What city is closest to being a city with lcol, low crime, good job market, scenic, and mild weather? (house, private school)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Metro Charlotte would be worth a look. The cost of living is reasonable, especially in some of the suburban areas. NC is very supportive of homeschooling. I homeschooled our kids through middle school and it was great. The economy is really strong. Lots to do in the area. Lots of trees/flowers. Clean. Good 4-season climate. Summers can be hot, so that might be a compromise (it personally doesn't bother me at all). The Greensboro/Winston Salem area is a good option too, but doesn't have the "big city" feel that Charlotte does. Nashville is another option that has a great economy, good suburbs, and an even lower cost of living. It's just sooooo far from the ocean. Good luck in your search.
Metro Detroit/Ann Arbor have many of the features you are looking for. Also, our winters are milder than the rest of the state.
A lot of the public schools here are better than the private/charter options. There is also a huge homeschooling population here.
Honestly, don't make any decision about schooling until your kids are a bit older. We always thought we'd homeschool, but that plan didn't work out because neither of us are really patient enough and/or organized to do it right. And if your kid has a learning disability, then public is a lot better than what tends to be offered by charters/private schools. All I'm saying is keep your options open.
A general rule - the bigger the city, the more options you'll have.
There are plenty of IT jobs in the area.
Oops, I thought I replied to you earlier. Yes, I am definitely willing to be flexible about public schools and I know that not every parent (or every child for that matter) is cut out for homeschooling. My husband is the one who is pretty dead-set against public schools, but if that is what's best for our kids I'm sure I'll be able to bring him around when the time comes. I guess I was more so just trying to make the point that it seems silly to make great public schools a necessary requirement of our search when it is our last choice of schooling for our kids.
I will definitely have to look into Michigan more. We have some family who is thinking about moving out there already as my bil is from Michigan himself, so if they make the move it will be nice to have people we already know in the area. Looking up the temps it seems the summer highs average in the low 80's, which really doesn't seem that bad compared to most places. I know humidity will still effect how it feels and the we will need to learn how to live in an actual winter, but it definitely seems like a good option.
Have to disagree on Nashville, too hot in the summer IMO.
Can't really say specific cities but weather wise in the east look at places near to or along the I-81 corridor, most of them will be smaller cities. Because of the higher elevation they tend to have shorter periods of nasty humidity (weeks, not months) and cool down nicely at night in the summer.
If you aren't already familiar with dew points you might read up on the subject, they will give you a better idea of what areas will 'feel' more comfortable and less sticky that just going off temps and relative humidity.
Have to disagree on Nashville, too hot in the summer IMO.
Can't really say specific cities but weather wise in the east look at places near to or along the I-81 corridor, most of them will be smaller cities. Because of the higher elevation they tend to have shorter periods of nasty humidity (weeks, not months) and cool down nicely at night in the summer.
If you aren't already familiar with dew points you might read up on the subject, they will give you a better idea of what areas will 'feel' more comfortable and less sticky that just going off temps and relative humidity.
Thank you so much!! I was trying to find a good way to see how to tell how much humidity will effect the summer temps. It looks like Michigan humidity is close to what I lived with when I was younger, though the temps were still lower. I will also have to look into cities along the I81 corridor. If I can find places with average summer temps of 85 or lower with an average dew point below 60 for the summer that meets the rest of what I'm looking for I will be pretty happy.
Last edited by Just_A_Gal; 09-24-2016 at 08:36 PM..
Austin is freaking unbearable most months. It's like living in a desert in the summer.
I'd say Nashville or Portland
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I guess I was more so just trying to make the point that it seems silly to make great public schools a necessary requirement of our search when it is our last choice of schooling for our kids. 
