Best places to live in the US? If you could move, where would you go?

RevDevil

RevDevil

Joined
Nov 9, 2009
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A friend I had not seen for 3 years recently started working for a company I subcontract for occasionally. He showed up at my workplace and we started talking. The conversation went from what we had been up to, life in general, and vacations. The topic of moving came up, he asked me where I would go if I could move anywhere in the US. I honestly didn't have any answer. I drew a blank and was at a complete loss for a realistic and honest answer. I blurted out, Austin, TX as an option.
He asked me, "Why Austin of all places?", and I said "Well, there appears to be an abundance of work in our field, family oriented for the most part, cost of living is not too much more than where I live now, and it has a more than decent music scene." I do consider things like legality of knives and firearms as well, that is a must.

So, I am wondering where would you move if you had a chance? What cities or towns would you consider to be the best in terms of cost of living, employment, activities, etc? I know there are forums dedicated to this already, but I am curious about the population here.
 
My wife and I live in costly California. The company we work for has stations all over the country but, our home is here right now..at least until we pay off our house. Retiring here is out of the question, way to expensive.
We really like Northern Arizona, South Dakota and Wyoming as we will more than likely stay on the Western half of the US.
We love Northern Georgia too.
Just don't really know for sure right now.
 
My criteria are:

* easy access to abundant public land
* low humidity
* not too cold
* clean air and water
* clear skies without light pollution
* NO CITIES, no suburbs
* no poison ivy
* no traffic or related noise pollution
* no congestion/sprawl, low population

Aside from the "not too cold" I did well to pick Raton, New Mexico. :thumbup:
We're full up now though, so don't even think about it. :p
 
My wife and I really like it where we are. I never thought I would like living in Illinois but this town I'm in really is a fantastic place.

That said, if it weren't for the lack of employment, I'd be in the Elkins/Bowden/Monongahela/Senica Rocks area of West Virginia.

The weather is nice. Elevation isn't too high but high enough. Trout fishing, mountains, National Forests, cost of living is low as is the population. It is beautiful. It's within driving distance of family in Michigan too.

I can find work there and make a decent living with what I do and I might in a few years.
 
RedvDevil, I've been driving through Arizona lately. Some nice places in your state, as long as you can avoid the Phoenix/Tuscon area or congested tourist towns.

Flagstaff is nice, but I wouldn't want to live right in the city. Maybe in one of the small towns near there?
I've worked in Bagdad before. That is 'real' Arizona to me, completely untouched by commercialized tourism or sprawling population growth.
Stayed in Show Low last night and drove through the mountains today. Beautiful country, but I wonder how overpopulated it gets in certain times of the year? Seemed like there were millions of vacation/retirement trailers and new housing developments.
East of Show-Low was equally beautiful and much less developed.
Bisbee seems like a nice area, just from driving through.
Thought I would like Wickenburg, but didn't. The Phoenix sprawl seems to reach almost that far, the traffic was non-stop, and it was thick with tourists.
 
Just from a weather point of view, I really like the notion of Santa Barbara. Would love to figure out a similar climate that was more affordable and with better gun laws.
 
I think I'll follow this thread as I'll have to head back to the US sooner rather than later and have no real idea about where I want to go.
 
I could live anywhere as long as there weren't overly strict anti-gun/knife laws. So that means any place but California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Washington D.C.
 
Well Austin does have COTA.

If it was me it would have to be somewhere along the Pacific Coast side. Smaller centers preferred.
 
Back in the '90s, I was thinking about relocating to the Bay Area for various reasons, but later dropped the idea. I have no plans of ever moving out of CA. I know it seems a number of people on these forums aren't too happy about CA, but I like it here, and as far as laws go, at least with knives, it really isn't bad overall. Certainly not compared to some places. And TBH, I would not move out of here even because of that.

But then again, who knows what the future holds. To me, anywhere I can be happy and prosper is where I'd rather be. Whether that remains here or elsewhere. I've found that happiness is mostly a state of mind anyway. If you're generally a positive person who is resourceful and adaptable, you can be happy almost anywhere, in spite of some other outside circumstances. If someone generally sees the negatives or is discontent by nature, and carries that around, then anywhere they go their life will fall into the same patterns and they'll end up feeling the same. But you can find the right fit; sometimes you have to find it elsewhere, and sometimes it could be right under your nose.

Jim
 
I wouldn't move. Not quite old enough to move off alone yet, but I don't plan on moving more than a mile or two, less if I have anything to say about it (hoping to build a house on the family farm, got a spot picked out that I'm going to strongly consider when the time comes and if it's practical). Work here isn't abundant but there's enough to have a decent job and make some money.

