Too much choice (job, climate, schools, moved)

[beijaflor]

Hi,

Me and my fiance are looking for a place to settle down and raise a family. I am British and new to the US - he's lived in Nebraska since he was 15 but is not American either.

I'm still adjusting to how big this country is and it seems like such a daunting task to find the one perfect place for us to settle. I was hoping that I might get some ideas here.

We are looking for a city or town that

- Has organised infrastructure (the roads here in Pittsburgh are a squiggly nightmare)

- Is appropriate for raising kids - safe, good schools, lots of things to do etc.

- Does not have harsh winters, we don't mind a little chilly but don't want to live somewhere that has much (if any) snowfall.

-Is beautiful with a lot of nice scenery (green) and outdoor activity options. Lakes, rivers and coastal locations are a huge bonus.

-Is CLEAN

- Ideally has low state taxes, but that's least important.

I've spent time doing research and right now our 'maybe list' is quite short... North Carolina is out number 1 choice right now (although we have not been there yet) Tennessee, Florida, Rhode Island and maaaaaybe Texas but probably not because it gets very hot and it's all dried out and if I'm honest I just didn't feel very safe there for some reason.

The problem is knowing which cities and towns in these states would be right for us.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Is there somewhere that ticks my boxes that I haven't cosidered??

We have until October to decide and want to spend time this summer visiting as many places as we think might be a good fit.

Thank you in advance

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by beijaflor

...it seems like such a daunting task to find the one perfect place for us to settle.

The same is true if one of us were going to the UK.
Why? Because you d/won't find the perfect place... you make one.

Focus on finding the adequate job/income... work the "meaningful" in around the edges.
Try to establish yourself to maintain comfortably for the next 30-60 years.

North Carolina is our number 1 choice right now (although we have not been there yet)

That'll probably change once you visit.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Is there somewhere that ticks my boxes that I haven't considered??

Stay north of I-70. It'll be colder in winter but worth it.

Some **objective** data:
Cost of Living comparison calculator
Assets & Opportunity Scorecard
State and County QuickFacts
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

[beijaflor]

I found the perfect place in England and in Brazil so I'm quite certain there will be a few places here in the states that will tick all of our boxes. But umm - thanks? It's a nice sentiment.

Money is no issue, low state tax is a thing of principle. Job /income does not apply to us.

Thank you for the north of I-70 advice. We'll keep that in mind.

[silibran]

Do a little research on the PNW. You might like it here. Climate might remind you of home.

But of course, you'd have to make sure you could find work here. There is no state income tax in Washington state, and no sales tax in OR.

[strawberrykiki]

Before you said NC that's what I was thinking based on what you're looking for. I love it there. Maybe you could take a long weekend and go check it out?

[twingles]

North of I70 is going to pretty much assure you of snowy winters.

NC is nice - we moved here from NY 2.5 years ago. However, the roads here could potentially give you fits (at least in the Raleigh area). Everything seems to be circular - if you like grids this may not be the place for you.

If you like no state income tax, FL, TX, NH.

[TheShadow]

Tennessee has no state income tax either. The thing I like about Tennessee (where we are moving this year) is that the people are so nice and friendly. It's also quite clean in the eastern part of the state, and very green. It usually gets only an occasional dusting (1-3 inches) of snow, it's not as humid as the deeper south, has lots of lakes and rivers and mountains. It is mostly rural, but Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville are all medium sized cities on major highways.

[dmlarue1]

I lived in RI most of my life. The problem with the winters there is that you never know if it's going to be a good one or a bad one. We've had some really mild ones that didn't even feel like winter, and the last one we had when I still lived there it felt like we had to shovel every other day. Rhode Island is a beautiful place and a great place to raise a family, but unfortunately taxes and cost of living is much higher than your other choices if that is a consideration. I've heard some transplants have had different experiences, some found it friendly and some found it closed off because there aren't alot of transplants to the area.

I lived in Charlotte NC for a year and found it to be beautiful and also a great place to raise a family. Great outdoor activities with the lakes and mountains nearby. The only issue I had was that we lived in an area that did not have many transplants, and I am sorry to say that while most people were friendly, we did have some people be rude to us because "we weren't from around there". I will preface that by saying I worked in a very small town an hour and half out from Charlotte and I work primarily with the elderly. It just made my job very difficult, because I felt like some people already had a wall up and I had to prove myself; where previously I would connect with people quickly. I completely understand why they feel this way, as their area has changed so much due to the growth.
Now, if we had lived in a different area we might have had a totally different experience. We have friends who are transplants who absolutely love it there. Unfortunately, we only got to stay one year so we didn't get a chance to try another area.

We live in SC now and find the people wonderful, the place beautiful and great place to raise kids. We also like being closer to the beach.

I never lived in Texas, but I did live in Arizona before the Carolinas. I loved it, but after 6 years I really started to miss the green of home. And while I love the heat, after 6 years I started to find it draining. I really love the Carolinas for weather. You have a winter enough that you have to wear a fleece coat and sweater, but never cold enough that you have to worry about the heavy winter parkas and snow.

[L0ve]

The USA is very large and while there are a lot of nice places, there are also a lot of very isolated and ugly regions in between that are severely lacking in culture and things to do.

If NC is at the top of your list, I would check out out Winston-Salem/Greensboro. We just got back from there and it has everything you mentioned on your list. I really think you would love it. The climate is mild, the city is very pretty and clean, you can see panoramic views of the mountains in the distance, the ocean is close enough for a short day trip. We were also very impressed with the beautiful neighborhoods and the effort that W_S has put into their Arts District and laying out the city to be walkable and enjoyable. The freeways are also clean, beautifully landscaped and surrounded by pretty forests. We fell in love with the city and plan on moving there as soon as we can sell our house.

Winston-Salem and Raleigh areas also contain a large number of northern transplants, making it more politically and culturally diverse. W-S has more charm, Raleigh has a colder feel and a lot more malls and shopping in their sprawl. Tennessee is known for being a bit more "southern" and less progressive; the cities there may be more isolated and surrounded by very rural areas for miles.

I have lived up north my entire life and we are pretty much done dealing with the 6 months of winter and black skies. I have vacationed out west in Arizona and found the desert climate and 100+ degree temperatures, and lack of green trees too extreme. NC seems to hav a nice moderate/warm climate where you can still enjoy some sun in the winter.