Dothan, Alabama

The healthcare provider has served the community for over 50 years and has won multiple awards. Its high ratings, consistent quality, and dedicated staff make it one of the best healthcare centers in the Southern US. Services by the provider include women’s health, diagnostics, pediatrics, and various specialties.

Dothan, Alabama, is a charming mid-sized town (city) with approximately 71,000 people. The city is located in the southeast corner of Alabama. Dothan is a well-balanced community that offers a mix of urban and small-town features, such as larger shopping centers, parks, and entertainment options, combined with a relaxed and friendly community atmosphere. While it is not a small town, it still retains a relatively small-town feel and a more relaxed pace of life compared to larger metropolitan areas. Known as the Wiregrass region and nicknamed the Peanut Capital, it’s one of the fastest-growing cities in the state. One of the best things to do when you’re new to town is roam Dothan and look for some of the 60 peanut statues spread throughout the area. You can stop by the Dothan Visitor’s Center and grab a brochure to guide your search.

Community Links & Resources

• Website
• Dothan Community
• Facebook Page
• Visitor Guide

Dothan has a lower cost of living than many other United States cities, with affordable housing options and lower taxes. The city’s cost of living is 9%  lower than the national average, and housing prices are 26% less than the rest of the nation. The average rent for Dothan residents is between $760 and $953 a month as of 2023.

Dothan features various housing options with apartments, single-family homes, and townhomes to meet your needs. Whether you live in a house or an apartment complex, you’ll be able to find a comfortable space with all of the comforts of home. Many apartment communities aren’t far from the hospital and have superb amenities, such as swimming pools, playgrounds, fitness centers, and car wash areas.

• ‍Alabama Demographics

Apartment Listing Resources

• Apartments.com 
• Rentable.co
• Apartment Finder
• Trulia
• For Rent

The following Dothan apartment management companies work with PassportUSA employees so you can get set up with a place to live as soon as possible.

• ArborGates Estates
• Fieldcrest Apartments
• Magnolia Preserve
• Oates Estates Apartments
• Real Estate Services of Dothan

The city has a well-regarded public school system, with several elementary, middle, and high schools serving the area. Dothan City Schools (DCS) features 19 schools, with 2 Pre-K centers, 11 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 2 high schools, 1 alternative school, and 1 learning center.  Unlike other public school districts, DCS allows families to choose where their children attend school and doesn’t limit attendance to a specific address. Although they don’t provide transportation outside the student’s zoned school, School Choice does let children access a wider range of educational opportunities in Dothan.

DCS incorporates visual arts throughout its schools and also has a competitive STEM (Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology) campus, Carver School, where students prepare for STEM-based careers. All schools in the district feature a well-rounded curriculum to prepare students for college and the workforce, with hands-on projects, special activities, and the incorporation of technology whenever possible. Several schools within the DCS are arts-focused and integrate the subject into all courses. Known as A+ Arts Schools, these are Kelly Springs Elementary, Hidden Lake Primary, and Beverlye Intermediate. DCS has 2 National Blue Ribbon Schools:  Beverlye Intermediate and Heard Elementary. Several private schools are also available for those who prefer a different educational option.

Nearby colleges and universities include Wallace Community College and the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The Dothan Houston Public Library System features the downtown Dothan Main library and a branch library location in the city. All residents can access the library’s services, which include a vast selection of books and media, plus a system where library card holders can borrow useful things, such as cameras, pans, game consoles, and laptops. Events held by the library include art workshops for adults, storytime, and teen programs. All programs are free to the public.

Various youth programs in the community

• Time Youth Dothan
• Girls Inc
• Boys and Girls Club Wiregrass
• Sports teams

Dothan has limited public transportation options, with a bus system within city limits. Taxis and ride-sharing services are available for those traveling outside the city. Many area destinations are centered around the State Route 10/Ross Circle Drive area, which circles Dothan and the surrounding county. The road’s location makes it easy to navigate to major destinations, such as shopping and healthcare. It’s also easy to take Main Street right to Downtown and other commercial areas of Dothan.

When you need to get out of town, the Dothan Regional Airport is only 7 miles / 11 KM outside Dothan and features non-stop flights to Atlanta, Georgia, via Delta Airlines twice daily. Other nearby airports include Panama City, Florida’s ECP airport, which is located 65 miles away on a pleasant drive on well-paved roads.

Daily Driving in Dothan

• The average Dothan commute is 19 minutes via car,  much lower than the national average of 26.4 minutes. 
• You can get anywhere within the city in around 15 minutes on average.
• There are nearly 20 car repair shops and mechanics in the area.

Dothan is a tri-state hub and is located within close proximity to several larger cities. These destinations feature pleasant drives on US highways, with no rural or unpaved country roads. Dothan’s location within Alabama is just 20 miles (32 km) west of Georgia and 16 miles (26 km) north of Florida, making it easy to take a quick weekend trip to either state. Nearby destinations include:

Montgomery, Alabama, is only 90 miles / 144 KM. This steady, easy highway drive takes only 2 hours. Once in Montgomery, you can enjoy good shopping and dining, plus some of its fun attractions. You have your pick of things to do, including a visit to Montgomery Zoo, exploring the sprawling Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, wondering at the stars of W.A. Gayle Planetarium, or learning about the fight for civil rights at some of the historic sites.

Tallahassee, Florida, the Florida state capitol, is a 2-hour drive, only 150 miles / 151 KM away. Traveling from Dothan to Tallahassee is an enjoyable drive with trees and land, intermixed with various shopping centers and restaurants to stop for a bite. Tallahassee’s attractions include the Florida Historic Capitol Museum, the Museum of Florida History, the Tallahassee Automobile Museum, and the Challenger Learning Center.

