Best city for weather in a tax free state?

[FANOFJESUS]

I was thinking about retiring in a tax free state. I wanted to pick a place with good weather that was in a tax free state. So far I have thought about Spokane and Reno. Do any of you have any ideas for other cities in one of the seven tax free states.

 

[winger]

What's your idea of good weather? We have friends that love desert heat. My wife likes thunderstorms- the louder and wetter the better.

 

[ziggy29]

What's your idea of good weather? We have friends that love desert heat. My wife likes thunderstorms- the louder and wetter the better.

Agreed -- to elaborate, the cities named in the OP can get fairly cold in winter. Spokane, don't forget, is almost in Idaho. Most people would consider "good" weather to mean there's not a lot of snow in the winter and it's not Texas in the summer. But those places tend to be rather expensive

Other factors would include the days of rain and sunshine. I suspect the Pacific Northwest, as glorious as it can be in the summer, would drive me to drink with all the clouds and rain in their rainy season...

 

[ziggy29]

Oh, and I'm assuming by "tax free" state we're talking about income tax. No state, of course, is "tax free" as they will all exact their pound of flesh one way or another. If there's no income tax, chances are that sales and property taxes will be higher than average.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

Sequim,WA is in the center of the rain shadow of Mt Olympus on the north shore of the Olympic peninsula.

Total rainfall is about the same as Los Angeles (16" or so). Average winter hi/low 45/29, average summer hi/low 69/49.

 

[FANOFJESUS]

I am looking for something with less humidity than ST LOUIS. But not a desert, Colorado looks good but it is not tax free so it is off the list but something like that if that exists. Something like Denver, Boulder or the Colorado Springs area.

 

[haha]

I was thinking about retiring in a tax free state. I wanted to pick a place with good weather that was in a tax free state. So far I have thought about Spokane and Reno. Do any of you have any ideas for other cities in one of the seven tax free states.

Don't count on Spokane staying free of income tax. There is a current push to get an income tax initiative on the ballot next fall. It is being sold as a soak Bill Gates and all those fat kats scam, more free money for us humans, who deserve it, and more tax for you rich guys who deserve to pay an infinite amount if truth be told.

Everytime some college idiot solicits me on this one I let him know what a low-down piece of work it is.

Anyway, Reno weather is way better. Spokane can be blisteringly hot in summer, and very cold and cloudy and even snowy in winter. IMO Reno has one of the US' best climates, and the only one that you can access so cheaply, and even get to see good looking young "lightly dressed" women for the price of a very cheap beer. And you will never know boredom.

Ha

 

[LARS]

I suspect the Pacific Northwest, as glorious as it can be in the summer, would drive me to drink with all the clouds and rain in their rainy season...

Not if you live East of the Cascades... over three hundred days of sun and low humidity. Though we do get a winter, but it is relatively mild...

 

[ziggy29]

Anyway, Reno weather is way better. Spokane can be blisteringly hot in summer, and very cold and cloudy and even snowy in winter. IMO Reno has one of the US' best climates, and the only one that you can access so cheaply, and even get to see good looking yokung semi-dressed women for the price of a very cheap beer. And you will never know boredom.

And depending on what else the OP may want, along with Reno I'd say Carson City might be an option. It's about 30 minutes away from the bright lights of Reno but in a smaller city (population about 55,000) and with considerably less crime.

Not if you live East of the Cascades... over three hundred days of sun and low humidity. Though we do get a winter, but it is relatively mild...

Agreed. I was thinking "west of the Cascades", where the temperature extremes are much less.

 

[haha]

Not if you live East of the Cascades... over three hundred days of sun and low humidity. Though we do get a winter, but it is relatively mild...

Eastern Washington has much more varied weather than Western WA. I have lived in the Columbia basin when January temps reached -35. And while tri-cities may have 300 days of sun (and abundant radioactivity!) this was not at all my experience living in Spokane, or the Okanogan, or the Columbia Basin. The summers and early falls are usually very nice. Also, don't forget we have had about the best weathe ever in the past 20-25 years, with long lasting el niño conditions.

Ha

 

[LARS]

Eastern Washington has much more varied weather than Western WA. I have lived in the Columbia basin when January temps reached -35. And while tri-cities may have 300 days of sun (and abundant radioactivity!) this was not at all my experience living in Spokane, or the Okanogan, or the Columbia Basin. The summers and early falls are usually very nice. Also, don't forget we have had about the best weathe ever in the past 20-25 years, with long lasting el niño conditions.

