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I made some posts earlier this year and received lots of great advice on relocating. We almost made the move to Tennessee from California, but changed our minds last minute. I am trying to leave California, but decided we want to stay closer to the West Coast and family. We were also a bit shocked on how low the wages were there. Cost of living was less, but not that much less!! I know I probably won't find anywhere with California wages, but I would like to close the wage/costs gap a little more. Here are the things I'm looking for from my previous posts...
I know there are tons of threads, but I wanted to get some very current opinions. I am looking to move my family from north California (don't worry, I won't be trying to turn your state into cali!!!! I'm trying to get away from all that!).
My wife is a nurse, so a good area for nursing jobs - hospitals, etc (I work IT, so good internet access)
Not too dang cold!!! - This is one of the reasons I originally chose Tennessee. I realize more of the middle-western states will have cold winters, just hoping to find an area with more mild winters.
Decent cost of living and wages.
Not too populated. My wife wants a place with a little land for chickens, goats, etc, but not so isolated we can't find any clubs, shopping, community, etc
Good schools and lots of activities for children.
Close enough to mountains and lakes - camping, boating, fishing
We have Idaho in mind. I hear Boise/Meridian might be getting a little crowded with relocations. Still recommended? Other recommendations?
Nevada? Any hidden gems here?
Oregon? though I'm trying to get away from a blue state.
Any other suggestions?
Thank you!
Last edited by 6stringslider; 05-23-2020 at 09:11 PM..
I'd echo the rest of the folks here who mentioned Arizona.
Go with the Phoenix metro area, which has a good job market, is inexpensive, and growing.
However, it may be too hot for you during the sweltering 8 month long summer (pretty much...). If that's the case, look at either Flagstaff areas or Prescott areas, which are both higher elevations, but still have amazing sunshine year-round.
An option B would be Salt Lake City, Utah. A red state and growing area with tons to do in the Salt Lake City region.
I forgot to mention, you definitely want to consider the intense summer heat if you're thinking about the Phoenix area. Our temps (highs) for the next few days are; 106, 108, 110. Unless we get a good summer monsoon (rainy season) those temps will be around until mid-September. Many people have learned to adjust and get along fine. I know there is a pandemic right now, but as things open up you may want to consider taking a trip over to check things out and get a feel for the heat. Good luck.
I forgot to mention, you definitely want to consider the intense summer heat if you're thinking about the Phoenix area. Our temps (highs) for the next few days are; 106, 108, 110. Unless we get a good summer monsoon (rainy season) those temps will be around until mid-September. Many people have learned to adjust and get along fine. I know there is a pandemic right now, but as things open up you may want to consider taking a trip over to check things out and get a feel for the heat. Good luck.
Also worth noting that Phoenix has a solid 6 months of San Diego weather, which for many people, is a totally fine trade-off when comparing the Phoenix summer heat, or the winter cold in another place.
- 6 months amazing weather
- 3 months extreme heat
- 3 months hot summer (but also dry heat, so not terrible)
Sounds like the Boise area would be good, someone did mention SLC but I think Ogden would a better choice. It’s quite a bit cheaper than SLC, more conservative and has a really cool downtown area. It really is a neat area I’ve spending a lot of time there recently.
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