The grass is greener, get the F out of your home state thread

[ejay]

It is hard getting honest answers from the source in regard to conditions of the other side of the fence.

My family and I have been trying to get out of California for some time now. It's hard without a job market that will suit both my wife and my own professions.

Pretty clear that some States just don't want us. (Not that I can blame them from a surface level) Shoot, I tried to lateral to Oregon for years without success. Even mentioned (when asked how serious I was as an applicant) that I literally drove 1000 miles for the interview.

My list is as follows.

Wyoming
Montana
Idaho
Utah
Northern Nevada
Northern Arizona
South Dakota
Nebraska

What I'm looking for is an on the ground report of the conditions of the job market, weather, stuff to do, cost of living, cost of housing, schooling, and recreation.

Believe me when I say that if I haven't traveled there personally, I've exhausted the YouTube and internet research resources available. Don't know what to believe these days.

 

[Zorba]

We escaped California to Florida 3-1/2 years ago.

 

[Rick Flair]

In the same boat man.

Oregon is lost.

we are looking hard at Arkansas and Oklahoma. Idaho was a serious consideration but the taxes aren’t much better than Oregon and their land is outrageous for the job market (I make $100k a year here and Idaho wants to pay me $35k for the same job).

Montana has serious taxes and weather. Land isn’t cheaper than CA where you can work too.

So your research. Yes it may seem states don’t want us but you’d be happy to know, if you bring conservative values and not the BS political stuff, you will find acceptance.

 

[Sancho]

Fo what its worth.... i moved to Wisconsin from California for a years. Was received well... tho seemed everyone thought i was crazy for moving there.

 

[Thatguy]

Literally moving from WI to CO this weekend

Wife and i are in our early 50s, both sold our small businesses; sold the house we built, sold our cabin. Was smitten with the idea 5yrs ago when i brought her to Moab for the first time. Started going out that way more and more and more, each time subliminally searching for somewhere to call our next home. Working 50+ hrs a week, maintaining 3+ properties, and some shitty WI winters put us over the edge. When your current lifestyle starts to effect your health, mentally/emotionally/physically, you need to make a change, so we did. And we have absolutely no clue whats in store for us next. All i know is, we are virtually debt free, we hope we found our “retirement” home, and we are enthusiastic about moving somewhere that ignites a new beginning. Our life in WI was/is very good, it just didnt feel like it anymore, hopefully this CO chapter is equally rewarding. Time will tell

The only tidbit of advice i can offer, is finding a place that has the “right” fit for all your needs. The town, the area, and the house have to check all the boxes.

 

[Westtown Willy]

It’s a sad commentary when a state makes life so miserable for some of its citizens that leaving it becomes the best option, seems to be happening more & more out west. I have no advice having never given any serious consideration to leaving Pennsylvania, though my girlfriend and I plan on moving in together when her kids are grown & gone in another 5+/- years & we’ve kicked around the idea of relocating somewhere down south just for a change of scenery when I retire in another 10ish years. We may do that but I’m pretty tied to this area, it has its downsides like everywhere but its upsides outweigh them pretty handily, so I like to think the odds are I’ll end up staying put. One option I’ve floated is she moves into my house & we do a major renovation (led by her of course ) so she can feel at home, make it ours rather than her moving into ‘my’ house… Having lived my entire life here in southeastern Pennsylvania it would seem on paper there are better options but every time I’ve gotten wanderlust I’m reminded how much I love this area, 4 distinct seasons that keep things interesting - three of which are awesome & one can suck, close proximity to the beach, the big city, horse farms, Amish country, woods/mountains/lakes/rivers, stable & diverse job market, good schools, some of the best food on earth, tons of historical sites, culture, people I understand & the family is all here so I always manage to come back to the same conclusion, while the grass may be greener there’s no place like home.

 

[ejay]

Never really had any interest in the East Coast. Florida is batshit IMO. I've had plenty extended in-laws that moved to Colorado. I've been told it's the new Florida. Now that they're there, I don't disagree.

 

[gaabbee]

I can't help you on how any of those states are but maybe some ideas about getting a job somewhere else. I wouldn't be so ridged on getting a job in yours or your wife's field. As soon as either of you get a legit job offer the other needs to find a temp job in the same city as a hold over. Even if it's working at Lowes or home depot, just something to keep afloat. Once you have the new address and job history it will be a lot easier to find work in that city. Don't move there until one of you have a job though. I've seem that back fire way too many times.

