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I'm planning my relocation and would appreciate some input.
I'm looking for a city that is close to beautiful scenery with hiking opportunities and mild winters. Las Vegas, Tucson and Albuquerque check that box. I prefer bigger cities over small towns.
Some of my criteria are Cost of living (I'm planning to rent. My rent budget is $1,300/month for a studio or 1BR), Labor market (I'm currently working remotely, but may apply for local jobs in the future - I'm working in Accounting), Walkability of the city, Diversity (not only racial diversity, but also diversity of 'subcultures'), and last but not least dating scene (for a heterosexual male).
Of course you're welcome to make other suggestions than the 3 cities I mentioned. I'm not restricted to the Southwest region.
Generally the rent will be ABQ cheapest, Tucson $100-200 per month higher then Vegas $100-200 higher than that. It depends on size / quality location; but your budget should be enough for something. If there is supply. Check for neighborhood level crime information (within citydata.com pages or other sites).
They all have hiking, mountains and desert. Vegas, the least vegetation. Look at pictures if not familiar (Google images, map /street view or Google Earth).
Rents in Tucson and ABQ are close to the same (ABQ may be somewhat cheaper though), ABQ and Tucson despite being considered similar cities on a national scale (it does make sense why they often get compared, they are both SW cities in a desert of about the same population), there are plenty of differences between them are enough to factor in one for picking the other. COL is not one to heavily skew one towards the other. We aren't comparing these two to Austin or anything haha.
Now Las Vegas is the most expensive Southwest city, moreso than Phoenix, which leaves me with the question, why is Phoenix not on your list? Not only is it cheaper than Las Vegas, it's a bigger city with more job opportunities for most people. Phoenix has plenty of hiking trails, and will have more neighborhoods for walkability than all of the other three. You can look at DT Phoenix, Midtown, Biltmore, DT Tempe, or Old Town Scottsdale. Now for the record unless you are a multi-millionaire who can afford living right on the Strip in a condo, Phoenix's walkability will be better than all the rest of them with better transit. And the Strip is questionable, having no real transit and a complete reliance on expensive privatized monorails and taxis for most of it's transit despite being so dense. Yes the Strip is walkable, but I can't think of a grocery store on it at the moment, while all the neighborhoods I listed in Phoenix do have grocery stores. I'll accept being corrected but the resorts control that area so much they probably want to encourage people getting drunk at their bars and eat at their restaurants, rather than being able to buy alcohol and food at the grocery.
Phoenix with a larger population will have a more permanent diversity of it's residents over Las Vegas, who will feel more international because of the constant flux of tourists less so than having a local Middle Eastern grocery next to the light rail station in Tempe, that shares a parking lot with a carniceria and a Vietnamese restaurant. Phoenix also has a large alternative/metal scene, as well as country, things that are practically unheard of in Las Vegas.
I have the same budget as you and I can find apartments for studios and one bedrooms at that price here in Phoenix, mostly studios but some of them in the walkable neighborhoods I just mentioned, like Tempe next to ASU. Tempe is also ironically the best place in Phoenix for walkability, having more bike lanes, a streetcar, light rail, and a ton of free circulator buses going through the neighborhoods on top of the normal bus routes. ASU being in Tempe, and next to Old Town Scottsdale, will be the best place to go for the dating scene in one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country.
Last edited by Prickly Pear; 03-26-2022 at 11:01 PM..
I'm planning my relocation and would appreciate some input.
I'm looking for a city that is close to beautiful scenery with hiking opportunities and mild winters. Las Vegas, Tucson and Albuquerque check that box. I prefer bigger cities over small towns.
Some of my criteria are Cost of living (I'm planning to rent. My rent budget is $1,300/month for a studio or 1BR), Labor market (I'm currently working remotely, but may apply for local jobs in the future - I'm working in Accounting), Walkability of the city, Diversity (not only racial diversity, but also diversity of 'subcultures'), and last but not least dating scene (for a heterosexual male).
Of course you're welcome to make other suggestions than the 3 cities I mentioned. I'm not restricted to the Southwest region.
Thanks in advance!
Albuquerque has a very reasonable cost of living, especially for rent. Your rent budget would quite easily get you a place in the premier walkable neighborhoods in Albuquerque. As for jobs, Albuquerque has a much larger number and percentage of business and professional services jobs than Tucson and a larger percentage of those jobs than Las Vegas. Accounting is counted among those jobs.
Albuquerque is very diverse in terms of subcultures. It's amazing the different kinds of people who live here, from indigenous peoples and longtime Hispanics to recent immigrants. You'll find everyone from hippies, hipsters and environmentalists to cowboys, rednecks and oilmen to techies, engineers and scientists in Albuquerque.
As for dating, Albuquerque is one of the few cities in the West where females outnumber males, so you'll probably do better here when it comes to that.
As for hiking, scenery, outdoors, recreation, etc., Albuquerque is a paradise. You have everything in the city like the extensive bike trails, open spaces and nature reserves and the extensive parks system, to the Rio Grande running right down the middle of the city, offering small boating, fishing, etc., and also its treasured and beautiful bosque (riparian forest) and the ancient network of irrigation canals lined with multipurpose trails, farms and ranches. Immediately adjacent to the city are the volcanoes and petroglyphs on the Westside to the Foothills and Sandia mountains with the Tram, skiing and winter sports on the east side. Along with places like the Jemez mountains just north of the urban heart of the metro, for things like hunting, fishing, camping, water sports, hot springs, waterfalls and more. The Jemez is one of the most beautiful areas in the state and country.
The diversity of landscapes within the metro area is hard to beat. Everything from grasslands and forests to red rocks and deserts, waterfalls and lakes to lava flows and rock formations. The diversity of the built environment is also exceptional. Everything from traditional adobe and Pueblo Revival styles to unique, interesting and modern architecture designed by illustrious and world-renown local architects such as Bart Prince and Antoine Predock.
Albuquerque has lots to offer. Good luck in finding the right place for you! Hopefully Albuquerque will be that place!
4 Albuquerque -
(900k metro)
pros: cheapest rent, amazing mountains, gorgeous geography
cons: smallest vibing of these 4 cities, less options for dating, fewer overall amenities, chillier than all 4
3 Tucson -
(1.050 million metro)
pros: cheaper rent, phenomenal hiking, mountains, skiing, and outdoor desert landscapes right at the city limits, super mild winters
cons: blistering hot summers that are 7-8 mos long, less amenities than a major metro area
2 Las Vegas -
(2.3 million metro)
pros: mild winter, big city amenities, tons of entertainment options with great bars and restaurants
cons: super hot summers, huge tourism city, gambling and all that always in your face may grow tired if you aren't into it
1 Phoenix -
(4.95 million metro)
pros: much bigger than all of these options offering a lot more everything, dating scene very large, beautiful winters
cons: super hot summers, lots of traffic, tons of "cookie cutter" suburbs that sprawl and sprawl
Tucson has a program (remote Tucson) that pays you money and offers perks if you relocate to Tucson. I don't remember the exact total compensation but it's decent and certainly should tip the scales somewhat if you were accepted. I do not know if they're currently accepting applications but I think it was rolling when I looked a year ago.
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