Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Montana
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 07-18-2018, 08:08 PM
 
13 posts, read 20,773 times
Reputation: 34

Advertisements

Montana, it's been real, but it's time we part ways, I hope before this winter. I need to be in a state without the endless gray days as this spring nearly did me in.

I know people comment here who are planning to leave and who've left already. Where are you headed? Where did you go? WHY did you go?

We were in Missoula and ended in Kalispell which is more to our liking but housing is too high, property taxes are too high and I need good produce most of the year, not just a couple months. We like how the small towns here are safe so besides sunnier weather, that kind of low-crime environment is a requirement.

I would prefer back to Texas but MrJakotaBlues has it ruled out. We've ruled out the the northern half of the country and anywhere too hot - not Florida or the southwest. We're not moving to a place where people are fleeing so California is out. I don't know if anywhere in the northeast is sunnier or warmer but they have high taxes so that's out. That leaves the part of the US from Colorado over to Virginia so we're thinking maybe North Carolina or Kentucky. MrJakotaBlues thinks we could do WA or OR but it seems they're turning into California, and anyway, I want swimming pool all summer, garden in the spring kinda weather.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 07-19-2018, 12:20 PM
 
Location: North Dakota
10,226 posts, read 13,730,469 times
Reputation: 18004
Hopefully you learned from your experience that probably one of the first things to look at is cost of living. Figure out where you can afford to live on the salary you will make and go from there.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-19-2018, 12:27 PM
 
Location: Northern California
127,515 posts, read 11,757,700 times
Reputation: 38400
Move where you can both get a job. Anything else is pipe dreams. Good luck on your move.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-19-2018, 01:21 PM
 
8,375 posts, read 8,589,909 times
Reputation: 5561
Sun, long swimming season and easy / early gardening? Montana was not remotely appropriate for those priorities. Forget the Northwest, except maybe SW Idaho. Maybe Colorado Springs would be another borderline possibility. But it probably would be too cold for the swimming and gardening priorities.


SE US? SW Missouri, NW Arkansas, maybe KY, western NC or Virginia could work. Do you need the hills / mountains? Are they enough? Identify any other priorities and do more research. If you want spots recommended you should probably give a size range. Small town means different things to different people. One might mean nothing over 2,000 people. Somebody else says same and is looking for 20-50,000. Others want in between. Still others might be alright with anything in a very broad range.


In general SE US will have low average wages and mostly low housing prices. Find out what jobs you can get pay and what houses you want cost. Situations vary.

Last edited by NW Crow; 07-19-2018 at 01:45 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-19-2018, 01:42 PM
 
Location: Western Slope
145 posts, read 206,654 times
Reputation: 289
So... perfect weather, low taxes, low cost of housing, small town, but good paying jobs and no crime?

If such a place existed everyone would be there.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-19-2018, 01:52 PM
 
8,375 posts, read 8,589,909 times
Reputation: 5561
Some people with these priorities would go for Texas towns like Georgetown, Boerne, Bastrop, etc. If they are too big, expensive or high in crime for you that will eliminate a lot of other places too.


Would Rogers Arkansas, Elizabethtown KY or Boone NC work? Check them out. If they don't look right, look for places that are better on whatever criteria the other places failed on.


Roswell, Alamogordo or Ruidoso NM? The first two are quite warm. The last is the prettiest. Crime? How low do you want? Is average ok? If you want really low it will probably be in a small town (and probably heavy on ok folks) and / or rich.

Last edited by NW Crow; 07-19-2018 at 02:16 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-19-2018, 02:03 PM
 
49 posts, read 97,214 times
Reputation: 83
Quote:
Originally Posted by JakotaBlues View Post
Montana, it's been real, but it's time we part ways, I hope before this winter. I need to be in a state without the endless gray days as this spring nearly did me in.

I know people comment here who are planning to leave and who've left already. Where are you headed? Where did you go? WHY did you go?

We were in Missoula and ended in Kalispell which is more to our liking but housing is too high, property taxes are too high and I need good produce most of the year, not just a couple months. We like how the small towns here are safe so besides sunnier weather, that kind of low-crime environment is a requirement.

I would prefer back to Texas but MrJakotaBlues has it ruled out. We've ruled out the the northern half of the country and anywhere too hot - not Florida or the southwest. We're not moving to a place where people are fleeing so California is out. I don't know if anywhere in the northeast is sunnier or warmer but they have high taxes so that's out. That leaves the part of the US from Colorado over to Virginia so we're thinking maybe North Carolina or Kentucky. MrJakotaBlues thinks we could do WA or OR but it seems they're turning into California, and anyway, I want swimming pool all summer, garden in the spring kinda weather.
Wait, people are fleeing California? Who's telling you that? I understand if it's not the place for you, but sounds like bias. The population change, property values, and most of the anecdotal evidence certainly can't be telling you that. And Washington and Oregon are turning into California? Again, they're thriving. What do you really mean? It's okay if there's something about those states you don't like, but don't pretend it's because people are fleeing and they're going downhill.

Last edited by Griffland219; 07-19-2018 at 02:13 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-19-2018, 02:05 PM
 
4,690 posts, read 10,337,858 times
Reputation: 14882
I think my wife and I finally learned, after dozens of moves (most were military), that where ever you go, there you are. Neither of us are really fans of where we are, but it makes sense to stay....


Rural GA has a long growing season but high temps and humidity (kills me, I'm a WY native, hate May~Sept when I just hide in AC spaces), middle of the road taxes but when housing is stupid cheap ~ 2,220sq/ft for $60k type stupid cheap ~ even high taxes just don't amount to much. Lots of small towns, and there are good jobs around if you're in the right market segment (medical, always and everywhere).


We're only going to stay until my parents pass... with luck, we will be able to hold onto their MT home and move there.



I echo the comment about getting the Job first, then see if the location can work (COL).
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-19-2018, 02:32 PM
 
8,375 posts, read 8,589,909 times
Reputation: 5561
According to recent Census net migration data, for every 6 (million) people leaving California, 5 (million) move in. Those leaving talk about it more.


Washington had the 4th highest net in migration of the states. Oregon gained too. Different people, different reasons for moving.


The bigger states in Southeast generally gained. Jobs. Cheaper housing. Preferred climate. Perhaps political or cultural reasons.

Last edited by NW Crow; 07-19-2018 at 02:45 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-19-2018, 03:26 PM
 
Location: Washington State
343 posts, read 348,668 times
Reputation: 1067
Ill post my two cents as well. I left Montana almost a year ago, due to low wages and cost of living. I ended up in central Washington state. I secured my same job in the Seattle area, then took a permanent position near the tri cities. Central Washington is my suggestion. Its not to everyone's taste and it certainly doesn't compare to Montana outdoors, but; cost of living is low, wages are fairly high, economy is rolling right along, and 9 months of sunshine per year in this little desert climate pocket is unbeatable for this northern location.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Montana

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top