My husband and I cant stand the heat and the increasing cost of living here anymore. We basically want there to be jobs, not too extreme weather, decent COL, and we’re not huge on the idea of moving to the east coast. Would like to stay closer to family in AZ if possible. We don’t drink so night life isn’t a big factor for us, mostly stay home with our dog. We also enjoy camping, skating, hiking, good food + music, community events

We were thinking Salt Lake City could be a fun change of pace, but the lake drying up causing arsenic/mercury dust to fly in the air is definitely concerning, and we are not religious, have tattoos, dyed hair etc. Do you think this could hinder us finding housing and jobs in SLC?

Places we’ve already lived/crossed off: Phoenix area LA county Chicago suburbs

Hubs and I are both mid-30s with two kids under two. We lived in Atlanta 11 years ago and are strongly considering a move back. We loved ATL a decade ago but things have changed since then, both with the city and our personal lives (kids).

We live in Austin currently and it’s okay, but I don’t love it. Problem is, I don’t really love anywhere. Nowhere perfectly fits my list of wants and I’m wondering if I’m just exhausting myself with another move. For context, I’ve lived in 7 different cities in the last 11 years. I’m considering ATL because I enjoyed living there the most.

I’m tired of moving and want to settle down somewhere permanently, but I don’t know where. I’m worried I’m a bit of a rolling stone, but my kids really need one location to grow up in.

Help. What should I do? For context, my husband and I can work from anywhere, always live in the city never the ‘burbs, and COL is about the same in ATX and ATL.

Recently, there's been an increase in the number of videos "highlighting" the dark side of the US ( continues to say how the US is losing it's grip and influence, etc. etc. and why it is better not to move there, it's unsafe, homeless everywhere, abortion illegal, no healthcare, etc. ).

Here's what other people say on Reddit: https://imgur.com/a/RNzVNp3

https://youtu.be/rLTrVR9AOkA?si=o3Rb399YpEL9XvAz

Or just online click baits to get views?

I don’t like being too hot but can deal with heat more easily than humidity. I don’t mind driving to work but not more than 15 minutes. I live in Fairbanks, Alaska and I love almost every aspect of it except of course that the winters are too long. My work commute is 7 minutes, I own my modest home, I can walk or ride my bike to a brewery, grocery store, health food store, other shopping centers and I’m surrounded by walking and biking trails for recreation too. We have many parks and a bird migratory refuge that I love to go to. It’s also very dog friendly here and people love and appreciate art. Basically looking for all of this with a shorter winter. Do any such unicorn cities exist? Also, I prefer snow to rain because I can at least ski. I don’t enjoy winters like Seattle.

Ok, so imagine you’re a 40-something female who doesn’t want kids trying to figure out where to land. Mostly interested in places that have a sense of community - an ease to meeting new people and opportunities for socializing. Outdoors stuff a plus. Cost of living and climate negotiable. Would love to meet a man but that seems hard anywhere you live. NYC, DC, and Miami are out. Places you can ride your bicycle and not deal with allergies a plus. Tia!

Hi all!!

I hope everyone is doing well. I've been searching for a while for a town (or small city) or unorganized township or CDP (census designated place) that fits my needs. Namely, these are 1) safety, 2) low taxes, 3) lean conservative or libertarian, in this order.

A bit about me: I'm going to Berkeley this fall for EECS, but I'll be starting as a junior since I earned two years of credits through concurrent enrollment at community college. Through my school's career fair, I got a (remote) internship at a small local company, and I was told there would be a possibility for a return internship the next summer (since I'd be a junior). My assumption (or hope, haha) after that is that I could covert this into a full-time job after I graduate from college. Seeing as the CS market is very bad as of now, I'm hoping I can stick with this one company. Even if the pay is low, I love the prospect of working remotely, since it means I can escape the Bay Area.I really dislike the Bay Area, namely due to the high cost of living, high cost of electricity (54 cents / kwh per PGE I believe), high crime, and politics that I disagree with. Thus I'm looking for a town, CDP, or unorganized township to move to -- assuming I'm able to get a remote job.

