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My fiance and I are getting married in a couple of months, and after the wedding we plan to move out of NYC, where I've been almost my whole life.
I am a 23 year old with a B.S in Biology, and my fiance is 25 with just a high school education (possibly looking to purse further education). Both of us have a fairly good amount of work experience for our age, and we'll be looking into new jobs soon.
After a lot of reading on both these forums and other sources, we finally settled on Minneapolis based on what we've read about the job market, housing costs, and pretty much everything else. I went to go visit it for myself a couple of months ago and I really liked what I saw. Honestly, at this point the only thing that keeps coming up about what people hate about the place is how cold it gets. Considering that I love winter and my SO is willing to tolerate it, that isn't going to be a problem.
Recently, though, I've been reading more and more about Fargo, ND, and from what I understand it's even more livable than Minneapolis in terms of housing costs, taxes, etc. However, the difference isn't nearly as big as going from NYC to Minneapolis in the first place so it isn't that big of a sell for me personally, but definitely something to consider.
I've also read that Fargo is a great place to raise a family thanks to friendly people, very low crime, and good schools, which we are interested in for the future. I know Minneapolis is certainly no slouch in this regard, especially in the suburbs, but like I mentioned earlier, Fargo seems to be MORE of a lot of the things I like about how Minneapolis sounds.
There are, however, a few things about Fargo which definitely are potential red flags to me.
The first is how isolated it is. I was looking at a list of flights that run from Hector International and the only one that would be of any good to me is to Chicago, where I have some family. That would mean connecting there onward to NYC to visit my parents and others we're leaving.
The second is the size of the city in tandem with the isolation. I lived in an even smaller town when I went to college, but I was also not far from a major city that I could visit if I wanted to. Although I can appreciate small town life (for a time), I do worry that I would begin to feel tired of living there quickly, and this would probably go double for my fiance who likes cities more than me.
The third is the job market for people like us. I know Fargo has a very low unemployment rate, but I also know the oil boom there has a good amount to do with it. Given that neither of us are really qualified (or interested) in working in that field, I'm curious how much in the way of other good jobs exist there. I know Minneapolis is pretty good all-around as far as the job market goes, but I'm not so sure about Fargo.
So, my ultimate question is, "Is it all worth it?" Is it worth giving up the big city amenities and possible opportunities that Minneapolis offers for the higher livability of Fargo?
What is the draw to Fargo other than it being cheaper? Winters in Fargo will be worse than in Minneapolis, both of which being much worse than what you experience in NYC. If you were wanting a smaller city, Sioux Falls would probably be a better choice than Fargo IMO
What is the draw to Fargo other than it being cheaper? Winters in Fargo will be worse than in Minneapolis, both of which being much worse than what you experience in NYC. If you were wanting a smaller city, Sioux Falls would probably be a better choice than Fargo IMO
I went to school in the snow belt of Upstate NY and I've done quite a bit of snowboarding in the Rockies during subzero temperatures, so I've definitely tested my love for the cold and honestly I've never gotten tired of it.
The main draw for Fargo to me over Minneapolis over the cost of living is probably the culture. One of the main problems I have in NYC is that a lot of people's values are different than my own, and from what I understand Fargo is more moderate in that regard than Minneapolis, which I would appreciate.
Of course New Yorkers are also fairly outspoken people, so if people in Minneapolis are fairly reserved in allowing that sort of stuff to come into play with friendships and working together, it wouldn't be an issue.
To begin with, I would suggest that the difference between Fargo and Minneapolis is significantly greater than the difference between Minneapolis and New York; at least as far as typical urban experiences are concerned.
New York is about six times the size of Minneapolis, while Minneapolis is nearly fifteen times the size of Fargo. The county in which Minneapolis is located (Hennepin) has nearly twice the population of the entire state of North Dakota.
