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The catch to Vancouver is that it's a mostly nondescript suburb of Portland with run-of-the-mill suburban amenities. This is not a bad thing, though! It seems like it fits what you're looking for. You get easy access to Portland and its amenities without having to live in the city. The lack of income tax is a huge bonus as well as the close proximity to PDX airport.
If you need stunning nature, then you really can't beat the PNW. There's so many nature/landscape photographers out here because it's such a photogenic place
Yeah, Vancouver seems to be a great fit. For most places in the PNW that I've come across in close proximity to a city like Portland or Seattle, I've immediately said "no thanks" due to the cost. But there are decently nice properties we could actually afford there and reap the benefits of living in one of the most beautiful areas of the country. It seemed too good to be true and so I was wondering if there were any drawbacks; we happen to like run-of-the-mill suburbs.
Framingham, MA, has a large Brazilian community. It has two parts: North and South -- there are plenty of discussions on C-D on that town. BTW, there is more to do in MA than in FL -- there are world-class museums, Cape Cod, NH White Mountains nearby, not to mention the best health care.
I agree that there isn't much to do in Iowa, just fields and fields. Plus, the inhospitable climate. Still, I am not sure whether you'd like either Vancouver or Ft. Myers. The PNW has miserable drizzly weather half a year, which might drive you crazy. Ft. Myers also has miserable weather half a year, plus it is known for its very high crime rate (as many areas in FL, unfortunately). I suspect you might have gotten those two places from the Best Places to Live articles, which often feature them. Ignore those articles, please.
In the end, most states have a total effective tax rate including property tax, car registration, gas taxes, etc., within a few % of each other with 5 plus outliers at top and 5-10 outliers at the bottom. The best place for someone can vary by income and types.
Yeah, Vancouver WA is a pretty sly choice. If you want to live there. Some other smaller near border towns could do similar if not needing / wanting to be next to a big metro.
If you're willing to consider Florida, and you want to be near Brazilians, I would think you'd rather be in or near Miami instead of Fort Myers. If Miami itself isn't what you're looking for, you could try Fort Lauderdale, which IMO is a nicer city anyway. Fort Myers isn't terribly far from Miami, but it's not close enough for the Brazilian population to be a factor in your regular life. It's a 2.5 hour drive each way; doable for a day trip or a weekend getaway but not just to pop over after work and have dinner in your new favorite Brazilian restaurant. And the drive across I-75 (a.k.a Alligator Alley) through the Everglades is seriously spooky at night, at least for me.
I do like New England but am not as impressed with the nature there as, say, the Pacific Northwest or Southwest. But I'm also not as familiar with the region. I went to Acadia a few years ago and loved it; I also love the Maine vibe. I've never been to the Adirondacks. And there is actually quite a large Brazilian contingent in Massachusetts.
Your last sentence is why I’m surprised it hasn’t been mentioned. There is also a big Lusophone/Portuguese speaking diaspora population in CT and RI. So, that was the reason why I was surprised that it wasn’t mentioned.
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