STEM-strong college towns with lower CoL?

[quark]

This is one of those "where should we move to?" questions.

 

DH and I are considering potentially moving to another state in about 2-3 years. Nothing is for sure yet...we want to research and accumulate info before we decide for sure. And the recent discussion about the boy who rejected the Ivies for UA has led us to consider states we might not have thought of before like Alabama, Georgia etc.

 

We are also thinking of DS going somewhere in-state. There is a very likely chance that we will graduate him earlier and that he will apply before he is 18.

 

We are looking for suggestions for college towns/ cities with well-regarded public universities (and even privates/Ivies/etc since we are still brainstorming) with the following criteria:

1. definitely some program you would consider transfer friendly if DS starts concurrently enrolling and accumulating uni credits
2. high tech industry -- with opportunities for positions in these industries: semiconductor, data analytics, strategic marketing, biomedical research/ marketing
3. lower house price and cost of living ($200,000-$300,000 house price for about 1,200 - 1,500sf is doable for us), but I understand taxes could be a problem
4. colleges with well-regarded math, CS and physics departments, preferably research unis and if possible with honors programs (please correct me if I am using incorrect terminology as my knowledge of uni-level education in the US is still limited)
5. good, in-person foreign language programs available in the uni itself or nearby would be a plus
6. it would be awesome if it also had a secular (teen) homeschooling community of some sort for DS to make friends outside of school, but this is not actually something that is extremely important to him yet and I don't know if it will be
7. I could possibly overlook this but I don't do very well myself in humid climates. DS and DH are fine with it
8. we would like to avoid tornados but are okay with cold weather (or so DH says :lol: )

Thanks in advance!

 

[8filltheheart]

I grew up mostly in NC and all of my siblings still live there. The cost of living is low and both NCSU and UNC are great universities, plus you have Research Triangle Park.

 

In VA, you have JLab (semi-conductor) In the Newport News/Hampton Roads area and UVA in Charlottesville. (I'm only familiar with the SE.)

 

Fwiw, a 3000 sq ft home is not out of that price range in most areas.

[SeaConquest]

You could be like the rest of California and move up to the PNW. We've been considering Bend (because we need sunshine and my DH likes to snowboard), but what about Portland or some place like Eugene? 

 

ETA: https://siliconshire.org/

[quark]

I grew up mostly in NC and all of my siblings still live there. The cost of living is low and both NCSU and UNC are great universities, plus you have Research Triangle Park.

 

In VA, you have JLab (semi-conductor) In the Newport News/Hampton Roads area and UVA in Charlottesville. (I'm only familiar with the SE.)

 

Fwiw, a 3000 sq ft home is not out of that price range in most areas.

 

Thank you 8! I am taking notes and making lists as you guys share! :001_smile: I was hoping someone would suggest NC. Will probably come back with questions once I can think more clearly!

 

[quark]

Will you be homeschooling all the way or do you want a school district that offers math thru DiffEq and the opportunity for independent study and research?

 

Thanks for the question Heigh Ho. No, not school. Diff Eq is in his very near future (in one more semester possibly) and he would be at least 3 semesters past Diff Eq by then. And very likely finished with lower division physics too. ETA: yes, we hope to homeschool for as long as we can.

 

You could be like the rest of California and move up to the PNW. We've been considering Bend (because we need sunshine and my DH likes to snowboard), but what about Portland or some place like Eugene? 

 

Thank you Monique. DH asked about Portland. This goes into the list. I might come back and hound you about your own considerations! :D

[Gwen in VA]

Williamsburg VA -- William & Mary has very strong programs in both physics and comp sci. It's a great college town, and NASA and Jefferson Lab are near and a great source of internships. And OODLES of homeschoolers with a very active homeschooling community.

[quark]

Williamsburg VA -- William & Mary has very strong programs in both physics and comp sci. It's a great college town, and NASA and Jefferson Lab are near and a great source of internships. And OODLES of homeschoolers with a very active homeschooling community.

 

Thank you so much!

 

[quark]

DH is very curious about Texas, particularly the Austin area if anyone has any feedback.

[RKWAcademy]

I 2nd the triangle NC area.  COL is not bad and weather not terrible.  Good schools.  Area is growing on me after 9 years.  I no longer dream DAILY about when DH retires and we can move.  In fact, I've actually considered the possibility we will stay and kids will go to NC State.

