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.
Hi,
I'm a job seeker AND career changer living in Boise, now having a hard job hunt.
Reno got on my radar due to companies like Tesla and the Gigafactory coming in, and I have a contact there I can have accommodation to visit for a week and take "lay of the land".
Originally from Southern California, then moved up here, to see "what it would be like to live and work in a cool mountain town". That ended up being 14 years! Never had great job here in Boise, and even last 6 years with stable state employment, good benefits, etc. still not been able to get out of debt due to low pay here (very low, for most people, in my opinion). Plenty of call centers here. NOT interested in jumping into call center job- did that, and am believing in myself that I can still make more of myself and have better life!
Any information you'd like to provide would helpful.
Single 53 year old here, degreed, general 10 or so years call center customer service and admin support, but looking to stretch into/foot in the door for better job.
Avid mountain biker, occasional competitive, road cyclist, etc. into live music, etc.
I am assuming topography very similar to here, bigger mountains, probably more expensive rental market? I have to rent; head not above water, need out of debt, save before thinking about trying to buy. Rental and costs important, not high income here.
Will give more info if asked - and anyone info you guys can give would be appreciated!
Thinking going out for a week after eclipse - or if Tesla or another company does contact me back from applications send. Thanks you all!
If you got a good job at Tesla or other companies at TRIC, you can try renting in Fernley or Silver Springs. These areas are desert and not very pretty but cost will be lower.
Nn2036L Fernley or Silver Springs, ok, will keep in mind. Thank you.
How far out is TRIC? Is it a bit remote? I read I think about 20 miles out of town whatever that means?
Thank you again.
Funny, I'm in CA and looking at a move to Boise or Reno area. Wondering, as a former CA person, why you want to leave Boise? I know the pay is very low, but seems like cost of living is also cheaper.
Karla,
I can only speak from MY OWN experience, so you can take from it what you will.
Yes, pay is low, jobs are extremely competitive to get, unless you have something special, like you're a very experienced person in your field with good refs and connections, or a professional like doctor, type of engineer, etc they need here etc...
or you have an incredible business idea and are going to make your own business here.
Trying to get a good job here almost feels like a very restrictive work immigration list that a country would have, like Canada, where, if you are not tops, cream of the crop, in a field in high demand where there's a massive shortage - then you would not be able to go there.
The "go" here, being able to find a good job in Boise. That is my experience here so far, during this job search.
And, again, yes, the costs of living in general, and especially housing, and probably car insurance, food (depending on where you shop - if you shop at Whole Foods it isn't going to be lower)! - but the costs of living aren't THAT much lower - to where you really come out ahead that much...
Boise really is a super cool place thought! Music festivals - a big one all around downtown in spring called "Treefort". And big acts do come through here - maybe be on off night but they come through. Arts, music, dining, outdoors of any sort imaginable, etc. all your backdoor (or not that far a drive depending on where you live) And, it is "easy" to live here, in a way that living down in LA is NOT. Also, most Idahoans (many now are actually born somewhere else, I think it is about 1/2) - are super cool and chill people. You be nice to them and respectful, and you get same back.
BUT, for most people, like me I guess, it is hard to get an awesome job. I'm putting perfect, hard effort into current job hunt, and what I'm getting back are..well...not very good offers.
There are a LOT of call centers, for the common person, and I don't wish to work in one any more. They pay about 10-12 and offer benefits, but that type of job isn't going to support a family. And that type of job is a very stressful, anxiety provoking, even abusive situation UNLESS, I suppose you find a very good, smaller call center in a high quality company where there are operations other than call center. But I doubt it.
Yes, cost of living - and especially housing, is cheaper. Also, everything is on a "smaller" scale - so yes, while there is traffic, etc - it is nothing like Ca, or Southern Ca. Again, housing is way less, and depending on where you move, commute should be much less time, food will be way less - especially if you shop at Winco - or Costco I guess (I'm single so I shop at Winco). Still, like I said above, while you may be able to afford a home, or apartment here where you could not down there, in most other respects, I don't know if it's really worth it! If you're pretty young though, like in your 20's, recent grad, or whatever and you get a good offer up here - you could have a chance to really build something. maybe.
Pay is low - so low in fact that I've not been able to get my head above water - was not able to get out and then save and then buy a home here - rented the whole time. But if you have $ or come here and will have $, you should be able to buy.
My rent - I wouldn't be able to afford this place, even on the increased wages I could get in Ca. I would have to have roommates or rent a room, and that would be hard to do after having my own place for years here.
I DID move back there a few times - several times, since 2001 or so, actually, and always got scared or frozen cold feet and came back. I was encouraged with confidence by friends and family members to STAY down there and to TRUST. The jobs I got offered down there had WAY MORE, future potential than anything I've ever been offered here as temporary work or long term temp at HP or call center work. After I left my garage apartment in Huntington Beach back in 2000, I would always have to rent a room/have roommates - there was no way I could afford my own apartment. I like the sovereignty, individuality and peace from your own space that comes from having your own place. Cook what and when you want, do what you want, etc... not on someone else's schedule - not a "room with kitchen privileges" etc.... you get the point.
Don't let me stop you from coming here, BUT, if you need to work and have a field you work in, be darn sure you get an offer BEFORE you come. I would also check out Reno if that is the 2nd or other area on your list.
Where in Ca. are you?
Last edited by Fwdvision; 08-16-2017 at 11:46 AM..
This is VERY good to hear. I was kind of afraid of having a hard time finding a job out there. I have a good job now and my husband works for the city of San Jose. We live near Hollister, but commute to silicon valley. The total commute time is between 3-4 hours a day. I have a 4 year old and NO life. I'm hoping to move some place with a lower cost of living, better quality of life and where my son can go to school ( he can't in CA now, damn moonbeam).
