If you could move to any state in the U.S....

[funschooler5]

Where would you go? DH is itching for us to move out of state. I've lived in the same state (and town actually) since I was 6 yrs old, and I love it here. Both of our families live here (which is one of the reasons he wants to move, I think). The main reason he wants to move, though, is his allergies. We live in a valley, and he is just miserable some days.

 

If we have to move, I'd like to move to a town that has a population of less than 100K, and has a decent amount of homeschoolers, with an inclusive homeschooling organization (we don't have one in our area). Four seasons would be nice (but not required...a climate that's good for people with allergies is top priority). And a nice library system, of course. :001_smile:

 

Any suggestions? Or where would YOU move to, if you could go anywhere (taking into account your own priorities)?

[Heather in Neverland]

Western North Carolina!

[Liz CA]

Washington State or Coastal Oregon

[Vida Winter]

My folks retired to Prescott, AZ. There is a small town feel to it, yet large enough to do so many things. And although it has a large number of older folks, there is a large homeschooling community. It is much cooler than Phoenix because of its altitude. They get four seasons and I'm sure it would be one of the better places for allergies. Phoenix is within 2 hours for major airport access.

[MamaSheep]

My dsis and family live in Cheyenne, Wy. There's no state income tax, and kids (including homeschoolers) who graduate from high school there with a decent gpa (I forget the cutoff, but it's something like 3.0, and I think they use SAT scores or something for homeschoolers) don't have to pay tuition at the state universities. The homeschool laws are pretty lenient (I think you are supposed to submit a curriculum list once a year and that's about it, but don't rely on my memory) and the public schools there are evidently very homeschool friendly, allowing hsers to take a few classes here and there as desired and participates in sports and other extracurriculars. I don't know about inclusive homeschool groups specifically (dsis doesn't homeschool but has friends who do). Their new library has won awards and really is quite impressive. Also, they offer homeschool classes and storytimes there. It gets very cold in the winter, and it's warm and dry in the summer. I understand the air quality there is good (dsis's daughter has asthma). The property prices are very affordable, and it's only about an hour and a half from Denver.

 

(Yes, I have considered moving there myself. :) )

[Peek a Boo]

I'd stay in TX, but go back to San Antonio -- the DFW area is too cold!

 

But if I HAD to move outta Texas, I'd probably take NM or AZ.

 

heat, baby!

[creekland]

We could move anywhere we wanted - and chose South Central PA after having lived in NY, RI, VA, FL, and for dh, NC. We've been here for 14 years now and still love it. We've also visited 49 of the 50 states (missed Alaska) and the eastern half of Canada.

 

The only state that's tempted us to move again has been HI, but it's quite expensive there and so far from everything.

 

Here we're semi-rural, but within 2 hours of DC, Philly, Baltimore, Harrisburg (1 hour for those last two), and 4 hours of NYC. I can get as much culture as I want while having let my boys grow up where they can enjoy the great outdoors.

 

People tell me PA is a hard state to homeschool in, but I haven't noticed it. Perhaps that's because I haven't homeschooled anywhere else...

 

In the end, every place is "right" for the "right" people. Enjoy finding your spot!

[Carrie12345]

Probably an odd choice, but NJ!

I'm not a big fan of winter, but NJ has enough to offer to make up for the snow. Access to the city, the country, the mountains, the shore, shopping, farming, museums, parks, historic sites, no homeschool reporting, community colleges and various 4-yr school options... And it's "home".

[Country Mouse]

We would move to North Carolina. We love it there!

[dragons in the flower bed]

My dsis and family live in Cheyenne, Wy.

 

Another vote for Cheyenne. This is where I would go for all the same reasons and a bunch of others.

[MomtoCandJ]

We would move back home to Michigan. Miss our families and pretty much no home school laws, although Georgia's home school laws are not that bad.

[Jenny in Atl]

I couldn't pick just one. Northern NM, the coast of either Northern CA, OR, or WA. The coast of New England (Cape Cod especially). I also love Western NC or Far Eastern TN. Also in the running, CO (Boulder area) or TX (Austin). So, someone would have to pick for me. :tongue_smilie:

[mysticamethyst]

I have lived in many different states and I have to say I would never leave Texas. I would leave Houston in a heart beat, the allergies here are the worst. I loved San Antonio. Texas is also very home school friendly which is always part of the decision to move. If you are looking for a more mild climate maybe Wisconsin, but it just seems so crowded in the north. Have fun with the moving adventure.:001_smile:

[MariannNOVA]

Cary, North Carolina or Short Hills, NJ (home)

[lollie010]

Just don't move to south Alabama. Almost year round the weather here is perfect, so it is very hard for the kids to get any school work done. They spend 8 months out of year thinking it is spring break and then the summer months wanting to go to the beach everyday. My six year old screamed from the top of the swing yesterday, "It is too beautiful toDAAAAY to do schoooool."

 

I really do love this place.

[....]

Missouri (Misery), but I'm probably the only one who would say this... There's just something about the rocks, bluffs, trees, trees and more trees (and fog) that feel like home. :D

[MamaT]

Western North Carolina!

