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 Guntersville/Marshall County: Newcomer Information

Area Maps



Schools
Former Alabama State School Superintendent, Ed Richardson, once referred to the Guntersville City School System as the “Best Kept Secret in Alabama.” With a tradition of excellence, the Guntersville City Schools rank among the top in Alabama in standardized test scores, and scores above the state and national average on the ACT. Students attend schools in excellent facilities with small class sizes, highly qualified teachers, and access to state of the art technology.

Students have access to a wide variety of courses with an emphasis on reading and math in the elementary grades. Middle and high school students have countless electives with opportunities for college credit in the 11th and 12th grades. Numerous extra-curricular offerings exist in the fine arts, i.e. art, choral music, and band and in athletics, where we have consistently been the highest ranked public school in our classification.

Institutions of higher learning include: Snead State Community College in Boaz and Jacksonville State University offers undergraduate and graduate level video conferencing classes in Guntersville.

Links to relative education related websites in your community


Housing/Real Estate
In 2002 Guntersville was chosen by Relocate America as one of the 100 Best Places To Live in America. Guntersville offers homeowners a wide variety of housing and property ownership opportunities, including lakefront and lake access property, golf course communities, homes in existing neighborhoods, and new subdivisions. You can find the home you are looking for right here in beautiful Guntersville, Alabama. For a complete listing of real estate agents visit the Chamber’s Membership Directory online at www.lakeguntersville.org/members.asp and click on Real Estate.

Looking to rent? A roomy two-bedroom townhouse-style apartment rents from $500 to $700 a month and a nice three-bedroom home rents for $700-$900 a month.

Links to relative real estate websites

Taxes
Retail Sales Tax
7%
Personal Income Tax
None
Corporate Income Tax
5%
Property is appraised at “fair market value.” In Alabama, property is classified as:
Class I Utility
30%
Class II All other property
20%
Class III Farm property and owner Occupied res. property
10%
Class IV Motor Vehicles
15%
Multiply the appraised value of property by the proper classification to determine the assessed value. Taxes are based on assessed value, less exemption, times a millage rate. A mill is one-tenth of one cent (.001).

Links to appropriate contacts

Utilities
Utilities and other services can be easily established in Guntersville in just a couple of stops or a few easy phone calls. The Electric and Water Boards are located in the Guntersville Municipal Building, 341 Gunter Avenue, and the Marshall County Gas Board is located at 1245 Gunter Avenue.

Links to appropriate contacts

License & Registration
New residents of Guntersville and Marshall County should visit the Marshall County Courthouse, located at 425 Gunter Avenue, for auto registration, driver’s license and voter registration. New residents of Guntersville can register their pets at the Guntersville Municipal Building, located at 341 Gunter Avenue.

Links to appropriate contacts

Testimonials
irst thing I noticed living in Guntersville, after spending 18 years working for the Federal Government in the DC area was the stressless commute to and from work. I actually had to familiarize myself with how to use the cruise control feature on my car.

The next pleasant surprise was the abundance of affordable housing. I was able to buy a single-family home with twice the square footage as the townhouse I had in Northern Virginia with the added feature of having a breathtaking view of Lake Guntersville.

Now that my children are of school age, I was extremely pleased to find out the School System is ranked fifth in the state and their Elementary School is recognized as a Presidential Blue Ribbon School.

One concern I had when we moved to Alabama was, would we have the level of cultural, historical and sports opportunities as in the DC area. What I found was that I had all the benefits of a big city with the friendliness associated with a small town. You just can’t beat their southern hospitality.

If I was given the opportunity again to work in Huntsville and live in northern Alabama or stay in DC, I can honestly say that I would move to Alabama in a heartbeat.

Victor J. Kovac
18-year resident of Northern Virginia
(Prince William County)
Chief, Cost and Financial Management Division
Cruise Missile Defense Systems Project Office
Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County
225 Church Street, Huntsville, Alabama 35801
Phone: (256) 535-2000 | Toll Free: (866) 854-7551 | Fax: (256) 535-2015 | ltraylor@hsvchamber.org
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