Leaving Ohio for ... Portland, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Denver, Seattle... ? (job market, housing)

[ssmkb]

Wow, Those are some BEAUTIFUL pictures !!
We live in California, & it is getting bad here. We are thinking of moving to Utah. I'm so nervous tho because it is very different from California. We are thinking of West Jordan, Utah. Any advise would be helpful .
Thanks.

[MtnSurfer]

Thanks for the compliments on the pictures. I guess it really depends on what you are looking for.

When we left CA for CO several years ago we left for all the typical reasons: increasing crime, traffic, cost of living, smog, illegals, etc...

And CO is better in most of those areas. But what we really weren't prepared for was the trade off - living in the middle of the country in an area that can have snow form October thru April. Now I like to snowboard and so I am not afraid of the snow. I actually like it to an extent. But visiting the snow is a lot different than living it.

Basically unlike CA it seems like *most* people go into hibernation mode during snow season. Of course skiers and snowboarders go out in it. But the average family with children, a normal job, a mortgage, etc... is not out skiing all the time. When it is below freezing for many days, weeks people usually only go out for the basics - work, shopping, etc... And because I like landscape photography I will go out when it is 5 degrees and take pictures even though it is painful:



But most children have an aversion to pain so ours for example stay indoors most of the time. Of couse they go to the YMCA in the snow. It is just that they are not going to go outside and play on a regular basis when everything is covered in ice/snow and it is freezing out.

Now all that said many people do adjust and we would probably have stayed if I didn't miss the ocean so much. Sometimes I just want to get in my car and DRIVE to the coast. But when living in the middle of the US it is like living on an island of farms, deserts, and open prairies - too land locked for me.

You may move and adjust to the different climate and culture. Just realize that no place is perfect. You will trade one set of pros/cons for another. And if you can live with the *new cons* then it can work for you. But I recommend visiting it first preferably during the winter when it is snowing so you get a feel for what real life is like there - not just during tourist season.

Laslty post your Q on the Utah forum and I am sure you will get a wide variety of opinions from people who love it to others who are planning to move back or to somewhere else.

[timber mt]

Portland vs. Seattle. Seattle has worse traffic jams ,but a better job market. Wheather differences are not enough to make a difference. I lived not far from portland for a couple years . Summers were nice and sunny , but not humid like the midwest. Winters were endles days of light rain and mild temps. Seattle is in the state of Washington and Washington has no state income tax. Oregon has no sales tax. If you make alot of money , it pays to live in Washington. If you don't make much money , Oregon would be favorable , IMO.

[NorthernCalifornia]

Economically speaking your best bets are probably Seattle and Denver. Denver is cheaper but less interesting. Seattle has darker/greyer winter but fantastic , perfect summers.

Portland meets all your criteria fairly well except the first one.

Sacramento is incredibly hot in the summer (105 degrees) and the air quality is poor (central valley farming, ag). It is only 2 hours from SF, though, housing is relatively affordable (expensive compared to Ohio) and there are rivers, mountains, lakes, skiing, (sierra foothills are beautiful) nearby.

San Jose is very expensive. If you can do San Jose you can do SF just as easily and will probably end up doing so. SF is much nicer and more interesting than San Jose, which is primarily noted for its solid tech-based economy, good weather and proximity to San Francisco.

Timber Mt is fairly right-on, your ideal would be to live in Portland but work in Seattle (this is of course not possible). I'd suggest visiting both cities and researching job opportunities in your fields. If you start out in Seattle you might be able to end up in Portland which is more similar in size to Cincinnati.

Denver is also worth a strong look based on your criteria. Economically it is a bit boom and bust although it may offer more opportunities in your sectors than the other cities (due in part to its location).

[lesstress]

Hello all I am new to your forum and I could really use some advice and information on a scenic, safe place to relocate. I have suffered for several years from CFS (perhaps you've heard of it) and I just don't think I can continue much longer in my current stressful environment. The winters are brutal not to mention the rat race. My symptoms of fatigue, insomnia, body aches, and extreme exhaustion have increased tremendously in the last two years. I gotta get out of here. I'm looking for somewhere with moderate temperatures, with some sun and lots of foliage. I've also been affected by SAD in the winter so I don't think Oregon would work for me although it looks to be very beautiful, also I happen to be african-american and I would not cope well with racism. So far I've been reading the forums on Kentucky and Tennessee. Would like to find a place close to water and parks. Tall order huh?

