Whats the best determining factor in choosing a new place to move? (schools, move back)

[Nov3]

1: Safety in the community
2: Assessiblity- for fire department/hospital/grocers/gas station
3: landscape- Meaning area is clean living- Definitely NOT metro areas or large populated areas.
4: Low taxation . (good luck finding that though)
5: State regulations.

[ejisme]

Originally Posted by ceresc21

I feel like that will stick me with places I can't afford, but ok, I will make a list and see what I can figure out.

That sounds like a second "Must Have", affordable (to you) Cost of Living.

You and other people have mentioned Portland, OR on this and other of your posts. It may be just outside your budget, but across the river in Vancouver, WA might work. It's part of the Portland Metro area. Mass transit from Vancouver into Portland is available. It's income tax free, and food/medicine are sales tax free. High property taxes won't affect you too much as a renter. It might be a more affordable option in the PNW.

[NDak15]

1. Salary and cost of living
2. Salary and cost of living
3. Salary and cost of living

Unless you can afford to live in a location nothing else matters. The stress of being poor is not worth it.

Bad roads are about the most ridiculous reason for not living somewhere I've heard.

[Hemlock140]

We have decided on an area that includes 4 cities adjacent to each other, after extensive research and visiting. In our case it's downsizing when I retire late this year, and paying cash with our equity. I did a spreadsheet that included:

Distance from other family
Median Home Price
Crime Rates
Property Tax rates
Annual Rainfall
Summer maximum temperature
Winter low temperature
Population
Distance from Costco
Distance from major medical

Each of those variables was weighted by our priority, and scores resulted. Then we spent many weekend days visiting the "more acceptable" places, driving around, having lunch there, and when back home looking at the real estate listings. The end result was these 4, but in two of them only in certain parts of the city.

I had not included politics (liberal or conservative) but while visiting all of the 20+ places we learned about that. One could look at voting records online, but that was not a high priority for us,

[ChicagoMeO]

I always moved close enough to work so that the commute was not so horrid. That can drive a person crazy if they have to endure a bad commute every day so that they are sorry they moved there.

Also price for rent. A landlord will most likely not rent you a place that your salary cant afford.. they even tell you in the lease rules - your rent cannot be more than 33% of your income.

Safety - very important - you cant relax and enjoy your apartment or even walking around your neighborhood if you worry about being robbed, and your car broken into.

Clean - bad idea to live in a dirty place, or has bugs, which can cause big problems.

Size - you might only be able to afford a tiny apartment in the city, but it might be nicer to have more space but move to the suburbs and just commute to the city when you want to have fun. its no fun to have to toss out furniture because it wont fit.

[chiluvr1228]

Originally Posted by ceresc21

I've been trying to decide where I want to move for over a year now. Every time I find somewhere I like, some 'big' factor plays in that makes me change my mind. Usually finances. Sometimes weather. Most recently city infrastructure. I know I'm not going to find anywhere perfect. I'm willing to adapt to weather, find roommates to lower living costs, etc. But almost everywhere I look I feel like when talking to locals nobody likes it. I want to move somewhere where most people are happy to be there. Is that possible?

Most recently and for several months I was looking at Providence. But apparently the roads in RI are some of the worst in the country. I don't know how much that's exaggerated, but I definitely don't want to live somewhere where I'm driving on terrible roads all the time.

I have no family so I'm not held anywhere, I'm going back to school online and I currently work as a preschool teacher but it's not the career I plan to stay in so I'm not confined to any particular region for work.

What should my method be? Should I make a list of cities? Pros and cons? Things I want? I had planned to move in the next few months but I have no idea where I would go.

Go to Google and search "Where should I live quiz". For me, it's cost of living, crime rates and weather.

[ejisme]

The answer is different based on your different stages in life.

Young and just out of high school or college, and most likely alone... definitely go were you can find a job. You will likely move on to somewhere else, so go and get some experiences (work and life).

Mid career with a family: Again the job is important, but also COL, safety, spouse's employment or other wants, weather/climate, availability of the things you like to do as a family, i.e. if snow skiing and snowmobiling are your families great winter fun, then don't look at Florida just because you like to go to the beach once a year or so. You can all still move on to somewhere else if you pick wrong, but it will be more expensive.

Retirement: Where you will both likely be happy. Weather/climate, closeness to family and friends, safety, access to quality specialty healthcare, easy access to fun things to do (varies by person). It's likely to be one of your last moves. You should probably spend some time and effort to make as sure as you can it will be the right place.

[whitelotus]

I've moved a lot over the years, always looking for the "perfect" place. I've learned that my physical address doesn't influence my mental/emotional state.....oh it may make me feel good at first, like vacationing to a new place does, but real contentment comes from the inside, and not from anything outside me. That said, it IS important for me to choose a place that is affordable, that is just common sense though.

[twinkletwinkle22]

OP

If you can't afford taking a trip to a place you are thinking about moving to that could be a very expensive mistake.
2 moves ago we didn't like where we were living in Florida so got in our car and drove to several Florida cities that sounded good. You really get a feel if a place suits you when you are there in person, driving around, grocery shopping, eating out. We disliked several of the places we visited, it's a feeling more than an intellectual decision for us.

We found the right place to move to and lived there for 11 years. Then my husband got very tired of worrying about hurricanes so we did the same thing again, this time we drove to North Carolina where we have family. We were just looking around, visiting them, and planning to see several towns. We looked at one house (no others) and decided that was the one.

Please visit places before moving. Hope you find one you love.

[Thoreau424]

- Similarity to your roots / background (no big changes in region and culture)
- Affordability
- Safety
- Adequate health care

Always visit a place first, and take a deep and thorough look around, before relocating. Online information can never tell the full story.