 

[InOmaha]

If you can find a job in Nebraska it's literally one of the best places to raise a family. There's nothing much to do here except raise a family and work. We're Midwest nice. That's the one thing people from the coasts can't get over. How nice everyone is here. Houses are cheap but taxes are way too high. I can move to Kansas, Iowa, or Missouri and pay less property taxes on a house twice the size. The weather swings wildly here as the jet stream moves around and we get stuck on one side or the other. Sunday it was 98 F today it's 50 F. Finding a professional job may be the hardest thing, but both my wife and I have one here.

I lived in Kansas City on the Kansas side for a decade. There's more there with the Royals and Chiefs while the day to day living is almost identical to Omaha, Denver, Des Moines, Minneapolis, etc. I found the weather in KC more favorable. There's Lake of the Ozarks 3 hours east if you like water and Tuttle Creek off road park 2 hours west for mild Jeeping and smaller lake activities. You can get to the dunes in Oklahoma but I'm not sure where they are since I've never been there.

If you like shooting, Kansas and Missouri are constitutional carry so you don't have to worry about learning a bunch of silly local laws. Concealed carry, open carry, rifle, whatever.

Most of the cities in the Midwest from Dallas to Minneapolis, and Chicago to Denver are similar if you live in the suburbs. The difference is traffic to your job, weather, and one big city lording over the rest of the state; like Chicago or Denver.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Literally moving from WI to CO this weekend

Just curious, what part of CO?

Never really had any interest in the East Coast. Florida is batshit IMO. I've had plenty extended in-laws that moved to Colorado. I've been told it's the new Florida. Now that they're there, I don't disagree.

I'm interested to hear what area of Colorado you were told was the new Florida, and what specific quality of Florida is common there (I think of NY retirees and "Florida man", which you could probably find either depending on where you looked, but that's not untrue of a lot of states ). As a conservative (I assume based on your profile pic) you might be more comfortable in the Colorado Springs area or in one of the smaller towns. Colorado Springs has a fair bit of tech and a ton of military contractors. I'm in a town of about 10k that's 20 miles north of downtown Colorado Springs and 50 miles south of downtown Denver. I'd put it up as possibly the most conservative town in Colorado that isn't a farm town on the plains, and though most people wouldn't describe it as affordable based on the minimum cost of entry, it's reasonably priced when considering what comparable properties would cost in Colorado towns that out-of-staters would have heard of. Just stay away from Boulder or the uber-rich towns like Vail and Telluride, because you'll find yourself forgetting you left Cali.

 

[InOmaha]

Colorado's issue is Denver. When they legalized marijuana before CA, it brought a bunch of people to the state. Now they keep passing gun laws and other laws to make CO more like CA. If CA would have legalized pot first, the political landscape of CO would be different.

Based on the OP's photo, I think he'd like the freedom to own regular capacity magazines for his rifles. Even Magpul left the state.

 

[tworley]

Wyoming is a live and let live state. Recreational outdoor activities are huge; fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, etc... Not sure what your personal beliefs/values are but it is a very red state. Cowboys and hardworking folks who have typically lived there for generations, but folks are always nice. Weatherwise--its windy. Not uncommon to have sustained 60 mph winds (not joking, sustained). Winters can be cold. Ground blizzards are a real thing. Summers can be as high as 100°. Energy is a big job field; Mining, oil&gas, wind, coal. Teachers are well paid, and healthcare workers seem to be compensated well too. As far as entertainment--dont expect much. Wyoming is open prairie and mountains. Not much in terms of night life aside from the local bar scene. Casper Wyoming has the events center which puts on a few concerts a year. @CybrSlydr moved there earlier this year.

 

[Thatguy]

Just curious, what part of CO?



I'm interested to hear what area of Colorado you were told was the new Florida, and what specific quality of Florida is common there (I think of NY retirees and "Florida man", which you could probably find either depending on where you looked, but that's not untrue of a lot of states ). As a conservative (I assume based on your profile pic) you might be more comfortable in the Colorado Springs area or in one of the smaller towns. Colorado Springs has a fair bit of tech and a ton of military contractors. I'm in a town of about 10k that's 20 miles north of downtown Colorado Springs and 50 miles south of downtown Denver. I'd put it up as possibly the most conservative town in Colorado that isn't a farm town on the plains, and though most people wouldn't describe it as affordable based on the minimum cost of entry, it's reasonably priced when considering what comparable properties would cost in Colorado towns that out-of-staters would have heard of. Just stay away from Boulder or the uber-rich towns like Vail and Telluride, because you'll find yourself forgetting you left Cali.

