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I am looking for specific things, and want to make a move.
1. Minimal amount of bugs: I can take bad weather over bugs. I just hate bugs.
2. Close to a tech hub: I am in IT so I want to be close to tech jobs.
3. Affordable: at least considered average but not in "high" cost of living category
4. Low crime rate
5. Family friendly and Diverse: Above average school system and at least some diversity.
The town I was seriously looking into was Raleigh NC until I read the terrible bug and infestation problems there.
I am sorry I forgot to mention affordable, or at least reasonably affordable
It doesn't exist. You may have to be a bit more flexible with your criteria.
Fort Collins or Salt Lake City are probably your best bets. But they both leave something to be desired in terms of diversity.
Minneapolis could work, but the schools are just so-so, and once you step outside the urban part of Minneapolis proper, you'll be eaten alive by mosquitoes.
Silicone Valley has everything you mentioned, but it's pricey. But if you can land the right job, and wouldn't have to worry about paying private school tuition, the higher mortgage might be worth it.
Spokane and Boise are affordable and not very buggy, but they aren't exactly diverse and I don't know about the job market in IT. Spokane also has a bit of a crime problem.
Des Moines has great schools, it's safe, and very family friendly, but there are mosquitoes and it's not exactly diverse.
Chicago, IF YOU LIVE IN THE CITY PROPER, doesn't have bugs (but you will have to contend with rats) and has great jobs in IT. You could also probably find an affordable bungalow in a relatively nice area like Albany Park or Avondale, and it's also the most diverse place in the country outside of Queens, New York. But the public schools there are horrible and the private schools are expensive.
Last edited by Dawn.Davenport; 07-30-2014 at 03:44 PM..
What about Denver or Portland?
With a reasonably nice house in the suburbs?
I thought about suggesting Denver, but I feel that Fort Collins is cheaper than Denver proper or Boulder and offers more bang for the buck than suburban Denver. FC has a great downtown area that offers a lot to do.
The job market in Portland isn't the greatest. And though less expensive than Silicon Valley or Seattle, Portland still isn't exactly cheap. My brother used to live there. He loved it, but there're just too many people looking for the same few jobs. Now he's in New York City.
Portland, Oregon -- where young people go to retire.
Last edited by Dawn.Davenport; 07-30-2014 at 05:22 PM..
Reason: Subject-Verb Agreement Is Good!
With Salt Lake City, I believe that the schools within the city and some of the adjacent suburbs would have a notable amount of diversity. Same with Des Moines. Denver could work and perhaps there are some good schools within the city, Aurora or the Cherry Creek/Greenwood Village area.
Op, I don't know how you can totally avoid bugs, they are pretty much everywhere. There are bugs for every regions of the country. Don't let a little bug cause you to miss out on a good opportunity.
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