I want to relocate but I have almost no criteria about where to move to (to rent, university)
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I live in SW Idaho. I moved here to be near my sister, but she passed away so there is nobody here now.
I grew up in Northern Illinois, and I miss the wooded ravines of that area. But there is nobody in Illinois, either, and Illinois is a fiscal mess besides.
I am 57 years old (male) with no family, and a couple of cats. I feel quite certain that Idaho is not where i want to be.
But the only criteria I have is I want a place with wooded ravines. Well that narrows it down, doesn't it?
Lots of places fit the bill: Eastern Kansas, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma. These are the places I am
considering. I am assuming job relocation is most people's primary criteria, followed closely by a desire
to be closer to family. I am a day trader so I can work from anywhere and as mentioned, I have no family. Weather? Winter is winter. It's cold everywhere,
even in the desert. Is there another piece of
important criteria I could use to help me? I think the cost of living is pretty much the same in all these places, it
is not a driving factor. All I have is wooded ravines. I need to hop on a plane and start looking around for a new
place to rent for myself and my cats. But do I fly into Kansas City, St. Louis or indianapolis to start my start? I don't know.
I plan to be out of Idaho by Thanksgiving.
The biggest differences in cost of living are housing and health care. There are extremes for both.
Community size matters to me and I think matters in the end even to folks that don't seem that concerned about it during place selection. It is a quick way to whittle the list too.
Might look at Fayetteville AR, maybe Springfield MO. Bloomington, IN, Lexington and / or Louisville KY. Clemson SC. Blacksburg VA. Asheville NC, Chattanooga TN. Rapid City SD. The Willamette Valley OR or Hood River OR. Chico CA. Helena MT. Coeur D'Alene ID. La Grande OR. Woodland Park CO. Durango CO. Southeast of Walla Walla WA. North Bend WA. South and / or east of Eureka CA. Payson AZ. Pinetop / Lakeside AZ. Ruidoso NM. Kerrville TX. Rochester MN. Morgantown WV. Lebanon or Wolfeboro NH. East or south of Nashville. East or south of Knoxville. Grand Rapids MN. Vancouver WA.
Pick 3 to research, find what you like / dislike then pick more on those found criteria (or just pick more) if necessary.
Rural areas and small towns often don't have good quality reliable highspeed internet, make sure you check that when you are looking in to various areas.
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You'd be tripping over wooded ravines here in Oklahoma. That's about all there is east of I-35. I think they other advantage we have here over the other states you listed are the cost of living and milder winters.
I had responded to your post on the Kansas board recommending Lawrence and Manhattan. I think NW Arkansas is also a place you might consider because you can get into some beautiful quiet wooded ravines in the Ozarks and still be in a populated area. Iowa would be more like home. And the Bloomington, Indiana area has lots of woods. Heck, even Carbondale in southern Illinois is a nice spot with lots of woods.
Other criteria that some folks use include: full sized hospital, quality / prices of airport, political lean, presence of college / university, lakes, humidity, # and quality of restaurants, rainfall, time zone (for tracking the financial markets), size of library, access to big box stores, diversity, average age, % college educated, population density...
The Ozarks have very nice, if bug-filled, hills and forests. Rivers and lakes too. If you choose this region, I'd recommend Springfield MO or Fayetteville AR.
Funny thing is, I want to leave here and Idaho is one of the places I'm considering.
I imagine financially it's a little harder to retire in Vermont than in some places, but I really like that it's one of those places which is verdant green most of the year when it's not gold or white. It's really a gorgeous state. Every day I feel like I'm living in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Do you prefer green places to brown? Evergreens or deciduous? Do you mind heavy snow? Is extreme heat or cold a deterrent at all? Is humidity a concern? Do you want/need access to many of the amenities of civilization?
Lots of gorgeous hills/valleys in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Upstate NY.
If you are okay with hotter summers, North Carolina and Virginia have beautiful scenery as well.
Are you looking for somewhere that's a warm climate or do you like a 4-season climate?
Cost of living a major concern?
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