Article By AL.com – April 2018 – Huntsville was once an idyllic farming area with lovely mountains to balance out the scenery. For decades, this was the case—then, some out-of-this-world stuff started happening there too. The U.S. Army put a group of scientists in Huntsville to boost the country’s rocket capabilities, and that led into the space race. The presence of Marshall Spaceflight Center imbued the area with a new identity, “The Rocket City.”
Today, an ever-adaptive military has required a civilian workforce to develop new ideas in confidence well beyond the space race. And STEM professionals are flocking to the city for the low cost of living, balanced lifestyle, and economic outlook. If you are high tech and low hassle, this North Alabama city might be the place for you.
1. Stable Growth in STEM
Nearly 17% of Huntsville’s workforce is STEM. Between 2016 and 2017, one-year tech job growth was 309 percent—tops in the entire country. The median mid-career tech salary is $96,400. How? Cummings Research Park has a lot to do with the stability of STEM jobs in Huntsville.
In 1961, Milton K. Cummings, then president of Brown Engineering Company, selected a tract of land on the western edge of Huntsville for building a new headquarters because it was just a few miles from Redstone Arsenal, home of major space and rocket programs. Wernher von Braun, German-born rocket godfather, proposed that the City of Huntsville zone the area as a research park district. In 1962, the 3,000 acres of land officially became Huntsville Research Park.
Cummings Research Park facilitated critical support for the golden age of space travel, and just as the technologies developed for space flight outlived that age, so did the public-private infrastructure in Huntsville. Nearly 300 companies occupy Research Park, and 29,000 employees report to the district every day. It is the second largest research park in America.
For the past 18 years, Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation (INTUITIVE) has had a presence in Research Park. Today, the company’s flagship location is a 133,967 square-foot, multi-tenant facility visible from Bradford Drive and Research Park, known as the INTUITIVE Center. “While we have employees who sit at other locations across the Southeast, we felt that Huntsville was an important place to establish our identity,” said INTUITIVE CEO and Co-Founder Rey Almodóvar. “We have close relationships on dynamic projects, and we employ many professionals who transition from the civil service and military to working with us. Proximity still matters in the high-tech world.”
Companies such as INTUITIVE present the military with a range of engineering solutions, most notably advancing virtual reality and attendant software for tactical training. That level of meaningful day-to-day work product is what keeps both young and experienced engineers excited about aerospace and defense careers.
2. Low Cost of Living/Low Hassle
Huntsville is the second largest city in Alabama, and it is in close proximity to both Nashville and Atlanta. Nonetheless, it remains one of the most affordable cities in America.
Can you fathom that the average apartment in Cupertino, CA is $3,178 per month? In Huntsville, it’s $950. The San Jose, CA, area average commute is 38 minutes. In Huntsville, it’s around 20 minutes, and many people choose to live in popular suburbs, not necessarily anchored to their work in their house hunt. Oh, and you can have a yard.
3. Cool Downtown
You may be a practical person, but sometimes you have to get away from work and have fun. Huntsville’s downtown is festive and accessible. Most of the buildings are the late 1800s brick variety. You can easily walk to all the spots below from public parking.
Big Spring Park is centrally located and is the front yard of the Huntsville Museum of Art. The park is home to regularly-scheduled street food gatherings, Grotto Lights Concert Series, Panoply Arts Festival, Retro Winter Games, and the Human Foosball Tournament.
The Historic Square and Historic Depot host Rocket City Brewfest, the Downtown Open Pop Up Putt Putt tournament, and the Downtown Pop Up Park Experience. You will also find downtown venues for the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, Broadway Theater League, Huntsville Ballet, Theatre Huntsville, and Fantasy Playhouse. For those in need of sudsy hangouts, there are more than ten breweries in the Huntsville area as well as establishments with live music that serve locally crafted selections.
4. Outdoors
Nature is the yin to the office yang. Within about 10 minutes of downtown you can see waterfalls, caves, and mountain views. Monte Sano State Park is over 2,000 acres and overlooks the city. It’s an easy day trip, with trails that you could walk on your extended lunch break.
If you need more wilderness, the North Alabama Land Trust maintains over 20 miles of trails on the backside of Monte Sano. You can bike, hike, camp, and get away . . . but never more than a few road miles from the Rocket City. Caves and navigable rivers are never far away in Alabama. About 30 miles southeast of town you can see the largest commercial cave opening in America, Cathedral Caverns. The must-see stunner is filled with vibrant formations and even boasts evidence of early inhabitants.
5. Supportive Local Government
If you’re thinking of moving to Huntsville, you will be happy to know that the community appreciates the significance of its tech heritage, and the local political figures are adamant about making sure that Huntsville is known nationwide as a tech hub. Mayor Tommy Battle has introduced initiatives including GEO Huntsville, Cyber Huntsville, Energy Huntsville, and Bio Huntsville. The current administration has also launched the Gig City initiative with Google to provide fiber internet access in people’s homes throughout the city.
If you are an energetic STEM worker, Huntsville will welcome you with innovative minds and open arms. The fastest growing careers are in software development, electrical engineering, and computer science. To see a list of available positions at INTUITIVE, click here now.