Rupestris said:
That said, if it weren't for the lack of employment, I'd be in the Elkins/Bowden/Monongahela/Senica Rocks area of West Virginia.

The weather is nice. Elevation isn't too high but high enough. Trout fishing, mountains, National Forests, cost of living is low as is the population. It is beautiful. It's within driving distance of family in Michigan too.

I can find work there and make a decent living with what I do and I might in a few years.
Click to expand...

I don't live in exactly that area, but it's just an hour or two of driving away.

Ever been to the Sinks of Gandy? It's my favorite spot in that area. :thumbup:
 
I like PA, it is still close to family. I live five miles inside the Maryland/PA line, and I spend most of my time, outside of work, in PA. They have some weird fees, taxes and habits, but I liked the state more than MD. CCW more widely available for one thing.
 
I'd have to agree with RedDevil on Austin, although anywhere east of Austin is good! I love the idea of Brenham, Bryan College Station, or Lockhart(BBQ!!!)...

I'd love to live in the hill country, but the price of land there has gone up 4 fold in the last 20 years (probably more).
 
Noswad0208 said:
I don't live in exactly that area, but it's just an hour or two of driving away.

Ever been to the Sinks of Gandy? It's my favorite spot in that area. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

No, but I'll look into it and keep it in mind if I get back there. I've been to Blackwater and Stonewall Jackson Lake and enjoyed both of those areas. It really is an incredibly underrated part of the country.

Rode the Tygart Flyer and the Durbin Greenbriar trains when the kids were younger too.
 
I moved to the United States from Canada years ago. Sold my business, the wife and I just did it. The point of my post is that people in the US ( I believe) have no idea how far ahead of the rest of the world it is to live here. Even compared to Canada. The beauty, opportunity, much better here. I love Canada, still cheer for them in hockey, but much better here. Of course, you have to assimilate, and expect people to notice an accent if you're outside the home turf.

So where would I live, if I wasn't in upstate NY? I love water, so would like to be near that, in an area that would accept foreigners. Don't like heat, like seasons, so I'd stay in the northeast. The hunting is good, and and actually lots of outdoors available. If we all leave, then there'd be no one left to fight for open carry😁
 
I enjoy living in the south .As a whole southerners may be set in their ways about certain things but overall they are good people.
 
RevDevil said:
A friend I had not seen for 3 years recently started working for a company I subcontract for occasionally. He showed up at my workplace and we started talking. The conversation went from what we had been up to, life in general, and vacations. The topic of moving came up, he asked me where I would go if I could move anywhere in the US. I honestly didn't have any answer. I drew a blank and was at a complete loss for a realistic and honest answer. I blurted out, Austin, TX as an option.
He asked me, "Why Austin of all places?", and I said "Well, there appears to be an abundance of work in our field, family oriented for the most part, cost of living is not too much more than where I live now, and it has a more than decent music scene." I do consider things like legality of knives and firearms as well, that is a must.

So, I am wondering where would you move if you had a chance? What cities or towns would you consider to be the best in terms of cost of living, employment, activities, etc? I know there are forums dedicated to this already, but I am curious about the population here.
Click to expand...

Rupestris said:
My wife and I really like it where we are. I never thought I would like living in Illinois but this town I'm in really is a fantastic place.

That said, if it weren't for the lack of employment, I'd be in the Elkins/Bowden/Monongahela/Senica Rocks area of West Virginia.

The weather is nice. Elevation isn't too high but high enough. Trout fishing, mountains, National Forests, cost of living is low as is the population. It is beautiful. It's within driving distance of family in Michigan too.

I can find work there and make a decent living with what I do and I might in a few years.
Click to expand...

I've only lived in 4 places for any significant amount of time. One is Kansas (and not all that significant), and it's out of the question because...Kansas. One is Colorado, which I'd love...for about half the year (the warmer half). The only 2 places I'd really care to live in are where you and I are now, Charlie, and where Chris lives, because I grew up there. I love the desert, and frankly don't see myself leaving any time soon. If I were ever to move, it'd be back to Geneva (or thereabouts) so I can revisit my youth and re-enjoy everything the Chicago area has to offer, even if it was for only a year or 2.
 
I LOVE where I live, so I wouldn't trade it for anything. I call it my little piece of Heaven! I LOVE living on the Cape.
 
I've enjoyed stays in Arizona, Florida too. Good climates, better than the lousy spring weather with the endless cold damp conditions we get around here. I would add, I like any state that does not get concerned about what's on my belt.
 
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