The biggest issue for me is safety, above all else. This means that I can, for example, leave my car out and not worry about anyone breaking the windows, stealing the catalytic converter, or siphoning my gas. It also means that I don't have to worry about being killed by drunk / erratic drivers. I love bicycling at night, when there's no one outside, but I'm worried that DUI and otherwise erratic drivers could end me if I did that. Saved money in taxes means nothing if you're dead, or have a life-changing disability. I know that this can happen anywhere, but I think some states and townships are notorious for this compared to others.

Low taxes are also ideal. Ideally, the tax that's the lowest should be property taxes -- I don't want to be priced out of my home. For example, in California, property taxes are limited to a certain percent increase per year. Is there anywhere else like that, or at least with low property valuations? Also ideally, there is limited government intervention -- meaning no permits required (save for electric, septic, and well / plumbing). Additionally, I prefer the home to be have a septic and well, opposed to public sewer and water. I know this may sound strange, since buyers usually prefer it the other way, but I prefer self-reliability in case of a global catastrophe.

Lastly, I think the politics need to align with my beliefs. For example here in California, San Fransisco actually banned students from taking Algebra I / Geometery in 7th and 8th grade. Additionally, I was required to take an Ethnic Studies course by my school, which focuses greatly on issues of privilege and what was particularly uncomfortable for me was the focus on "whiteness", and how reverse racism wasn't real. If I was a white person, I would have felt very uncomfortable in this class. I don't want my tax dollars supporting these courses. Although I understand that the Ethnic Studies courses were made with good intentions, I still would prefer not to have my taxes support them. I also feel it's very strange that 14 year olds (we were in 9th grade at the time) are being required to take this course, since that's such a young age to be fed political opinions. Thus a school district that doesn't teach this to students is a must, though I don't plan to ever have kids myself.

About me personally: 17M, Asian, very introverted, a bit socially anxious (isn't everyone? xD), like exploring, hiking, cycling, going on random drives, and being outdoors, watching anime, playing Cave Story :D. I really don't like drinking at all, would prefer a place where drinking isn't the main hobby.

Places I've considered thus far, with their cons:

- Unorganized Borough of Alaska - high cost of living, social isolation, very cold

- New Hampshire - high property taxes, mandatory vehicle inspection

- Wyoming - drinking culture, no trees

- Utah - predominately Mormon (nothing wrong this, I just might not fit in), has state income tax

- South Dakota - drinking culture

- Florida - hurricanes, safety

Thanks for reading all the way!! Sorry for the long posts haha))

Hi! My husband and I are moving to Atlanta because of his job. I honestly don't know much about Atlanta and am very anxious. His office will be in Midtown, and I was wondering if any of you have any neighborhood recommendations

Also, I would love to hear any pros and cons. And good things to know before I move

Thank you so much in advance!

Edit: More info about us. -We are a couple with double income, no kids + 1 adorable corgi (he is a service dog) -We are looking for a big apartment with 2 bedrooms or a house with 2/3 bedrooms. Our budget is 2-3k -we love going to restaurants and cool bars on the weekends, but we are pretty chill -honestly, I wouldn't say I like walking lol -my husband goes to the office twice a week in midtown. He is willing to commute max 30-40 min

Thanks again💐

Of course NYC, Chicago, and Boston are known for being faster cities, but what would you consider the other ones?

Mid 30's guy, love the outdoors, concerts but fine with time at home. Max rent $3,000. Feel free to ask questions. Considering cutting Pasadena, seems gorgeous but bit boring if you don't go into LA...?

Please share a reason why you'd cut a certain city.

Arizona - Flagstaff (hiking, mild summer)
California - San Diego, Pasadena, Santa Barbara, Berkeley
Colorado - Golden (Hiking, skiing, parks)
Hawaii - Oahu (hiking, surfing, beach)
Nevada - Reno/Lake Tahoe (hiking, Yosemite, skiing)
Utah - Ogden (Skiing)
Washington - Seattle (Ocean, hiking, skiing)

Greetings!

I’m in my mid twenties, grew up in the Milwaukee area, moved to NYC for two years, and am now back in MKE. I’m currently looking for a new place to set roots for the next 10-15 years.