 

Tuscaloosa, AL is a nice little town but very college-y, not much else redeeming there, IMHO.  Huntsville, AL is miles better.  But if you are wanting to avoid tornadoes, cross Tuscaloosa off the list. 

 

I puffy heart Austin.  All of Texas, actually.  That is my home and I miss it.  UT is great (BIG, but great).  However, they don't have the slogan "keep Austin weird" for nothing.

[FairProspects]

You could be like the rest of California and move up to the PNW. We've been considering Bend (because we need sunshine and my DH likes to snowboard), but what about Portland or some place like Eugene? 

 

ETA: https://siliconshire.org/

 

Agreed, but based on the qualifications, my vote would be for Corvallis over Eugene. OSU has long been known as the place for physics & engineering as Oregon state schools go. I also may or may not be biased in favor of some of the physics professors there. ;)

[happypamama]

Twenty years ago, Penn State was supposedly good for STEM. (That's why DH picked it, although he didn't stay in a STEM program. I can't comment on the STEM programs myself, as I went for liberal arts and DH.). I don't know how it ranks for STEM these days, but State College is a lovely town, and central PA is a great place to live. I believe there is a thriving homeschool community in the State College area too. (We are just a little too far from SC to be part of their hs community.). My transfer credit experience with Penn State was very positive, although again, it's been twenty years (goodness, I am old).

 

Not too humid here, and not terribly prone to tornadoes. Winter is cold, and SC gets it a bit harsher than down where I am, but not too terrible. Not like New England -- we moved to Boston right out of college, and winter is definitely worse there. Central PA doesn't get hit with natural disasters much in general, and we get four pretty decent seasons, with springs and falls that are simply stunning.

[Guest2]

We love Texas. My son was accepted and considered UT in Austin seriously, so we visited and researched a bit. My DS1 is double majoring in Math/Econ, but since his love is Econ, we mainly visited their liberal arts honors program and general school tours.

 

Here is their transfer equilvency chart: http://utdirect.utexas.edu/adtreq/search2.WBX

Austin Community College is located there is your son is still taking DE while in high school. I know it has diff e , and has a good reputation. Texas is very homeschool friendly, but admission is limited due to state requirements. UT is required to accept the top 7% students in Texas. The remaining 18% of the Freshman class( if I remember correctly) is made up of kids from oos, non-ranking schools (includes homeschools) and students that were not in the top 7%. If your son is doing diff e in high school, that shouldn't be a problem. SAT/ACT scores are pretty critical.

 

The city itself is quite large http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4805000.htmland over a million in population with the surrounding area. I mention this because of your title. Their seems to be a large secular/ inclusive group there, but I don't have any personal experience . http://www.main.org/aah/email-list.html.

 

Many people love Austin. I think the housing prices would still fit. Austin, San Antonio and Houston are booming and jobs are plentiful, no income tax , but housing prices and property taxes are going up!

 

Texas A & M is also very stem oriented with a bit more of a college town feel. The town where it is located is over 100,00 , so not really a town either. Housing prices would work, but not sure about the industry.

Hope this helps. Sorry for the typos, I really need to wear my reading glasses!

[lmrich]

Atlanta suberbs have a low COL.(We are 20 minutes away from Atlanta even in traffic by going the backroads)  Georgia Tech has a stellar reputation for STEM. There are tons of homeschool groups, lots of foreign language classes, few tornadoes (some but not too many), but it is hot and humid. 

[FaithManor]

Do you mind snow and a fair amount of it??? Houghton, MI is about as geek school, STEM as one gets. It is a small community and Michigan Technological University is the orb around which it orbits. Foreign language ould be light though German is readily available and one can become quite fluent in Finnish across the river in Hancock at Finlandia College due to the area having been mostly settle by Finish immigrants who promptly started a Finnish speaking college. Outdoor sports, hiking, skiing, ice skating, kayaking and canoing, wildlife watching, and hockey are huge. The area is beautiful!MTU has over 200 STEM industries that court their graduates and offer internships along with international internships too. 90% of the seniors have a job.offer in their field before graduation and they have 95% employed within their major rate within 6 months of graduation, one of the highest employment rates of any tech/science school in the Midwest/Great Lakes. Their price tage is reasonable. They give out 50 full rides and 50 half rides each year, have other smaller scholarships, and allow stacking of merit aid as well.

