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The only thing keeping Austin from becoming a second California in severity of issues is that its in a republican state. I can't help but wonder what will happen to all these businesses in the event that Texas flips blue
People talk about taxes a lot, but I think the bigger issue in the Bay Area is the NIMBY-ism, which really isn't about red vs. blue. Where I think Austin has an advantage is that it's much less Balkanized. A NIMBY heavy area in Austin can elect a obstructionist councilmember, but in the Bay Area they will control independent city governments. While Austin has plenty of it's own NIMBY history, it is at the moment building massive amounts of housing throughout the metro.
I will say that the homelessness issue is getting to a boiling point (see Jimmy Flannigan losing the other day). That's probably another issue where Austin's larger city limits will help. There are enough more conservative suburban types that will eventually push back about SF style policies towards the homeless.
Another thing that's surprising about this list is that Vegas is on it. I thought unemployment there is really high now with covid closures. I'm also not sure if the place has a lot of white collar jobs and amenities.
I also have heard a lot of buzz about Atlanta, more so than Nashville or the other small cities on the list. It seems to be a major destination for Silicon Valley types, along with Dallas. That's understandable as people from there want some diversity and cosmopolitanism along with lower COL.
I am remote working in Vegas. It is a great place for remote workers. Away from the Strip, Vegas has a lot of quiet suburbs with amenities. Mild winters. You can kayak on Lake Mead in the morning and ski on Mt Charleston on the same afternoon. Surrounded by National Parks. No state income tax. Las Vegas is hot as hell in summer, but Phoenix is even hotter. They do have nicer winters though.
I am remote working in Vegas. It is a great place for remote workers. Away from the Strip, Vegas has a lot of quiet suburbs with amenities. Mild winters. You can kayak on Lake Mead in the morning and ski on Mt Charleston on the same afternoon. Surrounded by National Parks. No state income tax. Las Vegas is hot as hell in summer, but Phoenix is even hotter. They do have nicer winters though.
Thanks for sharing. I didn't know the area has so many outdoor options. I've only been to Hoover Dam and it was quite a drive.
The counties that all of these cities are in voted for the Democratic candidate in 2020:
Duvall County - 53.1%
Clark County - 53.7%
Dallas County - 65.1%
Richland County - 68.4%
Mecklenburg County - 66.9%
Hillsborough County - 52.9%
Davidson County - 64.5%
Maricopa County - 50.3%
Travis County - 71.7%
All of them except Jacksonville have Democratic mayors, too.
Columbia is Richland County. Charleston is in Charleston County.
Florida is a big state with many microclimates. Orlando happens to be inland and hotter as it is not the beneficiary of bay or ocean breezes as is the case of coastal South Florida (which is different from the West Coast of the state, which is different from the Panhandle, etc etc). Plenty of people live here year-round—it’s not uninhabitable nor the Forbidden Zone from Planet of the Apes, depending what part of the state you live in.
In addition, more people were already moving to FL prior to the pandemic. Some were already coming to FL to not only avoid state income taxes in high tax states but also the result of newly imposed SALT cap limits following passage of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017; Covid has simply accelerated that trend as referenced in a couple of links in my earlier post.
Heck, Blackstone has announced plans to move 215 tech jobs paying an average of $200K to SoFla, Goldman Sachs is considering relocating its asset management division here, and some prominent hedge fund managers (Carl Icahn, Ken Griffin, Paul Tudor Jones, Barry Sternlicht, David Tepper, Paul Singer, and others) have already relocated (or are about to) not just their families here but businesses to SoFla as well, so it’s not necessarily short term nor for only part of the year.
Good point. Much of the movement around the US was happening long before covid. It's just that the pandemic made people care more about thier local government more than ever.
I think Arizona is still a big draw for Chicagoans
It is, but I fail to understand why? They're just trading a horrible winter for a horrible summer, but to each their own. IMO, the best bet is to do the snowbird thing. Spend summer in a northern state and spend winter in a southern state. With remote working gaining more and more acceptance, it's now a possibility for the mainstream.
...Heads to Zillow to find a Florida home, lol
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