Ha

Full disclosure: I was describing central OR weather. As I said it gets cold, but never that I can remember anything close to -35 degrees. When I lived in Jackson Hole way different story...

 

[aaronc879]

Anyway, Reno weather is way better. IMO Reno has one of the US' best climates, and the only one that you can access so cheaply, and even get to see good looking young "lightly dressed" women for the price of a very cheap beer. And you will never know boredom.

Ha

IMO, Reno is too cold in the winter with too much snow(24 inches). I would go with northern Florida although it is humid or somewhere in Texas, maybe Austin. Austin's high temp. averages 84 with low humidity in the summer and no snow or maybe a trace in the winter.

 

[KM]

I would say "come to NH", but I suspect our definition of 'city' and/or 'good weather' may not be the same as yours.....

 

[ziggy29]

IMO, Reno is too cold in the winter with too much snow(24 inches). I would go with northern Florida although it is humid or somewhere in Texas, maybe Austin. Austin's high temp. averages 84 with low humidity in the summer and no snow or maybe a trace in the winter.

The humidity in Austin is low compared to Houston, but it's really not low. And the average summer high is a LOT higher than 84 -- it's more like 95 in July and August.

As far as cooler and dryer summers in Texas go, you'd have to go west in the high mountains north of Big Bend -- "cooler" being VERY much a relative term here. Fort Davis (in terms of temperatures) probably has the most tolerable summers in the state, as it has the highest elevation of any city in Texas (average July high is about 88 with low humidity - and in the monsoon belt). But it's out in the middle of nowhere in a semi-arid climate and if you want to be near the action, that ain't the place for sure.

 

[FANOFJESUS]

aaron how about Amarillo.

 

[CuppaJoe]

shh, many of us live in states where being retired can be tax-free; California works for me, that is income tax free, at least for now. I'm working on gradually converting IRAs to Roths. I should live so long as to worry about taxes.

 

[ziggy29]

aaron how about Amarillo.

The lowest recorded temperature was -16°F in 1899.

Amarillo's *average* winter low isn't too horribly bad -- low 20s in January -- but when those arctic blasts come down from Alaska and northern Canada -- as winter cold fronts often do in Texas -- it's not uncommon for Amarillo to get down into single digits or even below zero. (Of course, one good thing about those "arctic blasts" is that they tend to be dry air masses and almost never come with precipitation.)

And they definitely get snow up there -- I think probably around 20" a year. And very flat and windy, as well as in Tornado Alley.

 

[aaronc879]

The humidity in Austin is low compared to Houston, but it's really not low. And the average summer high is a LOT higher than 84 -- it's more like 95 in July and August.

Sorry. I re-read the page I was looking at. It's 84 for an average temp not average HIGH temp for July. My bad

 

[aaronc879]

aaron how about Amarillo.

Amarillo has extremes on both sides. Regular 90 degree days in summer but cold with snow in the winter. If I were to hand pick a place because of weather and it had to be an income tax free state i'd pick northern Florida because I despise snow. You mentioned wanting a place like Denver but in a income tax free state. Ha's suggestion of Reno or Carson City may be the best option for you since you don't seem to mind snow and don't want humidity.

 

[REWahoo]

Amarillo means "yellow" in Spanish. I understand the town was named for the color of the sky during frequent dust storms.

 

[RonBoyd]

I, too, wonder what "tax free" means. Does this have any relevance?

State Personal Income Taxes on Pensions and Retirement Income: FY 2009

 

[FANOFJESUS]

I, too, wonder what "tax free" means. Does this have any relevance?

State Personal Income Taxes on Pensions and Retirement Income: FY 2009

I should have said no state income tax my bad.

 

[lemming]

I remember an argument years back that Oregon had a lower overall tax then Washington state because of the high sales tax that makes up for no income tax.
They are right no state runs on air..If you have a high enough income in retirement, you will probably want to spend it and the sales tax and local taxes in WA are high.

And I just found this article about state estate taxes
... - Investment News -

 

[haha]

aaron how about Amarillo.

 

[ziggy29]

If you have a high enough income in retirement, you will probably want to spend it and the sales tax and local taxes in WA are high.

Washington: no income tax.
Oregon: no sales tax.

Many people find Vancouver, WA (just across the river from Portland) attractive for this reason. Though it wouldn't surprise me if revenue-starved states started searching vehicles crossing from Oregon into Washington looking for Washington residents with stuff they just bought in Oregon...