Where should I move?

[coolerifyoudid]

My wife and I are seriously considering moving away from Minneapolis as the upcoming winter is killing our spirits. The brutal cold essentially stops us from doing what we enjoy to do 5-6 months of the year and we can’t take it anymore. Our top three so far are Nashville, KC and Charlotte, but we are open to any and all suggestions.

-We can both work remotely so any location in the US is ok.
-Would like to stay in a larger metro area, but one that has a similar or less cost of living to MSP.
-Don’t want to live somewhere that’s hot all year round. We don’t hate the cold and snow, just cannot take 8 inches of snow in October. Would like mild winters.
-No kids yet, but will in 3-4 years, so we plan on living in the burbs.
-Love to golf, hike, brewery hop, be outside. Would like to be able to do these at least 9-10 months a year.


Let’s hear some suggestions!

My wife (girlfriend at the time) and I moved to KC back in '96 shortly after college. Her parents lived in IL and mine lived in NW Iowa. I would have liked having family near to help babysit on occasion, but my parents had a "we raised our kids, you can raise yours" attitude! I sorta liked having parental autonomy anyway.

We started our careers, got married, had a kid and bought a house in the burbs. Our daughter is in a good school, and we have always felt safe. I'd recommend building off those two tenets wherever you decide to go.

Pre-kid, we spent a lot of time going to concerts and out with friends. The arts are well represented here, as well as various sports. Power and Light arrived a little past our bar days, but it's still a great venue.

Winters here are tamer than Iowa (I maybe shovel 4-5/year). There really aren't that many freeze-your-ass-off days, but there are a few. I think the DOT does a solid job clearing roads, but I can only vouch for the KS side since I've always been on the west side of town.

Property values have gone up considerably since I moved here (my house today would sell for nearly double what I originally paid). There are a lot of different varieties of neighborhoods here based on what you are looking for. They all have pros and cons, no matter what anyone says. You'll generally get more house for the money on the Missouri side, but it's still a personal preference.

People are generally friendly and helpful. Politically, the states are red, but the city itself has been trending more blue. I find it pretty easy to avoid political arguments, so it's kind of a non-issue for me.

There are some really nice parks and bike/walking trails for outdoor activities. Youth sports are abundant and have many levels of competition. There are some great breweries in KC, both large and small. Obviously, there isn't great hiking in the immediate area, but there are areas around KC that have decent trails. And the Ozarks are not far at all. Tons of people have lake houses and spend many weekends there.

I've never regretted my decision to move here. We may end up changing scenery once retirement nears, but we still have time deciding on that next step. NC, SC, VA, CO, TN and TX have all been on our list.

Good luck in your decision. In the end, you make the best or worst out of wherever you live.

 

[HFCS]

I wish Reno was cheap like Vegas. Is there a cheaper major city in America to buy a home than Vegas? You can get a house with a swimming pool there for 200k.

I just drove through LV on my way back from Utah camping trip.

New city of clone houses pops up every time. I don't think it's sustainable w water use.

Still always surprised it's only 8 minutes to drive through entire LV metro on I15. Takes longer to drive through omaha or des moines.

 

[TexCyted]

I am not sure which parts of DFW you frequent, but we moved to far north burbs about 4 years ago. My wife and I both make a very similar salary to what we made in Iowa. It just goes a lot further down here, especially in the housing market and super markets. Most new builds are still avg around $110 per sq ft in my area. Schools are great, music scene is phenomenal (pre-covid). We also enjoy outdoor recreation like boating, kayaking, Mtn biking and I golf. All of those things are affordable and plentiful here. Property taxes are crazy high but offset by no income tax. July and August are hot but the rest of the year is pretty great. I can get to Baylor, UT, TCU, OU, TTU, OSU in under 4 hours to see the Cyclones.

 

[jmb]

I love Durango but it isolated. Asheville is probably a 8 hour drive from like 50% of the US population. Legal weed and that consistent SW Colorado snowfall gives Durango the edge ( it I like to get Hogg and ski and snowboard), but if you need an airport it’s rough. I think myfamily that lives near Durango goes to like Farmington, NM to get flights and that’s not ideal either.

Good assessment. It probably is more for the outdoor person that doesn't travel a lot.

