Moving to Minnesota from California.. suggestions please (Duluth, Rochester: renting, coop)

[cntrynester]

Having option to work remotely and always wanted to live in a peaceful country side, I'm planning to move to Minnesota which is Wife's home state as well. Wife is in medical field and I'm in IT. Initially renting out for about 6 months or so.

Rochester & Mankato areas look good, however open to other areas. A reliable internet and would prefer a bit less mosquito nuisance if possible.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by cntrynester

Having option to work remotely and always wanted to live in a peaceful country side, I'm planning to move to Minnesota which is Wife's home state as well. Wife is in medical field and I'm in IT. Initially renting out for about 6 months or so.

Rochester & Mankato areas look good, however open to other areas. A reliable internet and would prefer a bit less mosquito nuisance if possible.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Check out Space-X. $500 + $100 a month for 1Gbps. It’s going to change rural America in terms of access to high speed internet.

[CARas2020]

Originally Posted by cntrynester

Having option to work remotely and always wanted to live in a peaceful country side, I'm planning to move to Minnesota which is Wife's home state as well. Wife is in medical field and I'm in IT. Initially renting out for about 6 months or so.

Rochester & Mankato areas look good, however open to other areas. A reliable internet and would prefer a bit less mosquito nuisance if possible.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

My husband also works remotely. I keep telling him we should move to an area that has a lower cost of living. Minnesota is on the top of my list. First choice is Rochester too. I want to not go to MSP. It is just trading one headache for another. I want a smaller city and one when you drive from one suburb to the next that is all blended, can't tell when you leave one and enter the next except for a sign.

Did you see Google is opening an office in Rochester?

Same with us and internet. He is a computer programmer and a major gamer so fast internet not being available would be a deal breaker.

[wamer27]

I’d look at Duluth and the area from Duluth to Two Harbors. Along the coast is great, also inland from the expressway. Internet probably isn’t great, but Space-X mentioned above should change that.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

I’ll second the Duluth suggestion. If you can tolerate long cold winters it’s old industrial great lake charm and surrounding natural beauty are unmatched in the state. There is some blight downtown and is need of some TLC but I’m encouraged by all the people who bought homes there in the last year and I’m predicting that it will see a renaissance in the coming years. Duluth has tons of untapped potential.

Rochester is a good choice if you’re looking for a family-friendly mid-size city with a strong local economy. Beyond seeking medical care there isn’t really a reason to visit so if you’re annoyed by tourists maybe that could be seen as an advantage?

I’d also recommend visiting the Twin Cities before crossing it off your list. You may be pleasantly surprised as it feels kinda small-townish here compared to other large metropolitan areas.

[CCbaxter]

Originally Posted by wamer27

I’d look at Duluth and the area from Duluth to Two Harbors. Along the coast is great, also inland from the expressway. Internet probably isn’t great, but Space-X mentioned above should change that.

When I left the north shore, Arrowhead Coop was in the middle of a multi million dollar FTH project, so Cook and St Louis county should have some options....I hope.

[Tia616]

Hello Everyone,

I'm interested in moving to Minnesota, St. Cloud to be specific because of the cost of living there but I tried looking up jobs on indeed for retail jobs and couldn't really find any? So how good is the job market in St. Cloud? Thank you for answering my question

[Teak]

Originally Posted by cntrynester

Having option to work remotely and always wanted to live in a peaceful country side, I'm planning to move to Minnesota which is Wife's home state as well. Wife is in medical field and I'm in IT. Initially renting out for about 6 months or so.

Rochester & Mankato areas look good, however open to other areas. A reliable internet and would prefer a bit less mosquito nuisance if possible.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Yes, Mankato and Rochester are both nice areas with good internet service. Mankato has a major university and Rochester has Mayo Clinic, so those are stable economies. There are some nice small towns near each of those cities that would be very liveable and with good internet access.

I have a friend that lives in Rochester and works for Mayo. He likes the city very much, and we did a canoe trip with him down the Root River in SE Minnesota. That is one plus for Rochester. The Root River valley is not far away and is a beautiful part of the state. For example, the state turned a former railroad line into a bicycle path through the hardwood forests and that is a major summertime draw for tourists. There are many bed and breakfasts, and small towns that come alive in the summer.

Mankato sits where the Minnesota River turns and goes north towards the Twin Cities. Very beautiful area to the north with tree covered bluffs. There are also some nice small towns that would be commuting distance to Mankato: Le Sueur, St. Peter (awesome co-op store), and even Henderson. Because of the narrow valley between the two bluffs, the river occasionally floods and a major highway (169) gets shut down.

We know a couple that lived in North Mankato and after a visit I was able to see why they chose that "suburb".

Anyway, I highly recommend either of those cities. I know that others are pushing you to consider Duluth, but I personally wouldn't go that far north unless you really love cold winters.

[Teak]

Originally Posted by Tia616

Hello Everyone,

I'm interested in moving to Minnesota, St. Cloud to be specific because of the cost of living there but I tried looking up jobs on indeed for retail jobs and couldn't really find any? So how good is the job market in St. Cloud? Thank you for answering my question

There are retail jobs everywhere; I am not sure why you chose St. Cloud. St. Cloud has a major university, which helps the economy, but there are other cities that are maybe more liveable, like Rochester, Mankato, Jordan, Belle Plaine, Stillwater, Hastings, and so forth.

But, if you are sure of St. Cloud,

https://www.indeed.com/jobs?l=Saint+...SAAEgKZJ_D_BwE

https://www.joblist.com/l/saint-clou...iAAEgKc5vD_BwE

https://www.stcloudshines.com/jobsee...yAAEgJldfD_BwE

[Tia616]

Originally Posted by Teak

There are retail jobs everywhere; I am not sure why you chose St. Cloud. St. Cloud has a major university, which helps the economy, but there are other cities that are maybe more liveable, like Rochester, Mankato, Jordan, Belle Plaine, Stillwater, Hastings, and so forth.

But, if you are sure of St. Cloud,

https://www.indeed.com/jobs?l=Saint+...SAAEgKZJ_D_BwE

https://www.joblist.com/l/saint-clou...iAAEgKc5vD_BwE

https://www.stcloudshines.com/jobsee...yAAEgJldfD_BwE

Thank you for the information! We like St. Cloud because it's quaint, the cost of living is cheap, and has charm to it from the pictures I've seen. But I've also heard of Rochester, but it's a little pricey for me.