[oklahomamomma]

Hey everyone!!

My fiance is about to take a job starting in beginning to mid February contracting with a company up in your area, & would be staying in Oscoda. (We are from Oklahoma). I'm wondering how the area is there. We have 3 young children, (all 4 and under).

Some questions in particular I have--but feel free to throw any other information my way!!!

1.) Would you recommend staying in Oscoda, or are there other towns surrounding that area better suited for our family?

2.) How cold does it truly get during the winter--what is your coldest month, & how often does it snow/how often is there snow/ice on the ground?

3.) I've heard crime rates are fairly high here--is that true?

4.) How are the school systems here?

Please feel free to give me any information about anything you can!! My fiance loves cold weather and northern states in general (he's visited some family that lives in Iowa); I have never been further north than Tennessee! Lol I despise cold and really dislike snow... I'm terribly afraid I won't fit in here, making it that much harder to deal with a huge change like this. But the pay is much better than anything he could get here, which is mainly why I wonder what average price of living is--my grandpa told me they pay more up north but cost of living is higher.

If you live around this area, could you rate for me ...
1--I love it
2--hate it
3--it's OK
4--(×××) location would be/is better



Sorry for rambling!! Thanks to any and all help

[chh]

Just wondering, when you say Oscoda, do you mean the Pscoda CDP in Iosco county, or Oscoda county.

[michmoldman]

Stop right there. If you hate cold and despise snow...you will not like it in Oscoda, or anywhere in MI for that matter.
Your gonna have to get over that attitude real quick if you have any chance of being happy.

[zthatzmanz28]

Oscoda is the destination spot of hunters in the fall--spring and a few tourists in the summer. Used to be the home of many cabins folks in the southern part went to hang out Memorial Day -- Labor Day.

Last time I drove through they had a Kmart! Not much else seems to have changed since 1986. Alpena is just up the road a bit, but other than a few more people it is still like Oscoda.

[chh]

The only town close to Oscoda is Au Sable, and Oscoda and Au Sable are pretty much connected. You'd be fine staying there, there's little crime to speak of. Oscoda Area Schools serves the entire area around Oscoda, and it's a decent school system, especially for being a rural school district not near any big city.

[oklahomamomma]

Thanks, chh. ��
I'm talking about Oscoda as in right off Lake Huron... About all I really know.

As far as despising cold and moving there anyway, sometimes you have to move or love somewhere you don't necessarily love to make more money...& it gets cold in Oklahoma too, its 20 degrees as we speak--that doesn't mean I like it!! Lol

Just wanting information about the area in general as a mom who worries about her kids. I have the option to stay here and see my fiancé every once and a while or to travel with him.

[danielj72]

Originally Posted by oklahomamomma

Thanks, chh. ��
I'm talking about Oscoda as in right off Lake Huron... About all I really know.

As far as despising cold and moving there anyway, sometimes you have to move or love somewhere you don't necessarily love to make more money...& it gets cold in Oklahoma too, its 20 degrees as we speak--that doesn't mean I like it!! Lol

Just wanting information about the area in general as a mom who worries about her kids. I have the option to stay here and see my fiancé every once and a while or to travel with him.

I am an ex Michigan resident, and I do know a bit about that area so maybe I have something to say that may help you.

First off that is a very pretty area. It is a very wooded area with an awesome lake shore environment. The lake is very beautiful, and anywhere along US23 you will find little parks with beaches and places to stop and fish. If you have never seen the Great Lakes then you will be pleasantly surprised with their beauty. It does not look like just a lake, it looks like an ocean. You cannot see the other side. That part of Michigan is also known for being quite rustic, there is a low population density and its very woodsy. People from the bigger cities of Michigan go there on vacation and own cabins in that area. Hunting and fishing is very popular, camping is very popular. Many people in Michigan own pop up campers, or other types of RVs. Outdoor activities are huge in Michigan.

Now you are concerned about cold. I will not sugarcoat this, it IS VERY COLD. I currently live in the south, and its cold by our standard, about 40 degrees now. Up there its probably ten degrees above zero. On a cold morning it can be -20 degrees. It snows by the foot there. Winter is part of life in the upper Midwest. People who live in Michigan learn to enjoy it. They get snowmobiles, they go skiing, they go ice fishing, well you get the point. If you hide inside and complain about the cold then you will hate it. Go outside and enjoy it, then things will be better for you. I visited Michigan in winter last year during the "polar vortex" and after not living there for a while it was a true shock to me. You have never been up there so it will really shock you. Give it time and your body will adjust to the new climate. You will enjoy the summer up there. Seventy five degree days are common, humidity is very low compared to the south. You may freeze in the winter but you'll love their summers.

As far as cost of living you may be pleasantly surprised. Michigan has very cheap housing, as you have read there has been a lot of economic stress there. Jobs can be hard to come by. If your fiancée found a good job there that pays well then he really got lucky. Those who have good jobs live very well in Michigan, cheap housing leaves a lot of disposable income left. If you will be looking for a job in that area don't expect a higher wage than youll find in Oklahoma. The average wage there is not that high, but like I said neither is the cost of living. What your grandfather heard about living in the north is true only in the northeastern states.


