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New England schools overall are among the best in the country. Vermont is consistently number one in the US. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine and New Hampshire are in the top 12.
Of all of the New England states, I've found Vermont overall to be friendliest and most welcoming.
I'll probably get into trouble for saying this but Maine and NH residents are kind of aloof and less warm.
Much of Massachusetts/Connecticut and Rhode Island has a NY/NJ vibe to it. Kind of rushed, less friendly overall and maybe too close what you're trying to get away from.
Check out Vermont, particularly the southern Vermont towns of Brattleboro and Bennington.
Bennington is more working class and kind of quiet, though just 40 miles from Albany, NY
Brattleboro is a bit hippy/bohemian and pretty welcoming to all
I'd like to know how the New England states differ from one another and whats it like to live there?Taxes,schools,jobs,people,etc.Thanks.
Here's how the states rank in terms of estimated local & state tax burden:
1. CT: 11.1% of income
2. VT: 10.3% of income
3. RI: 10.2% of income
4. ME: 10% of income
5. MA: 9.5% of income
6. NH: 7.6% of income
New Hampshire has abnormally high property taxes because the state has no sales or state income tax; however, the property taxes vary dramatically from town to town. Generally speaking, higher property taxes equal better schools (but not always).
All the New England states are known for having good public and private education systems. Of course, schools also vary dramatically from town to town, with the best school systems often in affluent suburban areas.
However, bear in mind that new jobs are not necessarily easier to come by in primarily rural states like NH and VT; you'll find much more job opportunities in the larger metropolitan areas of southern New England.
Each state in New England has a unique character. Vermont is highly agricultural and has little industrialization; only one town in the state has more than 20,000 people. Green mountains, rolling hills and pastureland make it an incredibly scenic and idyllic place. The state tends to have a more liberal, "crunchy granola," earthy vibe to it, and there is a tremendous focus on buying and selling local products. It's the only New England state to lack a coastline, but it does have Lake Champlain.
New Hampshire has the most rugged and impressive mountains in New England in its wild northern tier. The middle of the state is dominated by large, beautiful lakes. The majority of the state's population resides in the southeastern corner of the state, largely in the Merrimack Valley (Concord - Manchester - Nashua area). This area is a bit more suburban and closely linked to Boston. I find NH to be one of the most pristine and well-preserved states in the region, in terms of both natural and historical areas. There's a pretty diverse political mix in the state, but overall it tends to have a more Libertarian vibe, favoring less government involvement in the economy.
Maine is much larger than the other New England states; northern and southern ME are quite different places. Most of the population resides along the southern coastline; the coast becomes more wild and idyllic as you move up it, dotted with picturesque fishing villages and harbors. The mid-coast is arguably my favorite place in all of New England and easily one of the most peaceful. Western ME is essentially an extension of NH's lakes and mountains, whereas the northern half of the state is dominated by a vast wilderness. The St. John Valley in the northeastern part of the state is a more agricultural region.
Massachusetts shares a similar dichotomy, with western and eastern MA being very different places. Eastern MA is dominated by the Boston metro area and is largely suburban in character, with some tremendously well-preserved historic towns and cities, in addition to the highly attractive resort areas of Cape Cod, the Islands, and the North Shore. West of Worcester, the state is markedly more rural (with the exception of Springfield), particularly in the Berkshires and the northern Pioneer Valley. The political atmosphere in eastern MA is influenced by a long legacy of blue collar Democratic voting, whereas western MA tends to have a more liberal slant, in large part due to the influence of the "Five Colleges" region.
Rhode Island packs a lot in a small area; Providence is a historic city with a gradually improving core. Some of the other post-industrial towns like Woonsocket and Pawtucket still have a ways to go. The eastern half the state, around Narragansett Bay, is fairly densely populated, whereas the western half of the state is heavily forested and much less developed. The coastline is beautiful and never far away; Newport is a fascinating and immaculately-preserved colonial city, and the neighboring areas of Jamestown, Little Compton, South County, etc. are simply gorgeous. RI definitely has some of the best beaches in New England.
Connecticut's population core lies along I-90 and I-95 between Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford; culturally speaking, the southwestern part of the state (Fairfield County) is more an extension of New York City than part of New England. The eastern part of the state, particularly Tolland County, is a beautiful rural region with some quiet, very well-preserved picturesque New England towns. Litchfield County in the northwestern corner of the state is similarly quaint and scenic.
Generally speaking, all New Englanders have a reputation for being reserved compared to other Americans. Personally, I find the more outgoing people to be in southern New England, particularly RI and CT. People in northern New England tend to consider the "flatlanders" from urban areas like Boston to be ruder, but I'm not entirely sure how true that is. I also find that many Vermonters are particularly friendly.
As a general rule, New Englanders are not as quick to warm up to strangers as other people may be, but once they do, they tend to committed friends, not the "let's do lunch" type -- there's a certain "clannish" atmosphere in New England towns, in which high school friends often remain friends for life and it's considered polite to give outsiders their privacy. A newcomer to New England may have to be more proactive in making friends than in other parts of the country.
Thank you both for your replys.We just got back from a few days in Reading,VT and Mid Costal,ME,we also went to Goshen,NH and ME last year.While we didn't get to see much of NH,we did drive around VT a bit,we prefer VT and NH over ME.It seems like there are two Vermonts,yuppie/hippie(no offense)and working class(where we fit in)they seem to live side by side.We hope to go back to VT and see the NEK and also northern NH.CT and MA do seem more like NJ.Thanks.
