Where should I move?

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madguy30

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2011
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They praise high tech is moving in, but there are really no high paying jobs in Fort Collins. Unless you think 60k to 80k is "high paying." Poor , middle class, and upper class all mixed closely together. Not to mention there is no decent shopping areas. Old Town and CSU keep that place unique and the proximity to Estes, Red Feather Lakes, RMNP, etc. If anything, try Denver or smaller surrounding suburbs south of Fort Collins.

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

cyputz

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Jul 26, 2006
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Wake Forest, NC. Great 50,000 population in the “triangle” (Duke, NC, NCState). Edge of Raleigh, between Charlotte and ocean. Growing young city.
Great educational opportunities for kids.
Great golfing and beers.
 
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SpokaneCY

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Apr 11, 2006
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Spokane, WA
Some are recommending Denver or Fort Collins. I would not recommend any front range cities in Colorado. Just went through the worst forest fire in Colorado history and they have water supply issues. Most native Coloradoans are gone.

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...
 

Macloney

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Feb 28, 2014
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Up Nort
We moved from the Nashville area to the KC area.

Nashville was great because we had no kids and were young enough that we could go out any night and making it to work the next day was no issue. There is always something going on there for adults, families not so much. My wife and I both agreed that we would never raise children there unless we were extremely wealthy. That said, if we had that kind of money we probably wouldn't live in Nashville. The schools in TN suck and it really is a red state. It is still in the South and if you haven't spent time in the South it can be hard to explain. Racism really is widespread and the poverty there is on another level from what someone from Iowa or anywhere north or west has ever seen. KC has it's rough spots, but they don't call it the Dirty South for nothing. Nashville is hot in the summer and cold in the winter.

KC isn't great, but it is still the midwest and I consider it a very safe place to raise a family. Weather in KC ain't so hot either and although there are some decent outdoor activities, Colorado it is not.
 
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simply1

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I've looked at Reno, close to Tahoe and seems to be attracting some tech businesses. But my drive through there a few years ago left me unimpressed. I didn't explore much though so I'm sure there are nice areas around. You do get more winter and less summer there than Vegas.
 

cowgirl836

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Sep 3, 2009
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I agree with others I'd probably look at states that politically align with me, something else with regard to kids is a number of states are now doing paid leave programs for parents. That would be very attractive to me.
 

Bipolarcy

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Oct 27, 2008
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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!

Northwest Arkansas is a nice area around the four cities that combine to form NW Arkansas -- Fayetteville, Bentonville, Springdale and Rogers. There's more than half a million residents scattered among those cities and some smaller ones and you really can't tell where one ends and the next begins. And you're just a hop, skip and a jump from several big lakes, nestled in the Ozark Mountains. This is one of the wealthier parts of the state, with Walmart, Tyson Foods and JB Hunt trucking headquarters all located in this area.

Mild winters, Arkansas has a cheap cost of living, Fayetteville is a college town, Crystal Bridges is a world renowned art museum if you're into that sort of thing and it's all pretty cosmopolitan and growing. Bella Vista, which is just north of this area, is a well-known retirement community and it has scores of golf courses, most of which you can see as you drive through the area along the main highway.
 

AuH2O

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Sep 7, 2013
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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...

Agree- it isn’t that natives are gone, it’s just there have been so many transplants they definitely outnumber natives.
 

cyphoon

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Sep 8, 2011
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According to the USDA growing zone map, the typical, worst case, low temp in winter for each location is:

MSP : -25 to -20 (ouch)
KC : -15 to -10
NSH: 0 to 5
CHAR: 10 to 15

I have never been to Nashville or Charlotte, so I can't speak to those. I wonder if KC really gives you enough of a weather improvement to be worth while. Less snow and less bitter cold, but November to March still isn't all that great.

If you can both work remotely, consider taking a road trip and stay in some AirBNBs in each city over the winter.

H
 
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vacyclone

Active Member
Nov 17, 2012
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Norther Virginia is amazing. Richmond is like Des Moines but a little bigger, with mountains and oceans less than two hours away. Not to forget DC is only a 2 hour drives and that city is amazing.

I've lived in Richmond for 10 years and it definitely fits what you're looking for. I've never thought about it being like Des Moines, but I'm not all that familiar with Des Moines either (from IL originally). Personally, I wouldn't want to live in the Northern Virginia/DC area due to the insane traffic and housing prices, but it's a great place for a day/weekend trip. You mentioned breweries, and there are PLENTY of options here and in nearby cities (Charlottesville, Norfolk, etc.). The weather is good for a midwesterner that doesn't want constant snow but doesn't want to give it up completely - it snows a few times a year and melts within a few days. I can ride my bike and run outside mostly year-round. There's a lot of culture and 2 local colleges (VCU & University of Richmond). You can live just outside the city limits (Henrico or Chesterfield County) to get great public schools and still be a 15-20 minute drive from downtown. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

You can't go wrong with Charlotte either, but I'd say the cost of living is a little higher.
 

CYdTracked

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Mar 23, 2006
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Grimes, IA
The right out of college and single version of me says Nashville and KC would be fun locations to move to. The current version of me has a lot more factors to consider that would make a relocation a lot more complicated.

Was just talking about this with my wife the other day about what scenario would we relocate our family and we agreed it would have to be a job opportunity that was too good to pass up and would have good job security as living close to our families and living in a community we are very happy to live in would be a lot to uproot our family. The time you get to spend with your family and watching your kids grow up has just as much value as taking a job that will consume your time where you might miss out on some moments your will later regret you were not present for.
 
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HFCS

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Aug 13, 2010
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LA LA Land
Off the wall, but based on your checklist,
-maybe - Reno, NV

-don’t know much besides it’s growing and a lot of CA transplants are moving there.

Reno is kind of a s-hole but I'd live on the outskirts of the area in a heartbeat if I could find good work I enjoy there. Yeah the fires suck this year but it's an amazing climate and beauty if Sierras everywhere at a reasonable price.

Evil Californian here so what do I know.
 

DeereClone

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Nov 16, 2009
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Reno is kind of a s-hole but I'd live on the outskirts of the area in a heartbeat if I could find good work I enjoy there. Yeah the fires suck this year but it's an amazing climate and beauty if Sierras everywhere at a reasonable price.

Evil Californian here so what do I know.

Is Carson City a nice alternative to Reno? I went to Reno for work once, and spent a few extra days up at the lake. Lake and surrounding area is beautiful but idk if I’d like to live in Reno.
 

HFCS

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Aug 13, 2010
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LA LA Land
Is Carson City a nice alternative to Reno? I went to Reno for work once, and spent a few extra days up at the lake. Lake and surrounding area is beautiful but idk if I’d like to live in Reno.

Agreed. I should check out carson city more because I don't know it that well but the location fits some of my retirement goals.

I'm surprised nobody in the thread brought up the south carolina cities. From what I've heard it might be ideal for op.
 

NorthCyd

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Aug 22, 2011
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Boone, Iowa.
You joke, but the average snowfall in Central IA is 33 inches vs 45 inches in Minneapolis and its about 10 degrees warmer high temps in the colder months. Its cheap to live here, hardly any people, DSM is regularly listed amongst the best cities to live in the US, and its easy to go to ISU games. What more could you want?;)
 
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