Re/Max Platinum: Sam Heflin

Currently, we are under a tornado watch. While the line of weather is still at the Mississippi state line, the Priceville Police Department is opening the Priceville High School storm shelter. Please be aware that no pets are allowed inside the shelter and smoking is not allowed. The shelter will remain open until the line of storms has moved through.

9. Decatur/Hartselle, Alabama
(Image credit: Getty Images)
9. Decatur/Hartselle, Alabama
Cost of living: 16.3% below U.S. average
Metro population: 158,635
Median household income: $72,965
Median home value: $231,500
Unemployment rate: 2.4%
Decatur and Hartselle are two northern Alabama cities with an abundance of outdoor activities, cultural diversions, and low costs of living. Decatur's economy benefits from being one of the busiest ports on the Tennessee River and from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in nearby Huntsville. Tourism is another driver of the local economy, thanks to the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, the Carnegie Visual Arts Center, and festivals such as the Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic.

Nearby Hartselle, about 10 miles south, shares the charms of its neighbor to the north. Residents can cool off in the summer at the city's sprawling aquatic center, which includes a water slide and diving platform. And Southern history buffs will want to stroll through the Hartselle Downtown Commercial Historic District, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Residents can enjoy all this and more without breaking the bank. Decatur's housing-related costs, including mortgages and rents, are 31.8% cheaper than the national average. Prices on a wide range of goods and services, from pizza to haircuts to dry cleaning, are less expensive, too.

Alabama has one of the nation's lowest property tax rates and no state death taxes. Social Security and pensions are exempt from taxation; only the first $6,000 of distributions from retirement plans (like IRAs and 401(k)s) are tax-exempt for retirees age 65 and older.

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