Anyway, my husband was leery about ID because of the pay. We both liked it out there, but it is very far. Reno is closer to my mom and his mom, plus its growing and no state income tax, a bonus. It does seem like the pay is a bit higher, but still lower than CA wages. I need to check out areas around Reno, as I'm not a casino type person. Ha ha ha ha.
I would love to hear where you end up, and I will update too. Hoping to find a place by early next year. Good luck and thank you again!
The cost of housing in the Reno area is choking people. A typical 3/2 in a suburban area is going for $350k. Not sure exactly what rents are but daughter's 20-something friends with pretty good after college jobs (working on grad school) are being pushed out of the rental market. And that's usually with two incomes as most are living with significant other.
I don't think good jobs are easy to get here either. We've been here 30+ years and have plenty of connections. Daughter moved back after grad school and is struggling to find something with a livable wage in sciences (biology BS, MS) that is not nursing. If you are a professional, engineer, or nurse you can find a job any day here. Getting a job with the city, county, or state is usually a livable income with benefits including a pension program. We have a ton of call centers here that don't pay a livable wage and I see people drifting from one call center to another, renting with roommates, can't afford a reliable car, struggling with debt. I see few ads for Tesla directly but more for Panasonic. I know a few people who have interviewed and said the pay was nothing to write home about (I don't know of any local that has accepted a job there) and it would be a long commute from Reno. The canyon between Reno and TRI is narrow in parts, windy, and commonly has weather related issues in the winter. Fernley could be a good location but there are not a lot of housing choices there. Some is old and rundown, and the rest is newer and not of great quality. I think they are running around $900-1100 for 1 bed, $1300 and up for larger...in Fernley! They have the basic big box stores but other than casinos and small town events (craft fairs, 4th of July, etc) most people are spending their free time in Reno. Fernley to Reno is 30-45 minutes depending on which side of town you are going/coming from.
I had a co-worker who has had the reverse commute for years, Fernley to Reno every day. One hour each way (enter of Fernley to south Reno). She chews through a car every few years, fills up 3x/week, and there are a lot of tires and oil changes. It's not unusual for her to have a handful of days in a normal winter where she would be 1-3 hours late due to an accident or ice in the canyon. With our very heavy snow winter this past year, travel delays seemed to be a weekly occurrence. Also, driving in the winter in the dark (morning and night) on snow/ice is not for the faint at heart. Even on a nice sunny day a traffic accident or truck spill can make for a long commute. It is I-80 after all, so there are plenty of trucks, RVs, and other non-local drivers passing through.
There is also any commute that requires you to go through the intersection of 580/I80 to be wary of. We refer to that intersection as the spaghetti bowl. I have several co-workers with that commute and it is a weekly event that there are accidents (never mind winter weather) complicating their commute.
Also regarding a commute, gas is very high here. We don't have a state income tax and property taxes are low. No tax on food and meds. But to fund roads we have some of the highest gas taxes in the country. Regular is running $2.80 at Costco this week $2.87 most other places I pass. Most people from larger cities think a 45 minute commute is nothing. But when you throw in the cost of gas and maintenance for that drive it's not such a rosy picture. And there is winter driving here.
If you have kids you should be looking at the schools. NV as a whole scores very low on the national scale. Some will say that is the urban schools in Las Vegas that drag the scores down. That's not true. There are schools in LV that score poorly, but the Reno school district tries to float bonds in every election and every year we hear about deficits. The state has no plan to fund education so throwing more money after a drowning system has never helped. I no longer support funding education through bonds until they come up with a long term plan.
Marijuana is now legal here. I don't object, though it's not for me. On the other hand, when I'm out walking my dogs and someone is having a weekend BBQ with more than just the smell of steaks on the BBQ, I'm concerned about all those cars out front driven home by folks under the influence. I hope the novelty wears off soon. It's a very common occurrence here right now both on private property and in public. Though it is illegal, like cell phone use while driving, I see/smell people smoking marijuana while driving. There is very little police presence in the area, I would imagine like most places, there is no budget to hire more as growth occurs. So good luck getting anything enforced.
Roads are another part of commuting. We had a particularly rough winter last year ans some of the roads are horrific. You can lose a small family in some of the pot holes in places that have never been a problem. Also remember that there is basically one north/south freeway (580/395) and one east/west (I-80) so when there is weather, accidents, road work the commute is less than optimal.
If you are thinking of moving here I would try to find the job first and then plan to live within 10 miles of work. You may pay a bit more for your housing, but the cost of commuting outweighs that. Have a job before coming here. Panasonic and Tesla have national ads running. I'm sure they are not paying for relocation (outside of management positions...maybe) but they are certainly hiring from outside the area. On the other hand, they also have a lot of local walk-in job fairs so you might want to find out about those. They seem to be well publicized. State, city, and county jobs can be found on their websites. Be ready for lots of nepotism though. Even locals have a difficult time breaking in or getting promoted. But it's worth a shot.
If you are thinking of moving here with kids...think hard. I'm not sure that this is the best place to raise kids. The area is great for family life like water sports, family friendly events, etc. But education here is not what I would choose, if I had a choice.
If you are thinking about moving here as a single, be sure you can afford to live here without a second income or roommate. I have also heard from every single friend and co-worker that it is very difficult to date and socialize in the area.
What's good about Reno? Plenty! There is always a festival or event going on. We are less than 30 minutes from Lake Tahoe and everything it has to offer in every season. Our weather is sunny and dry. We rarely cancel plans due to weather. The people I meet are friendly and hard-working. But most choose to live in certain areas based on their needs. Some want to be open and free on acreage. Plenty of the new-ish suburban areas have great neighborhoods, new homes and shopping, and HOAs.
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.
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.
