new hampshire vs maine

[TheKezarWoodsman]

Crime doesnt seem to bad in either state imho, and as long as i make enough to live comfortably im fine,

[Nonesuch]

ME vs NH depends on your employment/income -- if you're doing well, the reduced tax burden makes NH more attractive.

To that end, I'd focus on finding a job first, then move to where the work is as long as the 'climate' (political, social, and otherwise) is to your liking. It would be a mistake to focus on "Must live in Maine" and then realize that the best jobs are in Burlington, Massachusetts.

[bler144]

Originally Posted by Nonesuch

To that end, I'd focus on finding a job first, then move to where the work is as long as the 'climate' (political, social, and otherwise) is to your liking. It would be a mistake to focus on "Must live in Maine" and then realize that the best jobs are in Burlington, Massachusetts.

I'd agree with that. I had a friend working in that area who spent many of his weekends up in Maine hunting bear, but living in the Salem/Pelham NH area. Bit of a drive but doable if you're serious.

[Oldmanlookatmylife]

Hunting and guns: Move to one of the rural parts of the state; you'll find your people

Prefer cheaper living: People make it work on all sorts of budgets in NH. Once you get past the north-of-Boston sprawl, you can enjoy a reasonably good quality of life on a modest budget. Bear in mind that you'll want to save up for a place with some acreage, as it seems like owning a few acres (at least) would add to your quality of life.

Paintball/airsofy: Again, you'll find your people

Want less people around: Well, now you're being difficult. J/K. NH has a lot of reasonably unpopulated areas within commuting distance to cities with decent (if not *spectacular*) employment options. Deerfield, Candia, Strafford, Barnstead and Pittsfield spring to mind as rural/woodsy communities within commuting distance to cities with decent job offerings.

Cold but not too cold: This is all relative, but it's no colder than Maine.

Unemployment: The employment situation isn't terrific. That said, so much of it depends on your field/level of expertise. I'd say it's harder to get an entry level college degree-requiring career-building job here than it is to get one in, say, Boston. A lot of employers begin their new hires in major cities and then move them to NH afterwards. Other employers hire right out of college, with the NH employers hiring mostly out of NH colleges. If you work in the trades, competition for work is tight. Construction was big in NH before the '08 recession, and never made a full recovery. Manufacturing has been slowly, quietly dying out, with a lot of displaced workers still competing for dwindling job opportunities. If you work in retail or hospitality/anything tourism-related, however, there seem to be good opportunities. If you work in healthcare, you should do okay in NH.

Overall freedom: Man, this is getting philosophical. Hmm. Well, it's hard not to be oppressed these days, what with increasing dependence on impenetrable transnational power structures and the despots' bombastic pageantry masquerading as "representative government." We're fed a narrative that debases humanity's finest qualities and vast potential and celebrates turning ourselves into tyrannical machines. We're shackled to the identities we've created for ourselves based on other people's assessment methodologies, and it's really hard to release ourselves from these prisons we've constructed. And it's too cold to go out for very long during the winter. But we try very, very hard to be free, we don't judge our neighbors in their pursuits of freedom (however they go about defining it), and we're quick to forgive each other and ourselves.

Crime: It isn't awful. Meth is a bigger presence than it was when I was in high school 10 years ago, which is frightening. There are stoners of all kinds; the good ones make up for the bad ones IMO. Street crime really isn't that bad compared to other communities, although don't park your car in downtown Keene during Pumpkinfest.

General political views: Live and let live. On the whole, NH voters are pragmatic, un-ideological, informed and intelligent. If someone's talking about politics and sounds crazy, he's probably right. Personal liberties are a huge priority here, so neither the Democrats nor the Republicans get a free pass. People are pretty open about sharing their viewpoints, and those viewpoints are all over the place, so don't move here if you can't stand to hear people say things with which you disagree.

[TheKezarWoodsman]

Whats the game warden compeition up there like, also great post oldman, very very detailed.

[Jeff_NH]

Originally Posted by wolfhelm

So, ive narrowed pa out of the equation, so now its nh (white mountains), and maine (north west).

Things about me
-big on hunting and guns (and want similar folk)
-perfer cheaper living
-do paintball/airsofy
-want less people around
-like it cold but not to cold (it shouldnt be mostly evergreen, it should be a mix)

things i would like to hear about
- cost of living
- unemployment
- overall freedom
- crime
- general political views (partys ect)

Here are 101 reasons to pick NH. The storm of hate that usually follows a reference like this will be one of the 5 or 6 reasons to look elsewhere.... Still 101 > 6.

[Oldmanlookatmylife]

Originally Posted by wolfhelm

Whats the game warden compeition up there like, also great post oldman, very very detailed.

Thanks for the compliment! I'm not very sure about the game warden competition, but there have been a number of articles about the Fish and Game Department being in financial trouble.