A warm and fitting city for a family of 3 on 95K

[Mountainbluebear]

I think a vibrant college town is what you'd need. Some great cities to look at: Winston Salem, NC, Burlington, VT, Ann Arbor, MI, and Charlottesville, VA.

[DevanXL]

I agree with most everyone here that Atlanta and Charlotte or Raleigh, you will probably get the most bang for your buck. But it seems like you may be hesitant on moving down south. You seem to enjoy the West Coast, so I would recommend considering Portland and Seattle. Seattle is like San Francisco weather wise except the summers are actually warmer! Green all around, mountains, abundance of lakes and oceanfront. Calm liberal west coast vibe though not as "in you face" as somewhere like New York of even parts of downtown San Francisco. Downtown Seattle is constantly growing and getting denser and more urban by the day! Winters here are mild with very little to no snow. COL is cheaper and Quality of life is high. You should give it consideration!

[west seattle gal]

The U.S.' Biggest Brain Magnets - Forbes

These are always loaded with culture. Now to find an urban area that is warm, cheap, and has not lost most of it's populace to suburban migration. Hmmm....

[itchy feet]

New Orleans... maybe? I don't know about the COL though.