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Sorry, I meant that people who chose Colorado over North Dakota will be sorry. If I had my choice of places to live in 2012, North Dakota would be #1 spot on my list.
I choose N.D. because it's secluded, and most people don't even know it's there. I get the impression the cost of living is low. Not sure about taxes.
2012? No way. I'm just wanting to move to an isolated area. What is this 2012 nonsense, anyway and why should N.D. be affected? If it means mass migration to N.D., then I don't want to move there.
Colorado is beautiful, but it is too:
1) expensive
2) crowded
3) liberal
4) taxed out
I did consider Minnesota, but like Colorado, doesn't mesh with me well.
I couldn't find either the town of Creston and Throne on google maps. Now that's the kind of town I like! Will look up more this fine Sunday morning. Thanks y'all.
Right here on City Data you can find out populations, and all the demographics of most every town. You can find it HERE.
At the top of the page you can select 6000+ population, 1000-6000, and towns under 1000. Then it will show you a list of the towns. Select one and you'll be able to see all about that town as far as income, housing prices, etc. Some of the data is a year or two old so keep that in mind.
I choose N.D. because it's secluded, and most people don't even know it's there. I get the impression the cost of living is low. Not sure about taxes.
Overall North Dakota tax burden is near the middle. I believe it ranks 33 out of the 50 states. Wyoming, Nevada, and Alaska have the least tax burden.
One thing I've noticed about ND that I don't like is the high property tax percentage rate (although other taxes are less to "make up for it"). In my case, I'll get around it by building a very small home, which should have a very low assessed value for tax purposes. One thing that helps with the high property tax percent is that (especially in smaller towns) actual property values are quite low compared to where the masses tend to move these days in other parts of the US. So even with the higher percent rate, the property's assessed value is quite low (this isn't so much the case in the bigger cities of ND, but in small towns and rural areas, it is). As an example, a raw city building lot in the area I live now (Utah) will be assessed routinely in the range of 30K to 60K. That's without a house!!! With a house, it's 150K to 350K (typical). The percent rate is lower here, but the assessed value is insane, which equals a property tax that is ridiculous--we're talking thousands of dollars per year for most folks. In small-town North Dakota, the assessed value is minuscule in comparison. So, even with the higher rate, the actual tax is really quite low. The tax for the raw building lot that I just purchased was $5 dollars last year!
I don't see any sort of exodus to North Dakota any time soon. I think the winter cold scares the hell out of most folks! Luckily, I understand what a coat and long underwear are for (but then, I like cold weather, anyway).
As for the cost of living in ND, yes, it seems to be fairly low. I know it's certainly lower than where I live now (all things considered).
My comment about Thorne, ND was somewhat tongue-in-cheek. It's a place that I researched a bit and had a very hard time finding any info on. It's a near ghost town with only a couple of homes, but was once a small town. There were a couple of building lots for sale there for insanely cheap (if you are interested, PM me and I'll direct you to the seller). Very cheap! But you gotta like ghosts!
As for small towns to look into, here are some that I've researched over the past year or two and found appealing--keep in mind that I'm basically looking for a 'sleepy' area with not many people. I'm looking for a place where there's "nothing to do" as far as what most entertainment-centered, big city folks enjoy :
Bottineau
Belcourt
Rolla (Thorne is fairly close to Belcourt, Rolla, and Rolette)
Willow City
Valley City
Linton
Ashley
Rugby
Park River
Hettinger (the first town I researched when I became interested in ND)
For the most part, I have concentrated on the north and northeast areas of the state because of the slightly cooler average summer temps (I HATE hot weather for extended periods of time). Also, property tends to be cheaper in those areas, since out west you have the oil boom and ridiculously inflated prices like many other parts of the US.
Anyway, good luck with your quest to escape the rat race!
I choose N.D. because it's secluded, and most people don't even know it's there. I get the impression the cost of living is low. Not sure about taxes.
2012? No way. I'm just wanting to move to an isolated area. What is this 2012 nonsense, anyway and why should N.D. be affected? If it means mass migration to N.D., then I don't want to move there.
Colorado is beautiful, but it is too:
1) expensive
2) crowded
3) liberal
4) taxed out
I did consider Minnesota, but like Colorado, doesn't mesh with me well.
I couldn't find either the town of Creston and Throne on google maps. Now that's the kind of town I like! Will look up more this fine Sunday morning. Thanks y'all.
Yes, the "2012" theory I am not really believing in. There might be a lot of info on it, but dunno, I am one of those that have to "see" something to believe it for the poster that brought up the description of the 2012 theory.
I am too--whether you're in CA or NY or ND, it won't make a difference where you're at if the world were to come to an end.
Yes, Creston and Bairoil, WY don't think you'll be finding either one on google maps, especially Creston, WY.
About Colorado--actually, the only part of CO that is liberal would be around Denver and Boulder. Aside from those 2 areas, CO is definitely a "red" state by far. Not near as much as UT, ID or WY but pretty close to it.
One thing I've noticed about ND that I don't like is the high property tax percentage rate (although other taxes are less to "make up for it"). In my case, I'll get around it by building a very small home, which should have a very low assessed value for tax purposes. One thing that helps with the high property tax percent is ((snip))!
That's not bad. Thanks a bunch for real life examples. I rent this house, and the owner pays $1,200/yr in property taxes. It's a modest townhouse with postage sized f/r yards. It's a bit much to me for what it is. I'm hoping to get acreage in N.D., or a small farm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisC
I don't see any sort of exodus to North Dakota any time soon. I think the winter cold scares the hell out of most folks! Luckily, I understand what a coat and long underwear are for (but then, I like cold weather, anyway).
