Looking to hear ONLY from current or former residents of the Midwest that live or have lived in Phoenix area (Chandler: living in, cost of)

[green2819]

I wish I could change it to say the Midwest not just Michigan but I dont think I can at this point. When I posted this thread I wanted it to be specific because I've seen so many general moving to az posts. All of my family us in Michigan so that is another concern to be so far away. Im not sure I can handle another winter here. This winter there wasn't much snow but I think we didn't have sun for two months. No joke. I remember being in Chicago during winter and I think they get more sunshine in winter than MI.

[mrsness300]

My hubby and I moved from MI about three years ago. One of the major reasons was not only the winters, but I also was depressed by how gray and sunless it was during much of the year. We have no regrets. We have gotten used to the heat, but I do miss rain. Overall (for us anyway) it was well worth the move.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by green2819

Thanks everyone! Maybe I'll also look into New Mexico too. Lots of sun but you also have seasons.

Tucson is milder as well as spots like Prescott, AZ.

Re: MI. One size does not fit all. the UP is going to have a different winter than say, Ann Arbor. Living off of the Great Lakes will have a much different weather pattern than Grand Rapids.

Being from MN (cut, paste, repeat as compare to MI) I boiled it down to the total # of ideal days. Pick your parameters. For me, a high of 60-95 and mostly sunny). In a "dry heat", that means 65-100. I'll bet AZ will have triple the ideal days that MI. For ME, the weather (# of ideal days are) paramount. Like MI right now, it has been cloudy with plenty of rain for the bugs to germinate.

Look at this link (http://www.city-data.com/top2/c475.html ) which is the top 100 Cities with the lowest sunside (or cloudiest days). Did you notice the upper midwest? Yep, 40% of the winter days are cloudy.

Obviously there is more to an area than weather. PHX has a nice blend. But the places that are "perfect" cost a bundle and are congested. So pick your trade-off.

[bigbuglf]

Originally Posted by green2819

I wish I could change it to say the Midwest not just Michigan but I dont think I can at this point. When I posted this thread I wanted it to be specific because I've seen so many general moving to az posts. All of my family us in Michigan so that is another concern to be so far away. Im not sure I can handle another winter here. This winter there wasn't much snow but I think we didn't have sun for two months. No joke. I remember being in Chicago during winter and I think they get more sunshine in winter than MI.

For most people there is more than climate to think of when making a move. Although climate is often a big influencer and sometimes the thing that pushes you over the edge. I think two other big considerations are work/job opportunities and family/friends.

I moved here with my husband when we were right around 30. Prior, we had spent our lives in MI and our families were all there. Moving away from family was somewhat difficult, but we were ok with it because we were adventurous and we had each other. I'd always wanted to live out west and DH was sick of clouds and snow. We both wanted better job opportunities.

If you are coming out by yourself, it might be more difficult, depending on your personality. We are not big socializers, but we even started to get a bit homesick after being in AZ for close to a year. It took a solid year or so to really start feeling settled in. So if you do move, give yourself at least a year or so to get used to it. You will probably find that your family is more than happy to come visit long around Feb/March, which happens to be one of the nicest times of year here!

Job opportunities are pretty good in Phoenix metro, (depending on your field of course). If you want to live/work in one of the higher elevation areas like Prescott or Flagstaff, that is usually a bit more difficult (again, depends on what you do for a living).

All in all, I really do love Arizona, even though some days I get sick of sun. Our state has a huge variety of terrain, from desert to pine covered mountains. The people here are pretty friendly too. And, I absolutely adore rain now! Who would have ever expected that, coming from MI?

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by green2819

I wish I could change it to say the Midwest not just Michigan but I dont think I can at this point. When I posted this thread I wanted it to be specific because I've seen so many general moving to az posts. All of my family us in Michigan so that is another concern to be so far away. Im not sure I can handle another winter here. This winter there wasn't much snow but I think we didn't have sun for two months. No joke. I remember being in Chicago during winter and I think they get more sunshine in winter than MI.