My needs:

• Chilly weather for a substantial portion of the year. I am a Wisconsinite at heart, I want to see snow on the ground every once in a while. I don’t mind if there’s a ton of it, I don’t care how freezing it gets either. Ideally, there should be 1-2 months of the year where I can’t walk outside without my face hurting. If that’s not your cup of tea, I 100% get it, but to me, nothing beats warming up in your home after a long commute in the dead of winter. I love that shit.

• Weird music and/or theater scene (think DIY or noise). Doesn’t have to be large or robust, but if I can go somewhere every weekend and see something entirety unexplainable or pretentious, I’ll be happy.

• Please don’t let it cost an arm and a leg. Listen, I’ve done apartment hunting in Manhattan and Brooklyn, so rent prices don’t phase me anymore. But, 2k should be a nice one bedroom instead of a small one bedroom with a roach problem, if you know what I mean.

My nice-to-haves:

• Summers where the max is like 75-80 degrees. I don’t care how cold the winters are. But climate wise, this would be goldilocks for me.

• Decent public transport. I didn’t need a car in NYC, and I’d love to chuck the money I’d spend on a car and gas into rent instead. I also love not having to deal with parking and traffic. But, this is the thing I’m most willing to part with. Concessions have to be made, you know. Plus, if I want to do music, I will just need to pony up for one regardless. But it’d be nice not to need one to get around.

• Bomb-ass pizza. (This does bump Chicago up quite a bit.)

Places already on my list:

-Chicago

-Milwaukee

-MLPS/St. Paul

-Winnipeg

-Calgary

-Toronto

But let me know if I should add anywhere?

BONUS: if I just described a city in Europe, let me know!

Edited: formatting issues

Longtime lurker, first time poster.

Spouse and I are looking to leave the Seattle area. It's a nice area but our families are in the BOS-WAS corridor. It's also very expensive here.

Looking for good public schools and relatively safe community. Areas good for young families.

Politically moderate but there are two issues we won't comprise on: Women's rights/abortion access and firearm rights. Since these are usually opposite party issues, makes it difficult.

Love the usual breweries, restaurants, parks. Especially biking along long paths (old RR tracks converted, along a river, ect.).

Need to be near water and preferably coastal states.

Need to be near major hospitals/cancer centers (spouse's job). I'm WFH but am in the maritime industry so being near that is a plus.

Thinking walkable, independent town, near a larger city. Bonus if train/metro access to the city.

Budget is about $850k for a 4 bed+.

Areas we've been looking: Baltimore suburbs, Philly suburbs, Southern New Hampshire. Maybe PDX area IF we had to stay on the West Coast.

Any other suggestions? Thank y'all in advance!

EDIT: 4 season climate or temperate. Prefer cold over hot and don't mind (actually welcome) snow.

Idk if this a dumb post but I wanted to make a thread on this. It’s inspired by the “don’t move to Seattle” thread, where people say Seattle works well with the nerdy, tech bro personality type.

It had me thinking, what personality types work well in which cities, and why?

Hi! I've lived in LA for a few years and am in the market for a new place to call home. I am midtwenties, Queer/BIPOC and want a city that's a little warmer and in terms of people, has a healthy black/brown population that isn't as ethnically/economically segregated, has a decent metro/public transportation, and a queer scene.

LA isn't doing it for me as I'm not in the entertainment industry so I'm not interested in mingling with 'the industry' or partying/trying to be seen culture.

I also HATE dealing with both the traffic and parking game of LA. I work remotely (tech) so I don't have to worry too much about commute, but would like to live somewhere that is walkable. I don't mind having seasonal weather. Queer scene is important as I find Weho to be a very specific 'type'. Silverlake and Echo Park are nice and I've lived in all those places but think It's time for a change for me overall.

Art scene is a plus.

I have done NYC already and don't have it in me to live there again.

I've looked at (and am open to):

• Philly
• Washington DC
• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Oakland (not my top pick)

My current top pick is DC. While the industry is predominantly 'politics' from what I've read, it seems like a good young city (though the culture might be whatever the transplants made it), with good metro and seasonal weather.

Are those basically my only options? Please help!

For real, I have to make this choice in a few months for work. I have a family, pets, and love an active lifestyle and music scene. Which one will be better for me and my posse?

