Best Places to Live (USA Edition)

[SpaceDock]

The job I have had for the last 15 years has kept me in the same area I went to college. Due to the Work From Home movement, I think they are going to let us work from home forever. This is giving me the option to consider living anywhere in the USA.

I thought it would be fun to start a thread where we discuss the best places to live in the USA and why. I bet lots of folks are finding themselves in my position.

I currently live in Northern Colorado which is considered one of the nicest places by various polls, but real estate sucks. We have mild weather but winter can be rough. What I dislike is the lack of trees, never rains, and is very expensive. What I like is the abundance of sunny days, great views, very chill social atmosphere.

Let me know what you guys think!

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I've lived in a number of states, and if I had to choose a favorite it'd be Arizona, specifically the western suburbs of Phoenix, like Sun City or Peoria.

The area is absolutely beautiful, cost of living is fairly cheap, you're less than a 45 minute drive from tons of restaurants, guitar stores, etc. and the people are the nicest in the country.

If I could move back tomorrow, I would without hesitation. I look for retirement options out there almost monthly.

 

[MFB]

I've lived in a number of states, and if I had to choose a favorite it'd be Arizona, specifically the western suburbs of Phoenix, like Sun City or Peoria.

Obligatory KOTH reference for Arizona

 

[Hollowway]

I can tell you where NOT to live: California. It’s nice weather, and there are tons of stuff to do, but the cost of living, taxes, and real estate make it nearly impossible to afford. A lot of people got lucky and got a house during the recession 10 years ago, but since then it’s gotten more and more expensive.

I went to Nashville a couple of years ago, and fell in love with the place. That’s top of my “places to consider” list.

 

[sleewell]

I lived in Nashville for a bit. It is great. Love the food, of course love the music.

I lived in socal for a while after college. Pros and cons for sure. It was fun while it lasted but I'm glad I didnt stay there permanently. Living almost on the beach had some amazing memories but it's so dang crowded bc of how nice it is.

I love living in Michigan. It feels like home and there is lots to do. I love the weather. The cold doesnt bother me bc I actually don't like really hot.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Obligatory KOTH reference for Arizona

Love KotH.

Obligatory reply: "It's a dry heat."

Really though, it's not terrible. I'd take that any day over Florida, where I also lived. The whole state is designed around knowing it's hot as fuck, so everything is covered, air conditioned, fanned, misted, done at night, etc.

The hardest thing to adapt to was actually just how dry it is. I woke up with nosebleeds for the first week and a half.

Totally worth it for no seasonal allergies.

 

[High Plains Drifter]

Many people moving into central Texas over the last decade or so are finding that if they're going to work in Austin, they're gonna have to commute b/c the cost of renting and owning homes/ apts within the city are just outrageously high... Renting a 600 sq ft apt could set you back $2000 mo. for something halfway nice and the median home in Austin costs $347,000... well above the states average. Crazy growth around the ATX area over the last couple decades... often times bucking national negative/ recessive housing market trends so that is one good thing economically speaking.

If you dislike a lack of rain, I sure wouldn't recommend moving to central Texas. We go for months at a time with little to no rain. Also summer is just excruciatingly hot with plenty of humidity in the am/ pm hours. Most areas surrounding Austin are void of any abundance of thick arboreal growth although there are some pockets scattered throughout the state.

As for the other things you've mentioned... Very chill vibe in Austin as long as you're not on the roadways. Awesome music scene... 24/ 365 aside from the negative impact that covid restrictions had last year. Tons and tons of sunny days and with the exception of this past winter, very mild throughout the winter months. Also there are some very scenic areas around central Texas but at least imo, not enough to balance out the negatives.

 

[mmr007]

Nashville…just…yeah

 

[Ralyks]

I'm honestly considering disappearing to Portland, Maine as a retirement spot.

 

[devastone]

The job I have had for the last 15 years has kept me in the same area I went to college. Due to the Work From Home movement, I think they are going to let us work from home forever. This is giving me the option to consider living anywhere in the USA.

I thought it would be fun to start a thread where we discuss the best places to live in the USA and why. I bet lots of folks are finding themselves in my position.

I currently live in Northern Colorado which is considered one of the nicest places by various polls, but real estate sucks. We have mild weather but winter can be rough. What I dislike is the lack of trees, never rains, and is very expensive. What I like is the abundance of sunny days, great views, very chill social atmosphere.

Let me know what you guys think!

Howdy neighbor! I live in Longmont.

Colorado is nice, although being a southern boy from the Appalachians, I do miss the rain and green mountains. The lack of humidity is nice though, mtn biking in 95 deg is much better than

Yep, CO is getting expensive, although I was in San Diego a few weeks ago and we have a long way to go to get to that kind of real estate stupidity, but I still haven't figured out how to get in a house here so good thing I don't live there. The house I walked away from in my divorce is over $500k now and it's just a normal house in a house farm.

