Best Places to Retire in Alabama
Profile
Dothan (population 62,000) is located in the southeastern corner of the state, about 20 miles from the Florida and Georgia state lines. It is 83 miles southwest of Albany, GA, and about 100 miles southeast of Montgomery, AL. To the south, it is about 95 miles to Tallahassee, FL. Dothan, which is called the “Peanut Capital of the World,” is the county seat of Houston County. The landscape is mostly level, with some scattered hilly sections towards the northeastern part of the county. Dothan is a progressive and growing city with many cultural opportunities and amenities.
Opportunities for entertainment abound including symphonic music, dance, live theater, choral ensembles, and sporting events. And there are also many dining choices. You can choose fine dining, ethnic restaurants, or traditional Southern fare.
There is even sushi if you prefer it. There are also a number of dinner theaters and establishments that offer nightlife, including some with live music. Dothan has two large hospitals and its own airport located a few miles northwest of the city.
There are a number of fine public and private golf courses in the area, and there is excellent hunting and fishing nearby. Beachgoers can drive almost due south to the magnificent Gulf Coast beaches at Panama City, FL, in less than two-and-a-half hours. Or they can reach the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in about three hours. The city is thriving and growing, but at the same time it retains its friendliness and charm. All this quality of life — and a very reasonable cost of living.
Arts & Culture
Wiregrass Museum of Art features a main gallery, lecture hall and five additional gallery spaces. It also has a conference center and museum store. Tri-State Community Orchestra, founded in 1995, offers regular concerts throughout the year.
It has grown to more than 55 players from around the region, which includes Southeast Alabama, Eastern Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle. Southeast Alabama Dance Company has been performing for more than a quarter century, beginning as the Dothan Ballet and Dance Company. The Cultural Arts Center is a non-profit organization that provides a venue for talented artists.
It’s home to the Southeast Alabama Community Theatre, Southeast Alabama Dance Company, Tri-State Community Orchestra, Dothan Wiregrass Art League, MusicSouth, and the National Railroad Historical Society. Southeast Alabama Community Theatre, located at the Cultural Arts Center, produces three or four shows annually. The nonprofit theater group, comprised of gifted volunteers, was established in 1974.
Dothan Opera House, one of the important venues in the city, has been operating since 1915. This recently renovated Victorian structure is on the National Register of Historic Places. The 590-seat theater hosts dance, choral ensembles, community theater, concerts, business events, pageants, and more. Dothan Civic Center is the city’s premier venue with a 10,800 square foot arena and theater seating for 3,100. MusicSouth (formerly known as the South Alabama Symphony Association) is dedicated to bringing cultural and educational musical experiences from symphonies to jazz performance to the area. Houston-Love Memorial Library.
Recreation
The recreation departments in the area offer 20 parks, six public swimming pools, 40 tennis courts, four recreation centers, a five-diamond softball complex, and other team sports. The area has bicycle trails, jogging and nature trails, canoe trips, horseback trail riding, and a number of fine golf courses. There are a number of golf courses in and around Dothan: Dothan Country Club –Dothan National Golf Club & Hotel –Green Hill Golf Course –Highlands/Marshwood Course — Magnolia/Highlands Course — Marshwood/Magnolia Course — Short Course — Olympia Spa Golf Resort — Chattahoochee State Park includes a square-mile along the great Chattahoochee River.
It has a six-mile trail system and a four-mile perimeter fire lane. Park rangers caution that there are many diamondback rattlesnakes in this habitat. Lake Point State Park, which is about seven miles north of Eufaula, offers a public golf course, boat docks, marina services, tennis courts, camping sites, and more. Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge consists of more than 11,000 acres along the upper shores of Lake Eufaula.
The Refuge supports a large population of migrating and year-round birds, including Canadian geese, bald eagles, osprey, great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, little blue heron, anhinga, and cattle egrets. Other wildlife includes quail, turkey, beaver, fox, raccoon, bobcat, rabbits, deer and alligators.
Education
Wallace Community College is a two-year institution that offers a wide variety of programs leading to associate in arts and associate in science degrees. It also offers numerous workforce-oriented programs that offer certificates.http://www.wallace.edu/ Troy University is a four-year liberal arts institution with a total enrollment of nearly 30,000 students, including 10,000 full-time undergraduates and more than 4,000 graduate students. The school currently has four campus sites in Alabama, and a total of 60 locations in 17 states and 11 countries. A number of its sites are on military installations.
Senior Programs
Rose Hill Senior Adult Center — Seniors Information Page — RSVP (Senior Corps) is a volunteer program to assist seniors: 334-793-9666 Southern Alabama Regional Council on Aging (serving counties in the region, including the Dothan area) — http://www.sarcoa.org/ Wallace Community College adult education offers free classes and self-paced instruction.
Hospitals
Flowers Hospital is a full-service, acute care facility with 235 beds. It has serviced the area for more than 50 years. http://www.flowershospital.com/ Southeast Alabama Medical Center is a 345-bed regional referral center.http://www.samc.org/
Airport
Dothan Regional Airport is located approximately seven miles northwest of the central business district. http://www.flydothan.com/
Weather
Dothan has an average low temperature of 40 degrees in January, and the average high for the month is 61 degrees. The averages for July are a high of 91 degrees and a low of 71 degrees. Dothan averages 55 inches of rainfall annually.
Newspaper
Dothan Eagle — http://www.dothaneagle.com/
Property Taxes
Houston County Revenue Commission
Chamber of Commerce
Distances
Ozark, AL – 22 miles Enterprise, AL – 30 miles Eufaula, AL – 50 miles Panama City, FL – 80 miles Albany, GA – 83 miles Tallahassee, FL – 96 miles Montgomery, AL – 104 miles Macon, GA – 190 miles Atlanta, GA – 205 miles