 

Right now dh and I could buy a 3 bed 1 bath house within walking distance of campus for less than $65,000 if inclined. For less than $200,000 we could have a large, gorgeous home on Portage Lake.

 

MTU is very active organizing science and math activities for middle and high school students. There is a small homeschooling community that seems to be well respected. I say small because since the local high school is pretty darn good and heavily influenced by MTU it seems to be pretty common for parents that do homeschool in the young years to then enroll for high school.

 

But seriously, you have to be adventurous enough to put up with the weather! It is not everyone's cup of tea.

[Penguin]

OK, I will third NC.

There are, however, occasional tornadoes :) Which quite surprised me when I moved there!

[Crimson Wife]

#2 is what I think you're going to find the sticking point. High-tech jobs tend to be in expensive places like the S.F. Bay Area, Boston, Seattle, No. VA, etc. Even places that were previously more reasonable like Austin aren't cheap these days from what I hear.

 

If we end up moving for me to attend grad school, DH is going to need to switch industries.

[unsinkable]

You could look at University of Buffalo (New York). Housing and COL is low, taxes are high, but it is a great place to live and raise a family.

[8filltheheart]

#2 is what I think you're going to find the sticking point. High-tech jobs tend to be in expensive places like the S.F. Bay Area, Boston, Seattle, No. VA, etc. Even places that were previously more reasonable like Austin aren't cheap these days from what I hear.

 

If we end up moving for me to attend grad school, DH is going to need to switch industries.

 

Yeah, b/c the rest of the country is just full of goobers.

[jennynd]

Purdue.. Not sure their math, physics. But certainly low cost and with highly regard engineering

[Arcadia]

Quark,

 

We are also looking at possible moves. Mainly same criteria.

 

Yeah, b/c the rest of the country is just full of goobers.

I like to eat peanuts a lot :)

 

Hubby's industry is unfortunately a major source of environmental pollutant :( Lots of superfund sites.

[fdrinca]

Thinking Purdue as well. Not exceptionally familiar with West Lafayette, but I grew up in a suburb of Indianapolis, and it's a very, very easy town to have a family. Lots of homeschool opportunities, great children's activities, OK-ish weather (cold in winter, hot in summer, some humidity but not like the Southeast). COL is spectacular. 

[SunnyDays]

Believe it or not, Ames Iowa hits a fair amount of your criteria.  Iowa State University has great science and engineering programs, it's lower cost of living, and there's a fair amount of tech around the area for a small city.  Iowa has good dual enrollment laws to take classes at both public schools and community college level.  I do know there are some homeschooling families in the area, though I don't know how much of the community is secular vs. faith based.

 

The weather in Iowa... the nicest thing I can say about it is that if you don't like today, there's always tomorrow and it will be different!  :D  It's hot in summer, cold in winter, and snow/humidity/storms vary a lot year to year.  But it's pretty and the people are friendly and welcoming.

 

[quark]

Thanks so very much everyone. You guys, you are awesome. There's so much I don't know about these areas and have a lot of homework to do for sure.

 

DH is actually considering a change of industry for his own personal development and peace of mind and is taking some courses towards that goal. So there is the possibility that #2's criteria might not be overly important. 

 

Thank you for additional comments about scenery etc too.

[Penguin]

Most NC people are going to tell you about the Triangle, so I will put in a little plug for the Triad.

 

The Triad is just about an hour west of Raleigh. You can easily drive to either the beach or the mountains. While the top STEM universities are not in the Triad, there are still rich cultural and academic offerings. Within a thirty minute drive, there are numerous state and private schools. Too many to list, almost. You can always find inexpensive (or free) concerts, lectures, films, etc.

[8filltheheart]

Quark, I found this map interesting. http://www.semiconductors.org/clientuploads/Industry%20Statistics/Employment%20Without%20Numbers%20-%204%20shades%20-%202013.pdf

 

As a trivia question, any idea which state is the top exporter of semi- conductors?

[Arcadia]

As a trivia question, any idea which state is the top exporter of semi- conductors?

From the same organization as your link

 

" And they would not be incorrect, as Texas led all states in semiconductor exports in 2014 with close to $8.9 billion and California was second with $7.4 billion.

 

However, some of the other leading semiconductor export states are not so obvious. For example, Oregon, Arizona, Vermont, Massachusetts, Idaho, and Utah rounded out the top eight leading U.S. export states for semiconductors in 2014."