Fixed it for ya

[locolife]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

Tucson is milder as well as spots like Prescott, AZ.

Re: MI. One size does not fit all. the UP is going to have a different winter than say, Ann Arbor. Living off of the Great Lakes will have a much different weather pattern than Grand Rapids.

Being from MN (cut, paste, repeat as compare to MI) I boiled it down to the total # of ideal days. Pick your parameters. For me, a high of 60-95 and mostly sunny). In a "dry heat", that means 65-100. I'll bet AZ will have triple the ideal days that MI. For ME, the weather (# of ideal days are) paramount. Like MI right now, it has been cloudy with plenty of rain for the bugs to germinate.

Look at this link (http://www.city-data.com/top2/c475.html ) which is the top 100 Cities with the lowest sunside (or cloudiest days). Did you notice the upper midwest? Yep, 40% of the winter days are cloudy.

Obviously there is more to an area than weather. PHX has a nice blend. But the places that are "perfect" cost a bundle and are congested. So pick your trade-off.

That is almost precisely what I did when narrowing down where to live. After someone told me it rains more in New York than Seattle I started focusing in on what I cared about most. Predictable weather, lack of cloudy days and a lot of variation of geography in the state. I also wanted to be around other major cities/interesting places to take road trips to. I like sunny weather for the most part, I've never adapted to rainy days, some people really love running around in it but for me I almost always found it annoying. Here, I don't mind rain as it's so infrequent, which is another nice perk to Arizona for me, personally.

Anyways, great advice, if you look at sheer number of comfortable days (<100 for the high = amazing mornings/evenings here) and sunny.... I don't know anywhere else that has us beat.

8.5 out of 10 days are sunny here and 255 of 365 or about 70% are under 100 while 90-95% are under 110, which is where it can get annoying.

https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/sunniest-cities/
Information concerning 100 degree and hotter temperatures for Phoenix, Arizona

[flint8ball]

Mirroring much of what has been said, but I moved to Yuma, AZ (similar to PHX area, just hotter!) almost 4 years ago. I prefer dealing with the extreme summer heat rather than gray wet winters back home. You can still go "up north" to get away from the heat and see trees! (that's what I miss most about MI - northern MI). Caveat: I'm in my 40's and have a good job which greatly impacts my perception of living in AZ.

[green2819]

Good points!! Job market is another reason I'm considering a move. I feel like Michigan still hasn't recovered and the pay shows it for the most part. I've been laid off twice and currently laid off right now and Im not in automotive. I feel like Michigan is a place people can survive but not thrive. Obviously not everyone just my opinion.

[Java Jolt]

Originally Posted by green2819

Considering relocating to the Phoenix area and I would love to hear feedback from ONLY Michigan residents or former residents that have lived or currently live in the metro area. Concerns are do you get sick of the sun and heat and the landscape. If you're not from Michigan please do not reply. Thanks!

I'm from a small city in Michigan's upper peninsula and I moved here in 1996 primarily for family reasons.

The sun is only a problem in the summertime when it's dry and hot like it is now.

We have a monsoon season in July and August that brings some heavy thunderstorms on occasion but the atmosphere can feel worse then because we get humidity on top of the heat. It's nice to have the rain though.

I don't like Phoenix summers at all but I certainly didn't like the constant sub-freezing temperatures, blizzards, icestorms, and wind during the Michigan winters so I consider it a tradeoff.

I'm not a big fan of desert landscaping either, I prefer shadetrees and grass but there are some well-maintained xeriscaped yards in my neighborhood that look very nice with flowering plants like the red bird of paradise.

[Minntoaz]

Yes. I got sick of the cold and the heat. In Minnesota and Arizona and Washington.

It's not a generalized "one is better than the other" but more of a "one is a better fit for me". Weather sucks no matter where you go at some period so it has to go beyond that. How important is being by family? How important are politics? Culture?