[MtnSurfer]

Actually a co-worker friend of mine is looking at retiring in the Kentucky/Tennessee - Kentucky Lake region from CO. The climate seems more mild, especially winters. There is a lot of water (lakes, rivers). This is perfect for him as he loves to sail. It is very green and beautiful in the outlying areas such as Murray. And the prices are very reasonable even close to the water. There are not a lot jobs out there. But it is a great place to retire.

My family is from Detroit and the majoity moved to CA many years ago. I would say there are parts of CA that would definately meet your criteria. But one of the problems in CA is the high cost of living (mainly housing) compared to places like Kentucky, Florida, and some parts of Virginia which are all nice places as well. Do you plan to rent or purchase a home?

Some of this will also depend on where you are in terms of life stage - just getting started in a career, mid career, close to retirement, etc... And of course if you need to find a job in your profession then that will come into play as well.

[hopeful transplant]

After living over 30 years in the PNW, 13 in Vancouver BC and the balance in Seattle, I can honestly say it really does RAIN ! ! When it's beautiful, it is drop dead gorgeous, but when it really rains, it is horrid. It sprinkles most days, they call it drizzle, but it means that the sky is gray and you need your wipers on. Most locals learn to go without an umbrella and they just get used to the rain. I didn't realize how much it affected me until I left. I moved to Mesquite NV for 4 years then over to Central Coast CA, outside San Luis Obispo. It is beautiful here, but very expensive. Not as bad as some areas in CA but cost of living is still high. I really like Palo Alto, pretty techy, quite expensive but great opportunities. They have Stanford there, which is very well respected in the medical field. Good luck, I'll be happy to answer any questions I can for you.
We are looking to relocate (job) to Raton, NM.

[lesstress]

Hi friends I was so happy when I came home from work and found your replies, I had a feeling the west coast was going to fit the bill nicely but the cost of living is a concern. As for where I am in life, I remarried after fourteen years as a divorcee and I am about 22 yrs outside of retirement. My husband works for the U.S. Postal System and I've worked in medical billing for many many years. That translates to middle class in the mid-west, I'm not so sure when it comes to PC/CO etc. obviously more research is in order. Thanks again guys!

[Zapparulez]

Originally Posted by yumboltd

Hello !

My wife and I come from France, we moved to Cincinnati suburban area 4 years ago. We liked it so far, but now we feel like we have seen it all around here, and find it actually VERY boring. We've been travelling in the US quite a bit and Cincy really has nt any great getaways. It's far from everything and landscape is rather ugly compared to many other parts of the US.
We are looking definitely for a place with :
- great job opportunities in manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, food industry, automotive, electronics, etc..
- gorgeous landscapes with many opportunities for hiking, sight-seeing, etc...
- preferably but not a must a liberal environment
- affordable housing : we would probably rent for a while though
- good restaurants, small coffee shops , indie movie theaters, etc
- not too crowded or busy, rahter laid back atmosphere

Our combined income is slightly over 120 K$ / yr gross. We currently own a home north of Cincy, we bought it 167 K$ and it is 2,000 sq ft, and we know it will be VERY hard to beat...

We are hesitating between many cities, these are the main ones :

Sacramento, Fresno, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland OR, Denver, San Jose

Sacramento & Fresno seem to have rather depressed job market and I fear San Jose would be too expensive.

Any thought on the cities that I lised ? Or maybeyou would think of a better one ?
Thanks in advance !

Sacramento is for Russian immigrants. The French need not apply.

Besides, we are the 8th rudest city in America. No laid back around here...

[yumboltd]

I think Denver winters would be too harsh for me, too much snow. If id go with a mountain city, id go for Salt Lake City. I like Settle & Portland though because it is not too farfrom the ocean and climate is mild (being from Normandy, I am SO used to grey weather ! )
I was surprised to see that Seattle is still 4 hrs away from the coast, btw.
Is the job market that bad in Portland, or is it good but just doesn t compare to Seattle ?

Palo Alto, I visited there and I absolutely love it but it must be totally out of my league, financially speaking. Plus I do not think they would have much industry-field jobs there.

All you guys have already been so helpful... Thanks for all your answers !