 

http://blog.semiconductors.org/blog/what-us-states-are-leading-exporters-of-semiconductors-some-may-surprise-you

 

Hubby used to work in a foundry in their R&D. Now the dept. he is in oversee the QC of an offshore foundry.

[shawthorne44]

Look into North of Dallas.  Look closely.  There are many semiconductor companies and also the semi-semi companies (vendors to the semiconductor industry).  Then check out University Texas at Dallas.  It was originally a STEM-only upper-class-only school started at the instigation of TI so that TI could send their employees there to fill in their tech gaps.  Now it is a full-fledged 4-year-school but still has the really strong STEM focus.  I've looked at the Dual-enrollment for both UTD and UTA (where I went) and both looks reasonable.  I think there is even a scholarship after the first semester or year.  For the truly qualified they both seem reasonable on starting before the official dual-enroll age.  Plus, by dual-enrolling at the likely final school there will be no transfer problems.  I believe UTD classes also transfer straight into UT.  Check into that though.  

 

I lived in the Dallas area and worked for a semi-semiconductor companies travelling to sites of different companies in the U.S. and Taiwan.  The Dallas to San Jose flights are called the Nerd Bird from all the engineers going back and forth.  A distant third would be Portland, Oregon.  Then with a scattering of companies around the rest of the U.S.  For future employment I would avoid any one tech company towns.  In general, they know that you have to move to change employers so they need to do less to keep you.  

 

Houses cost less than in your OP.  Many homeschool groups to choose from.  

 

eta:  I can type.  Really.  

 

eta:  no state income taxes in Texas, or city or county income taxes.  There are sales taxes, property taxes and federal income taxes.  

[8filltheheart]

From the same organization as your link

 

" And they would not be incorrect, as Texas led all states in semiconductor exports in 2014 with close to $8.9 billion and California was second with $7.4 billion.

 

However, some of the other leading semiconductor export states are not so obvious. For example, Oregon, Arizona, Vermont, Massachusetts, Idaho, and Utah rounded out the top eight leading U.S. export states for semiconductors in 2014."

 

http://blog.semiconductors.org/blog/what-us-states-are-leading-exporters-of-semiconductors-some-may-surprise-you

 

Hubby used to work in a foundry in their R&D. Now the dept. he is in oversee the QC of an offshore foundry.

Yeah, I should have worded my question as which state's top export is semi-conductors Bc the 2 questions are not the same. :). I posted pre-coffee....that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. ;)

[Arcadia]

Quark,

Hubby doesn't like the management track so we are kind of stuck with tech track jobs for him. His boss actually told him that the tech track ceiling is low.  I prefer the management track though if I go back to work and the celling is much higher for management.
 

For future employment I would avoid any one tech company towns. In general, they know that you have to move to change employers so they need to do less to keep you.

That was the reason hubby opt for retrenchment rather than relocate to Malta, NY. He did manage to get a job within a month of looking here.

My neighbor moved back to her hometown in Texas. She moved to her company's Texas location. She works for Google. Her job is actually in an area that I enjoy doing.

[vonfirmath]

DH is very curious about Texas, particularly the Austin area if anyone has any feedback.

 

For Lower COL I'd suggest College Station (Home of Texas A&M) NOT Austin.  Austin is not a college town. It is a state capitol that happens to have a university as part of it.  Hrms.  Though college station doesn't have the High-Tech.  (CS is where I graduated from HS and I went to A&M for 2 years. I live in the greater Austin area now. Still an Aggie fan though and my sister homeschools in the CS area.)  Austin is better for high tech/Semiconductor stuff. Several companies around.

 

I live in the Austin area. We just had our Graduating Seniors Day at church. At least 30 youth graduating. Not ONE of them is going to University of Texas.  I think we had three going to Texas A&M. Maybe 4.  In any case, UT may be difficult to get into?  There are a lot of community colleges here. Though if you want to use them, be careful which city you live in. Not all have easy access to ACC, etc. Depending how they have voted over the years.

[Crimson Wife]

Yeah, b/c the rest of the country is just full of goobers.

 

You're putting words into my mouth. I would actually LOVE to live in the mountains somewhere but the jobs in my DH's industry tend to be highly concentrated.

