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Your beautiful state came up in conversation last night as my partner and I continue to drive ourselves totally bonkers in our effort to figure out where to move to. We've looked at VA closely (and visited), TN (not visited) and now KY. Weather is important to me. I have done some research but would love real feedback. I realize the state can get quite humid/high dew point and would love to know which areas might be considered to have the coolest summers in the state. I'm not worried about your winters - I'm sure they are far less long and cold than here in VT! The last couple of days here it has been around 90 and super humid, at which point I turn into a sloth.
We are homesteaders. We might have been considered democrats a couple of years ago but now feel more aligned with conservative/traditional folks who appreciate (medical & other) freedoms, decreasing amount of government over-reach, and (I hope this is not offensive, I just don't know how else to put it) are NOT aligned with this thing referred to as the "woke" culture. That said, we get along with just about anyone. i'm originally from the UK and my partner is originally from Cleveland, OH. We have both lived in CA for a number of years before moving to VT.
We love vibrant communities that appreciate local (organic/regenerative if poss) food, live music, and a live and let live attitude. We have become increasingly disturbed by mainstream media, big tech, big government, big pharma, big....you get the picture!
Thanks for your recommendations!
What region or city, if known, are you considering? Unknown
Have you been here yet? No
When are you moving? Fall 2022
Where are you coming from? Vermont
Why are you moving? To find shorter winters, longer growing season, lower property taxes, and a bit more freedom
Where will you be working (location, not specific company)? Self-employed, employment location not as important as other factors. Internet would be good but workable if not available).
Are you looking for a suburban, rural, city, or urban area? Rural
Will you buy or rent? Buy
If buying, are you looking for a house, a condo, or a farm? Homesteaders - grow our own food etc. Not quite a farm but sort of
How much can you spend? Max $550k
Are you looking for acreage? 10+ acres
Are you married or single? Neither!
Do you have children? No
Do you have pets? Yes. Dogs, chickens, ducks, horses
Do you want or need a yard? Yes
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Calm & quiet
What do you want to be closest to?
- Farmer's markets, natural food stores/co-ops, couple of good bars/restaurants if poss, a small walkable town with a nice aesthetic and opportunities to get to know local people
Having lived in both Kentucky and Virginia, Virginia has better weather in terms of absolute temperatures, lower humidity, and less problematic weather events. The differences were not worthy enough for me to avoid moving, but as they say YMMV, since weather other than avoiding a lot of snowfall is basically immaterial to me.
There are not big differences in the weather within the state. Western KY is somewhat less humid than Eastern KY and Eastern KY is somewhat less hot than Western KY, neither in my opinion unbearable although there are times in July and August some years where that can be debatable. We are definitely an intercontinental state so the ocean does not temper our climate. We regularly get ice, tornadoes, rain, and some glorious storms. Every once in a while we get northern state worthy snowfall and we all freak out. Occasionally we get a summer drought, but they are rare and will right themselves.
Depending on the type of farming you are intent on there are parts of the state more conducive to your needs than other parts. The Cumberland Plateau, west of Lexington, generally can handle any crop. Areas once you go east of Richmond will depend on how flat and rock free you need your land.
All that said, the below happens every single summer here. It is only a question of how often and how long it lasts.
Quote:
The last couple of days here it has been around 90 and super humid, at which point I turn into a sloth.
I will say though, once you get acclimated to it, it becomes less bothersome.
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About 20 years or so ago, an older couple moved to town (I'm in Mayfield, western part of the state) from Vermont. The wife went to pay their property tax and asked the clerk when was the deadline for the next payment. Said she was in shock to find out she just paid taxes for the entire year. In Vermont that amount would almost pay for six months.
I did a little playing around on realtor.com and zillow and found 16.6 acres almost right on Kentucky Lake, for $150,000. Kentucky Lake is a 160,000+ acre reservoir on the Tennessee River. The small towns to go shopping and find things to do are Benton and Murray. Murray is the home of Murray State University, where you can take a few classes, see concerts, etc. Across the lake is the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, 170,000 acres of hunting, fishing, biking, hiking, camping and who knows what else. Mayfield, where I live, is only about 25 miles away.
As far as weather, a normal "big" snow around here is maybe 8". But don't be surprised, if you move down here, to see schools, doctors offices, and a few other places, close when they call for anything over 3-5".
If you like driving around checking things out, this is an amazing area. Besides Kentucky Lake, we're not far from the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Paducah, is about a 45 minute drive. Plenty of restaurants, bars, shows, a mall, and if you like an occasional casino visit, there's one across the Ohio from Paducah in Metropolis, Ill. My wife and I used to go a couple times a year with $25 each. When that was gone, we left. She likes the penny and nickel slots. lol Paducah is also home of the National Quilt Museum that draws up to 35,000 quilters to town from around the world for Quilt Week twice a year.
If you're big country music fans, you can take US 68 from Aurora (where this land is) to Cadiz and straight down I-24 to Nashville, Tn., about an hour and a half drive.
I would put in a good plug for Mayfield, but we're still rebuilding from the December 10 tornado.
Thank you kygman! Taxes here make it practically impossible to consider retiring in this state unless you are wealthy. They do give low income folks a break but that doesn't feel very reassuring for the future!