When it comes to urban amenities, I would never be so ludicrous as to suggest that Minneapolis can compete with NY. However, in Minneapolis you will find all professional sports played at the major league level; a world class orchestra, museums and theaters; a vibrant local pop music scene, with regular stops for major touring acts; highly-specialized medical facilities; extensive opportunities for shopping; a well-developed public transportation system; an international airport with non-stop flights to Asia and Europe; and all of the other things one would expect to find in a major city. If you are in Fargo, the closest place in which you could experience any of that is….Minneapolis.
Fargo is a very nice small city, with a solid economy and an artistic vibe that some would argue represents a sort of mini-Minneapolis. However, you should probably first determine whether you want to live in a major city, or in a much smaller city which is limited to regional importance.
To begin with, I would suggest that the difference between Fargo and Minneapolis is significantly greater than the difference between Minneapolis and New York; at least as far as typical urban experiences are concerned.
New York is about six times the size of Minneapolis, while Minneapolis is nearly fifteen times the size of Fargo. The county in which Minneapolis is located (Hennepin) has nearly twice the population of the entire state of North Dakota.
When it comes to urban amenities, I would never be so ludicrous as to suggest that Minneapolis can compete with NY. However, in Minneapolis you will find all professional sports played at the major league level; a world class orchestra, museums and theaters; a vibrant local pop music scene, with regular stops for major touring acts; highly-specialized medical facilities; extensive opportunities for shopping; a well-developed public transportation system; an international airport with non-stop flights to Asia and Europe; and all of the other things one would expect to find in a major city. If you are in Fargo, the closest place in which you could experience any of that is….Minneapolis.
Fargo is a very nice small city, with a solid economy and an artistic vibe that some would argue represents a sort of mini-Minneapolis. However, you should probably first determine whether you want to live in a major city, or in a much smaller city which is limited to regional importance.
When I said there isn't much of a difference between Fargo and Minneapolis, I meant fiscally rather than culturally or size wise, at least from all the price comparisons I've looked at. I definitely get that Hennepin county has many more people than Fargo.
Personally I'm not huge about the art scene but my SO might be so that's it's good to know there's at least some of that up there.
To begin with, I would suggest that the difference between Fargo and Minneapolis is significantly greater than the difference between Minneapolis and New York; at least as far as typical urban experiences are concerned.
New York is about six times the size of Minneapolis, while Minneapolis is nearly fifteen times the size of Fargo. The county in which Minneapolis is located (Hennepin) has nearly twice the population of the entire state of North Dakota.
When it comes to urban amenities, I would never be so ludicrous as to suggest that Minneapolis can compete with NY. However, in Minneapolis you will find all professional sports played at the major league level; a world class orchestra, museums and theaters; a vibrant local pop music scene, with regular stops for major touring acts; highly-specialized medical facilities; extensive opportunities for shopping; a well-developed public transportation system; an international airport with non-stop flights to Asia and Europe; and all of the other things one would expect to find in a major city. If you are in Fargo, the closest place in which you could experience any of that is….Minneapolis.
Fargo is a very nice small city, with a solid economy and an artistic vibe that some would argue represents a sort of mini-Minneapolis. However, you should probably first determine whether you want to live in a major city, or in a much smaller city which is limited to regional importance.
I agree overall but isn't NYC far more than just 6 times the size of Minneapolis? (I thought it was more like 20)
I agree overall but isn't NYC far more than just 6 times the size of Minneapolis? (I thought it was more like 20)
The 2016 estimated metro population of New York is 20,153,634. For Minneapolis, it is 3,551,036. That puts NY between 5 1/2 and 6 times the size of Minneapolis. The 2016 estimate for Fargo is 238,124.
The 2016 estimated metro population of New York is 20,153,634. For Minneapolis, it is 3,551,036. That puts NY between 5 1/2 and 6 times the size of Minneapolis. The 2016 estimate for Fargo is 238,124.
The NY metro population is huge, but I always thought it was unfairly inflated since it includes all of Long Island, Westchester, a few counties in Connecticut, and almost all of New Jersey. Commuting to NYC from some of those places can take 3+ hours if traffic sucks.
North Dakota winters are no joke. I've lived in Minneapolis for 30 years and Utica, NY before that, but I think Fargo would be too cold for me.
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