[8filltheheart]

#2 is what I think you're going to find the sticking point. High-tech jobs tend to be in expensive places like the S.F. Bay Area, Boston, Seattle, No. VA, etc. Even places that were previously more reasonable like Austin aren't cheap these days from what I hear.

 

If we end up moving for me to attend grad school, DH is going to need to switch industries.

actually I don't believe I did. As far as I can tell quark didn't ask about your dh finding a job and she gave a fairly long list of possible fields. You quantified her list as "high tech jobs" and stated those are only found in limited locations. By implication all those professionals in places like RTP, Huntsville, etc are not holding high tech jobs which is bogus.

 

(Huntsville gets lots of tornadoes which is why I didn't mention it, not bc of lack of high tech jobs.)

[Crimson Wife]

Huntsville has engineering jobs, but those tend to be in the aerospace industry rather than IT. Someone who currently works as a semiconductor engineer is going to find it difficult to switch to being an aerospace engineer without going back to school. Not saying that one type of engineer is better than the other, just that they are different and not interchangeable. Ditto for NC and biotech/pharma.

[8filltheheart]

The implication I took was that a near future move has better odds in an area that has more jobs. People moving from here in tech arent seeing much in Huntsville or RTP. Malta and Austin seem to be the low cost areas seeking experienced profs.in all the areas listed.Ft. Collinss might be a possibility too, if Mines is good for the lad.

I took just one field from the list, strategic marketing, and typed it into RTP's job search engine and multiple positions popped up.

 

http://www.workinthetriangle.com/work/find-a-job

 

Fwiw, I have no idea what her dh does as a career, but I didn't see mention of prof, engineer, or IT. Maybe I missed it.

[Caroline]

Huntsville has engineering jobs, but those tend to be in the aerospace industry rather than IT. Someone who currently works as a semiconductor engineer is going to find it difficult to switch to being an aerospace engineer without going back to school. Not saying that one type of engineer is better than the other, just that they are different and not interchangeable. Ditto for NC and biotech/pharma.

I believe you are incorrect. The aerospace industry employs a lot of engineers who aren't aerospace or mechanical. As a materials engineer with a background in electronics, I have worked in the aerospace industry both at NASA in Huntsville and for several aerospace firms as a consultant.

 

But Huntsville does have the tornado issue, as does the Atlanta area.

[Dmmetler]

Knoxville TN may fit your bill, although they're more government than industrial. It's on the expensive side for TN, but much lower COL than either coast. Chattanooga is also heading in that direction, with more tech industry moving in as well. TN is very homeschool friendly, has free community college tuition and good DE financial support, and a strong transfer path from CC to the state U. (Both cities are on the list for possible relocation for us because they have strong programs in DD's areas).Secular homeschoolers aren't the majority, but most cities do have secular groups. (I don't know as much about groups on the other side of the state).

 

And they're really, really pretty areas. TN does get snow in the winter, and summers can get quite hot and humid, so the climate isn't ideal, but the mountains add a lot.

[8filltheheart]

Its nice you found ads, but the people moving from here are going to Malta or Austin.. You do know ads are not serious...the candidates have already been found and the ad is a formality to satisfy the H1B reqs.

I posted the link to simply show that RTP is a high employment area. If her dh is serious, a head hunter is the best way to go. My brother is a tech head hunter in NC and he makes a way better living than my engineer dh. ;)

[Arcadia]

Aerospace industry (private and military) do hire IT and EE people as well. I was part of a team installing and setting up the visualization labs (flight simulator room) as the vendor but their employees maintain the labs.

 

If her dh is serious, a head hunter is the best way to go. My brother is a tech head hunter in NC and he makes a way better living than my engineer dh. ;)

I agree. Both hubby and I got our jobs faster through head hunters than submitting resumes direct to companies. Hubby's field is a lot more niche than mine since he is in R&D while I was in project management.

 

Maybe I should consider head hunting as a "hobby" career.

[8filltheheart]

Maybe I should consider head hunting as a "hobby" career.

If you are serious, I say go for it. Really. My brother works from his waterfront home on Lake Norman. Not a slouch income by any stretch.

[JennW in SoCal]

Albuquerque, NM. 

 

There is a strong secular homeschool network, an excellent, city-wide youth music program, the university (UNM) is huge with all sorts of languages and good engineering departments. The weather is phenomenal -- definitely not humid but 4 seasons with snow in the nearby mountains, the cost of living cheap, and there is a thriving tech industry, though much of it is government and military. 