 

[BCoffClone125]

My wife and I recently moved to Salt Lake City and absolutely love it here. Decent sized metro area but traffic and cost of living are reasonable, and the access to recreational activities (skiing, hiking, biking, camping, fishing, etc.) is about as good as it gets. It stays warmer here in the city than it does in Iowa but we have the benefit of some of the best snow in the world in the Wasatch Mountains. In 15-20 mins I can be downtown, at the airport or in the mountains.

If I were single it might be a little tougher to meet people here with the Mormon culture, but it's also not hard to find people with similar interests to you that you can hang out with (if we can do it during a pandemic, I'm sure it's even easier during normal times). The LDS church and politics scare enough people away that we haven't turned into what Denver has become, but SLC itself is fairly progressive. The cost of living here has spiked in the last decade as more transplants are moving here, but it's still very reasonable at the moment. Normally I would tell people not to move here (especially those damn Californians) but more Cyclones are always welcome.

 

[Beernuts]

We have some friends that moved to Clearwater / Tampa, FL. They claim it has been a great change with access to the beach and warmer temps. Anyone visited this area?

 

[Gunnerclone]

My wife and I recently moved to Salt Lake City and absolutely love it here. Decent sized metro area but traffic and cost of living are reasonable, and the access to recreational activities (skiing, hiking, biking, camping, fishing, etc.) is about as good as it gets. It stays warmer here in the city than it does in Iowa but we have the benefit of some of the best snow in the world in the Wasatch Mountains. In 15-20 mins I can be downtown, at the airport or in the mountains.

If I were single it might be a little tougher to meet people here with the Mormon culture, but it's also not hard to find people with similar interests to you that you can hang out with (if we can do it during a pandemic, I'm sure it's even easier during normal times). The LDS church and politics scare enough people away that we haven't turned into what Denver has become, but SLC itself is fairly progressive. The cost of living here has spiked in the last decade as more transplants are moving here, but it's still very reasonable at the moment. Normally I would tell people not to move here (especially those damn Californians) but more Cyclones are always welcome.

Are the Mormons just everywhere out there or are there “Mormon areas” and “normie areas”?

 

[Gunnerclone]

We have some friends that moved to Clearwater / Tampa, FL. They claim it has been a great change with access to the beach and warmer temps. Anyone visited this area?

love it. I’d live in Madeira or Treasure island even with all the tourists. It’s still pretty old school down there outside of CW. Caddy’s on the Beach is one of the chillest beach bars I’ve ever been to. Think it’s on Sunset Beach just south of TI.

Im waiting for a bottom to fall out in real estate down there and then I’m going to buy a condo to snowbird at. Possibly well before I retire at this point with COVID.

 

[Nelcyn]

CoSprings resident here and I don't know what you said to be true. Natives ARE pissed more people are moving here though. We moved here for the weather (way better than Spokane, FAR less smokey than the inland NW), the outdoors stuff, the quality of life and the huge military influence.

My new motto is "git in where you fit in" and we fit in CoSprings like hand in glove...

I don't know much about Colorado Springs other than there is a lot of turnover with military families coming and going. For the OP, if he is coming from Minnesota. I thought it would be okay to talk about the negatives of Colorado. Usually all you here are the good things. No forest fires or water supply issues in Minnesota. Could be a big shock for people coming from the Midwest especially if you have young kids with breathing problems. 200,000 acres burned just west of Fort Collins. Not going to get in a pissing contest but the smoke here was not an enjoyment for "outdoor activities." As far as natives go, Fort Collins natives have mostly fled out of the city. Colorado also has some serious issues with water supply. Just letting people know that to some people this may be a show stopper. For others, they may not care.

 

[Beernuts]

love it. I’d live in Madeira or Treasure island even with all the tourists. It’s still pretty old school down there outside of CW. Caddy’s on the Beach is one of the chillest beach bars I’ve ever been to. Think it’s on Sunset Beach just south of TI.

Im waiting for a bottom to fall out in real estate down there and then I’m going to buy a condo to snowbird at. Possibly well before I retire at this point with COVID.

Thank you. When you visit is there a motel / resort you recommend? Wife and I are approaching snowbird stage as well.

