[girlandpup]

Originally Posted by cosmonewman

Brattleboro is very hilly so you can get a good hike in just walking around town!

My brother lives in town and he hikes on Mt. Wantastiquet just across the river in NH all the time.

Wantastiquet State Forest


Here’s a quote from a Brattleboro tourist site:

Recreation

Our forests and trails offer hiking, biking, cross-country and downhill skiing, snow shoeing, and sleigh rides. You can swim or skate on our rivers and ponds. Our local country club offers 18 holes and a beautiful clubhouse. For young and old, Living Memorial Park offers swimming, softball, skating, and sledding or skiing on the hill.

Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce | Play Here




The weather differences are pretty minor, maybe 3-5 degrees on most days.

So helpful - thank you! I'm going to check out those sites when I have some more time this evening.

[vter]

Yes, VT & NH have very different vibes. Politically, VT has a reputation of being a left-wing liberal paradise, which I think is often overstated. There are actually a LOT of conservative people here, though not hard-core right wing. Howard Dean believe it or not was fairly conservative on some issues, but you don't hear that in the mainstream press. I know may so -called republicans that voted for him when he was Governor. Vermont seems to have a lot of "activists" who like to tout their cause and that gets a lot of press, hence the whole "volvo driving left wing hippies" image we get. As a whole, the Burlington area and the Brattleboro area tend to lean way left (these 2 towns have a high rate of people from away, wonder if that has anything to do with it?-would be a good graduate theses!), whereas the smaller towns and the Northeast Kingdom lean more moderate/conservative.
NH on the other hand has the opposite reputation-right-wing haven. Again, not true. NH politics are more moderate IMO and like to keep govnt small and out of people's private lives/property - thats why there is no seatbelt law, lax zoning laws (ever see how much quicker stuff gets permitted in NH?), and no income/sales tax (though they get you with high property tax, plus a lot of "fees" for things such as high car registration fees). Like someone said above, it's more libertarian than republican.
Also, as a native of Vermont, we're conditioned not to like NH. Same with natives of NH, they don't like VT! NH is just a place to go through to get to the other good parts of New England - the Maine coast and Boston!

[MRVphotog]

New Hampshire is like Arkansas with snow...

[girlandpup]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

New Hampshire is like Arkansas with snow...

Okay, my naivety is showing. I don't understand what this means

[KoZmiC NinJa]

BFE....

[cosmonewman]

Originally Posted by KoZmiC NinJa

BFE....

I think those guys played at my cousin's wedding.

[girlandpup]

I guess this is my big dilemma - I am feeling drawn to NH because there are no state taxes (and for plenty of other reasons, too, of course). I know that there are other things taxed, such as auto tax each year, and that the property taxes are especially high in NH, but I still think that I would come out "on top" comparing VT and NH in that way. I am planning on renting first, for at least one year, so property taxes won't affect me in the short-term. Then, when I am ready to buy somewhere, it will still always be less than what I am dealing with here in NY and it seems that VT houses are pretty expensive. I tried to figure it out using the "consensus data" and a few other websites to get the tax burden comparison between VT and NH, and NH came out as significantly less "burden" than VT. It would be nice to have less taxes coming out of an already low paycheck working in either state.

Is this a serious enough reason to consider one state over another (i.e., how big a factor in one's decision to relocate should this be)?? I'm becoming soooooo confused!

[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by girlandpup

Is this a serious enough reason to consider one state over another (i.e., how big a factor in one's decision to relocate should this be)?? I'm becoming soooooo confused!

Everyone has diferent priorities that are important. For me, the money/bean counter perspective doesn't weigh very heavy. Money/taxes does seem to be very important for most. I assume that's why most live in urban environments.

[cosmonewman]

I would guess that if you make less than say, $45-50,000, you will probably make out better in Vermont. More than that and you are likely going to do better in NH.

At lower incomes the higher cost of property tax, car, & so on outweighs the lack of income tax.

Sales tax is a wash, at least if you live in the Connecticut River Valley, because you can shop in NH and avoid Vermont sales tax if you want.


Anyhow, I think you should check both states out. At some point you will see a place that you like and all of the money issues won't matter. You'll just know that you want to live in that place no matter what.

[girlandpup]

Originally Posted by cosmonewman

I would guess that if you make less than say, $45-50,000, you will probably make out better in Vermont. More than that and you are likely going to do better in NH.

At lower incomes the higher cost of property tax, car, & so on outweighs the lack of income tax.

Sales tax is a wash, at least if you live in the Connecticut River Valley, because you can shop in NH and avoid Vermont sales tax if you want.


Anyhow, I think you should check both states out. At some point you will see a place that you like and all of the money issues won't matter. You'll just know that you want to live in that place no matter what.

This sounds like very good advice, so thank you! I want to find a place where I will be happy living there, and that should be the most important thing (and where I can get a job to be able to pay rent and bills to stay there ). Not having much money all my life, and knowing people who do, I can say that money does not buy happiness.