Quote:
Originally Posted by Mig Med
Hello
I would like to know any feedback about family relocation from AR to Fargo/Moorhead area, due to a job transfer. Never been in ND/MN before. Are communities open to new cultures/races? Good Schools?. I would like to know of children/teens and family attractions/Shopping/Churches closer to the area; as well as nice communities and neighborhoods. Any tax/cost of living difference between MN and ND. Winter weather?
Will appreciate honest and respectful feedback; as this is a very important decision for me and my family.
Thank you all
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I live about 70 miles north of the F-M area...on the Minnesota side of the Red River. As for taxes....MN has higher income tax and higher vehicle license taxes....ND real estate taxes are a bit higher, but the others lower. We do like the smaller school district of our town (East Grand Forks) vs the bigger city of Grand Forks.
Moorhead is growing pretty good.....south end mostly....and has two main colleges Concordia and Minnesota State University at Moorhead (MSUM). Fargo and its adjacent West Fargo continues to experience sustained and significant growth. Fargo is getting mostly built out but will have more room if the diversion goes in, and West Fargo is expanding south. WF just opened a new south end HS and will continue to have the need to expand its schools in the near future. Fargo has a newer far south end HS and West Fargo school district actually goes quite a bit into the west part of the city of Fargo. So you could live in Fargo city limits but go to West Fargo schools.
Overall schools are excellent....the newer ones are in the south parts of West Fargo-Fargo and Moorhead. But overall public education in our region is highly valued and is across the board good quality.
There are private schools as well....Park Christian in Moorhead (up thru HS) and Shanley HS in Fargo (predominately Catholic). So no matter what side of the river....schools are good.
Fargo area on the ND side has more restaurants, businesses, and ever growing medical buildings...with the new Sanford Hospital complex being built. Job opportunities in both areas are plenty in all but the most specialized fields. Overall though in the more specialized fields, I have read salaries are a bit lower than a comparable job say in Minneapolis.
Housing costs are not as low as what you have, but are low for North Dakota. Expect to pay for rent or for buying a house then you are now and higher real estate taxes. I spent several years living in Springifeld Missouri for work, and moved up here and found city services and park district services up here vastly superior. You get what you pay for.
The Fargo zoo is open year-round and is a nice place....Bonazaville is a historical collection of buildings...there is a childrens museum all in Fargo-WF. West Acres Mall is very nice....and there are other things around....than unless you come from a large metro....will be more than plenty IMO.
The F-M area is flat....but you do have trees and lakes about 45-1 hr east around Detroit Lakes/Fergus Falls and polints east which a lot of folks go to for camping, boating, RVing, etc. So while the immediate area is void of much terrain and varied outdoor activities....biking trails are numerous... you can go just east and do a lot.
The F-M area has seen a big change in the years with immigrants arriving in town to settle, and the community overall is quite diverse. This summer has been a bit rough as there have been some high profile incidents in terms of a bit more crime, etc than we are used too. Overall though F-M is very safe.
As for churches, lutheran and catholic are the main ones here....though of course you have a wide variety of all religions present. Overall though church plays a bit lesser role than down south.
I moved up north due to the winters as I love colder weather and hated growing up in the heat and humidity of my birthplace which was western Kentucky. But cold isnt for everyone but not all years are bad and you do acclimate to it like others do when moving to hot climates. Summers here are way better than down south with much shorter periods of heat and humidity. Falls are very nice but short. Wind is an ever present feature and likely something you will notice much more than where you live now. Snowfall isnt as much as you may think, but due to cold temperatures lingers on the ground for a few months and with wind you can have ground blizzards, more noticeable in rural areas. But overall I think the cold is way worse in people's minds who never lived here than it really is in reality. There are plenty of things to do inside and ice skating to be had outside or inside. Youth hockey is pretty big....though not nearly as much as where I live farther north....where youth hockey through college (UND) is huge huge. NDSU football is king right now in Fargo....
Others will chime in....but overall if you live in a place now with hills it will be an adjustement to the prairie way of life. But overall I think quality of schools and public services are way better than in the south.
Good luck
Dan
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