Liberal, Low COL, Tech jobs, 4 seasons, pretty place to live? (crime rate, house)
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Chapel Hill-Carrboro average home prices tick up quite a bit to around 340K on average which is due to the excellence of the schools, though shouldn't be an issue with a well-paying tech job.
We actually plan to continue homeschooling, so schools aren't an issue. We might find something in the Carrboro area that we can afford (and it looks awesome!) but if not, looks like the northern part of Durham is affordable, and again, schools are not an issue.
Looking for a fairly progressive/liberal environment, with a decent number of tech jobs, that has affordable housing where a family can live on one income, and is pretty. Preferably 4 real seasons, as we're coming from Florida and would like our kids to get to see seasons
Indianapolis might suit your needs.
Within the city limits of Indianapolis, people are generally moderate to liberal, politically. Last year my neighborhood was full of signs that said "Pence must go!" The majority in Marion County (basically Indianapolis) voted for Hillary.
There are several tech firms here. There's a business-friendly environment and a number of good universities in the area.
Housing is very affordable. Last year, I sold my 800 sf house in the Denver area and bought a nicer, larger house here for less than half what the house in Denver sold for. Similar distance to downtown, similar neighborhood. And car insurance is half what it was in Colorado. Just about everything costs less here.
Indy definitely has four seasons and it's full of pretty places: historical neighborhoods, colonial revival areas near Ft. Harrison, wilderness areas within the city limits, the Monon Trail. Get on Google street view and see for yourself.
Within the city limits of Indianapolis, people are generally moderate to liberal, politically. Last year my neighborhood was full of signs that said "Pence must go!" The majority in Marion County (basically Indianapolis) voted for Hillary.
There are several tech firms here. There's a business-friendly environment and a number of good universities in the area.
Housing is very affordable. Last year, I sold my 800 sf house in the Denver area and bought a nicer, larger house here for less than half what the house in Denver sold for. Similar distance to downtown, similar neighborhood. And car insurance is half what it was in Colorado. Just about everything costs less here.
Indy definitely has four seasons and it's full of pretty places: historical neighborhoods, colonial revival areas near Ft. Harrison, wilderness areas within the city limits, the Monon Trail. Get on Google street view and see for yourself.
Indy also has a pretty high crime rate for its size and winters are fairly dreary there as well.
Last edited by bluescreen73; 11-18-2016 at 09:56 PM..
Albuquerque has most of what you want and the climate is a mild four season climate. COL is low, housing is affordable. It has a lot of diversity and interesting culture. Tech jobs are unknown to me but Facebook is building a huge facility just south of Albuquerque in Los Lunas. There might be other tech opportunities. Mountains are right next to town. There's some skiing and rafting close by... a lot to explore and Santa Fe is an hour away.
I heard all about the horrible weather and high crime before I moved to Indianapolis. The winter is colder here than it was in Denver and I have an alarm system now...that's about it. OTOH, I can enjoy the sunshine without burning (much) or feeling like I am roasting, and the police have better things to do than write tickets and boot cars. All things considered, I got a life upgrade when I moved to Indy.
Last edited by sheerbliss; 11-18-2016 at 10:52 PM..
I heard all about the horrible weather and high crime before I moved to Indianapolis. The winter is colder here than it was in Denver and I have an alarm system now...that's about it. OTOH, I can enjoy the sunshine without burning (much) or feeling like I am roasting, and the police have better things to do than write tickets and boot cars. All things considered, I got a life upgrade when I moved to Indy.
The police in the Denver area write a lot of tickets and boot a lot of cars. In any case, given the OP's desire for affordable housing, Denver probably isn't what he's looking for.
Sorry you don't like Indianapolis, bluescreen73, but I'm very happy with it. Have a lovely day.
Last edited by sheerbliss; 11-19-2016 at 11:12 AM..
We actually plan to continue homeschooling, so schools aren't an issue. We might find something in the Carrboro area that we can afford (and it looks awesome!) but if not, looks like the northern part of Durham is affordable, and again, schools are not an issue.
If homeschooling you might also look at the Pittsboro/Fearrington area which is 15 minutes south of Chapel Hill and an easy 30 minute commute to Research Triangle Park, or Mebane which is a fairly smooth 20-30 minute commute into Chapel Hill or Durham.
The police in the Denver area write a lot of tickets and boot a lot of cars. In any case, given the OP's desire for affordable housing, he probably wouldn't care to live there.
The OP also wants a place with a lot of sunshine. That's not Indianapolis either.
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