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I want (and need) to get out of Orlando, FL. I just can't afford to live here anymore... I can literally but it's very draining. Not going to get into the myriad of problems with Florida but it just isn't a great state to live in anymore for a young person with aspirations to own a house, start a family, buy land, etc. It's very expensive and way overpopulated. I have been contemplating this move now for almost 1.5 yr. Sorry not trying to make this a bash FL thread.
I have visited all of these states ranging from 1-5 times over the past couple years. Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee. The states I liked the most, in order from most liked to least liked are: TN, AL, MO, AR, OK. I visited TN the most out of all of them and I really liked middle and eastern TN. I was watching a Youtube video on various states/small town living and someone in the comments was praising the state of Kentucky and how they just moved there from the NE. Which is weird how I never thought of KY. I loved TN but I think that it is growing too fast and is too expensive now for me. I don't want to move to a state that will just become "another Florida situation".
So I'm going to take a trip out to KY next month to scope out some areas. Any suggestion of towns would be appreciated very much! I would like the following qualities: semi rural, small-town, slow paced living. Less stressful. I am not entertained by shopping malls, movie theaters, etc. I want to live in an area that has affordable housing. By affordable I mean... I can buy a modest 1500 sq ft or so house with 3-5 acres for 200k. I would like to live in an area that has good hunting, fishing, and outdoor activities. I just want to get away from the rat race to some extent. I am self-employed and make my money working for home-owners. So I need a short commute (30 minutes to an hour) to suburban and/or populated mid-sized towns. I can't live super rural as in out of the sticks although I would honestly prefer that... I can't hack that yet. I'm young and still need to earn a living.
PLEASE AND THANK YOU!! Thank you for reading this.
Hi! Welcome to the Kentucky forum here at City Data!
It is really hard to answer your questions, as Kentucky is primarily made up mostly of small towns and rural areas.
And most are relatively close to a medium or larger city. If you like Tennessee you will probably like Kentucky - we are neighbors and very similar to each other.
There is a neat little town called Fulton, the north half of the town is in Kentucky and the south half of town is in Tennessee. https://fultonsouthfultonchamber.com/
There is a road there where it runs through the state line, you can stand in Kentucky and Tennessee simultaneously.
My Uncle use to live in Bowling Green and commute to Nashville everyday to work, he worked at an air plane factory there.
Last edited by Crazee Cat Lady; 04-26-2023 at 01:09 PM..
Hi! Welcome to the Kentucky forum here at City Data!
It is really hard to answer your questions, as Kentucky is primarily made up mostly of small towns and rural areas.
And most are relatively close to a medium or larger city. If you like Tennessee you will probably like Kentucky - we are neighbors and very similar to each other.
There is a neat little town called Fulton, the north half of the town is in Kentucky and the south half of town is in Tennessee. https://fultonsouthfultonchamber.com/
There is a road there where it runs through the state line, you can stand in Kentucky and Tennessee simultaneously.
My Uncle use to live in Bowling Green and commute to Nashville everyday to work, he worked at an air plane factory there.
I am in a similar position, TN is my number 1 state but it's becoming way over priced and unaffordable.
So when I visited TN (I come down from the north) so I drove through KY.
I don't know why but when driving through it just feels right. It feels like a place I could live and be happy. It has a subconscious appeal I can't explain.
It shares many similar traits and characteristics as TN but there are differences as well.
I read this forum because I'm trying to educate myself and learn more. Folks from KY seem quite friendly and helpful, beautiful geography, spread out, affordable, some areas with good economic conditions (every state has good and bad) but it's hard to find much negative about Lexington it's consistently ranked pretty highly for comparable cities it's size. Lots of outdoor options and activities, mild 4 season climate (but no alligators, and fire ants) etc. It has a ton of positives going for it. Lots of smaller towns have the stereotypical normal Rockwell main Street and town square.
Give it a shot I think you will be pleasantly surprised. The more I learn the more I like.
