Where to relocate ???

[BeachOrCity]

I am a big believer in spending the bulk of your time where your posse is, whatever that posse may be.....Family, Friends, Kids, etc. You can always fly and rent longer term to avoid weather issues.....

 

[CaliKid]

Sperling's Best Places has a quiz that might be useful. I say "might" because it's not very comprehensive but does give some ideas. Take it several times and change one of two parameters each time.

https://www.bestplaces.net/fybp/

You have to register in order to take it. Don't worry, they don't send many emails.


Another resource is City Data forum. Not a quiz for you to take but a discussion forum about communities.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/

Great post! Both websites mentioned are great resources. I love this idea of changing one or two parameters each time. When I first did bestplaces, many years ago, it gave me some cities I hadn't considered. It also made me really think about what I did care about.

Once you narrow that down I love city-data. I also like reading posts where people compare cities. I should say you need to read everything with a grain of salt as there can be a lot of bias in what people say. However, I look for patterns, sentiments repeated by several people, etc....

 

[pacergal]

Never had plans to relocate, we enjoy where we are. Relatively mild weather, close to a major city with good medical/hospitals, local colleges, arts, museums, etc.
1-4 hour drives can land you at the coast, mountains, or dessert area. Plus all of our siblings and kids are within a 30 minute drive. Perfect for us!

 

[SoReady]

CoCheesehead; Love the Mountains of Colorado too, but also like mild winters. If I can ask, where did you settle to in Colorado?

 

[CaliKid]

Is anyone aware a of a survey, test, quiz, etc. that is worthwhile to do to help you decide on where you would be happy relocating to ? After pouring through Where to Retire magazines and websites of retirement & over 55 developments, it gets overwhelming on the choices out there. Most of the ones I’ve seen are skewed by the organization that is supporting it.

I would be interested in why you want to relocate.

I want to relocate because I just want to try living in another place. Been in the same state my whole life. Lots of great friends here but no friends we don't want I can't leave without. I worry that it's a bit of the grass is always greener mentality but I want to see. Can always come back. Always I figure we will have about 10 years from when the kids leave the house until they start to settle down somewhere. Can always move where they are then but for 10-15 years we can explore the world.

 

[Silver]

Move anywhere except Florida. We're full.....and you wouldn't like it here anyway.

 

[COcheesehead]

CoCheesehead; Love the Mountains of Colorado too, but also like mild winters. If I can ask, where did you settle to in Colorado?

Redlands Mesa, just to the south of Grand Junction.

 

[aja8888]

Move anywhere except Florida. We're full.....and you wouldn't like it here anyway.

Same here with Texas....

 

[Yoheadden]

I would be interested in why you want to relocate.

I want to relocate because I just want to try living in another place. Been in the same state my whole life. Lots of great friends here but no friends we don't want I can't leave without. I worry that it's a bit of the grass is always greener mentality but I want to see. Can always come back. Always I figure we will have about 10 years from when the kids leave the house until they start to settle down somewhere. Can always move where they are then but for 10-15 years we can explore the world.

We are currently in CT. Taxes and cost of living being the main reasons. Our money can go a lot farther in other places. Weather being another factor. Although the winters have become much milder, a change from the grey skies & 20s & 30s would be a big boost, both mentally & physically. We have lived in NC and CA so we know how different, certain areas of country can be. A place with a slower pace of living would be nice as well. We have kind of narrowed it down to FL, Carolinas, TN & possibly KY.
There is a lot of great advice here, & ty for the responses.

 

[Ronstar]

I do want to relocate, and have a few places in mind. DW says no way to all of them. I’d like to be someplace somewhat remote out west in the mountain states.

DW has to be close to lots of amenities. The only amenity that I need is a big box home improvement store.

I’ve taken tests that suggest where to live. Boulder, Ft. Collins, Flagstaff, and Logan and St. George Utah. I could live in any of these, but would prefer somewhere less populated. And warmer. Tough to find a place that meets all my criteria.

 

[COcheesehead]

I do want to relocate, and have a few places in mind. DW says no way to all of them. I’d like to be someplace somewhat remote out west in the mountain states.

DW has to be close to lots of amenities. The only amenity that I need is a big box home improvement store.

I’ve taken tests that suggest where to live. Boulder, Ft. Collins, Flagstaff, and Logan and St. George Utah. I could live in any of these, but would prefer somewhere less populated. And warmer. Tough to find a place that meets all my criteria.

Of those, the only one I have not been to is Logan. I would be hard pressed to call Boulder or Ft Collins remote. They are both anything but.
Flagstaff is cool, but they get snow. St George is an odd duck. It was on our list until we visited there. Desert boom town that looks like it has growing pains.

Have you looked at Prescott AZ? That was on our list too.

 

[Fermion]

If I could convince us to downsize considerably, such that we could move everything we need in our van plus a small trailer, I think it would be exciting to move to different parts of the USA for 1 or 2 years. Yes, a little bit of a pain to establish residency and get health insurance in each location but it could greatly improve your mental happiness for the stimulation of new places and sights.

