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Oh, let me dissuade you there, for your own sake. It's gorgeous country, but there are NO jobs.
But that's one of the great things about this thread. In todays world many, many people can work from anywhere. They take their job with them. So the first step in moving where you really want to be might be setting yourself up in a job that isn't tied to location.
But that's one of the great things about this thread. In todays world many, many people can work from anywhere. They take their job with them. So the first step in moving where you really want to be might be setting yourself up in a job that isn't tied to location.
You really need to have a niche skill that doesn't have to be done on site and be at the senior level for this to work. Even if a job can be done 100% remotely! most employers do not allow it,
I'd consider Denver/Colorado Springs, CO; Albuquerque/Santa Fe, NM; anywhere in NC, Nashville, TN, parts of FL, Phoenix, AZ, parts of CA, Wyoming, parts of TX, and parts of Minnesota.
If I left Ohio and was given a choice, I'd honestly head to Little Rock, Arkansas. I know, I know, people are going to laugh at that, but I like the idea that their biggest city is populated at about 195,000 people. So, everything goes on in Little Rock when it comes to being the "big city", yet it's not a huge populated city, if that makes sense. Plus, there are some pretty girls in Arkansas, and as a sports fan I'm actually a closet Arkansas Razorbacks fan. So, yeah, I'd head to Little Rock. Oh, and I forgot to mention the COL is amazing and the state will never become overpopulated because too many people have an unfair negative view of the state, so that's another plus.
I have been looking into Washington state, particularly around the Seattle area. Only concern is the insane property values, COL, and job security. Many large companies have been looking to exit the state, or scale down operations in favor of lower tax states... Namely Boeing, which is a huge driver for jobs in my line of work.
The owner where I work now keeps joking about wanting to move to Texas. He's pretty serious, but most of the employees have no interest. Texas seems nice and all, but I don't think the wages would be that great.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ggumbo
LOL! I swear the deep south isn't that bad!
I think I'd move to Mobile, AL, New Orleans, LA, or Savannah, GA. If I was feeling super adventurous I'd pick somewhere in northern California maybe?
Oh, Raleigh, NC is another place I really liked. And pretty much all of Tennessee (except Memphis). I also like north Georgia up around Lake Lanier. Oh, and the Lake of the Ozarks in MO.
But I've also always wanted to go to the northwest... Or maybe Maine.
Any state that's shaped like a box/rectangle or is called "Ohio" or "Michigan" you can pretty much cross off my list.
I love visiting the south. There is no doubt about it, I would love to live in a state like NC, Alabama, Texas, etc. The only issue is, I would not want to make a living in these states. Companies move there so they can get cheap labor. Great for them, but not great for me. On top of that, these states often have higher than normal unemployment rates, particularly on the east coast. Obviously, things are different in Texas.
My grandfather retired and moved to Alabama. He shares the same sentiment. These are great places to live in when you're retired, and they are great places to vacation to... Just not the kind of places you would want to make a living in, at least in some occupations. Of course, those of us in the north are also dealing with broken municipalities that are looking to raise taxes and drive us in the poorhouse just the same. I guess no one is going to win going forward...
I have been looking into Washington state, particularly around the Seattle area. Only concern is the insane property values, COL, and job security. Many large companies have been looking to exit the state, or scale down operations in favor of lower tax states... Namely Boeing, which is a huge driver for jobs in my line of work.
The owner where I work now keeps joking about wanting to move to Texas. He's pretty serious, but most of the employees have no interest. Texas seems nice and all, but I don't think the wages would be that great.
I love visiting the south. There is no doubt about it, I would love to live in a state like NC, Alabama, Texas, etc. The only issue is, I would not want to make a living in these states. Companies move there so they can get cheap labor. Great for them, but not great for me. On top of that, these states often have higher than normal unemployment rates, particularly on the east coast. Obviously, things are different in Texas.
My grandfather retired and moved to Alabama. He shares the same sentiment. These are great places to live in when you're retired, and they are great places to vacation to... Just not the kind of places you would want to make a living in, at least in some occupations. Of course, those of us in the north are also dealing with broken municipalities that are looking to raise taxes and drive us in the poorhouse just the same. I guess no one is going to win going forward...
One thing to consider about Washington is no state income tax and not all of Washington is as high COL as the Seattle metro (granted, this is where the top jobs are). Depending on what someone is paying in total state tax where they are coming from, the Seattle metro may not be as expensive net of tax as one might expect. Also, Seattle is a large city with I'd assume a large roommate/sublet market, so you could probably find a room or go in with several people on a place until you get more established.
I was just doing some quick looking around on Craigslist and I found several positions similar to what I'm doing now and the base pay was at least twice what I'm making now, with some positions nearly tripling my current salary. I don't see my overall expenses doubling or tripling.
I agree that the South is a hard place to make a living for the average person. Consider someone 20-30 just starting out, a forty to fifty year career, and all the differences in pay. When you factor in the extra money to invest, growth from the extra investments vs. living in a lower pay area, the additional home equity, etc, the differences in net worth can easily be several hundred thousand by old age. A good example of this is someone living rural, low paying VA vs. the northern VA suburbs. Most people don't tend to think of things this way, especially when they're young - they just automatically think "cheap = better" when that may not be the case at all. The South lags behind most of the rest of the country on every significant social metric with the exception of some basket cases like Detroit.
I agree that the South is a hard place to make a living for the average person. Consider someone 20-30 just starting out, a forty to fifty year career, and all the differences in pay. When you factor in the extra money to invest, growth from the extra investments vs. living in a lower pay area, the additional home equity, etc, the differences in net worth can easily be several hundred thousand by old age. A good example of this is someone living rural, low paying VA vs. the northern VA suburbs. Most people don't tend to think of things this way, especially when they're young - they just automatically think "cheap = better" when that may not be the case at all. The South lags behind most of the rest of the country on every significant social metric with the exception of some basket cases like Detroit.
Excellent overview. I tend to agree. It seems like financial suicide to move to many parts of the south. I understand the motivation for businesses, but there seems to be no benefit whatsoever for the individual worker. Maybe I'll retire one day and move south, but for now, it is best to consider the south a great place to vacation to, and nothing more.
What I find interesting is how many of these companies move south and expect a skilled workforce to just magically appear. Based on most analysis, these areas commonly feature a massive "skills shortage" in many lines of work. After the companies jump on the tax incentives, what happens if these workers don't show? What happens when these businesses realize that they've moved into a meth plagued area and there are no reliable workers to be found?
Don't forget the companies that try to make a job SOUND skilled when it's not. They just tack in a big fancy description and some strange experience requirement.
I would stay in Houston. I am a teacher and I know plenty of people who went to NY, California or Oregon trying to find the paradise and now they are adults who have to share room and bathroom with other adults.
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