Kentucky lake along with access to those small towns sounds ideal. I will definitely check that area out. Living on or near water (assuming you're allowed to jump in) would most definitely help my fear of humidity.
Wow - and trips to Nashville - that would be amazing!
Ok - time for me to dig into online research around Kentucky Lake!
Finally, I'm so sorry about the tornado; I can't begin to imagine how frightening and sad that must have been/must still be.
Many thanks for your thoughtful reply.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kygman
About 20 years or so ago, an older couple moved to town (I'm in Mayfield, western part of the state) from Vermont. The wife went to pay their property tax and asked the clerk when was the deadline for the next payment. Said she was in shock to find out she just paid taxes for the entire year. In Vermont that amount would almost pay for six months.
I did a little playing around on realtor.com and zillow and found 16.6 acres almost right on Kentucky Lake, for $150,000. Kentucky Lake is a 160,000+ acre reservoir on the Tennessee River. The small towns to go shopping and find things to do are Benton and Murray. Murray is the home of Murray State University, where you can take a few classes, see concerts, etc. Across the lake is the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, 170,000 acres of hunting, fishing, biking, hiking, camping and who knows what else. Mayfield, where I live, is only about 25 miles away.
As far as weather, a normal "big" snow around here is maybe 8". But don't be surprised, if you move down here, to see schools, doctors offices, and a few other places, close when they call for anything over 3-5".
If you like driving around checking things out, this is an amazing area. Besides Kentucky Lake, we're not far from the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Paducah, is about a 45 minute drive. Plenty of restaurants, bars, shows, a mall, and if you like an occasional casino visit, there's one across the Ohio from Paducah in Metropolis, Ill. My wife and I used to go a couple times a year with $25 each. When that was gone, we left. She likes the penny and nickel slots. lol Paducah is also home of the National Quilt Museum that draws up to 35,000 quilters to town from around the world for Quilt Week twice a year.
If you're big country music fans, you can take US 68 from Aurora (where this land is) to Cadiz and straight down I-24 to Nashville, Tn., about an hour and a half drive.
I would put in a good plug for Mayfield, but we're still rebuilding from the December 10 tornado.
Check not only Kentucky Lake but Lake Barkley areas too. They are about 10 miles apart and that's what makes up the Land Between the Lakes. https://www.kentuckylake.com/
Just a little warning, the heat index here last week hit 110. Doesn't do that often, but it will catch you off guard occasionally.
And to give you an little idea on the taxes, our old 110+ year old house is assessed at $75K. Living in town we have to pay city and county taxes, but out of town, of course, only county. With both of us over 65 yrs old, the city taxes last year was $348 and the county was $127 for the year.
And, yes, you can stick your toes in the water any time you want! lol I even found a place to rent a pontoon boat starting at $225/day, plus gas, and bass boats starting at $100/day.
I'm in a very similar position as you are. Looking to flee NY to move to a state that has common sense, a more mild 4 season climate and more affordable.
I've only been in KY once and driven through but the people I interacted with were very solid and I got a very favorable impression. The residents seem like the people you would want as neighbors.
There seems to be many really cool big towns/small cities around where you can probably get a 5 acre home maybe 5 mins outside town.
A few locations that I'm try to learn more about are Mayfield, bowling green, Harrodsburg, nicholasville, bardstown, Paducah etc. Even just pull them up on Google street view. They look like typical quintessential American main streets.
I am still in love with TN but unfortunately too many people were able to move there first and prices skyrocketed. So I started looking at Kentucky trying to learn more and it has everything I'm looking for.
A few locations that I'm try to learn more about are Mayfield, bowling green, Harrodsburg, nicholasville, bardstown, Paducah etc. Even just pull them up on Google street view. They look like typical quintessential American main streets.
Drink, I'm in Mayfield and homes are hard to find here after the December 10th tornado. Still many good towns here in western Kentucky. I've always said there are 120 counties in the Commonwealth of Ky. Surely at least one of them has something for everybody. Come on down and check it out!
The truth is, KY is filled with counties and towns which meet your criteria. I moved to Maysville in Mason county last June and couldn't be happier. Being farther north, temps are often times just a few degrees cooler than in the western and southern part of the state.
Maysville is a very quaint historic old river town with a lot going for it nestled on the border of the blue grass and Appalachia. I think it's the best of both worlds. Mason county is chock full of old farms and farmland on beautiful gently rolling hills dotted with forests and streams. People here are friendly, courteous and have been very kind to me being a new comer from another state. It's what America used to be like decades ago yet with modern conveniences including high speed internet, and a good 100 room hospital. If and when you need a larger or large city for whatever reason including an airport, both Lexington and Cincinnati are a little over an hour's drive.
The population of Maysville is about 8,800 with the population of Mason County at about 17,000. Here are a couple of pics I've taken recently at the "Maysville Uncorked" festival a couple of weeks ago. Once outside of town, it's quite rural with farms and acreage.
Good luck to you finding your own spot in the wonderful state.
This pic was taken by me about 3 years ago. I now live down down the street from here.
Last edited by marino760; 06-29-2022 at 09:06 AM..
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