Western Slope —> Montrose area

Found the houses affordable, cheaper taxes, and friendly welcoming town

 

[jeepguy03]

Every state is shitty in it's own way. All the grass isn't necessarily greener, just patches of it. In my experience if the area is more affordable to live, jobs will be lower paying and less plentiful.

 

[Zorba]

Florida wouldn't have been my first choice, but its far from my last. Yea, every loony thing is either in Florida, Texas, or California and there's that whole hurricane thing. But if I can't have my California weather, I sure as Hell don't want snow or anything to do with it. I'd rather live at least 1,500 miles away from the nearest beach myself, but wife loves them - darn it! But the politics here are tolerable for the most part. I wasn't really looking for "Conservative values", but I sure wanted to get away from "Liberal bullshit". There's more Bible thumping here than I care for, but there's far worse elsewhere. If the damn New York Liberals would stay home, it'd be paradise.

Good weather 6 months of the year, but I miss the cool California fog - and mountains!

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Western Slope —> Montrose area

Found the houses affordable, cheaper taxes, and friendly welcoming town

When I took a job working from home where I could live wherever I wanted, I seriously considered Montrose. Love that area. We ended up staying on the front range because we didn't want to start over building our social network again after only 4 years here and with my work travel, it's a lot more convenient being close to COS and DEN airports vs having to fly out of GJ. It's hard to say what can change from 37 to my 60's, but Montrose and Lake City are my front-runners for retirement right now.

 

[Apparition]

If you can find a job in Nebraska it's literally one of the best places to raise a family. There's nothing much to do here except raise a family and work. We're Midwest nice. That's the one thing people from the coasts can't get over. How nice everyone is here. Houses are cheap but taxes are way too high. I can move to Kansas, Iowa, or Missouri and pay less property taxes on a house twice the size. The weather swings wildly here as the jet stream moves around and we get stuck on one side or the other. Sunday it was 98 F today it's 50 F. Finding a professional job may be the hardest thing, but both my wife and I have one here.

I lived in Kansas City on the Kansas side for a decade. There's more there with the Royals and Chiefs while the day to day living is almost identical to Omaha, Denver, Des Moines, Minneapolis, etc. I found the weather in KC more favorable. There's Lake of the Ozarks 3 hours east if you like water and Tuttle Creek off road park 2 hours west for mild Jeeping and smaller lake activities. You can get to the dunes in Oklahoma but I'm not sure where they are since I've never been there.

If you like shooting, Kansas and Missouri are constitutional carry so you don't have to worry about learning a bunch of silly local laws. Concealed carry, open carry, rifle, whatever.

Most of the cities in the Midwest from Dallas to Minneapolis, and Chicago to Denver are similar if you live in the suburbs. The difference is traffic to your job, weather, and one big city lording over the rest of the state; like Chicago or Denver.

Iowa and Nebraska are great states. Both allow you to be left alone if desired. Lots of industry and opportunity.

Minnesota is too damn cold and the politics as you can see on the news are risky.

 

[zebra12]

I'm from North Carolina, wife is from Colorado. I'd love to move back to western NC, but the wife ain't having it. She used to want to move to Durango, but she is disappointed with Colorado now.

We talk about moving all the time. Right now our plan is two places - as close to Jackson, Wyoming as we can afford, and a second place in the Florida panhandle.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Colorado's issue is Denver. When they legalized marijuana before CA, it brought a bunch of people to the state. Now they keep passing gun laws and other laws to make CO more like CA. If CA would have legalized pot first, the political landscape of CO would be different.

Based on the OP's photo, I think he'd like the freedom to own regular capacity magazines for his rifles. Even Magpul left the state.

A lot of truth in that, though none of the gun laws they passed have any teeth. The magazine ban is completely unenforceable. I have a dozen or more 30rd magpuls that I had owned before it passed, and of all the time I've spent at ranges and NF I've not once (nor do I know anybody who has) been asked about magazines.

It might also help that I live in a county with a conservative sheriff that has no qualms about coming right out and announcing that his department has more important things to do than enforcing Denver's nonsense.

I used to think about Idaho, but I keep hearing the liberals are heading there now and it's going to be the next Colorado. That leaves Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska as the only remaining states I have any interest in living in, and none of them have huge job markets outside of oil/gas which is not my area.

 

[Chris]

Every state is shitty in it's own way. All the grass isn't necessarily greener, just patches of it. In my experience if the area is more affordable to live, jobs will be lower paying and less plentiful.

I've learned this as well.