Maybe before you move there you should visit the place. Moving somewhere cold turkey is a bit scary, visiting will help you determine if you can live with it or not. If you go in the Spring or Summer youll see it at its best. Really May thru October is great there. Fall is the most pretty time. Some of the best fall colors in America can be found in Northern Michigan. December, January and Febuary are beautiful as well with everything covered in snow. March and April in my opinion were the worst months in Michigan, wet, cold and slushy. I never liked it at that time of year. The rest of the year has something about it to like. Really if you have to move to Michigan I think Oscoda is very pretty part of that state. If you don't like more remote areas however then there could be something to be concerned about. Its not the kind of place that you will find every type of shopping and restaurant, nor will you find a lot of high culture. Its is definitely a rural environment. The bigger cities of Michigan however are only a few hours down the road, so those kind of things can be had with a bit of a drive. Good luck with this, a big cross country move is always a nerve wracking undertaking.

[michigan83]

Some questions in particular I have--but feel free to throw any other
information my way!!!

1.) Would you recommend staying in Oscoda, or are
there other towns surrounding that area better suited for our family?


2.) How cold does it truly get during the winter--what is your coldest month,
& how often does it snow/how often is there snow/ice on the ground?


3.) I've heard crime rates are fairly high here--is that true?

Wow, that is quite a move!

I think some of the things you have heard are about Michigan are based on old stereotypes. Yes, we have a few large cities with high crime rates that give our state a bad reputation, but rural places like Oscoda are not going to have a lot of crime. Depending on where you live in Oklahoma, Oscoda could very easily have less crime than where you live now.

The cost of living in Michigan is not high. It is very average. Like DanielJ said, it is the northeastern states that have a high cost of living. This is another case where people like to lump all of the northern states together as a stereotype. According to this map, the cost of living in Michigan is lower than Oklahoma:



Yes, it does get very cold here and we get a lot of snow. It is very possible that you will hate it, and there is nothing wrong with that. But you may want to keep an open mind, because winter in a place like Oscoda can also be very beautiful. The experience is just completely different than down south. Oklahoma can get cold also, like you said, but you really don't get the beautiful side of winter down there. When I think of winter in Oklahoma, I think of ice storms (which are the WORST), biting wind, bare trees, and frozen ground without any snow. If winter was like that here, I would hate it too! Even where I live in southern Michigan, the winters are not as pretty or enjoyable as the northern part of the state, because we tend to have nasty wind and the snow tends to blow away or melt constantly. But it's hard to explain how pretty a north country winter can be until you've seen it for yourself.

Unfortunately I can't speak to the quality of schools or anything like that. I have enjoyed visiting the Oscoda area, but I have never lived there.

Like others have said, it is definitely a beautiful area up there along Lake Huron and the Au Sable River. Here are a few pics I took in the Oscoda area:

[michmoldman]

I have been going to that part of the state most of my 48 years, as my parents have a cabin in Hale(About 40-45 min SW)
As others have said, the beauty in that part of Michigan is awesome! probably some of my favorite area of our great state is near Oscoda...the Au Sable River. It is absolutely beautiful with forest as far as the eye can see, clean clear water and huge sand dunes. If you love the outdoors, you will LOVE the area. You can also travel a bit South to Tawas for things you might not find in Oscoda. Tawas is a great little town also right on Lake Huron. Lake Huron is a beautiful lake, but more like a small ocean, and since it is rather shallow as compared to the other Great Lakes, it gets a bit warmer and is great for swimming.
Housing should be no problem, and rather cheap over that way as there are most likely places for sale everywhere since jobs are hard to come by. I would not say there is much crime there at all, but it just might seem like it in statistics because it is not very populated, and the "crime" is really nothing at all to be concerned about. You will get cold, you will get snow, not a whole lot of ice, but like MI83 said, Winters in Northern MI are awesome!

[oklahomamomma]

You pretty much nailed an Oklahoma winter!!!! It may snow once or twice, but lots of ice. And thank you all so very much for all the information about it. You really kind of have me excited... My fiancé also assures me that you guys have way different winter clothes available than we do--that I won't have to suffer!! Lol

It looks absolutely beautiful there in pictures. I can't wait to see it. This will be my first time up in the northern states so also looking forward to getting to see the northern lights for the first time!! ��

I can't thank you all enough for being so kind. I love wooded areas, love to hunt and fish as well so I suppose I will be ok if I make it through the colder days haha

Thank you all again for the information. Would you suggest we find housing in Oscada itself, Au Sable, or another town?? We are hoping to rent a cabin off the lake for a while at least... If any are available. Lol I've looked on Craigslist in Oscada itself, there isn't a lot of housing available there. Will keep an eye out though. Not long to go.. Fiancé starts his job up there February 12th so we will be coming a few days beforehand.