 

[jaxadam]

Howdy neighbor! I live in Longmont.

Colorado is nice, although being a southern boy from the Appalachians, I do miss the rain and green mountains. The lack of humidity is nice though, mtn biking in 95 deg is much better than

Yep, CO is getting expensive, although I was in San Diego a few weeks ago and we have a long way to go to get to that kind of real estate stupidity, but I still haven't figured out how to get in a house here so good thing I don't live there. The house I walked away from in my divorce is over $500k now and it's just a normal house in a house farm.

If you want to get a real handle on the market, follow Zillow Gone Wild. Check out this jewel...

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/..._jUcX2UlV0r5ET1RF_gthRxWfcUGzK6JBt3qDN6IBjEbQ

Here's another pretty good one:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5120-S-Mariposa-Dr-Gilbert-AZ-85298/95164685_zpid/

 

[thebeesknees22]

woooow, that interior on that first link. Lol That's special.

 

[Drew]

I currently live in Northern Colorado which is considered one of the nicest places by various polls, but real estate sucks. We have mild weather but winter can be rough. What I dislike is the lack of trees, never rains, and is very expensive. What I like is the abundance of sunny days, great views, very chill social atmosphere.

It's not without its problems (bostjan has talked at length about the political dysfunction thanks to the Democratic Socialist/Democratic/Republican split Sanders brought to the country), but I'd say Vermont should at least be on your radar, and at a minimum it's a great excuse to go up for a week's vacation or somthing.

Colorado in many ways is moving towards Vermont, socially, as it's liberalized and become a purple state - outdoor athletics/nature/adrenaline junkie focus between the two seem pretty similar to me. Vermont also has a GREAT local food scene - somehow it was never as industrialized as a lot of neighboring states so farm to table is much, much more prevalent than anywhere else I've spent time, and there's an incredible microbrew movement happening. The natural beauty is very different from Colorado - the Green Mountains, comparied to the Rockies - but in the parts of the state that aren't farmland there are rolling mountains everywhere, and there's no shortage of trees. There are also more dirt roads than paved in the state, which depending on your interests is either a selling point or a concern. Plenty of rain too.

New Hampshire is like Vermont but with a libertarian skew and a bit more of a rough around the edges "fuck you" than Vermont's stoner "don't kill our vibe" sort of thing. White Mountains are similarly stunning, and more jagged than the Greens, but every four years you have to deal with national politics, and while there's. no income tax you pay for pretty much everything else. The Catskills in New York deserve a nod, too, though much of the rest of the state doesn't have that same mountanous feel to it. I've lived in Mass most of my life, do love it here, miss the northern Berkshires (worth a look as well for reasons similar to Vermont). Maine is worth a look too, especially coastal Maine - Acadia National Park is one of my favorite places ever - and expecially if uou don't mind rain. Inland Maine gets pretty... empty, though.

Idunno though. Colorado culture plus trees, rain, and - outside of tourist hotspots and ski towns like Stowe, for instance - cost of living make me think Vermont.

 

[bostjan]

It's not without its problems (bostjan has talked at length about the political dysfunction thanks to the Democratic Socialist/Democratic/Republican split Sanders brought to the country), but I'd say Vermont should at least be on your radar, and at a minimum it's a great excuse to go up for a week's vacation or somthing.

Colorado in many ways is moving towards Vermont, socially, as it's liberalized and become a purple state - outdoor athletics/nature/adrenaline junkie focus between the two seem pretty similar to me. Vermont also has a GREAT local food scene - somehow it was never as industrialized as a lot of neighboring states so farm to table is much, much more prevalent than anywhere else I've spent time, and there's an incredible microbrew movement happening. The natural beauty is very different from Colorado - the Green Mountains, comparied to the Rockies - but in the parts of the state that aren't farmland there are rolling mountains everywhere, and there's no shortage of trees. There are also more dirt roads than paved in the state, which depending on your interests is either a selling point or a concern. Plenty of rain too.

New Hampshire is like Vermont but with a libertarian skew and a bit more of a rough around the edges "fuck you" than Vermont's stoner "don't kill our vibe" sort of thing. White Mountains are similarly stunning, and more jagged than the Greens, but every four years you have to deal with national politics, and while there's. no income tax you pay for pretty much everything else. The Catskills in New York deserve a nod, too, though much of the rest of the state doesn't have that same mountanous feel to it. I've lived in Mass most of my life, do love it here, miss the northern Berkshires (worth a look as well for reasons similar to Vermont). Maine is worth a look too, especially coastal Maine - Acadia National Park is one of my favorite places ever - and expecially if uou don't mind rain. Inland Maine gets pretty... empty, though.