 

[Nelcyn]

$80,000 is a very high salary to me.

I was talking more specifically about information technology jobs which typically pay more than 60-80k range. You can't be a decent tech firm or tech department and only have jobs salaries in that range. Senior developers will just laugh at that range.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Random question - do any of you guys work remote and do a lot of traveling? Once you have kids it obviously gets harder to do, but I think it’d be awesome to be able to travel and experience different places and still be able to work full time.

I would love to bounce around the Southwest in the winter, and the PNW in the summer.

It sucks, believe me.

 

[cyputz]

Asheville North Carolina. Place is awesome

Beautiful city, near App State - albeit very pricey for housing

 

[AuH2O]

I love Durango but it isolated. Asheville is probably a 8 hour drive from like 50% of the US population. Legal weed and that consistent SW Colorado snowfall gives Durango the edge ( it I like to get Hogg and ski and snowboard), but if you need an airport it’s rough. I think myfamily that lives near Durango goes to like Farmington, NM to get flights and that’s not ideal either.

SW Colorado is as good as it gets in the US for outdoors stuff, but really remote. There are some awesome smaller towns in SC and SW CO, but it would be a pain in the ass to even get to a reasonable hospital, and if you are into city-type attractions you are largely out of luck.

 

[Dopey]

My wife and I recently moved to Salt Lake City and absolutely love it here. Decent sized metro area but traffic and cost of living are reasonable, and the access to recreational activities (skiing, hiking, biking, camping, fishing, etc.) is about as good as it gets. It stays warmer here in the city than it does in Iowa but we have the benefit of some of the best snow in the world in the Wasatch Mountains. In 15-20 mins I can be downtown, at the airport or in the mountains.

If I were single it might be a little tougher to meet people here with the Mormon culture, but it's also not hard to find people with similar interests to you that you can hang out with (if we can do it during a pandemic, I'm sure it's even easier during normal times). The LDS church and politics scare enough people away that we haven't turned into what Denver has become, but SLC itself is fairly progressive. The cost of living here has spiked in the last decade as more transplants are moving here, but it's still very reasonable at the moment. Normally I would tell people not to move here (especially those damn Californians) but more Cyclones are always welcome.

Utah is a pretty well kept secret, in my opinion.

 

[Clonefan32]

I have had multiple clients of mine tell me they missed the Iowa weather when they moved to a warmer climate. They said they didn't realize how much they would miss seeing the seasons change and that the monotony of great weather actually gets old.

Warm weather obviously has its perk, but for me I enjoy living through all the seasons.

 

[Macloney]

Are the Mormons just everywhere out there or are there “Mormon areas” and “normie areas”?

They are everywhere, it's Utah. Park City is really cool though, but you will still meet and mingle with a ton of Mormans.

Utah is nice.

 

[Dopey]

Are the Mormons just everywhere out there or are there “Mormon areas” and “normie areas”?

I was out for a run one time in a suburb of SLC during an internship. I legit had 3 cars stop and ask if I needed a ride.

Also had a guy in the waiting lobby of a car repair shop invite me to his house so I could use his tools to fix my vehicle myself. His wife made me lunch.

From my experience, they're everywhere. But they weren't over the top with their religion to me. Just "weirdly" nice.

 

[Nothingman]

We're looking into doing this to get a good idea of where we want to retire. The only problem we have had with this plan is that it's hard to find housing for only a month during the time of the year we want to try it out. My wife's employer and mine don't care where we work from.

I'm thinking of doing the same thing in the next year or two. No kids. I think we'll just do extended AirBNB stays and check out a new city every 4-6 weeks for a year. I checked out a couple of the cities we are considering and that seemed like it would work. Have you looked into that?

 

[Gunnerclone]

Thank you. When you visit is there a motel / resort you recommend? Wife and I are approaching snowbird stage as well.

We’ve stayed in different condos and homes via VRBO/airbnb usually not beachfront. I find that I like to be somewhere in between the Publix and Caddy’s On the Beach just off the main drag on Treasure Island. For Madeira anywhere just north of John’s Pass is good. There are a wide range of options in terms of price, size, age and location so something for every budget and taste.

The beach and water isn’t as nice as Destin imo but there’s way more shelling.