Where to relocate ???

[CaliKid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by COcheesehead 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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliKid 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/...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...329c727484.jpg

[COcheesehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronstar 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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunny 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]

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Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunny 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-ha...-microclimate/
https://www.climate.gov/maps-data/da...-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]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliKid 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.

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunny 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 they 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.

Sometimes the place name will give a strong hint. DW's niece went to college in Frostburg, MD. She will tell you the town is named appropriately. An essential piece of gear there is a snow shovel.

[ER Eddie]

I'll be curious to hear where you headin', Yoheadden.

[Yoheadden]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

I would agree with a lot of what you said and Milford does have a lot going for it. I’m not too far away. I’m in Seymour. They say “Home is where your heart is” and my heart isn’t here anymore. I think after having a small business for 20+ years, I’m ready for a change of scenery. I don’t need or want a big home, just a place with a decent view. I believe the trick is to figure out what you value and makes you happiest and then find an area that allows you to do them.

[Yoheadden]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

Sorry if I missed it, but where is it that you decided to stay ?

[Skyward1]

I didn't see this one posted. It's been a while since I tried it but I guess it was good enough to bookmark.



https://www.best-place-to-retire.com/wizard

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by COcheesehead 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.

It's a dry snow. [emoji849]

Durango is crowded and very expensive. They're expanding the east side but eventually they're going to have a more serious traffic issue as people attempt to crowd into the real town.

[CaliKid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister 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.

I heard about that magical sounding place a few years ago and looked up the rainfall and sunny days numbers but didn't find it to be significantly better than Seattle or other areas around there. It sounds like a unicorn a bit. Plus it only gets like 132 sunny days a year according to one website I saw (compared to a place like Las Vegas with 294). Would be interesting to hear from someone that lives there if it really is different and for some reason the online stats I have seen are just wrong.

[CaliKid]

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Originally Posted by Skyward1 I didn't see this one posted. It's been a while since I tried it but I guess it was good enough to bookmark. https://www.best-place-to-retire.com/wizard

I hadn't seen that one before. It gave me a few options I hadn't considered before. Thanks for the link!

[OldGrady]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

I’ll wave to you when I pack up in 5 years, and retire somewhere else. I like NE, (lived here my whole life), but IMO CT is the armpit of NE. [emoji846]

[aja8888]

I was born, schooled, and worked in Connecticut until 1981. That was when the state had no income tax and it had good jobs (manufacturing for me). Now being gone since then, and living in Texas, every time I go back to visit my remaining family, it's quite depressing to me since the larger towns are dying. The state is one of the top 5 in the U.S. that is losing population (2016 data).

My sister still lives in Waterbury, which now rated as one of the worst cities in the U.S. to live in (city is broke, high crime, no good jobs). Unfortunately, she is stuck there (family), although her grown grandchildren are leaving the state to find work after graduating. One relocated to Houston two years ago.

I loved the state when I was there for 1/2 my life. The change of seasons are nice and the state has great charm and beauty, but taxes are a problem and it's expensive to live there. Most of my high school/college and work related friends are gone, many relocating to Florida. Texas is home for us now.