Moving back to the US, but where? (low crime, house)
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I've been living outside of the US for about 3 years now, remote working in Peru where I learned Spanish to a high intermediate - fluent level and met my wonderful wife and now recently we have been thinking of returning to the US to raise children but just not to Florida.
I am a software developer and can work remotely, I am looking for a place that ideally has these desires of mine:
Deserts, I like the desert atmosphere. I think the desert has its charms and I wouldn't mind living in/near one. I will say that climate isn't that huge of a factor for me, I am used to the Florida heat and humidity but also don't mind somewhere where it snows half the year.
Mountains, right now we are living somewhere that is considered as the sierras. Mountains are all around and I cannot imagine living away from them now.
Spanish Speakers, this is kinda important as my wife doesn't speak too much English (though she's learning!). We're pretty solitary but having someone that my wife could converse with without any issue would be nice, and I'd still like to be able to practice my Spanish with different people.
Safety, I know US has serious problems with drugs and homeless people. I showed my wife the tent cities in California and the tweakers in Kensington Philly and kinda dishonestly presented it as being everywhere in America, though to be fair, Florida isn't that far off. So... ideally we'd be in a place that doesn't have too much of these issues.
With that being said, these are some of the states I have in mind: Nevada Utah Arizona New Mexico Colorado Montana (maybe) North Dakota / South Dakota (big maybe)* has less of anything ideal
I've been asking family members for opinions but as they all live on the east coast and don't know much about these states, my main source of information has been city-data and Nick Johnson's YouTube videos.
Any advise will be considered and appreciated!
Last edited by unfortunate_florida; 12-17-2022 at 09:39 AM..
The city is ~40% Latino. In the Treasure Valley, which is high desert, but it's surrounded by mountains. Very low crime rate which is true of most of Idaho. It's a smaller city, but has everything you need. Boise is ~30 minutes away if you want a bigger city experience (though Boise isn't a big city).
Flagstaff, AZ is calling your name! Desert, mountains, snowfall, Spanish-speakers, safety . . . it has it all! El Paso would be a good choice as well, except for the snow (or lack thereof).
Thanks for all the responses! One thing I forgot to mention in my initial post is affordability. When we go to the US, i'll be the sole income provider.
In regards to Flagstaff, it seems expensive! After a quick comparison check its about 3% cheaper than Miami. As a couple without kids, it might be possible but when we have kids maybe not.
El Paso looks good, ironically enough I have a friend living in Reynosa so being somewhat close would be nice.
Caldwell also looks beautiful. It is in an excellent location and maybe i'm overreacting but the situation with the serial killer who stabbed those students seems scary.
Thanks for all the responses! One thing I forgot to mention in my initial post is affordability. When we go to the US, i'll be the sole income provider.
In regards to Flagstaff, it seems expensive! After a quick comparison check its about 3% cheaper than Miami. As a couple without kids, it might be possible but when we have kids maybe not.
El Paso looks good, ironically enough I have a friend living in Reynosa so being somewhat close would be nice.
Caldwell also looks beautiful. It is in an excellent location and maybe i'm overreacting but the situation with the serial killer who stabbed those students seems scary.
Caldwell is affordable, esp. compared to Boise. It's possible to buy a 3 bed 2 bath single family house there for low $300k. The setting immediately around the city is agricultural, but mountains are in view and a short drive away. The area is becoming known for its wines, with south facing slopes on volcanic soil, diurnal summer temperatures (hot days, cool nights), and a hard freeze during winter that is beneficial to certain varietals (mostly those from central Spain).
The student murders happened in Moscow, ID, about 5 hrs to the north. Police still have no motive, and no other bodies have turned up so it's not clear that this is a serial killer (crime of passion is very possible). In any case, look at the crime stats for Caldwell, it is significantly lower than the national average.
Northern Nevada meets your criteria. Safest cities near the Sierra are Carson City and the Minden area. Cost of living is high due to expensive housing...if your comparing it to Texas (El Paso).
I could be wrong, but I do not think El Paso is the safest city in Texas and the mountains there are not like the Sierra at all....
Redding, California might be worth a look. You have the Cascade Mountains to the North and NE and the Trinity Alps to the NW. It's at the top of the Central Valley and has a warm climate and lots of Spanish speakers. Housing is dirt cheap by California standards.
There are established Peruvian communities in the state of Utah (see link below). Most of the population lives in the Wasatch Front that centers on Salt Lake City, going north to Ogden and south to Provo. Rugged mountains are situated immediately to the east of this populous corridor with great skiing, hiking and other recreational amenities. In general crime rates and drug usage are much lower than most of the US. Much better job market than places like Flagstaff, Redding or El Paso in the event either of you seek local work at some point.
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