Do I choose to live on the west coast or the Dallas area? It will be myself and two dogs— possibly three by that point. 😊 I am 30F and work in hospitality, so essentially I make as much or as little as I want to depending on the place and how many hours I want to work.

West coast is my dream… with access to the ocean, mountains, great weather and sunshine. The last time I went to LA I stood in the ocean and wept😳— I feel unbelievably connected to my existence when I am over that way. I feel alive over there. I love everything about the “woo woo” community of health. I love the people whenever I visit. I understand I would likely have to work a lot more to offset the high COL— not ideal, but I would be willing to make that work.

I loved the Dallas area when I visited— I know with TX I would have more space, a nicer place to live and I believe my job would allow me to work less, since the COL is exponentially lower. I love the people there and god DAMN don’t get me started on the food. 🥵 I know it’s hot in TX, but I am coming from the frozen tundra which I HATE. I know the heat minimizes outdoor opportunities, which I don’t love. And there’s no ocean. Statistically it’s a lot safer in the areas I’m looking into.

I could move absolutely anywhere so open to suggestions! These are just my top contenders from what I have experienced. My only requirements are sunshine, good weather and safety. I will not live somewhere where cold and snow are around for a substantial amount of time. Thanks for your help! 💗

Hi all! I currently live in Jax Florida and thinking of going to NJ. Can you give me pros and cons of Hoboken, Jersey City,and Jax to help my decision?? Thank you!!!

I think these paths are incredible and would like to focus on living in a city that has a bike path like this.

Currently live in Charleston and have an opportunity to move to Jacksonville, FL for SO’s job. Have lived in Charleston for about 15 years so open to a change but I just can’t seem to get on board with Jacksonville, or FL as a whole for that matter (worse humidity, insurance issues, etc). The Jacksonville city proper was also super depressing. SO is open to moving to other places as long as they are near an airport to commute there a few times a month. Not open to moving to ATL. Other cities we’ve considered but couldn’t get on board with are below. Also considering Richmond, VA but every time I tell people that I get strange looks. Would prefer to stay on the east coast or close to it, grew up in the NE so minimal snow. What places am I missing to consider?

Chattanooga Asheville Greenville Charlotte Raleigh-Durham Savannah Hilton Head Columbia

I moved here and bought a few months ago. I moved here from Chico, CA. I bought a brand new house, and my mortgage is $1264 per month (taxes and insurance included). I moved here because buying a house in CA was just impossible for me. I enjoy how the cost of living here in San Antonio is far lower. What I don’t like about San Antonio so far is driving only 3 miles away can take 20-45 minutes depending on traffic. There’s not a lot of nature or beautiful scenery from what I’ve seen so far. The people are quite nice here though, and it makes sense to stay here for now financially. I am thinking of moving back to CA or to another state though in the next 3-5 years. Did anyone else have this experience moving to SA? Does it get better? Any recommendations on better cities to live at? Thanks!

Also, I can live anywhere in the US for my job, so that’s not an issue. Budget for housing per month is $1600 at most.

It’s getting hot y’all, real hot.

We are in Austin and while we love the city, this is getting unbearable. I’m from Texas and my husband is from the northeast. His family lives across DC/Maryland, CT, and MA. We love the west coast and the PNW, but don’t have any ties (I do have friends in LA and SF, but also in NY and NJ). I’ve lived in NY, NJ, and NoVA. We both work in tech and have been successful in continuing to find WFH jobs- but need to be near airports. We have kids that love their schools but they are also hot. I’m wondering if it is time to get out of Texas while our house still has value and also before there is a school voucher plan to really mess things up. What is your sage advice?

Edit: FWIW we also have a fairly desirable house which makes the thought of moving tough but also easier to unload.

I might have to move from the DC suburbs to either Baltimore, Richmond, or Hartford for work, I'd need to live near one of these places, and be able to fly to the other two.

I want somewhere that's decently dense/ walkable, with a decent dating scene, and decent transit (though I know I'll never get something like DC) and a place where I'd hopefully be able to get further opportunities in IT/tech.

I'd be commuting to SW Baltimore county, the southern Richmond suburbs, and a northern suburb of Hartford.

My budget is ~$1400/mo but can go up to $2,000 a month assuming I'd get the overtime they say they'll give me(with roommates of course).

