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We live in this area. Crime is low. Housing is semi-affordable. Durham/Chapel Hill area has lots of young people, great places to eat. Duke, UNC. Problem is getting a decent paying job in social work.
Asheville might be a better fit, particularly if OP can get on with the VA there.
Liberal. Lots of young people. UC Asheville. Drop dead gorgeous. If you go outside of town a ways, housing is more affordable than right in Asheville.
I guess "semi-affordable" depends on one's perspective. Housing costs are going to be high in both places for someone on a social worker's salary, especially if she's trying to live on her own. And her estimates for starting salary are a little rich to be frank.
I'll give you that housing is nowhere near NYC, DC or San Francisco high, but it is more costly than what they could find in other places that haven't become so popular and are more bucolic. The (possibly?) slight increase in pay over much more affordable places isn't going to make up for the increased housing costs, especially not for someone in her field, as you correctly point out.
However, Asheville doesn't really meet her climate preferences and the Durham/Chapel Hill area also gets colder than what she's looking for.
I'm new here. I tried replying to a few posts, but I can't tell if they went through. Please let me know if they did.
I should clarify that I am going straight from my undergrad degree in social work to my Masters in Social work before I move out of state. Also I will have a little over $100,000 starting out, which will help. I looked up average MSW salary and it says between 40K and 60K. See https://careers.socialworkers.org/fi...larysurvey.asp Am I missing something?
Cost of housing is most important when it comes to affordability. Housing should be below national average. I would like to be able to buy a one bedroom condo. I don't go out to eat and at fancy restaurants or shop at expensive places.
Also, when offering suggestions feel free to disregard my preference for a liberal place. Realistically, my top three criteria are housing below the national average, safe, and doesn't get freezing cold in the winter. Or am I still not being realistic?
I think the main reason people are telling you that they don't think you have a realistic viewpoint is kind of multipronged.
1. When you research salaries online, you are getting an average, yes...and some aggregators are more reliably researched than others. And average salaries aren't necessarily reflective of what you're going to find open at any given time in any particular community.
2. You are looking specifically for small-to-midsize cities at absolute largest, and, to narrow options down even further, you're looking for only small-to-midsize cities that have housing prices below the national average. The issue with that is that where you find cheaper than average housing, you find lower than average wages. That's how it works. So those average salary ranges you're finding? When you consider what those positions pay in areas with lower than average costs of living, count on those averages being high estimates. ESPECIALLY in human services fields.
Amusing how the archconservatives are attempting to define what a liberal is for the OP. It sounds like she has herself well-defined already without their "help."
All of your criteria is describing a city, not a rural area or small town.
You could seriously expand your search area by simply investing in a nice quality jacket and outerwear. Many great places that would fit alot of your criteria have mildish weather with snow only a handful of days every year. It's not like every place is Minnesota or Michigan when it comes to winter time weather. My favorite climate is high elevation in the southwest. Never too hot or cold. Check out Silver City, New Mexico. There's some crime though and good luck finding a job.
IME, everywhere where rents and housing is cheap and affordable has limited low paying jobs and every place with plentiful good paying jobs has super high housing costs.
no, even if you want that "pocket" of liberal thought, i wouldn't say raleigh/durham/chapel hill...... rampant hatred of muslim, mexicians, hispanics, and phooey on that whole myth of the "new" south.... still racially bigoted. also darn cold in winter and a very active KKK, even 15 miles south of chapel hill
I am a 23 year old woman, and in a couple years I want to move out of Texas. I am having trouble finding a place that fits my criteria. It seems like all liberal states are expensive and freezing in the winter.
Here is what I am looking for:
Low crime (this is an absolute requirement)
Not a big city like Dallas, Austin, Chicago, or Boston (this is an absolute requirement)
Weather: mild or warm. Doesn’t get in the teens or below freezing. I can’t physically and mentally handle freezing cold, rainy, windy weather. Especially if it is happening all at once. (This is an absolute requirement)
Affordable for recent grad starting a job in social work. I suspect I will be making between 40i and 60k a year (this is an absolute requirement)
Liberal and/or progressive. It’s okay if the state is conservative as long as there are liberal pockets (high priority)
Small town or small city. A small town should be within an hour drive or less from a big city. Preferably one that had a University or teaching hospital. (High to very high priority)
Good for hiking, walking, lots of scenery like forests, parks, hills, nature trails. Fancy restaurants and nightlife are not important to me. (Mid to high priority)
I don’t plan on raising a family. I would like to get married eventually. So a median age around 35 would be good. (Low to mid priority).
Good public transportation (low priority).
Thank you!!!
those salaries for social work are only found in large cities or affluent (and hence expensive) smaller cities. The only exception would be finding Federal government jobs. but in smaller towns, those jobs are sought after and do not turn over frequently and when they do often do to friends and relatives.
Try Bend, OR; Sequim, WA (in Olympic Rainshadow), Boise (all are cold in winter to some extent)
Try Sacramento Area;
Hard to think of her places that do not fail multiple criteria.
Burlington Vermont and buy clothing appropriate to the climate. Take up skiing or snowboarding and you’ll smile when you see snow on the top of Mount Mansfield in October.
I'm 40, own my business and I'm still quite liberal... my parents are in their 60s, also business-owners, also liberal. Weird how some random meme saying isn't very accurate. Who would have guessed?
Anyway, OP, there are some progressive pockets in Florida. I'm 90 miles from Tampa and while my county is red, there are definitely lots of liberals here. Housing prices are likely below average. That being said, I highly highly doubt any social workers here, MSW or not, are making 60K!
I'm new here. I tried replying to a few posts, but I can't tell if they went through. Please let me know if they did.
I should clarify that I am going straight from my undergrad degree in social work to my Masters in Social work before I move out of state. Also I will have a little over $100,000 starting out, which will help. I looked up average MSW salary and it says between 40K and 60K. See https://careers.socialworkers.org/fi...larysurvey.asp Am I missing something?
Cost of housing is most important when it comes to affordability. Housing should be below national average. I would like to be able to buy a one bedroom condo. I don't go out to eat and at fancy restaurants or shop at expensive places.
Also, when offering suggestions feel free to disregard my preference for a liberal place. Realistically, my top three criteria are housing below the national average, safe, and doesn't get freezing cold in the winter. Or am I still not being realistic?
I am disregarding your preference for a liberal place. Interesting how after you posted the above, suggestions for liberal places overwhelm all other criteria.
How about smaller communities in the the Texas Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio, or communities in California's Central Valley from Sacramento south? Visalia, CA could be a possibility, but it is not close to a big city with a university or teaching hospital. Or consider university towns in the South, such as Baton Rouge, Auburn, Oxford, Tuscaloosa, Tallahassee, Athens, GA. Other possibilities include: Augusta, GA, Columbia, SC, Charleston/Summerville, SC, Tucson, AZ, or the ElPaso, Brownsville, and McAllen, TX areas.
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