of living.
- "We moved here for a variety of reasons," he told Axios Huntsville, "but one of the bigger differences: It's overall more affordable."
Case in point: Hill moved from a townhome he owned to a house he and his wife purchased that's 2.6 times the square footage, for a slight increase in price, he said.
- "If you want more money in your pocket and all that that means, I think Huntsville is a better choice for a lot of people."
Yes, but: Money is not everything. Hill's a big sports fan, and said Alabama offers "the epicenter of college football — a check in the plus column."
- Also in Hill's plus column are Huntsville's "very well organized" downtown with amenity Big Spring Park, and its relatively close proximity to day-trip destinations like Atlanta, the Western North Carolina mountains and the beach.
Context: The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce markets the area to potential transplants and site selectors for companies through its ASmartPlace initiative. There's even a podcast.
- Lucia Cape, senior vice president of economic development at the chamber, told Axios Huntsville that "people will move for good jobs, and our quality of life makes us very attractive."
- "Our biggest challenge is getting people from other parts of the country to open their minds about the southeastern U.S.," she added. "Getting them here to see for themselves is the best strategy."
By the numbers: The 16-county Huntsville area has a cost of living 13.1% below the national average, meaning the average wage of $60,192 has a spending power of $69,281 elsewhere in the country, according to the chamber.
- The Colorado Springs Chamber and Economic Development Corporation's cost of living calculator says the city is 12% more expensive than Huntsville.
- Housing, it says, costs 47% more in Colorado Springs, and health care 6% more, though utilities are 14% less.
The bottom line: "Those who do make a decision to move I think will find that Huntsville is a great place to live," Hill said. "We love it here."