Locally known as the ‘Star of Alabama,’ Huntsville is quietly becoming one of the South’s most surprising success stories.

With attractions ranging from lunar missions and eerie tours to unique cigar box guitars and verdant botanical gardens, this city, once overlooked, has now made a name for itself – and it’s attracting many who choose to make it their new home.

The US Space & Rocket Center remains its most famous attraction, earning Huntsville the nickname Rocket City. 

Local realtor Jeremy Bronaugh notes a steady influx of newcomers from places like Atlanta and rural Alabama, all drawn to the city’s blend of culture, innovation, and a more relaxed lifestyle.

House prices have remained relatively affordable despite recent increases. Zillow reports the average home price to be around $283,000, though Bronaugh suggests it’s closer to $330,000 based on the latest sales. 

This appealing mix of small-town allure and good value housing has boosted the population from 215,006 in 2020 to its current 231,668, as per the US Census.

And growth has continued, even amid concerns that DOGE could gut the area’s federal workforce of 21,000, and turn Huntsville into a ghost town. 

Many residents are employed at the Redstone Arsenal military base, which hosts FBI offices and Marshall Space Flight Center, and work as rocket scientists and engineers with NASA.

Visitors to Hunstville are discovering the Southern gem offers more than meets the eye

Art enthusiasts can relish the Huntsville Museum of Art, which showcases the world’s largest collection of silver animal sculptures by the renowned Italian jewelry company, Buccellati.

Pictured: Local realtor Jeremy Bronaugh

Workers in Huntsville have been bracing for the impacts of Donald Trump’s executive order to cut the federal workforce after receiving ‘Fork in the Road’ emails in February. 

They offered employees a buyout through September 30 if they agreed to quit. 

Locals feared the layoffs would lead to less money spent on area businesses and people fleeing to find work elsewhere.

With the defense budget unlikely to shrink and the city now leading development of NASA’s Space Launch System – the massive rocket being built to return astronauts to the moon – Huntsville still offers strong job opportunities and relative affordability. 

After topping US News & World Report’s 2022 list of Best Places to Live in the US, Huntsville’s rapid rise hasn’t come without downsides. Some longtime residents are now moving away, citing soaring house prices and increased congestion. 

A March report from Matt Curtis Real Estate found home values in Huntsville rose nearly 15 percent in a year, pushing first-time buyers and long-time residents to the brink.

‘We are the Star of Alabama for a reason,’ Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said in 2022 after the city earned the top-ranked post.

Huntsville, Alabama, is known as Rocket City due to its ties to NASA and space exploration

Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville, Alabama, has hiking trails with sweeping views

Burritt on the Mountain is an open-air museum in Huntsville on Round Top Mountain

The Huntsville Depot is the oldest one in Alabama and has been turned into a museum

The US Space & Rocket Center, which is the largest space museum in the world, pays tribute to Huntsville’s pivotal role in the space race – the post-World War II space exploration competition between the US and the USSR.

It contains the world’s most comprehensive collection of rocket replicas including Explorer I, the satellite that launched America into the space age.

It is home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, where the Saturn V rocket was developed, launching astronauts to the Moon during the Apollo era.

Inside, there are hands-on astronaut simulators, space artifacts and even a space camp. 

‘Huntsville is growing exponentially,’ Bronaugh tells the Daily Mail. ‘It feels like every time I turn around there’s something new – a new business, a new restaurant or grocery store – and it really does feel like there’s always something new in terms of NASA exploration.

‘There are so many different kinds of sciences going on that everyone has friends that are legitimate rocket scientists.’

On that space theme, right outside the science museum gates lies the grave of Miss Baker, the squirrel monkey who became one of the first two animals launched into space – and safely returned – by the US in 1959.

Her tiny grave, alongside the one of her monkey husband, Big George, is a popular roadside stop.

Ariel view of downtown Huntsville, where people have been moving from Atlanta

Redstone Arsenal helped Huntsville become a hub for missile development

‘Huntsville is one of the highest educated cities in the country,’ Bronaugh says. 

‘We’re tracking really smart people from all over as more people learn about how nice Huntsville really is. I like to joke that there’s Huntsville, and then you go an hour any direction and you’re in Alabama.

‘It’s just a bubble of growth and industry inside of the rest of the world.’ 

While NASA launched Huntsville into space, Redstone Arsenal helped it become a hub for missile development. 

Originally created to build chemical weapons, this US Army base now builds aerospace technologies and continues to conduct cutting-edge military research and top-secret space projects. It’s a major work hub for the area.

Though, space and defense aren’t the only things Huntsville is known for.

The Huntsville Botanical Garden is another local favorite

Huntsville also has the Orion Amphitheater, a music venue which has hosted Brandi Carlile (pictured)

The city’s medical biotechnology scene is booming, and the job market in healthcare innovation is hot.

‘We’re this wellspring of really smart, really interesting people,’ Bronaugh told the Daily Mail.

Huntsville’s outdoor scene is another reason people stay.

Monte Sano State Park is a hiker’s dream, filled with scenic trails and lush greenery.

The Huntsville Botanical Garden is another haunt for locals. It’s filled with native plants and flowers, butterfly houses and kid-friendly nature trails.

The nearby Tennessee River and Big Spring International Park both contain koi ponds and cherry blossom trees gifted by Japan.

Art lovers will enjoy the Huntsville Museum of Art, home to the world’s largest collection of silver animal sculptures by famed Italian jewelry firm, Buccellati.

Near the museum is The Weeden House Museum & Garden, which offers a look at the work of Maria ‘Howard’ Weeden, a Southern artist who painted portraits of African Americans post-Civil War.

Pictured: George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, located in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama

Downtown, a secret art trail offers clues to hunt for over 20 hidden murals and sculptures

Downtown, a secret art trail offers clues to hunt for over 20 hidden murals and sculptures along the Secret Art Trail. The murals titled This Girl Can and Celestial Symphony are tucked into an alleyway and a parking garage and are especially popular.

At Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment Complex, you can buy handmade mead (honey wine), chat with painters in the middle of their process or take a free Saturday cigar box guitar lesson, which uses an empty cigar box as a guitar body.

Burritt on the Mountain, a historic mansion insulated with wheat straw, has miles of mountaintop views of the Tennessee Valley.

Then there’s ‘Eggbeater Jesus,’ officially titled Cosmic Christ, made of over 4 million tiles adorning a downtown church. Originally installed in the 1960s, the mural was restored after decades of deterioration.

Kids will love the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum and the historic Huntsville Depot, where there’s a mini-golf course set up in the streets during spring, with each hole sponsored by local businesses.

In Huntsville’s annual Lucky Duck Scavenger Hunt, participants can look for 15 hidden bronze ducks scattered throughout downtown to win prizes.

When the sun goes down, locals and visitors can take the Huntsville ghost walk through haunted streets and hear spine-tingling tales from the city’s past.

For a taste of the UK in the south, dine at The Poppy & Parliament, where you can order bangers and mash, fish and chips or a full English breakfast complete with grilled Cumberland sausages and black pudding. The upscale pub doubles as a gourmet store and butcher shop.

Huntsville also boasts the Orion Amphitheater, a brand-new 8,000-seat music venue which has hosted Brandi Carlile, The Smashing Pumpkins and Luke Bryan. The surrounding Apollo Park is filled with massive sculptures.

Other popular spots for visitors and residents include the North Alabama Railroad Museum, the US Veterans Memorial Museum and Bridge Street Town Centre.