I am in a similar position, TN is my number 1 state but it's becoming way over priced and unaffordable.
So when I visited TN (I come down from the north) so I drove through KY.
I don't know why but when driving through it just feels right. It feels like a place I could live and be happy. It has a subconscious appeal I can't explain.
It shares many similar traits and characteristics as TN but there are differences as well.
I read this forum because I'm trying to educate myself and learn more. Folks from KY seem quite friendly and helpful, beautiful geography, spread out, affordable, some areas with good economic conditions (every state has good and bad) but it's hard to find much negative about Lexington it's consistently ranked pretty highly for comparable cities it's size. Lots of outdoor options and activities, mild 4 season climate (but no alligators, and fire ants) etc. It has a ton of positives going for it. Lots of smaller towns have the stereotypical normal Rockwell main Street and town square.
Give it a shot I think you will be pleasantly surprised. The more I learn the more I like.
Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one with the Norman Rockwell comparison. I moved here almost 2 years ago to a small town nestled between the Bluegrass and Eastern KY. I feel like I have the best of both worlds. I've made friends here, have joined a couple of organizations and have been made to feel welcome from the first day.
People ask me why I chose to move here in this state and in this town and I tell them because it reminds me of America when I was growing up which really sounds corny but it's true. Little kids still ride their bikes around town and are very polite. The public transportation bus has a sign with rules which includes "no swearing", people still get dressed up nicely to attend church on Sunday and then go out to eat.
I bought a house built in 1905 which is actually one of the newer houses on the street, LOL. I'm able to walk anywhere easily in the downtown area without worrying about getting shot or mugged even at night. I wouldn't do this in some larger cities though like Louisville and Lexington but that's why I chose to live here and not there.
Not everyone appreciates things like this, but I've noticed there are people who grow up here, leave for several years to explore the world and many end up coming back.
It's not possible to give a run down of all the towns in different parts of the state. There are too many of them but each has its own personality. No place is perfect and much will depend on what you are personally looking for, your lifestyle, and your attitude. If you're a negative Nancy, that's not going to change. But I have no regrets that I chose to move here. For myself, it's one of the best things I've ever done.
Last edited by marino760; 05-02-2023 at 04:04 PM..
Lots of smaller towns have the stereotypical normal Rockwell main Street and town square.
I come from one of the cities in Kentucky but when I posted a photograph of my Dad with his two sisters and my Grandparents for my cousins to see on a social media site several people commented it looked like a Norman Rockwell Painting. It was in the 1950's though.
So I'm going to take a trip out to KY next month to scope out some areas. Any suggestion of towns would be appreciated very much! I would like the following qualities: semi rural, small-town, slow paced living. Less stressful. I am not entertained by shopping malls, movie theaters, etc. I want to live in an area that has affordable housing. By affordable I mean... I can buy a modest 1500 sq ft or so house with 3-5 acres for 200k. I would like to live in an area that has good hunting, fishing, and outdoor activities. I just want to get away from the rat race to some extent. I am self-employed and make my money working for home-owners. So I need a short commute (30 minutes to an hour) to suburban and/or populated mid-sized towns. I can't live super rural as in out of the sticks although I would honestly prefer that... I can't hack that yet. I'm young and still need to earn a living.
PLEASE AND THANK YOU!! Thank you for reading this.
Hi, cowpat! I've always said there are 120 counties in Kentucky so there should be at least one that's good for everybody.
I agree with the Paducah area. I live in Mayfield, about 20 miles south. Paducah is the hub for the towns in the Jackson Purchase. (It's called the Jackson Purchase because President Andrew Jackson bought land between the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers and from the Ohio River into W. Tennessee from the Chickasaw indians). Couldn't help you much on the home prices. I'd check out homes on realtor.com and get an idea of the prices. Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area are just a short drive down the highway. There you'll find good hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, biking and just sightseeing. There also a large number of wildlife management areas in western Ky. Bob Noble Park has a large lake that is stocked by the Ky. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife with catfish, bass and trout.
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