If all you had to do was register 1 vehicle, sign up for ACA in the new state, and get a driver's license, I don't think it would be that expensive. You could try out Maine, Florida, Michigan, Texas, Washington, heck, even a year in Anchorage if you want. By renting a house or apartment, you would avoid the hefty bed tax that short term rentals get and you would have no problem proving residence for ACA (and not have to worry about being out of network as you would if you were trying to keep residency in a state far away).

We have too much stuff right now to do this....but if we could downsize at some point in the future....

 

[Gumby]

It has been my experience that the taxes and cost of living reflect how desirable a place is. Look at any real estate section in a newspaper (or Zillow). The priciest houses are always in the most desirable locations. I also live in CT. My money would go further almost anywhere in the country, but I don't think I would want to live there. I don't need a bigger house than we have already. For context, I've lived in 33 different places, in 14 different states, and 2 different countries. We like it here the best, and we planned our retirement to accommodate the taxes and cost of living.

Ultimately, you have to balance your own financial needs with your other desires, but I would keep in mind that the grass is not always greener, even if you do get the big house and large lot with lower taxes. I wish you well in whatever you decide.

 

[braumeister]

My grandfather, who was a very smart guy, told me when I was still a teenager that the only thing I needed to know about buying a house was to try to get the cheapest house in the best neighborhood. I still think that's excellent advice for anyone.

I've lived in nine states and spent at least some time (weeks or months) in all 50, as well as 20 other countries. There are at least a couple dozen places I could be happy. But DW has spent her entire life within a 15 mile radius of where we are, and wouldn't be happy moving anywhere else. So here we are. Fortunately, she still loves to travel like I do, so we make up for it by getting around quite a bit on our trips.

 

[CaliKid]

We are currently in CT. Taxes and cost of living being the main reasons. Our money can go a lot farther in other places. Weather being another factor. Although the winters have become much milder, a change from the grey skies & 20s & 30s would be a big boost, both mentally & physically. We have lived in NC and CA so we know how different, certain areas of country can be. A place with a slower pace of living would be nice as well. We have kind of narrowed it down to FL, Carolinas, TN & possibly KY.
There is a lot of great advice here, & ty for the responses.

I hear ya on that. Warmer winters are very nice for sure! I have visited Scottsdale in January and it's 75+ and sunny. Of course the summer is about 175 and sunny so it balances out. Lol. I like all the areas you mention. Nashville has become so expensive you might research eastern TN. Knoxville and Chat areas seem pretty nice and very affordable. Not quite as sunny as Florida though. Good luck!

 

[CaliKid]

It has been my experience that the taxes and cost of living reflect how desirable a place is. Look at any real estate section in a newspaper (or Zillow). The priciest houses are always in the most desirable locations. I also live in CT. My money would go further almost anywhere in the country, but I don't think I would want to live there. I don't need a bigger house than we have already. For context, I've lived in 33 different places, in 14 different states, and 2 different countries. We like it here the best, and we planned our retirement to accommodate the taxes and cost of living.

Ultimately, you have to balance your own financial needs with your other desires, but I would keep in mind that the grass is not always greener, even if you do get the big house and large lot with lower taxes. I wish you well in whatever you decide.

It's so funny as I read your post I was thinking "CT... who the heck would want to live in that freezing cold winter...?" Then you mention how many places you have lived and, obviously, the credibility of your post goes through the roof! I have barely passed through CT, so my knowledge of the place is limited, but my first instinct is no thank you. It's good to have the opinion like you who has lived in so many places. I still prefer warmer but reminds me to try to be more open minded to all places.

 

[Ronstar]

Of those, the only one I have not been to is Logan. I would be hard pressed to call Boulder or Ft Collins remote. They are both anything but.

Flagstaff is cool, but they get snow. St George is an odd duck. It was on our list until we visited there. Desert boom town that looks like it has growing pains.



Have you looked at Prescott AZ? That was on our list too.

Even though I specify remote on online “where to relocate” searches, the search always turns up large cities like Boulder. Apparently these searches think Boulder, Ft. Collins, etc are remote.

I’ve been to Prescott several times, and it is on my list of possibilities. Would be a nice place to relocate. Along with Sedona. I like Durango and several other small towns, but I don’t really like nasty winters with endless snow.

 

[Gumby]

It's so funny as I read your post I was thinking "CT... who the heck would want to live in that freezing cold winter...?"

It is funny you should say that, as it really is not that cold here. I live in the southern part of the state, on the shore of Long Island Sound. As a gardener, I pay attention to my USDA Plant Hardiness Zone, since that determines what I can grow. For non-gardeners, USDA zones are based on the minimum winter temperatures experienced over a 30 year period from 1976 to 2006. They run from Zone 1a in the North Slope of Alaska to Zone 11b in Key West, Florida.

