Warm Weather, Views and low taxes

[ziggy29]

I've never lived in an area with brutal summers. I have lived in Pittsburgh, PA, and I've lived in several places in Canada. By those standards, Pittsburgh winters are definitely not "brutal".

Yeah, true. I've only lived in California and Texas, so I don't have any experience with harsh, snowy winters. As a result I don't know what my tolerance is. If we tried it we'd probably rent a place and live through a winter to see how tolerable it was, especially compared to the summers down here.

 

[JPatrick]

If you're seriously committed to ignoring the first factor in exchange for being satisfied with the other three, then Pittsburgh PA area might work out.

But ignoring the "mild climate" criteria might prove painful.

Mild climate and not so sure about mild taxes.
DS is doing a medical residency there, and as his "tax man," I'm thinking those within the city have a pretty high rate. Perhaps outside the city.
Beyond that, Pittsburgh has morphed into quite a nice city IMO.

 

[ziggy29]

Beyond that, Pittsburgh has morphed into quite a nice city IMO.

Yes, everything I've heard suggests that Pittsburgh did a fine job emerging from the depressed, dirty rust-belt city of the 1970s into a rather clean, livable city with a more diversified economy.

 

[grasshopper]

We live in Silver City, New Mexico. Weather is far milder than Santa Fe and views and hiking/biking far better, but it's remote and a small town so might not appeal. We love it though. Low cost of living too.

Ms G and I checked out Silver City before we moved to the Eastern Chiricahua Mtns. So we are 100 miles south a couple of hundred feet lower, and a lot warmer in winter.

I visit my Dentist in SC 3 times a year for cleanings.

Portal AZ/Rodeo NM is a great place for bird and critter watching, and outdoor everything, but a little to remote for most folks.

 

[unclemick]

This is where I want to live when I retire. Any ideas? We've been looking at Asheville, NC, Santa Fe, NM, Maui - big reach.

Where do you recommend?

Semi tongue in cheek but not totally. How about Jimmy Buffetts original stomping ground. Aka 'The Redneck Riviera'. The Gulf Coast stretch between roughly Gulf Port MS and the Florida Panhandle past say Destin or even a little further.

heh heh heh -

 

[grasshopper]

Semi tongue in cheek but not totally. How about Jimmy Buffetts original stomping ground. Aka 'The Redneck Riviera'. The Gulf Coast stretch between roughly Gulf Port MS and the Florida Panhandle past say Destin or even a little further.

heh heh heh -

Ocean Springs, Mississippi East of Biloxi, is artsy, on the water, mild temps. When I lived in Hattisburg MS, taxes were good.

 

[GregLee]

One thing to keep in mind from the OPs original list is water. In the future water is supposed to become harder to get out in a lot of the west. Asheville won't have that problem. I can't speak to Maui, but I know they have to get a lot of stuff from the mainland. Not sure if that causes any problems or price issues. Of course, I'm an Easterner, so I'm biased.

Maui doesn't have to get water from the mainland, at least. The Wikipedia entry for Maui has this:

Most recent years have brought droughts and the ʻĪao aquifer is being drawn from rates above 18 million U.S. gallons (68,000 m3) per day, possibly more than the aquifer can sustain. Recent estimates indicate that the total potential supply of potable water on Maui is around 476 million U.S. gallons (1,800,000 m3) per day, many times greater than any foreseeable demand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maui

 

[Nords]

I can't speak to Maui, but I know they have to get a lot of stuff from the mainland. Not sure if that causes any problems or price issues. Of course, I'm an Easterner, so I'm biased.

Naw, here in Hawaii we get our stuff from the same place all you guys get your stuff: China.

Of course the ship stops here first.

 

[Midpack]

Yes, everything I've heard suggests that Pittsburgh did a fine job emerging from the depressed, dirty rust-belt city of the 1970s into a rather clean, livable city with a more diversified economy.

I've read good things about Pittsburgh too. But it's a good idea to rent thru a winter first. Having lived in Ohio and Indiana for 29 years of my life, about the same latitude, winters can be awful. Annual snowfall for Pittsburgh is about 30 inches, some years will be less, but some more. A white Christmas is nice, but after that it gets old really fast. By March or sooner every winter I often ask myself 'why the hell do we live here?'

Summers can get warm too, but it's relatively nice here during summer. We had two days last week with high's below 80F, wonderful. And I spent years 3 years in Dallas and 4 in San Antonio so I know Texas weather. Texas has been brutally hot and dry (water restrictions?) this year.

After extensive research I have found the city with the best climate in the USA, it's Santa Barbara CA. Too bad the cost of living, politics, etc. are beyond my tolerance for pain.

 

[rescueme]

Mild climate and not so sure about mild taxes.

For retiree's, PA is in the top 10 for "tax friendly":

State-by-State Guide to Taxes on Retirees

 

[kevink]

After extensive research I have found the city with the best climate in the USA, it's Santa Barbara CA. Too bad the cost of living, politics, etc. are beyond my tolerance for pain.

I agree. Grew up in Santa Barbara, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, then Michigan for 4 years - quite a shock. These days would choose San Luis Obispo or maybe Paso Robles but costs and crowding are prohibitive.