Which is the best place to move? And I'm also curious about neighborhood suggestions. I am thinking about moving to somewhere near UMD because it's by their metro to the airport, but that would also mean commuting through downtown on days I work in-office, so it's kinda mixed.

Leaving the Baltimore area, looking for a place to move that meets these requirements:

• decent weather ( nothing too extreme) love four seasons

• nature with water features (lake, ocean, river etc) , trails, parks, hiking

-dog friendly!

• would love to live some plave with more childless adults

• active community with active meetup.com groups

• youngish population

• LGBTQ friendly

• overall accepting

-not stuck up

-love funky people. Artsy

• overall friendly people

• high amount of sunshine

• recreation programming jobs

• walkable

• variety of activities to participate in

• plus if close to other states and cities for travel

• preferably close to an airport

• would love affordable but know that doesn’t exist.

Thanks for the help

My husband and I currently live in Charlotte, NC. In a few years we will be empty nesters, when our two youngest kids leave for college. We have been toying around with the idea of moving out of NC and buying some land (10-20 acres) so we can have a hobby farm. We would like to have a few animals (chickens, goats, maybe a horse.)

I am tired of Charlotte and ready for a change! We would like to consider living somewhere that is rural, but still within a reasonable distance ( no more than an hour) to a city, stores, an airport, hospitals, etc. I don't mind moving even slightly more north. I would prefer not to have very cold winters, but occasional snow is fine. We'd love a place that is scenic and beautiful, but I don't want to be too landlocked. (no midwest) Top priority would be no HOA or super restrictive building laws or having to jump through a million hoops to get land developed (like MA). Any suggestions?

Very generally speaking, is this a good summation?

What's a place you've lived or visited that had a real diversity of thought AND a willingness to engage with and tolerance of others?

Yes, another one of these. Appreciate any insight you have from the lens of a family with elementary-aged kids. After many years of desire to get out of the Chicago suburbs and move somewhere sunnier, we’ve finally decided to make the move next year to Southern California.

*We’ve looked from SLO county south to OC and overwhelmed about what’s going to be the best fit.

• I work remote for a Bay Area company and will stay remote.

*My husband is a sustainable building consultant and has two potential job connections - in LA and OC. He’ll be driving around either way.

*We love SLO county but no job prospects right now for him.

*We’re looking for good schools and support for a kiddo with an IEP.

*I feel like the rest of what we’re asking for is the typical criteria I see on here - low crime and access to nature.

*Ideally no more than 15 mins drive to trails to hike and bike, paddle board, surf.

*We lean moderate to liberal politically and can’t handle the MAGA conservatives. This might rule out some OC areas?

*We are prepared for our cost of living to increase some (though our property taxes are insane here) and would like to rent for a few years to make sure it’s right before buying.

*Aiming to keep rent below $5,500/month for a 3BR, ideally with at least a small outdoor space

If you care about your social/dating life or mental well-being at all, DON’T move to Seattle!

Never have I lived in a city with so many aloof, neurotic, zombie-like weirdos who seem to genuinely enjoy passive-aggressivess and hostililty as if they were hobbies. 🤦‍♂️

And if the weird, hostile, standoffish people here aren’t enough to get you depressed, the perpetually gloomy grey skies for 200+ days a year will have you popping antidepressants in no time!

Go to meetups/social events and all you hear about is API development, database schemas, code efficiency blah blah blah tech mumbo jumbo🤮. Once in a blue moon, you’ll exchange numbers with someone only to NEVER hang out or even call or message each other again lol.

And FORGET about any kind of dating scene. For every single girl, there are 5 socially awkward, hygiene-challenged tech dorks swarming. That equates to a never-ending tech dork parade chasing around every single girl in the city.

“Our city is so naturally beautiful!”. Great, why don’t y’all move into the jungles, build a tent, and enjoy the beauty?

Seriously, DO NOT move here! I only moved here because I was REQUIRED to do it for work and I’m literally praying EVERY day that my company lets me transfer away from this miserable place.

EDIT: The Seattleites and other PNW-ers getting defensive and lashing out at me are just proving my point 😂. So just wanna thank y’all! ❤️