[quark]

I took just one field from the list, strategic marketing, and typed it into RTP's job search engine and multiple positions popped up.

 

http://www.workinthetriangle.com/work/find-a-job

 

Fwiw, I have no idea what her dh does as a career, but I didn't see mention of prof, engineer, or IT. Maybe I missed it.

 

You didn't miss it 8! :) He isn't an engineer although he did start out with process engineering in a multinational semicon and has stuck to the semicon field since then but he has been doing many things in the mean time. (edited for TMI)

 

[quark]

Thank you everyone, just loving your thoughts on this and love having all these places to research virtually and dream about!

 

Albuquerque, NM. 

 

There is a strong secular homeschool network, an excellent, city-wide youth music program, the university (UNM) is huge with all sorts of languages and good engineering departments. The weather is phenomenal -- definitely not humid but 4 seasons with snow in the nearby mountains, the cost of living cheap, and there is a thriving tech industry, though much of it is government and military. 

 

We were wondering about NM too! Thanks Jenn! And I think I forgot to list the need for music! Yes, DS would love having a good music program to attend too.

 

Just wanted to add in general that although his interests seem like they might lead to engineering, DS hasn't actually expressed interest in engineering. He seems to be leaning more towards pure math and research with CS thrown in somewhere (and physics is something that just seems to happen naturally for DS as a result of his and DH's deep interest but he is not very sure about an "official" physics qualification yet).
 

[quark]

Yeah, I should have worded my question as which state's top export is semi-conductors Bc the 2 questions are not the same. :). I posted pre-coffee....that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. ;)

 

DH has visited Idaho many times on business. It definitely fits the "hoping for beautiful scenery"requirement (that I did not mention in my OP).

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Do you mind snow and a fair amount of it??? Houghton, MI is about as geek school, STEM as one gets. It is a small community and Michigan Technological University is the orb around which it orbits. Foreign language ould be light though German is readily available and one can become quite fluent in Finnish across the river in Hancock at Finlandia College due to the area having been mostly settle by Finish immigrants who promptly started a Finnish speaking college. Outdoor sports, hiking, skiing, ice skating, kayaking and canoing, wildlife watching, and hockey are huge. The area is beautiful!MTU has over 200 STEM industries that court their graduates and offer internships along with international internships too. 90% of the seniors have a job.offer in their field before graduation and they have 95% employed within their major rate within 6 months of graduation, one of the highest employment rates of any tech/science school in the Midwest/Great Lakes. Their price tage is reasonable. They give out 50 full rides and 50 half rides each year, have other smaller scholarships, and allow stacking of merit aid as well.

 

Right now dh and I could buy a 3 bed 1 bath house within walking distance of campus for less than $65,000 if inclined. For less than $200,000 we could have a large, gorgeous home on Portage Lake.

 

MTU is very active organizing science and math activities for middle and high school students. There is a small homeschooling community that seems to be well respected. I say small because since the local high school is pretty darn good and heavily influenced by MTU it seems to be pretty common for parents that do homeschool in the young years to then enroll for high school.

 

But seriously, you have to be adventurous enough to put up with the weather! It is not everyone's cup of tea.

 

I have to admit that I'm intrigued by MTU.  Though I'm not really sure how my kiddo would react to that much snow.  He'd either spend years shivering or start building a snowboard collection.  

 

I was chatting with an MTU alumni rep and he pointed out that there was a nice scholarship for OOS students who were active duty military family members.  It covers the difference between in state and out of state rates.  http://www.mtu.edu/admissions/tuition/scholarships/

[MBM]

How about the Phoenix area? It does get very hot in summer but winters are nice and definitely not humid. Nice hiking trails. My youngest brother has been an engineer at Intel for 10+ years in the Chandler area and he absolutely loves it there. His degree is in chemical engineering but he's worked in the semiconductor industry for over 20 years. He only worked in chemical engineering for about three years but didn't like it. To transition I think he just got some certifications. Not 100% sure.

 

Boise has Micron but I'm not sure how they're doing. The city is one of those hidden gems -- very pretty river walk, fun outdoor activities, and friendly people. Sunny, not too humid, and good skiing is nearby. My youngest brother worked there for about 1.5 years.

 

ETA  If you're interested I'd be happy to ask my brother about Intel, how they're doing and whatnot.