Should I move to Iowa? (Des Moines, Davenport: house, unemployment rate, university)

[nonee]

Hi All- Hope you can help.
I'm a 44 year old single female that has lived on the Southwest side of Chicago all of my life. I would like to leave this rat race and find my little country home on an acre of land.
I do not utilize all that Chicago has to offer (except for the awesome Italian beef sandwiches and authentic Mexican food) and am a country girl at heart, finding happiness in nature and animals.
I would like to live in a rural residential area but I would need to work in a city hospital (RN) in attempts to keep my income what it is now.
Can anyone give me any suggestions as to a nice place to live but not too far of a commute to work/shopping? Where I could get a good beef/tacos would be a plus too! Thanks

[Dport7674]

Check out The Quad Cities, (Davenport & Bettendorf, IA and Rock Island & Moline IL) they have plenty of hospitals and lots of smaller towns within commuting distance where you can get an acre, Le Claire is an up and coming smaller community about 10-15 minutes away. And you'll only be 2 1/2 hrs from Chicago.

Lots and lots of authentic Mexican food too, on both sides of the river...My favorites are Los Agaves and Azteca.

[iowegian]

From what you've described, I think you will love it here. You could find what you're looking for in pretty much any of Iowa's larger cities. I would suggest looking into a mid-sized city, because the commute between rural areas and the hospital will be shorter and easier than it would be in a city like Des Moines. Even there, you could make it work, but a smaller city might suit you better.

You might want to look into the Iowa City area. It is a little more expensive than other areas of the state, but there are three large hospitals in Iowa City, including the largest hospital in the state (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics), and therefore there are more nursing jobs. You could look into more rural areas like Hills, Oxford, Solon, Riverside, and West Branch and find a more rural lifestyle without a difficult commute. My favorite Mexican places in Iowa City are El Ranchero/El Dorado (two restaurants, different names, same menu) and El Cactus. Iowa City is still only about 3 1/2-4 hours from Chicago so if you need to go back, it's accessible.

You might also want to investigate Dubuque, although there may not as many nursing jobs there. Quad Cities are nice too. You might want to plan a trip where you just drive to a few cities and see them for yourself, I think that could really help you decide.

[capitalcityguy]

Originally Posted by nonee

Hi All- Hope you can help.
I'm a 44 year old single female that has lived on the Southwest side of Chicago all of my life. I would like to leave this rat race and find my little country home on an acre of land.
I do not utilize all that Chicago has to offer (except for the awesome Italian beef sandwiches and authentic Mexican food) and am a country girl at heart, finding happiness in nature and animals.
I would like to live in a rural residential area but I would need to work in a city hospital (RN) in attempts to keep my income what it is now.
Can anyone give me any suggestions as to a nice place to live but not too far of a commute to work/shopping? Where I could get a good beef/tacos would be a plus too! Thanks

Outside of Chicago, rural Illinois isn't any different than rural Iowa.

Not that we wouldn't take you, but I question what you're really looking for given similarity between the two states in terms of the rural areas.

[QuadCityImages]

I'd imagine it would be nice to live somewhere with a (relatively) functioning state government and economy.

The QC area is good if you want an out-of-Chicago lifestyle with the ability to be on Michigan Avenue in under 3 hours. Once our Amtrak line gets going in a couple of years, it will be even easier.

[nonee]

Thanks for the info!

[nonee]

Originally Posted by iowegian

From what you've described, I think you will love it here. You could find what you're looking for in pretty much any of Iowa's larger cities. I would suggest looking into a mid-sized city, because the commute between rural areas and the hospital will be shorter and easier than it would be in a city like Des Moines. Even there, you could make it work, but a smaller city might suit you better.

You might want to look into the Iowa City area. It is a little more expensive than other areas of the state, but there are three large hospitals in Iowa City, including the largest hospital in the state (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics), and therefore there are more nursing jobs. You could look into more rural areas like Hills, Oxford, Solon, Riverside, and West Branch and find a more rural lifestyle without a difficult commute. My favorite Mexican places in Iowa City are El Ranchero/El Dorado (two restaurants, different names, same menu) and El Cactus. Iowa City is still only about 3 1/2-4 hours from Chicago so if you need to go back, it's accessible.

You might also want to investigate Dubuque, although there may not as many nursing jobs there. Quad Cities are nice too. You might want to plan a trip where you just drive to a few cities and see them for yourself, I think that could really help you decide.

Thanks so much for your help.
Are there rural type areas amongst the mid-size cities? I've been checking realty sites and it seems that unless I move to Oskaloosa everything else is a subdivision. I'm just looking for a 3-4 bedroom house on an acre.Something with that country feel to it but not in the middle of nowhere.

[nonee]

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

Outside of Chicago, rural Illinois isn't any different than rural Iowa.

Not that we wouldn't take you, but I question what you're really looking for given similarity between the two states in terms of the rural areas.

Illinois has the second worst budget in the US next to California and I'm tired of having to 'pay' for it. I have $10,000 a year taken out of my check in taxes.

[nonee]

Originally Posted by QuadCityImages

I'd imagine it would be nice to live somewhere with a (relatively) functioning state government and economy.

The QC area is good if you want an out-of-Chicago lifestyle with the ability to be on Michigan Avenue in under 3 hours. Once our Amtrak line gets going in a couple of years, it will be even easier.

Amen and that's exactly why I want to get out of Illinois.We have the second worst budget in the US next to California. I have $10,000 a year taken out of my check in taxes.
How are the politics/government/cost of living/unemployment rate in Iowa?

[iowegian]

Originally Posted by nonee

Thanks so much for your help.
Are there rural type areas amongst the mid-size cities? I've been checking realty sites and it seems that unless I move to Oskaloosa everything else is a subdivision. I'm just looking for a 3-4 bedroom house on an acre.Something with that country feel to it but not in the middle of nowhere.

I recommend this site for Iowa City area listings:
Iowa City Area Assocation of Realtors ~ Iowa City, IA

Check the acreages box on the "Search for Homes" page and you'll find over 40 options. Some of the cheaper ones are farther from the city, but there is a wide range of prices available, so you should be able to find something.