Reno? (renting, health insurance, house)

[coloradocutter]

May be going to grad school in Reno. So, 4 years without anything but grad school stipend - I have heard that it is expensive. Can you tell me more about geography, outdoor activities, housing, expenses? I would be moving from Boulder, Colorado area, which is quite expensive, but our house is not over $500K. My husband's economic situation is touch and go, and I am ruling California out for that reason alone. We like the geography of Colorado - green in the summer, miss the green in the winter, but what do you do? And love the sunshine - that's a must. Also, want to be near the mountains.

I bet the cost of living with rule this one out - pretty much off the bat.

Thanks!

[NC_Lover]

Originally Posted by coloradocutter

May be going to grad school in Reno. So, 4 years without anything but grad school stipend - I have heard that it is expensive. Can you tell me more about geography, outdoor activities, housing, expenses? I would be moving from Boulder, Colorado area, which is quite expensive, but our house is not over $500K. My husband's economic situation is touch and go, and I am ruling California out for that reason alone. We like the geography of Colorado - green in the summer, miss the green in the winter, but what do you do? And love the sunshine - that's a must. Also, want to be near the mountains.

I bet the cost of living with rule this one out - pretty much off the bat.

Thanks!

I regret my choice to move to Reno. There's no culture and the native Nevadans are well.... The weather is often extreme and its brown. The cost of living is well above the average. Move here if you are a gambler or drug addict.

[bale002]

It appears to me that the biggest expense in Reno is to buy a house, but there are more expensive regions in the US and elsewhere in that respect.

On the other hand, rents can be reasonable in Reno, but it depends on what you are comparing them to. In any case, as graduate students, I imagine that you will be renting.

Now, from a homeowner's perspective (and not a home debtor's), Reno is relatively inexpensive (again, depends on what you are comparing it to) in terms of property taxes and insurance.

From an income earner's perspective, Reno, and Nevada in general, are inexpensive because of no state income tax.

For those who must pay for their own health insurance, Reno can be relatively inexpensive (again, depends on what you are comparing it to).

The cost of food in Reno is probably pretty much the same as most everywhere else, but in any case, one's food bill depends on how and where one shops. By shopping intelligently and cooking one's own fresh food, it is possible to eat well and contain expenses.

The cost of gasoline and utilities is pretty much the same as anywhere, especially in comparison to other western states and in comparison to other northern states when it comes to heating in the winter.

Yes, the mountains are brown for most of the year, but mountains nonetheless and there is no lack of related mountain sports. The Lake Tahoe area is nearby, offering more greenery and some water-related activities in addition to mountain-related. The air quality in the Reno area is excellent (except for downtown area I suppose) especially in comparison to many other cities and regions. Also Reno has sunshine many days of the year, I think well over 200.

Culture is not entertainment that you buy with money. Culture is what you make it and begins in the home.

In short, if you can afford the rent, then you can afford Reno.

[Nirvanagurl]

It's pretty much brown in summer here too and in winter, thought I should chime in with that

[Tressa]

The desert is brown until you plant and water it. The smell of sage brush in the morning is to die for, I was so surprised this spring not knowing that sage brush has such a nice aroma. Several of us from Alaska are retiring or have already retired there in Reno and surrounding area. For us the wide open spaces, roads that go on and on, motor sports, outdoor activities, indoor entertainment, walks in the cool evenings and the people are so welcoming. I may have been one of the lucky ones to come across such a great group of folks that we will be living around they watch out for each other.

Coyotes seem to be a challenge but that too we can over come.

I've been to Reno numerous times coming down from Alaska and I have yet to experience the dreaded wind that everybody seems to chat about, I've been there in the summer and winter so maybe I just picked the right times.