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In the SE you need to pay attention to elevation. Knoxville and Roanoke are below 1000', Johnson City TN, Asheville NC, Blacksburg have higher elevations. Boone NC is 3000' and thus very cool.
You may need to explore the snowbird lifestyle. You could cut your budget in half and buy a condo in Fla and a home further north.
There are affordable areas in California that would pretty much suit your needs. You just have to get away from the large metro areas. Try these cities, affordable in your budget, with sun but not hot in summer, and not too much rain, though more than the Bay Area :
Eureka
Ferndale
Susanville
Ukiah
I was shocked at how nice Eureka was! I have a friend who just moved there from the Bay, and I just came back from there. Beautiful town. If my family were not in Chicago I would probably move to Portland and keep a winter home in N CA.
Here are some links that you can follow that described both places depending upon if you prefer a liberal cosmopolitan urban environment then the Sacramento metro area is for you. It has very nice weather all year round and has a dry warm Mediterranean climate. From what I've seen on the internet there are some pretty good home prices here and have the convenience of living in a large urban area. Commuting back and forth is pretty easy here and they have a great public transportation system. The city has a big city feel with small town hospitality, very much like Minneapolis MN where I lived for 20 years. However social problems in Sacremento are pretty apparent. (ie, crime, drug abuse, chronic homelessness, etc).
Ukiah; on the other hand is a smaller rural community in coastal Mendocino County. The city of Ukiah is the county seat. When I moved here, I was homeless, jobless and really having a difficult time. However the community here in Ukiah was very supportive towards me and I am no longer homeless; but am still without a good job and I have a college degree. I am continuing my college education at an online university.
I attended college in Minneapolis, Minnesota and was born in northeastern Wisconsin. I moved to California in 2010 to escape the long and bitterly cold winters in the upper Midwest. Before this time I had never previously been in California not even to visit. Now that I am living here though, I really enjoy it.
I might have asked something similar before but am expanding the search. I'm looking for a city with the right weather but can't afford California. My husband hates winters and I hate summers with a passion. If I had to describe perfect weather I'd say 65 and sunny. I would say our budget is 300-400k (maybe a bit more if it's a higher paying city) and the larger the metro area the better. Any suggestions that would be a good compromise where we can both be happy? We both know well have to sacrifice a bit. Also, I think PNW may be out of the question since the constant drizzle does not appeal to me. Thanks.
You know that a lot of California is a sweltering desert and a lot of California is a cold mountain climate, right? That perfect weather zone is actually a really small part of California.
Really I want to live in Chicago or Minneapolis and he wants to live in Florida. Guess 4 balanced seasons is the best way to meet in the middle. I've taken note of some of the places you've mentioned. Thanks!
Have you considered the coast from Wilmington, NC to Jacksonville, FL? I always thought that coast line has the best weather in the country. It has hot summers for for 7 months of the year you can expect the temperature to reach into the 60s either during night or during day. The 60s are my favorite weather.
You know that a lot of California is a sweltering desert and a lot of California is a cold mountain climate, right? That perfect weather zone is actually a really small part of California.
Not really accurate. And there are quite a few places in CA that would suit the o.p. re; weather but that are not within her budget.
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Moved from Minnesota to California 6 years ago
However the community here in Ukiah was very supportive towards me and I am no longer homeless
