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If you like the idea of Denver in terms of location/geography/climate you might consider Fort Collins, which is about 90 minutes north and out of the sprawl of the Denver metro. It's a college town (Colorado State University) which has it leaning progressive but not overtly liberal. It has an overall friendly laidback population and think it could be a good option.
Or, CO Springs. Fort Collins is a good suggestion. For the OP, how about Charlottesville, VA, Roanoke or Lynchburg? I know it's not WV but close.
I suggest looking into Arizona I think you could find something here.
Phoenix would actually fit perfect for you outside of the weather requirements. My one-story ranch-style home was less than 200k and built in the 1970s and there are a ton of ranch-style homes in Phoenix in the inner suburbs and even some newer... Financial services is Phoenix's largest industry. As you know, Phoenix is conservative, but Arizonans are not in-your-face religious and most are not racist or homophobic. Phoenix is big however, it's sprawled out though with good traffic for it's size so it may not seem as crowded but that would be up to perception.
If Phoenix's weather is a definite no regardless, maybe look into the mountain towns of Arizona. They have about the same climate as Colorado but with the red state politics. However, the mountain towns like Flagstaff, Prescott, Payson, etc. are liberal but they may not be overly liberal to you considering you are from California after all... Also the mountain cities tend to be more expensive in real estate. You could probably find ranch-styles up there but they won't be as common.
We like ranch style, one story, relatively newer homes. We can do repairs and make a house our own, so we don't need something with $15,000 in upgrades that sells $50,000 over market value.
Not an architecture expert, but as someone who has looked for housing all over the country I mostly see 1-story ranches in the west.
I wouldn't write SLC off entirely - there are moderate parts of the metro, though certainly the local religion impacts elections. Still, you might appreciate somewhere like Des Moines or a few other towns in IA - that was the first place that came to mind from your description. Though Boise is a good suggestion as well.
Agree with the suggestions made about Santa Fe and Ft Collins. Colorado Springs and Albuquerque would be larger options you might consider...
I'm not aware of ANY "conservative" cities in the Mountain West that "we hate blacks, jews, gays, and atheists" so I thing you'll be fine wherever you choose.
I'm really liking Colorado, and feel like anywhere I end up would be good. I looked at Loveland, Fort Collins, Greenwood Village, Lone Tree, and just the area in general. I also liked Boise, and when I was looking at Des Moines I saw that it's an insurance hub which is great. I looked around Virginia and West Virginia and love the fact the homes are spread out and you get a ton for what you pay, but I didn't like that most homes seem to be from the 1800s ...
I'll second considering Arizona. Living in CA your whole life there may be things there you take fro granted that you would actually miss if it were not available. You can get a lot of the good things about CA in Phoenix and can match the more conservative bent your're looking for in the East Vally (Gilbert especially). The sticking point may be summer weather.
You may like some southern cities like Charlotte, Raleigh or Nashville. Those cities are conservative and should offer ample opportunities for a FA and the climate is relatively mild in the south.
I'm really liking Colorado, and feel like anywhere I end up would be good. I looked at Loveland, Fort Collins, Greenwood Village, Lone Tree, and just the area in general. I also liked Boise, and when I was looking at Des Moines I saw that it's an insurance hub which is great. I looked around Virginia and West Virginia and love the fact the homes are spread out and you get a ton for what you pay, but I didn't like that most homes seem to be from the 1800s ...
Lone Tree and Greenwood Village are suburbs of Denver. Housing stock in Greenwood Village is primarily from the 70s and 80s. Lone Tree is newer and considerably more affluent.
I wouldn't call Colorado truly liberal by any stretch of the imagination - it's more libertarian than anything else. Denver proper and Boulder definitely are liberal, but many of the Denver burbs, Colorado Springs, and the rural areas (except the resort towns like Telluride, Aspen, and Steamboat) are mostly conservative. Colorado's definitely a very purple state.
Even though it's a large metro area, Denver won't feel crowded if you're from LA, San Diego, or the Bay Area. Traffic here is a breeze compared to those places.
