Moving to States from other side of the world, where to move ? (job, Budget)

[Moving to US]

We are moving to States from other side of the world and we need help in choosing city to live in. Checking out and comparing different cities thru internet is very difficult. We know what we want for the city we want to move:
- Good public transportation
- Easy to get around walking (shops, restaurant, nightlife)
- We prefer warm weather so no cold and snow (we get these enough where we are from )
- We'd like to have sea near us (maybe max. 45min away from home)
- Low tax rate is a very big +
- City should have over 500 000 people so no small towns unless it's close to a bigger city and easy to get there

Is there a city which would have all of these ?

[LaurieinJax]

Florida is beautiful. I have lived in Jacksonville and now in Tallahassee. Both lovely cities, but:

Jacksonville is quite diverse, but it is not a walking around type of city. It is, geographically the largest city in the United States.

Tallahassee has about 188,000 people, is very diverse and is one of the prettiest cities I've lived in. It has lots of trees, is very hilly. This city is more like the deep South that you read about. Great people. (Well, except for the politicians here; this is the capital of Florida.) Tallahassee lacks good entertainment venues unless you're young. This is a big college town.

Depending on your income, other cities in Florida that are nice are Boca Raton and Naples.

[Meemur]

Originally Posted by Moving to US

- Good public transportation
- Easy to get around walking (shops, restaurant, nightlife)
- We prefer warm weather so no cold and snow (we get these enough where we are from )
- We'd like to have sea near us (maybe max. 45min away from home)
- Low tax rate is a very big +
- City should have over 500 000 people so no small towns unless it's close to a bigger city and easy to get there
Is there a city which would have all of these ?

Sorry, no. Some of your items are mutually exclusive: desirable places with good public transportation won't have low taxes because someone has to pay for that transportation.

As for living near the ocean, those areas are going to be more expensive just because they are near water. Throw in "nice weather" and you're basically looking at some very pricey areas, such as San Francisco or San Diego in California.

You may find more affordable cities coming closer to "lower taxes" near the coast in the South vs. the West Coast, but many won't have extensive public transportation or high walkability scores as a whole. Also, be aware that portions of the South, especially Georgia and Florida have very high humidity. If you don't have high humidity where you live now, you may be highly displeased with a typical summer.

I suggest that you go back to the drawing board and figure out a realistic budget. Next, use the City-Data cost of living section (COL) to look for cities in your price range, and then exclude those with extreme winter, such as the Midwest and Upper Midwest.

After you have done that, start looking at overall walkability scores if those are more important. You may find that a place like Austin, TX meets a lot of your criteria, but it's not within 45 minutes of an ocean. Still, you are within several hours of one.

And, yes, it is very hard to research cities over the internet. I strongly recommend that you settle on a small geographical region and plan a trip here. Although that is pricey, you'll save yourself a lot of money in the long run with some boots-on-the-ground research. Some places that look great in the research might turn out to be awful for you.

Lastly, you didn't mention work. A lot of us have to live where we have jobs, and many places in the US have terrible economies. You will notice that I live in Des Moines (Iowa). This is not near oceans and has hard winters, but my salary and quality of life are much better that I would have in Tampa, FL or Myrtle Beach, SC. I miss the beach! But it's not worth it to my wallet to live in a resort area.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by Moving to US

- Good public transportation
- Easy to get around walking (shops, restaurant, nightlife)
- warm weather so no cold and snow
- have sea near us
- Low tax rate
- over 500 000 people so no small towns

Is there a city which would have all of these ?

No. There isn't.

You can get real close if you eliminate one or two of those items
like high taxes or near sea or mild climate large city culture.

So... which REALLY matters?

[adriver]

I would say, start with California.

[nightlysparrow]

Originally Posted by Moving to US

..we want:
- Good public transportation
- Easy to get around walking (shops, restaurant, nightlife)
- We prefer warm weather so no cold and snow (we get these enough where we are from )
- We'd like to have sea near us (maybe max. 45min away from home)
- Low tax rate is a very big +
- City should have over 500 000 people so no small towns unless it's close to a bigger city and easy to get there

Is there a city which would have all of these ?

Originally Posted by adriver

I would say, start with California.

I would say, DON"T start with California.

NO- Good public transportation
NO- Easy to get around walking (shops, restaurant, nightlife)
Not warm, HOT- We prefer warm weather so no cold and snow (we get these enough where we are from
Only if you are wealthy- We'd like to have sea near us (maybe max. 45min away from home)
NO NO NO, taxes are HIGH,HIGH, HIGH- Low tax rate is a very big +
Only SF, LA, Sd & SJ- are only cities with high population that are near the ocean and all very expensive-City should have over 500 000 people so no small towns unless it's close to a bigger city and easy to get there

Suggest big cities in Florida near ocean
Suggest big cities in Texas near ocean

[Threestep2]

Take a map, circle several spots, does your budget and job coincide with those spots? If not - pick a place with potential employment and move later.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Meemur

As for living near the ocean, those areas are going to be more expensive just because they are near water. Throw in "nice weather" and you're basically looking at some very pricey areas, such as San Francisco or San Diego in California.

.

This is what I was thinking. And California has high taxes, when you add everything together. Seattle, however, has no state income tax, so tax-wise, it's better. You may have to compromise on some items on your wish list.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

I would say, DON"T start with California.

NO- Good public transportation
NO- Easy to get around walking (shops, restaurant, nightlife)
Not warm, HOT- We prefer warm weather so no cold and snow (we get these enough where we are from
Only if you are wealthy- We'd like to have sea near us (maybe max. 45min away from home)
NO NO NO, taxes are HIGH,HIGH, HIGH- Low tax rate is a very big +
Only SF, LA, Sd & SJ- are only cities with high population that are near the ocean and all very expensive-City should have over 500 000 people so no small towns unless it's close to a bigger city and easy to get there

Suggest big cities in Florida near ocean
Suggest big cities in Texas near ocean

California's a big place. Some parts have good public transit, are very walkable, and have moderate temps year 'round. But all that will cost you, in cost of living (housing, mainly) and taxes. Big cities in TX and FL near the ocean will be hot. If your definition of "warm weather" includes excessive heat, OP, those might work. Watch out for hurricanes, though. And Zika virus is in Florida, now.

[chiluvr1228]

OP - What do you mean by good public transportation? Do you want a subway 24/7 or are you okay with a bus that stops running at 8 or 9 p.m.? Most of Florida doesn't have great public transit. Stay away from Miami - very high crime and congestion and if you are not used to heat AND high humidity you will not be happy here. Maybe try the Atlanta, Georgia area?