Finally, some good news about the State

[damba]

Originally Posted by Unicorn hunter

Thanks again for all the helpful comments! I always have to point out that I am a "she" not a "he"! Not sure why everyone assumes I am a guy! Anyway, all useful information....a lot like Washington state....Western is blue/Eastern is red....or at least predominantly red. I found it a strain to be around so many conservative types when I lived in Eastern Washington and finally felt at home when I moved across the mountains.

Touche!

[Curly Q. Bobalink]

Looking more carefully at flamadiddle's map link, something just occurred to me that I was previously oblivious to. More knowledgeable posters may giggle at my naïvete, but there are very few "rural" places in the US that are not conservative (or at least did not majority-vote for Trump). Which got me wondering why this is (why larger population centers tend to vote majority Democratic). And, if you compare this map to one that shows African American population, they are strikingly similar, especially in the southern states and larger cities. In areas with large Native American populations (reservations) in the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, and in areas that I assume have a large Hispanic populations (Texas, for instance, the trend is the same). There are obvious exceptions to this (see the large area around Madison, WI, for instance), but by-and-large, this appears to be valid reasoning.

So, it appears that whites are split pretty close to 50/50, and the African American vote (and to a lesser degree, Hispanics) are truly the "swing votes" in Presidential elections. I have to wonder how many AA's realize this, and would otherwise seek to leverage this political power with the two major parties. Again, please don't call me an idiot for just realizing this, I've just never studied the political science process much before, I typically vote a split ticket, especially in local elections.

To keep this post on-topic, I would suggest Unicorn check out the areas surrounding Madison, WI. Very pretty area with lakes, forest, and hills (even skiing) nearby, I understand it's rated high in Medical Care and other services, and I know that Wisconsin is very well-funded with respect to the debt owed to pubic service pensions. It seems to check all of "her" (sorry for assuming gender!) boxes, if you can stand winters that are colder and longer in duration than those found 300 miles to the south (in the original search area). I am familiar with counties to the south of Madison, and towns in those areas have pretty reasonable real estate pricing. Wisconsin Income tax is not terribly unreasonable (a progressive tax with credits on the low end), a very low sales tax, and moderately high real estate tax, but an overall more attractive package than Illinois, especially for working folks. Relative to Illinois, Wisconsin services are much better IMHO, visibly getting a return on your taxes makes them much more palatable to pay. Plus, coming from WA, the FIB label would not apply. Sounds like as much of a winner as you're gong to find.

[zogster]

Originally Posted by Unicorn hunter

Thanks again for all the helpful comments! I always have to point out that I am a "she" not a "he"! Not sure why everyone assumes I am a guy! Anyway, all useful information....a lot like Washington state....Western is blue/Eastern is red....or at least predominantly red. I found it a strain to be around so many conservative types when I lived in Eastern Washington and finally felt at home when I moved across the mountains.

If you want a small city that's a "blue" area, try Urbana. I grew up in Champaign (sister city) which is more purple/red, but Urbana is quite liberal in most regards.