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Hi. This year I'm finally escaping hell (Russia) after winning green card lottery. Since salaries here are extremely low ($300-400/mo) I don't have much savings - just $9k after all relocating expenses.
Few words about me: 26, single, good enough English, IT background - 5y in mobile QA, 3y in pre-press, but no CS degree so IT job is unlikely and I'm ok with general labor work at factory, warehouse, dishwashing etc.
So I'm looking for city with:
* Good unemployment rate.
* Low rent.
* Can survive on minimum wage.
* No need for car (either advanced public transit or possibility to ride bike all year long).
* Mild or warm climate (I'm sick of cold winters after so many years).
* Low crime, not a ghetto.
* Not hostile towards immigrants.
It has one of the lowest rent averages of all major US cities (one bedrooms around $500-$600 a month), a good unemployment rate (4%), good public transportation in/around the city, a mild four season climate with little snow/ice, fairly low crime in the vast majority of the city and a diverse welcoming population thanks to a major university and several other colleges.
Southern states with medium sized cities are a good idea; Tennessee, Kentucky, South and North Carolina. Maybe Jacksonville, Florida. I think a low cost college- such as a community or public vocational college- would be good for you to look for as well so you could get your CS degree. You don't want to be stuck washing dishes forever.
What can you say about Austin? There are a lot of tech companies and I guess it's possible to get QA \ tech support position without CS degree. Also cost of living seems pretty low and city itself is lovely and growing.
What can you say about Austin? There are a lot of tech companies and I guess it's possible to get QA \ tech support position without CS degree. Also cost of living seems pretty low and city itself is lovely and growing.
Cost of living is not that low in Austin. However yes it is cheap compared to the the giant coastal cities (San Francisco, LA, New York). I also imagine there is a ton of competition for tech jobs there since you're competing not only against University of Texas-Austin students but college grads from all over the country.
Hi. This year I'm finally escaping hell (Russia) after winning green card lottery. Since salaries here are extremely low ($300-400/mo) I don't have much savings - just $9k after all relocating expenses.
Few words about me: 26, single, good enough English, IT background - 5y in mobile QA, 3y in pre-press, but no CS degree so IT job is unlikely and I'm ok with general labor work at factory, warehouse, dishwashing etc.
So I'm looking for city with:
* Good unemployment rate.
* Low rent.
* Can survive on minimum wage.
* No need for car (either advanced public transit or possibility to ride bike all year long).
* Mild or warm climate (I'm sick of cold winters after so many years).
* Low crime, not a ghetto.
* Not hostile towards immigrants.
Would greatly appreciate your help.
Congrats! Yeah you'll want a city in the south somewhere for low COL and warm weather.
Since someone mentioned Jax here's what I'll say about that:
The economy is strong and unemployment is pretty low. Rents are low as well, though I'm not sure you could survive on minimum wage (I guess you could survive but it wouldnt be much more than that).
You almost certainly would need a car unless you hit the lottery again (finding a job in a walkable area and can find a cheap vacant rental in said neighborhood)
Jax as a whole isnt low crime but most of the city is perfectly safe.
However I would definitely consider it on the lower side in terms of tolerance and welcoming of immigrants. It's not all terrible but you'll certainly be presented with more challenges than most other large metros.
What can you say about Austin? There are a lot of tech companies and I guess it's possible to get QA \ tech support position without CS degree. Also cost of living seems pretty low and city itself is lovely and growing.
Cleveland has cold winters, but low unemployment, cheap rent, and lot of opportunities to buy cheap real estate. It also has a fairly large Russian community, if that's important to you at all.
I also imagine there is a ton of competition for tech jobs there since you're competing not only against University of Texas-Austin students but college grads from all over the country.
But that's the American way! "Hey everybody, let's all pile into _______(insert Austin, Seattle, Portland, Denver) and drive up housing costs and job competition". Meanwhile oodles of other mid-sized cities lacking the panache go unnoticed and maintain affordable living costs along with decent job opportunity. In retrospect I suppose oh never mind, let the lemmings continue on their own paths while those with some forethought and individuality succeed on their own terms.
Cleveland has cold winters, but low unemployment, cheap rent, and lot of opportunities to buy cheap real estate. It also has a fairly large Russian community, if that's important to you at all.
OP is looking for warm weather though.
I'd look into Atlanta. There is a tech industry here and COL is not too bad yet. The city is getting more expensive but there are still many deals to be had, especially if renting and sharing with roommates. I have some friends who pay less than $500 a month in rent here.
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