Kansas young adult moving to maine (Wichita, Kansas City: rentals, house, find a job)

[kufan09]

Hey y'al i am a 21 year old male, about to be 22. and i feel as if its time for me to leave the dust bowl behind and move somewhere that ive thought about for the past 3 years. maine! i live in a small town as it is right now, but jobs are very scarce as is and i have no car to even go into town to find a job in the city. i did however. live in nashville tn for 4 months and i loved it. bright lights. tons to see. and i could walk to work and back home. maybe over to the grocery store no worries. basicly, what are some tips or comments you can give to me, to make such a drastic move at a young age. i feel im ready to do this. i just really dont know where to start. all i know is i have to have money saved up before i even decided to just pack my clothes and go. but whats a guy to do?

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by kufan09

Hey y'al i am a 21 year old male, about to be 22. and i feel as if its time for me to leave the dust bowl behind and move somewhere that ive thought about for the past 3 years. maine! i live in a small town as it is right now, but jobs are very scarce as is and i have no car to even go into town to find a job in the city. i did however. live in nashville tn for 4 months and i loved it. bright lights. tons to see. and i could walk to work and back home. maybe over to the grocery store no worries. basicly, what are some tips or comments you can give to me, to make such a drastic move at a young age. i feel im ready to do this. i just really dont know where to start. all i know is i have to have money saved up before i even decided to just pack my clothes and go. but whats a guy to do?

I previously lived in KS close to the Kansas City metro area and now live in NH. I would say that some of the bigger adjustments would be the landscape, terrain, winters, and people. New England people tend to be much more reserved compared to those in the Plains. However, they will warm up nicely once they get to know you.
I have traveled throughout many areas of Maine and I would say many of the smaller communities are more compact and established with well defined downtowns. The issue everywhere is jobs. Many younger people leave the very rural northern towns in Maine to the more urban coastal Portland, ME corridor. Portland offers the widest range of jobs in the state, and is a very walkable progressive city. It is not a very large city and is about 1/2 the size of Wichita, KS. I would say not having a car would be tough, but it might be doable in the Portland area.
New Hampshire has a lower tax burden compared to Maine. It is the fastest growing of the New England states and is popular with families, singles, and retirees alike. The Concord through Nashua corridor along interstate 93 has a good variety of jobs in many career fields.
In terms of rural living... I really like Plymouth, NH- further up interstate 93, or Littleton- at the top end of interstate 93. Plymouth is a college town with a vibrant downtown and Littleton has a growing economy with a population of less than 7000. Conway is another rural town with a tourist centered economy with a population of around 8000. All three towns are close to a multitude of outdoor activities in the White Mountains. You have hiking trails, boating, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and vast wilderness areas nearby. Housing types will vary with some rentals. For a small house <1000sqft prices are cheap.
Send me a DM if you need more info about the area.

[Lil Jhwk]

My boyfriend and I made the plunge when we decided to up and move to California. We made a visit out here and cracked down on a finding a job. Before our visit we got on Craigslist and every other job site and sent our resumes to tons of places. We still searched while we were out here visiting. Luckily we were able to have jobs set up for when we moved. In the mean time before our move we hardly spent a dime. We were saving like crazy and we still are. We just buy the necessities and live our lives. It's the best move we ever made. I don't know how it is in the New England states but if you're really set on moving you'll do whatever it takes to save and find a job to make the move happen. You need to be dedicated to your decision. Best of luck to ya!