 

Yes, you described where I live. We live just north of Asheville. It has everything on your list.

[elegantlion]

Texas! :D That will be our next move, not sure what city, but somewhere below the I-20 line. I grew up in the cold mid-west, very much dislike ice and snow, so the I-20 is the cutoff.

 

Maybe the Piney Woods area of East Texas, I love tall trees.

[linders]

We are mountain/sparkling stream/snow people. Missing all of those down South.

[athena1277]

Sweet Home ALABAMA!!!

[MommyRyan]

We are moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan for homeschool reasons. The suburbs (and city for that matter) and very family oriented. Beautiful suburbs of every type: subdivision with malls, walkable grid set up old homes with a downtown, or farm towns within a 20 minute drive of downtown. Downtown is walkable, lots of shops and boutiques, tons of festivals for the family all year. Plenty of hiking trails, a ski mountain, forests, small lakes, and rivers for outdoor activities, and it's 30 minutes from the beach at Lake Michigan. The city is known for having big city amenities (only symphony, orchestra, ballet, etc. in Michigan...minor league sports teams for every major sport...massive library system...great museums...world class parks: check out Meijer Sculpture Gardens and Milennium Park).

No reporting necessary for home schooling. I imagine allergies aren't too bad because spring is very short there, but you'd definitely experience all four seasons. There is a large Home School Building just outside the city for co ops and other activities, several homeschool groups, a website that updates literally daily activities on activities for homeschoolers in the area, and a Christian School that offers Tuesday classes and sports participation.

The price of real estate is also pretty low. And their economy is absolutely booming compared to the rest of the state.

They've also got...I can't say this enough...the friendliest people I've ever met.

[outtamyshell]

My vote is NC. It's supposed to be a bad place for allergies, but dd's allergies were much worse in AZ.

[Parrothead]

West Virginia.

[Rhonda in TX]

I have no desire to leave TX, either, but I wouldn't mind living somewhere a bit farther north than Houston. DH wants to move to Amarillo and I'd be fine with that.

[KidsHappen]

We get this questions a lot and I am at that stage in my life where it is a consideration so I think about it a lot. We have lived in TN for almost 7 years now. My youngest two dds have serious relationships here in TN that I would not want to tear them away from. My brother lives in TX, my son in AL, my oldest dd in Atlanta, my 18 year old in TX and the 17 year old is planning on moving away to college. My oldest dd also haas serious ties to TX so it is quite possible that we wil move to TX once the youngest two are grown as it is pretty much home. It is also cheaper than where we live now so hopefully we would be able to sell our house here, buy a cheaper house there and put the leftover into retirement funds.

[Jen in PA]

Hawaii. MIL is from Hawaii, and DH lived there for 4 years in his late teens/early 20s. His family is huge and wonderful. We went for a family reunion a few years ago and I fell in love with the place (we were on Oahu). I don't see it happening anytime soon, but it's fun to dream.

[mom2denj]

We are moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan for homeschool reasons. The suburbs (and city for that matter) and very family oriented. Beautiful suburbs of every type: subdivision with malls, walkable grid set up old homes with a downtown, or farm towns within a 20 minute drive of downtown. Downtown is walkable, lots of shops and boutiques, tons of festivals for the family all year. Plenty of hiking trails, a ski mountain, forests, small lakes, and rivers for outdoor activities, and it's 30 minutes from the beach at Lake Michigan. The city is known for having big city amenities (only symphony, orchestra, ballet, etc. in Michigan...minor league sports teams for every major sport...massive library system...great museums...world class parks: check out Meijer Sculpture Gardens and Milennium Park).

No reporting necessary for home schooling. I imagine allergies aren't too bad because spring is very short there, but you'd definitely experience all four seasons. There is a large Home School Building just outside the city for co ops and other activities, several homeschool groups, a website that updates literally daily activities on activities for homeschoolers in the area, and a Christian School that offers Tuesday classes and sports participation.

The price of real estate is also pretty low. And their economy is absolutely booming compared to the rest of the state.

They've also got...I can't say this enough...the friendliest people I've ever met.

 

OK, This is where I want to live!!!! I'm not sure that my FL born and raised husband would go for it though.:glare:

[babysparkler]

I love Texas. We moved here about 15 years ago, and will never leave.

[Free Indeed]

I would never want to leave my TEXAS! North Carolina was nice for a visit (we lived there 2 years) but Texas is home!

[Peek a Boo]

NY, because Texas sucks.

having btdt, NY sucks too, but you're too busy trying to stay warm to notice. ;)

[Avila]

Texas! I am thinking we will eventually end up there.

[rafiki]

.

[Crissy]

I would stay right here in Western Washington. I have no desire to live elsewhere.

[Tap]

Depends on the type of allergies.

 

If it is cedar or desert type allergies/dryness...then I would try Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Washington.

 

If it is mold, mildew, grass, flowering plant pollen...then I would love to move back to Austin, Tx.

[Melinda in VT]

I would NOT want to live in the North East, too expensive and "hectic".

