Alabama is one of the best states for ‘tiny house living’

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Tiny House
Tiny house living is a trend that is not going away any time soon. (“Tumbleweed Tiny House” by joncallas is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

A dwelling trend that was popularized more than a decade ago remains hot, as tiny house living still gains prominence. And apparently Alabama is a great place to experience this popular living trend

A recent study shows Alabama to be among the top states in the country for urban tiny house living.

Best States for Tiny House Living

According to LawnStarter, the ten best states for tiny home living are:

  1. Vermont
  2. Kentucky
  3. Arkansas
  4. Maine
  5. Minnesota
  6. Montana
  7. Alabama
  8. Georgia
  9. Texas
  10. Kansas

The study compared the 50 states on the legality of constructing a tiny home.

It also looked at the suitability of building in an urban setting based on average yard acreages and in a remote environment based on off-grid lifestyle-friendliness, a separate LawnStarter ranking that consists of 23 key factors.

Here’s how Alabama ranked in some of the key metrics of the study:

  • Average Yard Acreage – 6th
  • Tiny House Legality Score – 1st
  • Off-Grid Lifestyle Index – 28th

What is a ‘tiny home?’

Tiny House
What exactly is tiny home living? (Photo by Andrea Davis on Unsplash)

According to the 2018 International Residential Code, a tiny house is defined as “a home with a maximum floor area of 400 square feet, excluding lofts.”

Tiny homes rose in popularity in the U.S. during the Great Recession from 2006 to 2009, with people choosing to downsize their living spaces or searching for more affordable housing during a poor job market and mass foreclosures.

While some opted for the tiny home lifestyle for environmental reasons, others choose the life because it is trendy and inexpensive (although some tiny home plans can get pretty pricey).

Tiny homes have continued to be popular, especially these designer homes.

For more information on tiny house living in Alabama, visit the Tiny Home Industry Association’s website.

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Michael Seale
Michael Seale
Articles: 138