Lake Chapala, Mexico where we lived until recently has if anything a better climate than SoCal. We are among the many not cut out for full-time expat life but know not only snow birds (more than half the gringo population there) but also met a lot of self-described "sweat birds" - folks who live in places like Arizona and Florida who escape to the highlands of Mexico (or Costa Rica, Panama, etc.) for a few months each summer. Perhaps another strategy to consider for some.

Where we are now (Silver City NM) is about as perfect a four season climate as you can find in the lower 48. We'll still feel the need to get away for a couple of months in Jan-Feb. when lows dip into the mid-20's and highs average around 50, but you East Coast folks know that makes us true cold weather wimps. It's all relative though - full-time expats as well as the natives in Mexico put on parkas when the lows get below 60.

 

[harley]

Naw, here in Hawaii we get our stuff from the same place all you guys get your stuff: China.

Of course the ship stops here first.

Excellent point.

 

[zinger1457]

Some of my family live in Santa Fe, which gives us the best of both worlds- we can visit whenever we want, but don't have to live there. My relatives like it, but some things drive them crazy. Their homes are very nice and on the edge of town. They have their homes broken into 2-3 times a year. They have them heavily alarmed, but still it's upsetting to have a window broken and things grabbed before police arrive. The traffic can be bad and the prices for homes can be high. Otherwise, the weather is nice in summer, sunsets gorgeous and there is lots to do.

They have their home broken into 2-3 times a year and they still live there I'd have the for sale sign in the ground 5 minutes after the second break in.

 

[Ally]

They did move for a few years to Colorado, but moved back for business. They are in the art related business and buyers and successful galleries tend to be in Santa Fe more than CO. They have lots of extra security features plus inside and outside dogs and house sitters when they travel. But I don't think they enjoy Santa Fe nearly as much as the tourists.

 

[mb]

After extensive research I have found the city with the best climate in the USA, it's Santa Barbara CA. Too bad the cost of living, politics, etc. are beyond my tolerance for pain.

Live in Silicon Valley rather than Santa Barbara.

For some reason the politics don't bother me much when I'm out on my bike on a 65F day in January or out for a run on a 80F low humidity day in July.

 

[JPatrick]

Naw, here in Hawaii we get our stuff from the same place all you guys get your stuff: China.

Of course the ship stops here first.

Bigger, better "Dollar Stores" I bet..

 

[Huston55]

Eastern Tennessee

We're sort of dealing with this too, as we've decided we don't want to take any more hellish Texas summers than we have to. I work from home completely, and can go wherever there is a telephone and broadband Internet, but the problem I'm running into is the following:

Mild climate (with 4 seasons, a little snow is okay but no heavy snow or 100+ weather), moderate tax burden, scenic, affordable housing prices -- pick any three.

We live in Koxville, TN, which will satisfy all four criteria.

Mile climate, no state income tax, smokies next door, affordable housing, vibrant downtown if that interests you, an a university.

 

[skyvue]

I've read good things about Pittsburgh too. But it's a good idea to rent thru a winter first. Having lived in Ohio and Indiana for 29 years of my life, about the same latitude, winters can be awful. Annual snowfall for Pittsburgh is about 30 inches, some years will be less, but some more. A white Christmas is nice, but after that it gets old really fast. By March or sooner every winter I often ask myself 'why the hell do we live here?'

Summers can get warm too, but it's relatively nice here during summer. We had two days last week with high's below 80F, wonderful. And I spent years 3 years in Dallas and 4 in San Antonio so I know Texas weather. Texas has been brutally hot and dry (water restrictions?) this year.

After extensive research I have found the city with the best climate in the USA, it's Santa Barbara CA. Too bad the cost of living, politics, etc. are beyond my tolerance for pain.

I had always thought most studies said San Diego had the best climate in the U.S.?

 

[Walt34]

My original "Retirement Plan" was to put the snow thrower in the back of the pickup truck and drive south until people started asking what that machine was for. Unfortunately DW didn't want to move that far from family and she would have been very unhappy had we done that.

So my second thought about it was "Well, I'll be retired and then I won't have to go out in it anyway so it won't matter" and that worked for a while.

At the moment DW's closest sister is thinking about either WV to be closer to her kids, or SC. SIL wants WV, her hubby wants SC for golf. So I told DW that if they move to SC it'll take about a half ounce of arm-twisting pressure to get me to pack up and move to SC if that's what she wants to do.

So much of "where to retire" is dependent on the people involved. I cannot fathom why anyone would inflict upon themselves the noise, congestion, and high costs of New York City, but ~8 million people apparently see something worthwhile there since they live there. Likewise those people would go nuts in WV. Some people love snow. I'd be content if the only snow I ever saw again was in pictures.

Toying around with the idea of where to move and being completely disgusted with Washington, DC area traffic, I looked on the Census Bureau's site to find out what state had the lowest population per square mile. That's Montana (or was it North Dakota? I forget). Then I looked at NOAA's climate conditions for that state and saw there is a good reason so few people live there. Presumably most of the others died from freezing. Um, no thanks.

So one has to look at a variety of factors.

 

[Meadbh]

Toying around with the idea of where to move and being completely disgusted with Washington, DC area traffic, I looked on the Census Bureau's site to find out what state had the lowest population per square mile. That's Montana (or was it North Dakota? I forget). Then I looked at NOAA's climate conditions for that state and saw there is a good reason so few people live there. Presumably most of the others died from freezing. Um, no thanks.

Walt, why not give Nodak a call? His former home is up for sale. It's very peaceful in ND and it's a dry cold!