Ann Arbor, MI vs Twin Cities, MN (Lansing, Rochester: rent, car insurance)

[Renelou]

Hello All,


I have been planning a move to Michigan, but with it being a hot spot for the COVID19, I'm now concerned.



I was recently laid off due to the virus and now am looking to sell my house in Colorado. I have asked some questions previously in the forum, but thought this would be best with a new thread.



I'm wanting to move to an area with a lower COL with great schools (7+ Great Schools rating) and a great sense of community. Tired of living the city life and dealing with traffic noise where you don't even know your neighbors. Maybe something more rural, but with great internet access (an oxymoron?)


Can you please give me your opinions, or suggest different areas, on the Twin Cities/Rochester, MN area VS the Ann Arbor, MI area? Someone suggested that I look at the E. Lansing area. What is that like?



Things that are important to me:

• Great high school (vaccine exemptions? Choice enrollment?)
• Employment opportunities - Senior level salary
• Sense of community
• Internet access
• 2+ acre property
• Nice people
• Quiet area
• Decent hospitals
• Outdoor recreation

Thank you so much for your help. It is a very difficult choice to leave Colorado. I appreciate you taking the time to provide your opinions, good or bad.

[NoMansLands]

The schools are the best in the state in A2. Vaccine exemptions yes. You will find choice enrollment but getting in would still be difficult from outside the district.
Senior level salary--sure--but what do you do? It's all relative to what's available.
The community is more or less cliques. You're either in the U or you're not.
Internet of course, it's a major university town.
2+ acres inside A2 schools is entirely possible.
Define "nice". Most people are polite, that's a midwestern thing. Beyond that is up to you.
Hospitals are some of the best in the nation.
Outdoor recreation is top notch, although you sure won't be looking at mountain ranges.

Think of Boulder, A2 is nearly identical in vibes.

[ram2]

Ann Arbor is not rural. And the traffic in Ann Arbor is terrible.

[lake825]

why are you leaving CO for Ann Arbor? Most places in the surrounding towns have easy access to the UM Hospital system or to St. Joes. Look around online at Lodi township, and Pittsfield township for land, those areas that intersect with saline also have land, you can find 2 acres within the city also, along the huron river, look around newport road, burton. i disagree that outdoor recreation is "top notch" not sure what that means. the city has tons of parks and trails, excellent library system, lots of art fairs, street fairs all summer, farmers markets, etc. although i wouldn't really call it a "city"

[xz2y]

A2 is expensive, so I'm not sure it would be a place with a lower COL than CO. Car insurance is the highest in the country, for example, and property taxes and rent are high in this area. Also, A2 is a small city (about 120,000 plus UM, another 40,000 when it's in session).

We are getting hammered right now from the state lockdown, which, in my view, is overly oppressive. I have friends that work at the UM hospital, which has 800 beds. Only 50-60 of those beds are even being used right now. The state needs to start to loosen up in my view. But that's a different topic.

Anyway, A2 is small, but when things are "normal," there are nice parks to go to, good libraries, a good healthcare system, and one large employer, UM. On the downside, traffic is congested during normal times, roads are in terrible shape (worst in country according to some assessments), and the weather is generally kind of gloomy. Only an average of 180 days of sun per year, out of 365 days. Plenty of clouds and winds from those Great Lakes. Winters can be harsh or less harsh, but full of storms, ice and snow. Probably less snow than CO, but more ice and unpredictable winter weather.

I think your post wanted to compare A2 to the Twin cities in Minnesota (Minneapolis and St Paul). No comparison. I went to college in Minneapolis. Much more snow, much colder than SE Michigan, and two big cities. Real cities. By comparison, A2 is a small town. It's been a while since I lived in Minneapolis, but the COL is probably a bit higher than A2. You'd have to compare income taxes, property taxes, rents, etc. More sun in Minnesota overall, but hotter summers and colder winters.

The northern parts of both states (MN and MI) are very nice for vacations. Michigan has some small hills, but is mostly a flat state, like MN, compared to CO. No dramatic scenery here, except for Sleeping Bear dunes in northern Michigan. Mackinac Island is nice as well for a vacation. But again, nothing compared to the Rockies. And right now, it looks like summer options this year will be very limited. Residents can't even drive to their cabins up north right now, which is ridiculous, in my view. Summer camps are being cancelled and I don't see any of this changing any time soon, unfortunately.

Your post mentioned vaccine exemptions? I have no idea about MN in that regard, but in A2, I think schools might have some kind of exemption (religious?). You might call the Ann Arbor schools main offices to check on that, once things open up again.