Panama City Beach, Florida (PCB) is a short 2-hour drive of 92.6 / 149 KM. You can take the US highways, which give way to beautiful sandy beaches once you arrive in PCB. The city is known for its beaches, but other attractions include Pier Park, Shipwreck Island, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, WonderWorks, and more than 5 mini-golf places.  

Atlanta, Georgia, Georgia’s capitol, is 225 miles / 331 KM. A 3-hour highway drive, the route features lots of development along the way with no country roads. Atlanta is a popular destination for families and young professionals, perfect for a day trip or weekend getaway. Atlanta is home to the Coca-Museum, the Georgia Aquarium, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and the Center for Puppetry Arts.

Dothan and the surrounding area have several parks and natural attractions, including Westgate Park and the Dothan Botanical Gardens.

When it comes to finding what you need, Dothan offers a variety of shopping options, so you never come home empty-handed. For food, there are more than 12 grocery stores, including Publix, Winn Dixie, and Piggly-Wiggly, with produce, meats, and dry groceries. Farmer’s markets and farm stands in Dothan also offer fresh, locally-harvested produce at affordable prices. Big-box stores Target and Walmart are also in Dothan, and both stores have a wide variety of merchandise, such as home needs, cleaning supplies, decor, pet supplies, toys, and clothing. To visit multiple stores simultaneously, visit the Wiregrass Mall, an enclosed shopping mall with popular brands such as Aeropostale, Bath & Body Works, and The Children’s Place. The historic and quaint Dothan downtown area is where you’ll find boutiques, local restaurants, and a bookstore.

There’s a chance for fun and entertainment around every corner in Dothan. This mid-sized city offers plenty to see and do, with options for both children and adults. Adventureland Theme Park is a bustling fun center with activities such as mini-golf, bumper boats, go-karts, and arcade games. People flock to Water World, Dothan’s seasonal water park in the summer. Here you can zoom down one of the water slides, face the crashing surf in the wave pool, and battle with each other in the 3 water slides, a wave pool, or plunge down a huge water tube ride. No matter the weather, Fun Zone Skate Center offers fun year-round, with an arcade, rock climbing wall, roller skating, bumper cars, and laser tag. Dothan offers two AMC movie theaters to see the latest movies, plus the VIP Star-Lite Drive-In just 27 minutes away in Newton, Alabama, at 16.4 miles / 26 KM.

Over the years, Dothan developed a great arts and cultural scene, offering some of the best opportunities in the south. The city’s varied options allow you to see a show, attend a workshop, catch an art exhibit, or explore a historical park. Want to get into the arts? Take a class at the Cultural Arts Center in downtown Dothan. This non-profit houses 5 arts organizations, but the heart of the Cultural Arts Center is the Messy Studio, a classroom space with classes in various arts for adults and children. When you’re interested in looking at art instead, Dothan has just the place. The Wiregrass Museum of Art is a robust museum with free admission. Rotating exhibits showcase both local and national artists. Every Saturday of the month features a free family day event. Another must-see museum is The Carver Museum, with exhibits showcasing the life of American hero George Washington Carver, a scientist and agricultural leader. You can also explore local history at Landmark Park, a sprawling 19th-century living history farm with a boardwalk, picnic area, planetarium, and trails. Also on site is the Alabama Agricultural Museum showcasing the area's history in the 1890s. For entertainment options, Dothan includes the Southeast Alabama Community Theatre, which has 6-7 shows and musicals each year.

Dothan’s community is a welcoming, diverse, and friendly city. Alabama also has a growing Filipino community, and Dothan offers a great place to explore it.

• ‍Chamber of commerce website

Overview of nearby Filipino communities

• 35 minutes away in nearby Enterprise, Alabama (29 miles / 47 KM), is the Big Blue Catfish Phil-Am Bistro, with the Manila Asian Food Store for Filipino groceries 2 minutes down the street (https://www.facebook.com/BBlueCatfishPABistro) (https://www.facebook.com/manilaasianfoodstore/)
• Philippine American Association of Alabama, PAAA, Inc. (https://www.facebook.com/PAAAINC)
• Philippine Nurses Association of Alabama (https://www.pnaalabama.org)

One can find information on religious communities in the United States through:

• Religious websites or directories: Church Finder and Church Angel
• ‍Social media groups or pages dedicated to a particular religion or city
• Local community centers or mosques/temples/churches
• Online forums or discussion groups
• Ask for recommendations from friends or acquaintances who live in the area
• Community event listings or local news websites: https://visitdothan.com/things-to-do/events/ and https://www.eventbrite.com/d/al--dothan/events/ and https://dothaneagle.com/events/

Dothan has a subtropical climate with warm, humid summers and mild winters. The area receives an average of 50 inches /1,270 mm of rainfall annually, with most falling in summer. It's also prone to thunderstorms and occasional hurricanes, though hurricanes are rare in Dothan.

Average Dothan Temperature

• Annual 65ºF / 18ºC
• January: 46ºF / 7ºC
• July: 83ºF / 28º C

Dothan is safe for visitors and residents. The website NeighborhoodScout analyzed all cities and towns in America with a similar population size to Dothan and found that the crime rate in Dothan is one of the lowest in the nation for its size. This data means Dothan is one of the safest places in America to live for its size, a significant finding. Dothan was even named one of the safest cities in Alabama in 2019.

Dothan’s crime rate is average for its size, per Neighborhood Scout and is safer than 77% of US cities. Dothan's violent crime rate is 1 per thousand inhabitants, which is about average for all communities in America across all population sizes.

• ‍Police Department
• ‍Safest neighborhoods: Dothan West, Brannon Stand, Green Acres, Ardilla, Dothan West, Dothan Northwest, Spring Valley Acres/Taylor, Rehobeth, Wiregrass Hills, Westgate Park