[military spouse]

Hello,
We've lived in Dothan before (about 20 years ago) and are considering moving back. We've never been to Lillian or the cities close to it, but several people mentioned it to us. Thoughts on how the two places compare for retirement? Costs? Is insurance super expensive in Lillian since it is closer to the coast? Thank you!!!

[J Baustian]

I would also like to hear comments about Dothan.

[hiway 231]

I don't know anything about Lillian but I have driven through Lillian area and Gulf Shores. Personally, I would rather live in Dothan. Good size town, not too big or too small. Good health care in Dothan. Two nice hospitals.
Not a bad drive to visit the Gulf coast (Panama City area) about 85 miles.
Cost of living, insurance, etc. seems very reasonable.

[MinivanDriver]

I'd choose Lillian, or the environs. Pensacola, Gulf Shores, and Mobile are nearby with their amenities.

[EscAlaMike]

This is comparing apples and oranges. Lillian and Dothan are completely different.

Lillian is a quiet, rural area; but it's basically a suburb of Pensacola. It's in the middle of a growing area and in a fast-growing county.

Lillian is a good option if you like water-based activities.

[Hoping4Huntsville]

We've been in Dothan for ten years and are beyond ready to move on. The area is growing in a lopsided manner (mostly in NW section of town), the drivers are clueless in a very dangerous way and crime has been increasing for several years. I have never lived anywhere so small with so many car chases! City and county leadership seems to not notice (or care) about how the area is developing and changing so we continue to add restaurants and hotels and very little of anything else. It could be a great little town but someone needs to take the reigns and take control. You may wan't to come spend a week and see what you think. I would look very closely at the benefits and loses with each area before jumping. Best of luck to you and yours.

[Tommy Joad]

Dothan would be a nice fit if you are retired, conservative in your politics, enjoy being in a religious community, and enjoy a slow pace of living. The people are very friendly. There's not a lot of change year to year in Dothan. The big manufacturing plant renaissance that most of Alabama enjoys has not arrived in Dothan. I would say that Dothan resembles a mid-west farming community more than anything else. I don't find crime to be any worse than any other town. Traffic isn't bad if you avoid the highway that encircles Dothan. If you are young, I would say there is just not a lot to do in Dothan. For example, the big deal in town last month was "KC and the Sunshine Band" at the Civic Center. We do have one brewpub in town that's pretty nice however.

Retired military might find Dothan to be a nice fit. However, nearby Enterprise is giving Dothan a run for their money.

Speaking of Enterprise, the education system in Enterprise is heads and tails above Dothan in quality of education.

The big advantage to Dothan is the cost of living is dirt cheap. Affordable homes are in every area of the city. Property tax is pretty much the lowest in the country. For those of us in in the later stages of life, medical services are prevalent, easy to get to, and easy to schedule.

To sum up, if you are young and single, Dothan would be a hard "no".

If you are young and conservative with a family, and have a job on arrival, Dothan could work for you but look for a private school for your children's educational need.

If you are retired, and a conservative who's looking to escape the Blue States, definitely give Dothan a look.

One caveat, if your politics happen to be on the left side of the equation, you are not going to be happy here. I know I question my decision to move here from time to time, but the cheap cost of living and good medical care does compensate. So, there's that. And as I said, people are very friendly and it's extremely rare for politics to enter the conversation. But you will have to bite your tongue from time to time. If you can't do that, look elsewhere.

Just my observations, take it with a grain of salt. Hope this helps, good luck with your decision.

[lluvia]

Well, Dothan has something Lillian doesn't.
Rickey Stokes News.
Just feast your eyes on what happens in the Wiregrass area.

https://rickeystokesnews.com/

[Lizap]

I’m from south AL and know both places well. I agree with a previous poster it’s like ‘comparing apples and oranges.’ One question I have is why Lillian and not Daphne, Fairhope, or Foley? If only considering the two you mentioned, Lillian wins hands down. Dothan is isolated and too large to be small and too small to be large. Lillian is near Pensacola and relatively near FL and AL beaches, which is a big plus if you like this kind of thing. You’re likely going to find better health care in Pensacola than in Dothan. Property is generally going to be more expensive in Lillian; there’s greater demand to live in this area. Dothan has a much greater tornado risk than the Pensacola area, but Pensacola is more susceptible to damage from hurricanes (at least you can evacuate from hurricanes). Honestly, there are better options than either place. I would take a look at the previously mentioned places as well as others in the Pensacola suburbs.