The only problem with Fort Collins & Loveland will be the job market. It's not nearly as robust as Denver or Colorado Springs and you're dealing with both a) people who've been unemployed/underemployed long-term and refuse to move because they like it so much and b) graduates from CSU who stay in the area. Commuting from Northern Colorado to Denver is also not advisable because of the distance and the amount traffic on I-25.
Lone Tree and Greenwood Village are suburbs of Denver. Housing stock in Greenwood Village is primarily from the 70s and 80s. Lone Tree is newer and considerably more affluent.
I wouldn't call Colorado truly liberal by any stretch of the imagination - it's more libertarian than anything else. Denver proper and Boulder definitely are liberal, but many of the Denver burbs, Colorado Springs, and the rural areas (except the resort towns like Telluride, Aspen, and Steamboat) are mostly conservative. Colorado's definitely a very purple state.
Even though it's a large metro area, Denver won't feel crowded if you're from LA, San Diego, or the Bay Area. Traffic here is a breeze compared to those places.
The only problem with Fort Collins & Loveland will be the job market. It's not nearly as robust as Denver or Colorado Springs and you're dealing with both a) people who've been unemployed/underemployed long-term and refuse to move because they like it so much and b) graduates from CSU who stay in the area. Commuting from Northern Colorado to Denver is also not advisable because of the distance and the amount traffic on I-25.
My maximum commute I'm ok with is about 30 minutes, so if I were to get a job in somewhere like southern or central Denver and wanted to live in the Lone Tree area, how much of a commute are we talking? Geographically, it only looks like 15 ish miles. That could be 15-20 minutes if it's 60 MPH+ and I'm right near the freeway, or it could be over an hour if it's like LA traffic.
And when I say I don't want someplace crowded, I'm talking about LA and SF crowded: a new shopping center opens up and 40% of the businesses aren't open, but you still can't find parking anywhere. It's 2 PM on a Tuesday and you're leaving town and it's still a gamble on if there's traffic or not. 20 minutes to go 4 miles on surface streets because it takes 3 cycles to get through the busy intersection at any point in the day. The things that make you want to rip your hair out and leave the state. I'm ok with going to a mall and there's thousands of people there
The issue I think I might have with another desert area is when you buy a nice home the 'view' you get is of dry mountains and undeveloped areas as opposed to natural blues and greens in eastern states
I am currently working as a Financial Analyst in California and both my girlfriend and I cannot handle it any more. We have been here since birth (30 now), and want out. We want someplace conservative, but not 'we hate blacks, jews, gays, and atheists' conservative. We don't really care about taxes, religions (outside Salt Lake City type areas), etc. We just want a place that isn't overly crowded, isn't overly expensive, isn't overly liberal, and where people actually say 'hi' to each other in the supermarket
Budget doesn't matter. We are both very fiscally responsible and I will be well compensated in my field. I am able to start searching anywhere, so a response like 'North Dakota, western part' is good.
We like ranch style, one story, relatively newer homes. We can do repairs and make a house our own, so we don't need something with $15,000 in upgrades that sells $50,000 over market value.
So far, all I really saw was Denver ... and then we found out the crime rate is steadily increasing and it's becoming way too populated
Ideas?
Denver is probably about the worst choice you could make OP.
I am currently working as a Financial Analyst in California and both my girlfriend and I cannot handle it any more. We have been here since birth (30 now), and want out. We want someplace conservative, but not 'we hate blacks, jews, gays, and atheists' conservative. We don't really care about taxes, religions (outside Salt Lake City type areas), etc. We just want a place that isn't overly crowded, isn't overly expensive, isn't overly liberal, and where people actually say 'hi' to each other in the supermarket
Budget doesn't matter. We are both very fiscally responsible and I will be well compensated in my field. I am able to start searching anywhere, so a response like 'North Dakota, western part' is good.
We like ranch style, one story, relatively newer homes. We can do repairs and make a house our own, so we don't need something with $15,000 in upgrades that sells $50,000 over market value.
So far, all I really saw was Denver ... and then we found out the crime rate is steadily increasing and it's becoming way too populated
Ideas?
I agree with David Aguilar. Denver isn't cheap and nobody really say hi to each other (I don't think that is done anywhere anymore to strangers)...
Madison, WI, or Minneapolis, MN...
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