[MucizeDoktor]

Originally Posted by popcorn247

I moved to Miami-Dade County one week after graduating from Purdue. I lived in Miami-Dade for 43 years. 18 months after I retired, I moved back to my hometown, Lafayette, IN. High Florida homeowners and auto insurance was just too much for me. As of today, I have lived in Lafayette seven years and am very happy with COL, the four seasons, the safety of the area, the friendly, polite, helpful people. A different world. Lafayette has ~ 70,000 population with West Lafayette (across the Wabash River) has close to the same population. We are two hours from Chicago, one hour from Indianapolis and about eight hours from the Smoky Mtns. Indianapolis has a wonderful airport.

Lafayette looks really charming. I kinda ruled off the midwest arbitrarily due to tornados. The cold is only a minor thing about the snow, I had an accident on black ice that really scarred me 25~ years back

[MucizeDoktor]

Originally Posted by EscAlaMike

Lafayette/West Lafayette is a very nice area. I was just there a couple of months ago and was very impressed, particularly with Lafayette's downtown.

If OP is looking for something similar to Live Oak in size, Vincennes, Indiana is a good option - a cool, historic river town with a small college.

Hey I really appreciate the recommendation but Vincennes seems way to remote for me but I bet the cost of living would be excellent there.

[Charlie&Rose]

Originally Posted by Zenstyle

I can’t imagine any state with a lower cost of living than West Virginia. It’s also quite beautiful. Berkeley Springs is nice.

But what about medical?

[MucizeDoktor]

Originally Posted by Pincho-toot

I left Florida in 2014 and moved out to Texas. I lived in San Angelo (small city), Cisco (small town), Abilene (small city) and Denton (college town/suburb of DFW) until 2017, then I moved to Minnesota. Lived in Saint Paul, Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center and now South Saint Paul. Moving to St. Louis Park at the end of next month.

I personally dunno why anyone wants to avoid snow. I love snow and always get excited when it starts to fall! But I am crazy like that

Should add for context I grew up in Miami and got family in Live Oak, so I am familiar with that area. Its very country. Judging by your list, you prefer areas more country. I am a city person. I don't mind small towns (if they're nice. Cisco is not nice) but they're too gossipy for my taste.

It's not that I am a small town person, if anything, I would prefer a city but I have to go on what I can afford. I do at least one major international vacation a year so that means driving to either Orlando or Atlanta and a few domestic flights a year to see family. I honestly thought New Braunsfel could be great for me due to how close it was to San Antonio and Austin.

And thank you for the recommendations. How are you enjoying MN?

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by MucizeDoktor

It's not that I am a small town person, if anything, I would prefer a city but I have to go on what I can afford. I do at least one major international vacation a year so that means driving to either Orlando or Atlanta and a few domestic flights a year to see family. I honestly thought New Braunsfel could be great for me due to how close it was to San Antonio and Austin.

And thank you for the recommendations. How are you enjoying MN?

I absolutely love MN! I been wanting to live here since 2009/2010 and glad I eventually took the plunge. It has everything I love minus the ocean. When I miss the ocean, I could go visit family down in Florida or in Massachusetts. (I prefer New England. It has whales!)

You mentioned tornadoes and black ice for the Midwest. Honestly, if tornadoes are that much an issue, I wouldn't consider Texas. Texas has the most tornadoes of any state. Tornadoes are just as much a thing in the Southeast as well. Its not just a Midwest thing. But... I wouldn't let tornadoes scare you off either. The odds of being directly hit by one is barely above zero. As far as black ice... prob a bigger issue down south. We are pretty good about salting the roads up here, but whenever it gets icy down in the South it becomes a mess. Black ice is terrifying but good infrastructure and good driving mitigates it.

If you choose Texas, which I enjoyed my time there btw, and I got lots of family there so we visit every year, more often than Florida, I would be more concerned over their terrible power grid than tornadoes or ice.

[aus10]

Originally Posted by MucizeDoktor

Hey I really appreciate the recommendation but Vincennes seems way to remote for me but I bet the cost of living would be excellent there.

I grew up 9 miles from Vincennes and worked there for twenty years...... the key here is to live on the Indiana side.... NOT the Illinois side of the Wabash......

[kyle19125]

I just moved to Toledo OH from the Orlando area two weeks ago. I researched many cities like the OP over a course of a year with all of my finalists located in the Midwest. In Orlando I was sharing a generic 2/2 apartment paying $950 a month on a fixed income due to health issues and not getting by as time wore on. Homelessness was beginning to become a certainty so made the leap to Toledo. Here I rent a large studio apartment (full kitchen and bath) at 600 sq feet in a vintage highrise building near downtown for $525 a month. There's also decent public transit so I can get around carless which was not an option where I lived in the Orlando area that was minus any transit service. Ohio also extended coverage for Medicaid versus defunding it, so I am eligible for health insurance and food assistance as well. OP, you migh look at Lexington closer which is a "best buy" in my opinion for cost of living versus amenities. Also Cleveland is way overlooked and similarly affordable.

[FL_Expert]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I just moved to Toledo OH from the Orlando area two weeks ago. I researched many cities like the OP over a course of a year with all of my finalists located in the Midwest. In Orlando I was sharing a generic 2/2 apartment paying $950 a month on a fixed income due to health issues and not getting by as time wore on. Homelessness was beginning to become a certainty so made the leap to Toledo. Here I rent a large studio apartment (full kitchen and bath) at 600 sq feet in a vintage highrise building near downtown for $525 a month. There's also decent public transit so I can get around carless which was not an option where I lived in the Orlando area that was minus any transit service. Ohio also extended coverage for Medicaid versus defunding it, so I am eligible for health insurance and food assistance as well. OP, you migh look at Lexington closer which is a "best buy" in my opinion for cost of living versus amenities. Also Cleveland is way overlooked and similarly affordable.

The Midwest really is appealing for what you get. I’m not sure if there will be a significant change in domestic migration there, but it’s a possibility!

[graceC]

Originally Posted by MucizeDoktor

I live in Live Oak and am looking into leaving Florida for good.

I have been looking into maybe making a move to the following:
Lexington, KY

I highly suggest you research the cost of housing properly before you do anything (you can do this for free online). Lexington is not as affordable as it used to be either, unless you're willing to buy an old and small house, but even then, the inventory is low like everywhere else. If your budget is only around 200K, you'll probably get an older apartment. Or a small house in Lexington's surrounding country sides such as Nicholasville, Richmond, Georgetown, Danville, etc. But I doubt you'll get any in Lexington.

They don't get snow but they do get occasional ice storm.

[Rogarven]

Daughter moved from the Main Line in Philadelphia to Littleton ( Denver metro). Don't go there if you are on a tight budget. Everything is high and she was able to get into a condo after a couple deals fell though but it is smaller and not as nice as what she had in PA. Groceries and other stuff is high.

I really am not that eager to move up there from TX as I can't stand a lot of snow and ice. She was complaining that they don't salt the streets or plow like in PA so driver beware!