Idunno though. Colorado culture plus trees, rain, and - outside of tourist hotspots and ski towns like Stowe, for instance - cost of living make me think Vermont.

Yes, VT is actually a pretty cool place to live, overall, if you are tolerant of cold and don't mind having the 2nd or 3rd highest tax rate in the US. If you move to Burlington, you'd have most of the amenities of the city. ... and if you move somewhere near enough to Burlington, you get to be somewhere near enough to someplace with most of the urban amenities. Or you could be a crazy person like me and move out to the Northeast Kingdom, where there is no Walmart, no McDonald's, lots of trees, etc. There is even a town out here with an official population of zero, so if you move there, you could be the mayor!

-------------------

I have family in northern Michigan, and it's like Vermont, but with lower cost of living, slightly more hillbillies, and tons more snow. All three of those things might be plusses for you...or not.

I've also lived in Indianapolis, and it wasn't for me. Hot summers, mild winters, super low cost of living, but there were a lot of vast cultural differences between me and pretty much everyone else in my neighbourhood. Also lots of rampant racism out in the open there. Probably 99% of the people were cool (I don't know), just that the 1% (or more) of the people who were racist were very open about it. And I don't mean prejudice or discriminatory, I'm talking white coats and pointy hats. I'd never be able to go back there.

I've kind of been everywhere, but only lived a few places. I grew up in Detroit city, and that's one place I can 100% recommend against. You could get a house there for like $5000 cash, but then you'd not only be $5k poorer, but you'd also own a house in Detroit (lose-lose scenario). Maybe it's better now than it was in the 80's/90's, but back then, there were a lot of murders. Two of the people who lived directly across the street from me were shot and killed by the police (two totally separate instances), for example. It's not just murders, but the amount of general violence and just random insane shit you see was pretty much daily there. But anyway, this isn't a topic of how nasty Detroit is and I think I made my point.

The USA is a huge country, so I'm sure there's a place for everyone here. It depends on what you like. If you want lots of trees, great views, and a chill social atmosphere, VT should be right up your alley. Sunny days... well, not too much, but, honestly, I think California pretty much has the #1 slot in that department. Then again, there is the whole Northern part of California that most people forget is part of California, too.

 

[Drew]

Or you could be a crazy person like me and move out to the Northeast Kingdom, where there is no Walmart, no McDonald's, lots of trees, etc. There is even a town out here with an official population of zero, so if you move there, you could be the mayor!

Fucking incredible riding though.

Then again, there is the whole Northern part of California that most people forget is part of California, too.

This is a great point - I haven't spent a TON of time in California, but as you move north of San Francisco, well... Marin County ain't cheap, but it's well known for a reason. Absolutely stunning countryside.

 

[BenjaminW]

This is a great point - I haven't spent a TON of time in California, but as you move north of San Francisco, well... Marin County ain't cheap, but it's well known for a reason. Absolutely stunning countryside.

Marin County (and Sausalito in particular) is absolutely stunning. Looking at houses there is a lot like GAS, but for me it's 10,000 times stronger than GAS. It's just so damn nice out there.

 

[jco5055]

Anyone got recommendations for places without a car? I know that really just limits cities, but even a lot of cities in the US aren't very public transit or walkable friendly...I've been all over the country so far, and my favorites have been Seattle, Boston, and NYC...visitng San Fran and LA in a month. But I am interested in plenty of other places like Denver, New Mexico, DC/Baltimore, Austin etc etc...really open to anything.

 

[Kaura]

No love for Minnesota? I've never even visited USA but that's where I'd move mostly because that's where most of the Finnish immigrants moved and they can't be wrong, right? There's even a town called Finland there.

 

[bostjan]

No love for Minnesota? I've never even visited USA but that's where I'd move mostly because that's where most of the Finnish immigrants moved and they can't be wrong, right? There's even a town called Finland there.

There used to be towns in northern Michigan where the locals used to all speak Finnish. I think those days are mostly gone, though... most of those Finish immigrants moved here 80+ years ago, so I doubt there are many still alive and their kids are probably in old age now. I assume Finland was not the nicest place to live between WWI and WWII, if the no-man's-land in between the midwestern US and not-the-two-parts-of-Canada-where-people-live was appealing enough to move half a globe away.

 

[Mathemagician]

Have I commented already? Florida’s full. Florida sucks. We Gucci on people. Actually trying to export them. Check out Georgia, or Alabama (I got your backs guys). They have actual seasons, and hills/forests/etc. We got swamps.

But seriously it’s pretty linear here in terms of weather and that’s not for everyone.

Need a car to do anything common in most southern states. Poor design/planning and spacing everything out.

Homes do not have basements. Can’t. Water. So you get less house per house than other states I’ve mentioned.