 

I was going to say this depends on where you live in the Northeast, but then I realized I'm not sure what you mean by "hectic."

[happyhomemaker25]

But we were talking about our ideal town. Easy homeschooling laws, non restrictive gun laws, and plenty of land to be had. That's where we would live.

That sounds so weird and fundy when I write it out like that, but it's what we would love. LOL

[Denisemomof4]

I love NH and wouldn't want to leave here, but mostly because of dh and I have our dream house and land. If we could take that home and land and relocate it ;) then I think my first pick would be Maine.

 

And I lived in CA all my life. :001_smile:

[MommyOwl]

We could move anywhere we wanted - and chose South Central PA after having lived in NY, RI, VA, FL, and for dh, NC. We've been here for 14 years now and still love it. We've also visited 49 of the 50 states (missed Alaska) and the eastern half of Canada.

 

The only state that's tempted us to move again has been HI, but it's quite expensive there and so far from everything.

 

Here we're semi-rural, but within 2 hours of DC, Philly, Baltimore, Harrisburg (1 hour for those last two), and 4 hours of NYC. I can get as much culture as I want while having let my boys grow up where they can enjoy the great outdoors.

 

People tell me PA is a hard state to homeschool in, but I haven't noticed it. Perhaps that's because I haven't homeschooled anywhere else...

 

In the end, every place is "right" for the "right" people. Enjoy finding your spot!

 

Creekland - hello from a fellow S. Central Pa'er -

 

I have to agree - the PA laws here aren't difficult to work with. On the other hand, it's not the best place if your husband is miserable with allergies - our four seasons are awesome, but you should see the pollen in the spring:tongue_smilie:

[Krista in LA]

Well not NW Louisiana - never knew I had allergies until we moved here. I think I would love living in VA because it has mountains, ocean, history, and 4 seasons. I've also grown to appreciate TX. If we were actually going to move though, I think I would choose SE PA since I used to live there and my brother and best friend both still live there. I loved the food, the proximity to NY, the food, the shore, DC, the food, and the history.

[LibraryLover]

If I could take my core hsing group, my librarians, my family & friends with me, I would move somewhere near Chapel Hill , North Carolina. That isn't going to ever happen, so I am eventually planning on Jan Feb March in a rental in FL that will let me have raised beds. ;)

 

I have it all planned, right? ;)

[Rich with Kids]

We were in SW Houston area for 5 years. Last year we moved to the coast and we love it! We live on a beautiful canal and are 5 minutes from the beach. :D

[LibraryLover]

I was going to say this depends on where you live in the Northeast, but then I realized I'm not sure what you mean by "hectic."

 

 

We have a very nice paced life here (most of the time lol) . If you are talking Boston, NYC, or their surrounding areas, yes, hectic. Here, nice. Lots of hsers, lots of ocean. I suffer through winter because I love it here. I just hate the winter. How many times can i say this on one board:

 

Winter BITES.

[Sputterduck]

Montana.

[scrapbookbuzz]

We'd love to be in Michigan, just outside of Grand Rapids, because of family there.

But I also wouldn't mind living in Cheyenne, WY near one of my best friends.

[Peek a Boo]

I was going to say this depends on where you live in the Northeast, but then I realized I'm not sure what you mean by "hectic."

 

yeah. Syracuse --pretty much ALL of Upstate NY-- is anything BUT "hectic" to me. I really liked lots of things about Syracuse, but l'm similar to LibraryLover-- WINTER BITES.

[Satori]

We had the chance to move anywhere we wanted 3 years ago, and we chose the mountains of Colorado. LOVE it! The inclusive homeschooling group in the Boulder area rocks and is very active.

 

We've got 4 seasons, mild summers and winters (compared to the Midwest where I'm from). We have no neighbors that we can see (unless we really try to look). The sun is shining almost everyday. The smells of the trees is delicious. Beauty is everywhere.

[SquirrellyMama]

How about Iowa :001_smile: I would love to stay here forever if it weren't for winter. I love the small towns, farms, clean air, slower lifestyle but I have to agree that WINTER BITES!

[Sputterduck]

But we were talking about our ideal town. Easy homeschooling laws, non restrictive gun laws, and plenty of land to be had. That's where we would live.

That sounds so weird and fundy when I write it out like that, but it's what we would love. LOL

 

That's Montana.

[creekland]

Creekland - hello from a fellow S. Central Pa'er -

 

I have to agree - the PA laws here aren't difficult to work with. On the other hand, it's not the best place if your husband is miserable with allergies - our four seasons are awesome, but you should see the pollen in the spring:tongue_smilie:

 

Hello back! Yes, we are fortunate enough that no one in our family deals with any sort of allergies. It's a good thing too, since we live on a farm with multiple animals and assorted flora! If I'm allergic to anything, it's cities and crowds. :)

[MJN]

I'm going to KY in the spring to see my sister and she says I'm going to fall in love with KY, so I may change my mind after that. :-) I've live in boring, flat land, eastern NC all my life, so a change would be great.