New Year, new state? Alalbama to Tennessee

Published 5:12 pm Thursday, January 26, 2023

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A recent poll of Alabama families finds that most would relocate to Tennessee in 2023. And, they would head to France if there were to move abroad. And 14 percent have seriously thought about permanently moving over the past year.

After another challenging year, this time with high food and gas prices and a summer of travel chaos, it’s not surprising that many people want to pack it all in, and live somewhere completely different. But if we had the choice, where would we go?

FamilyDestinationsGuide.com, the kid-friendly vacation ideas site, surveyed 3,000 families to find out where families would move to, if they could hypothetically have a clean break and move somewhere else – with some interesting results!

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It’s no great surprise to see that families from some of the colder states wanted a bit of heat and sunshine; Alaskans would happily trade -30ºF winter weather for the warmth of Florida, while Coloradans would leave the ski resorts of Aspen, Vail and Telluride for the beautiful beaches of Hawaii.

So where would Alabamians move to, if they had the choice? Surprisingly, they wouldn’t want to stray too far – they’d be prepared to move just to the next state north, Tennessee. That way, they’d still be plugged into that friendly southern culture, but the appeal could also include lower state taxes, great hospitals and healthcare, good job opportunities, access to beautiful nature (like the Great Smoky Mountains), and a fantastic music scene (after all, it’s the state that gave us Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash and Tina Turner).

FamilyDestinationsGuide.com asked 3,000 families which would be their first choice if they were to move to an entirely different country in 2023 – a more challenging endeavor. Most chose the UK, perhaps because there’s no language barrier, plus it’s full of history, not to mention the Royal Family.

However, Alabamians would opt for France! France offers American families a high quality of life, a strong economy, beautiful scenery, proximity to other European countries, and the opportunity for cultural immersion. Moving to France can be a rewarding and enriching experience for families looking for a change of pace and a new cultural experience.

FamilyDestinationsGuide.com also wanted to find out the main reason people would be up for living elsewhere, and the results included better weather (16%); a healthier lifestyle (24%); better job opportunities (32%) and better pay (24%).

The survey also revealed that 14% have seriously thought about permanently moving over the past year – but what would they miss the most if they moved abroad? The survey revealed what they would miss the most if they moved abroad: unsurprisingly,

Forty percent would miss family, and just 8% would miss their friends (possibly because it’s so easy to keep in touch these days, and there’s also the prospect of making new ones.