Why Are People Flocking to Athens and Limestone County?

The fastest growing county in Alabama offers great affordability and other amazing amenities while still maintaining its small-town charm.

By Cary Estes on December 7, 2023

Nick Bumgardner

Growing pains? It’s more like growing gains for Athens and Limestone County. Waves of people are relocating to Athens and Limestone, making a small community bigger and even better than before.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Limestone was the fastest-growing county in Alabama in three of the four years from 2019 to 2022, including a 3.3% growth rate for 2022. The community of nearly 111,000 has added more than 28,000 residents since 2010. 

The Positives of Relocating to Athens and Limestone County

Newcomers are attracted to the area by the affordable cost of living, healthy business environment, numerous outdoor opportunities, convenient location (right off Interstate 65 and less than 25 miles from Huntsville International Airport) and, of course, the appeal of a less-hectic lifestyle. 

“Athens and Limestone County have grown recently, but the area still maintains a lot of that small-town feel that people love without losing out on some newer, bigger things,” says Dylan Munroe, who works at Winter Timber Outdoors/St. Nick’s Knives in Athens. “You’re not in the middle of the hustle and bustle of a big city, but you still have a lot of those types of things nearby.” 

Alabama native Josh Wolfe has experienced the best of both those worlds since he moved back to the state from Colorado in 2021 with his wife and founded WolfeCo Media, a digital marketing and advertising agency based in downtown Athens. 

“The community has really welcomed us here,” Wolfe says. “Between the overall quality of life and the way people have treated us and the way the company has been able to grow, we feel like we’ve found the perfect place both professionally and personally.” 

Bottom Line Is Top Draw 

Saving dollars is one of the reasons that relocating to Athens and Limestone County makes sense for so many people. The benefits start at home, with the average home value in Athens at $296,000 (Zillow, July 2023), about 85% of the U.S. average. 

In addition to saving money, Athens-Limestone County also is a great place for making money. The region’s business community includes international corporations specializing in such industries as logistics and advanced manufacturing. Small businesses are thriving as well, with specialty retail shops, restaurants and offices located throughout downtown Athens and along the Highway 72 corridor. 

“We have an influx of quality businesses moving into the area, along with a lot of locally owned stores and restaurants,” says Athens native Anna Clem. “This will bring in even more people wanting to enjoy what we have in Athens.” 

Wolfe is one of those people. He says he has been impressed with the resources and workforce available in Athens-Limestone County that helped him quickly get his new company established, including the LaunchBox initiative created by Athens State University in 2022.

“This is the right place to start a business,” Wolfe says. “There are a lot of tools here that we’re able to use through the Athens-Limestone Chamber of Commerce and Athens State. From both an external standpoint of new clientele as well as an internal standpoint of finding and recruiting talent, this area has been very good for us.”

Singing River Trail

The Outdoors Are Still Great

Despite all the recent growth, Limestone County maintains plenty of open spaces and natural beauty, with a diverse mix of trails for walking, hiking and paddling. The Tennessee River, Wheeler Lake and the Swan Creek Wildlife Management Area all offer outdoor recreation opportunities within a short drive from downtown Athens.

“You can go just about anywhere in Limestone County and find someplace to have fun outside,” Munroe says. “This is a great area to get outside. There’s something for everyone.”

One of the more popular attractions is the Richard Martin Trail, a 10.3-mile rail-to-trail route running from Athens to just south of the Tennessee state line. Eventually, it will be part of the Singing River Trail, which upon completion will extend for more than 200 miles across northern Alabama.

“It will be used for both recreation and as alternative transportation to “a car,” says Clem, who serves as the trail’s associate director. “We already see a lot of cyclists around here, and by giving them more opportunities like this, it will be another economic boost to the area.”