My part of Connecticut is Zone 7a, which means that the coldest it got in those 30 years was between 0 and 5 deg. F. Other places in Zone 7a include Richmond VA, Asheville NC and Nashville TN. Virtually all of Kentucky is in Zone 6b, which is colder. Here's a map from USDA. https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/Images/All_states_halfzones_poster_rgb_300dpi.pdf

ETA: Here is a map that shows the converse - how hot it gets in the summer (#of days over 86 deg. F) https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a0/b7/96/a0b796c801a9cc5664782f329c727484.jpg

 

[COcheesehead]

Even though I specify remote on online “where to relocate” searches, the search always turns up large cities like Boulder. Apparently these searches think Boulder, Ft. Collins, etc are remote.

I’ve been to Prescott several times, and it is on my list of possibilities. Would be a nice place to relocate. Along with Sedona. I like Durango and several other small towns, but I don’t really like nasty winters with endless snow.

Durango was our list until I saw the average snow fall is 67 inches.
Sedona was in consideration, but our neighbors have a condo there and they are looking to sell. They said it’s getting over loved. Traffic, hard to go for a bike ride, waits at restaurants.
The key is to discover the next cool place before everyone else does.

 

[ER Eddie]

Most people don't relocate in retirement, just FYI -- at least, not across state lines. The stats I read said that 1% to 2% of retired people moved out of state over a 5-year period. If you figure the average retirement is about 20 years, that would mean an average of 4 to 8% of retired folks relocate to a different state over the course of their retirement. I'm sure a higher percentage move within city or state lines, but moving out of state is actually a pretty uncommon thing.

My own experience, briefly: Before retirement, I planned on moving to another state. I spent lots of time researching all the options. I did multiple analyses from many points of view -- charts and graphs, pros and cons, the whole nine yards, several times over.

In the end, I stayed put. Why? Because I like it here well enough, and moving is a pain in the butt. There was no other place that called me strong enough to overcome those two factors.

 

[Sunny]

A site that allows you to pick a cost of living withing X of where you currently live, cross referenced with a a weather score so you can pick the best weather within your cost of living range would go a long ways to narrowing it down for a lot of people. Research other factors on your short list then.

I havent' found that site yet, lol.

Another thing I wish there was a site for is microclimates. There have to be places that buck the trend of the rest of their state because t hey are in the shadow of a moutain or have a big lake or eleveation that influences their weather enough that they'd be considered to have much better weather than the surrounding areas.

 

[braumeister]

Another thing I wish there was a site for is microclimates. There have to be places that buck the trend of the rest of their state because t hey are in the shadow of a moutain or have a big lake or eleveation that influences their weather enough that they'd be considered to have much better weather than the surrounding areas.

There are a number of those, but the most remarkable example of that phenomenon I'm aware of is the Olympic Peninsula of northwest Washington. Look at Port Angeles, Sequim, and Port Townsend. Just across from Victoria, BC. Also right near Seattle. That area is in the "rain shadow" of the Olympic Mountains, and gets way less rain and more sunshine than the rest of the region. Pretty nice place.

 

[Walt34]

Most people don't relocate in retirement, just FYI -- at least, not across state lines. The stats I read said that 1% to 2% of retired people moved out of state over a 5-year period.

Although we're part of that 1-2% we moved just under 100 miles so it wasn't that far as distance goes, but a world of difference in culture between living within a rock's throw of Washington, D.C. and West-by-God-Virginia.

The main motivation to move was escaping the traffic and anyone who has even visited the DC area knows what I mean. Although the COL is significantly less, that mostly shows up in house prices. Groceries, fuel, utilities, etc. are slightly less but certainly nowhere near enough to justify a move.

A main criteria for DW was to be within an hour of her father and brother in MD, and within two hours of everyone else, and this part of WV met that criteria. Even better, after they retired her favorite sister & her hubby moved ten minutes away from us for the same reasons.

The last few winters have been unseasonably mild, I have no idea if that's going to be permanent but if so I'll take it since one of my ideal criteria was to never see snow again. This winter I've fired up the snow blower one time and that was for a heavy wet "heart attack" snow that was four inches if you squinted. And that was gone in two days so simply ignoring it would have worked just as well.

(You watch: Now that I posted that we'll get a record snowfall by the end of the month.)

Oh, and BTW, no one goes to WV anymore. It's too crowded.

 

[Lewis Clark]

Another thing I wish there was a site for is microclimates. There have to be places that buck the trend of the rest of their state because t hey are in the shadow of a moutain or have a big lake or eleveation that influences their weather enough that they'd be considered to have much better weather than the surrounding areas.

Try these web sites:
https://commonsensehome.com/plant-hardiness-zones-microclimate/
https://www.climate.gov/maps-data/dataset/us-climate-atlas

The trouble with mapping microclimates is that they can cover such small regions that enough data to distinguish between them is usually not available.

You can also try poking around at the National Climate Data Center.
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/

 

[bltkmt]

It's so funny as I read your post I was thinking "CT... who the heck would want to live in that freezing cold winter...?" Then you mention how many places you have lived and, obviously, the credibility of your post goes through the roof! I have barely passed through CT, so my knowledge of the place is limited, but my first instinct is no thank you. It's good to have the opinion like you who has lived in so many places. I still prefer warmer but reminds me to try to be more open minded to all places.

Actually, Southwestern CT is pretty spectacular. We live here and would likely stay if it was not so expensive.