looking for a really low humid place.. (low crime, schools)

[teodora]

Hello I wanna move from the humid and wet island of Nantucket to a really low humid and big city whenever in the US. Would you please give me soem advice or suggestion. I have 2 more requirements: to be low in crime rate and to have some really good universities, since i am going to be a trasnfer last year.
Thank you very much

[saganista]

Among cities large enough to have a shot at the other requirements, Phoenix and Denver would probably be the best choices. Certainly Washington DC would not make the list. Here we do dip into the moderate humidity category at times, but mostly we have high humidity, though perhaps not as high as what you've found on Nantucket. Like most US cities, Washington is located where it is due to its proximity to water, and nearby water will in general result in higher humidity levels. To get away from the water, you'd have to think about the desert southwest first (Phoenix), then maybe about getting high up in the mountains second (Denver). There is really no place on the east coast that can claim to have low humidity, with things getting worse the further south or closer to the ocean that you go...

[5stones]

Denver colorado area.
You have University of Denver right in downtown.
The colorado School of mines in Golden Colorado foor engineering
University of Colorado in Boulder (the Rocky mtn. Berekly...very liberal) Colorado State University in FT. Collins
University of NOrthren Colorado at Greeley (the Teachers college)

If you want smallish town try Mesa State College in Grand Junction. (extremely low humidity...it's high desert and has milder colorado winters)
Ft Lewis College in Durango...mountian town great skiing.

There are many more.....

[vegaspilgrim]

I agree-- I grew up in Denver and visit all the time-- due to the higher elevation, it NEVER feels humid there, even if on the weather it says 100% humid. Most of the year, the air feels crisp and cool/ cold, especially at nights. Although, it does get polluted sometimes.

As for Phoenix/Vegas, yes, it is very dry too (except for "monsoon" season), but the air has a very stale feeling to it. Pollution here in PHX is the norm, not the exception.

[recycled]

Almost anywhere in the southwestern US will have a lack of humidity in the air most of the time, and would be considered dry. The exceptions would be near coastal areas such as where I live in southern california and a few micro climate zones that collect more rainfall or humidity.
The area I live in about 15 miles from the Pacific Coast is certainly an arid climate. Just read today that rainfall from July 1, 2006 to present has added up to just 2 inches total. That's so pathetic, no wonder the hills are dry and brown - hate to think how bad the fire season will be this summer or when water rationing will start. But in spite of that, humidity levels here are a very comfortable 50 or 60 percent most of the time because of the prevailing wind off the ocean. In summer drive an hour or so inland, and humidity might drop to the single digits. I drive to AZ many times a year to visit my mother. I can't wait to get back here cause the air is so dry there it makes my skin itch. I have to bring a bottle of aloe vera and slosh that all over my skin to survive a few days there. As you can tell, I don't like those ultra dry climate zones, I'll take a little humidity over none any day.

[MattDen]

Denver and Boulder, Colorado is very very low humidity city. Its gotten down to less then 5% humidity during chinook winds in the winter-time.

[GreggB]

How about Albuquerque New Mexico. Low humidity, 300 plus days a year of sunshine. Not nearly the rat race you'd encounter in Denver or Phoenix.

[Ben Around]

RE: humidity, virtually everyplace on the North American continent west of the 100th meridian has low humidity. If you want low crime big cities, that leaves out the Southwest, including California. If you are talking about humidity (not rainfall), Seattle and Portland would meet all of your requirements: big cities, (relatively) low crime, low humidity, and "good" universities U Wash, Portland State). Denver's a good choice, except there's no university there. UC is many miles away from the city, in Boulder.

[EnjoyEP]

Originally Posted by GreggB

How about Albuquerque New Mexico. Low humidity, 300 plus days a year of sunshine. Not nearly the rat race you'd encounter in Denver or Phoenix.

I would second the suggestion of Albuquerque.

In Albuquerque, you get much warmer weather in the winter, spring and fall generally than you do in Denver, and far less snow. Yet, in the summer (and spring / fall) you get far less oppressive heat than you do in Phoenix or Las Vegas, not to mention less sprawl and a cheaper cost of living.

And...Albuquerque is situated in the northern tip of the Chihuahuan desert (it averages 8.5 inches of rainfall per year) and thus is extremely arid (eg: very little humidity...similar humidity levels to PHX / LV and lower than Denver).

For even better weather than Albuquerque (and Albuquerque's is pretty outstanding) you could do El Paso, TX. El Paso is a border city...that might bother some people (although statistically the city is one of the safest big cities in the nation). In my opinion, this West Texas city (4th biggest in Texas) has the best year-round climate in the U.S. next to coastal cities...and is in the heart of the Chihuahuan desert, thus is equally as dry and arid as Albuquerque is.

Both Albuquerque and El Paso avoid the extremes of Denver (cold, snow) and Phoenix / Las Vegas (harsh heat for prolonged periods), offer 300+ days of sunshine annually, and are bone dry for the most part.

[Hoosier]

Definitely Denver! I used to live there and it has very low humidity and great schools. Beautiful place to live.