I've found people in most of Maine to be friendly at least in the southern half of the state and west of Bar Harbor. Downeast people are definitely more reserved though as are most of the people in the area north of a line from Skowhegan to Bangor and points east.
I'm originally from Connecticut (Hartford area) and can attest to the accuracy of the following statement made by Verseau:
"Generally speaking, all New Englanders have a reputation for being reserved compared to other Americans. Personally, I find the more outgoing people to be in southern New England, particularly RI and CT. People in northern New England tend to consider the "flatlanders" from urban areas like Boston to be ruder, but I'm not entirely sure how true that is. I also find that many Vermonters are particularly friendly.
As a general rule, New Englanders are not as quick to warm up to strangers as other people may be, but once they do, they tend to committed friends, not the "let's do lunch" type -- there's a certain "clannish" atmosphere in New England towns, in which high school friends often remain friends for life and it's considered polite to give outsiders their privacy. A newcomer to New England may have to be more proactive in making friends than in other parts of the country."
One exception though. People in coastal CT are friendlier than inland CT. People in the interior are more reserved like you will find in the northern areas of New England.
Even though I currently live in the Kansas City area (blecch) most of my friends still reside in New England. Some of these people I've known since I was four or five years old up to my high school years. I have no interest or use for anyone that wants a fake, short lived relationship. If you are not in it for the long haul then just keep on looking. This philosophy includes not only relationships with the opposite sex but also friendships.
One thing you will fine noticeably different than other regions of the country is that people with varying differences in social and political beliefs will coexist together. Even though I am a traditional Conservative (not a Bushbot) many of my friends have political leanings to the left or middle. Yet, we get along because we share common hobbies and interests and come from the same socio economic background. And this philosophy will carry over into the work place. This contrasts to what I have experienced in Kansas City and some other states. In KC, you will not be accepted unless you are a conformist geek. In other words, if you don't walk, talk, think, look, act or dress like your co workers and friends, you will not be accepted and in many cases, they will try to push you out or run you out of town. This is personal experience speaking as well as seeing it happen to others that are not from here. But in New England, it is the opposite. It is more live and let live. A perfect example to illustrate:
I have a friend in Rutland, Vermont that is almost as Conservative as myself. He works for a large company near Rutland and virtually all of his co workers are old Hippie types and modern day left leaning types. Yet, they never butt heads about political issues while at work and they are able to work together in harmony. People are generally accepting that other people are going to have different opinions and philosophies and will accept the differences in others. You won't likely hear the "he or she does not fit in here" mantra being bandied about in New England like you do in other areas of the country.
I have a friend in Rutland, Vermont that is almost as Conservative as myself. He works for a large company near Rutland and virtually all of his co workers are old Hippie types and modern day left leaning types. Yet, they never butt heads about political issues while at work and they are able to work together in harmony. People are generally accepting that other people are going to have different opinions and philosophies and will accept the differences in others. You won't likely hear the "he or she does not fit in here" mantra being bandied about in New England like you do in other areas of the country.
This is why New England is one of my favorite region in the States. Where I live now the southwest, people often treat people with contrary opinions (especially political) as if they are an enemy or even a traitor. And I think my area is more tolerant than most places in the U.S.
For evidence of this, take a look at the Political forums here on City-Data ;-)
This is why New England is one of my favorite region in the States. Where I live now the southwest, people often treat people with contrary opinions (especially political) as if they are an enemy or even a traitor. And I think my area is more tolerant than most places in the U.S.
For evidence of this, take a look at the Political forums here on City-Data ;-)
ABQConvict
My sister lives near the Prescott Valley in Aridzona and she said that it is easier being a non conformist in those parts than most down there.
Missouri and eastern Kansas are just as awful as you describe about your area when it comes to voicing opinions. It's all about their "feelings" and how they feel about you and whether or not they "like" or "don't like you". Kind of like the 7th grade. These people are anything BUT tolerant though and that is why they've tried to run me out. I'll be around a while longer until I relocate out of this region for good.
Wish I could get back to New England but housing prices are still pretty steep in most areas and those that I could move to, aside from perhaps a couple of places, have no real market for the small business I intend to start.
Thank you both for your replys.We just got back from a few days in Reading,VT and Mid Costal,ME,we also went to Goshen,NH and ME last year.While we didn't get to see much of NH,we did drive around VT a bit,we prefer VT and NH over ME.It seems like there are two Vermonts,yuppie/hippie(no offense)and working class(where we fit in)they seem to live side by side.We hope to go back to VT and see the NEK and also northern NH.CT and MA do seem more like NJ.Thanks.
The Northeast Kingdom in Vermont is what many of us consider the "real" Vermont, more like it was before the state got flooded with outsiders from the 60's onward. My favorite part of the state, but, for most of the real far-left leaning people I know, their least favorite. There's reasons for that. There is some underlying friction between "real" Vermonters (who mostly work for a living) and "flatlanders" (who tend to fall mostly in two categories: hippy/socialist types who came in back in the 60's or so, or, the wealthy types who see Vermont as their personal playground and look down on the real Vermonters. The latter group of flatlanders has driven many Vermonters out because of taxes, price of real estate going up, and the anti-business politics that makes good jobs very hard to come by, and are the least liked, the hippies are mostly tolerable) although this doesn't tend to get as nasty as it might in some other states. But it is there to varying degrees. It comes out in varying ways, such as anger when an outsider buys land and posts it no hunting, a wealthy person who spends only a few months in VT in a vacation home tries to get involved in politics, or with these outside environmental or other special interest groups who try to control the state, etc. You'll see what I mean if you live here a while and start to notice things.
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I'll be around a while longer until I relocate out of this region for good.