Good. I don't like people.
Winter is a part of life that I embrace fully. I don't feel like a country man until I'm in my long johns. It keeps you on your toes. Nothing beats stress like chopping wood the old fashioned way. However, I don't know nothing about N.D. winters but I know it ain't tame.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisC
As for the cost of living in ND, yes, it seems to be fairly low. I know it's certainly lower than where I live now (all things considered).
One of the main reasons why I choose N.D. After viewing N.D. towns on city-data, I find their cost-of-living index is steady at around 75 out of 100. Where I live it is 120+. I will have more money if I move to N.D. as I'll get more of it back upon payment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisC
My comment about Thorne, ND was somewhat tongue-in-cheek. It's a place that I researched a bit and had a very hard time finding any info on. It's a near ghost town with only a couple of homes, but was once a small town. There were a couple of building lots for sale there for insanely cheap (if you are interested, PM me and I'll direct you to the seller). Very cheap! But you gotta like ghosts!
As for small towns to look into, here are some that I've researched over the past year or two and found appealing--keep in mind that I'm basically looking for a 'sleepy' area with not many people. I'm looking for a place where there's "nothing to do" as far as what most entertainment-centered, big city folks enjoy
Awesome. Thanks for the list, I'll do research.
The harder to find, the better! I can't find anything about it either...it must be a ghost town now with no amineites at all, but it's not listed on the ghost town sites either. Now that's a town I want to live in! I will send you a PM after this.
Nothing to do? That's suburban talk! Plenty of things to do everywhere...they are called chores. I do everything myself. I take great pride in being a do-it-yourself. The suburbs hire out illegal aliens and do the jobs half-assed. That's no American spirit if you ask me. I can still entertain myself happily if I was the last man in the world.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisC
Anyway, good luck with your quest to escape the rat race!
You too. Since we're looking for very similar things, maybe we'll end being neighbors.
Yes, the "2012" theory I am not really believing in. There might be a lot of info on it, but dunno, I am one of those that have to "see" something to believe it for the poster that brought up the description of the 2012 theory.
I am too--whether you're in CA or NY or ND, it won't make a difference where you're at if the world were to come to an end.
Yes, Creston and Bairoil, WY don't think you'll be finding either one on google maps, especially Creston, WY.
About Colorado--actually, the only part of CO that is liberal would be around Denver and Boulder. Aside from those 2 areas, CO is definitely a "red" state by far. Not near as much as UT, ID or WY but pretty close to it.
Me, either. Why, after 2000 years of all things? Didn't people say the same thing about 1999, eleven years ago?
That's right. If the world ends, it ends. But it won't.
Good thing I have a van, because that's gonna be home when I look for those "nonexistent" towns.
That may be true, but when they pass laws/ordinances, it effects the whole state. Denver is the capitol. I prefer to avoid Colorado as a whole. That's too bad, really.
Right here on City Data you can find out populations, and all the demographics of most every town. You can find it HERE.
And I wish they'd stop messing with the layout, in fact go back to what it started like -- now that it calls up google maps it takes forever to load, and often crashes my browser entirely. I've stopped using it except as a last resort.
My comment about Thorne, ND was somewhat tongue-in-cheek. It's a place that I researched a bit and had a very hard time finding any info on. It's a near ghost town with only a couple of homes, but was once a small town. There were a couple of building lots for sale there for insanely cheap (if you are interested, PM me and I'll direct you to the seller). Very cheap! But you gotta like ghosts!
As for small towns to look into, here are some that I've researched over the past year or two and found appealing--keep in mind that I'm basically looking for a 'sleepy' area with not many people. I'm looking for a place where there's "nothing to do" as far as what most entertainment-centered, big city folks enjoy :
Bottineau
Belcourt
Rolla (Thorne is fairly close to Belcourt, Rolla, and Rolette)
Willow City
Valley City
Linton
Ashley
Rugby
Park River
Hettinger (the first town I researched when I became interested in ND)
Beware the twin-engine mosquitoes, but otherwise those are lovely areas. My family hails from Hansboro which is up north of Rolla a ways, within spittin' distance of the Canadian border. Around there it's all dirt roads and little bitty towns with populations in single or at most double digits, and a long ways even from one farmstead to the next. Rolla was a pretty decent little town last time I was there, tho (admittedly a while, 1969!) with a hospital and the usual small town stuff, and at the time didn't look like it planned on turning to dust any time soon. If I could make a living in Hansboro or Sarles, I'd be right on it. There's a great deal of nothing to do there, unless you're a farmer, then the nothing involves a lot of doing.
Beware the twin-engine mosquitoes, but otherwise those are lovely areas. My family hails from Hansboro which is up north of Rolla a ways, within spittin' distance of the Canadian border. Around there it's all dirt roads and little bitty towns with populations in single or at most double digits, and a long ways even from one farmstead to the next. Rolla was a pretty decent little town last time I was there, tho (admittedly a while, 1969!) with a hospital and the usual small town stuff, and at the time didn't look like it planned on turning to dust any time soon. If I could make a living in Hansboro or Sarles, I'd be right on it. There's a great deal of nothing to do there, unless you're a farmer, then the nothing involves a lot of doing.
twin-engine mosquitoes. Ha , that's funny... well not funny if a "squadron" is after you. I'll have to remember to watch out for them--I really do hate mosquitoes and what we call "deer flies." Ouch. Annoying little &^%$#!!!
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