Chava_Raizel Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Daydream with me a moment if you will. I grew up in central VA, and now live in NH. I really hate the cold. Really hate it. If I have to do another winter with 3+ feet of snow I'm going to lose my mind. We've been here for going on 15 years and I thought I would eventually adjust to the weather. It doesn't appear that I will. Dh's company is threatening lay offs. He won't know anything until Sept. so it's driving him a little crazy. We've talked about looking for a job elsewhere, but I don't know where we'd want to go. Both of us hate the cold, so number one priority would be mild winters. But on the flipside, he doesn't want to live where there is a lot of humidity in the summer. VA was terrible in the summer. My other priority would be an easy state to homeschool - right now, we just have to send a letter of intent when we begin homeschooling, and keep good records either of test scores or portfolio, but we don't have to show that to anyone. I like this level of freedom and don't want to trade it for a high regulation state. I'd also love to find a great homeschool community, especially a secular group. We also want a relatively low cost of living. NH can be pretty expensive and one of the reason we'd consider moving is that if we lived somewhere less expensive, we could manage on just my income while he looked for a job or even accept a job that pays less than what he makes now (which is important, because we're not sure he can find anything paying what he makes now). Living near a city would be a bonus, since my twins are very much into the music scene and would love to find places to play gigs. So, mild weather, easy homeschooling and not too expensive. Where can we find that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagine.more Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 We moved to Charlotte for those reasons. Low COL, lots of jobs, growing area but not too big and crazy, mild weather, and easy homeschool laws. However it is rather hot and somewhat humid (not as bad as georgia) in the summer. We'd prefer a colder climate but this is livable for us. There are lots of transplants too so you guys would have no trouble breaking into the social scene and stuff. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 How about western Virginia, like Roanoke or Blacksburg? I think the humidity is better, and while there is sometimes a sprinkling of snow, there isn't much. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaelAldrich Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Indianapolis is all these things (not too humid, relatively mild winters (snows 3-4 times a year, melts quickly), super easy HS laws, low cost of living and housing prices). I didn't get involved with the HS scene but it seemed secular friendly-ish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Western NC? Asheville area or even closer to Chattanooga,TN? What about Oregon, PNW areas?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 If you really don't like winter and really don't like humidity, I'd look at southwest Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 how about Western PA? Laurel Highlands area.... It might be cold in the winter, but not as bad as NH, I would think. I hate the heat and humidity of my area and everytime I've gone up to the Laurel Highland's area when it's blistering here in the DC metro area, it's a good 10-15* cooler there. But, I don't live there, so it would be best to talk with someone more local - esp. about the winters. Otherwise, I'd also suggest Western NC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamanthaCarter Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I'm in Roanoke. COL is middle of the road, it sounds like a great fit climate wise and with our easy homeschool regulatory environment. But I'm not sure about fit with the arts or with secular homeschooling groups. We do have city children's choir, city children's theatre, and a music lab at our performing arts center, plus a fairy high ranked liberal arts college - so maybe? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ringwoodgal Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I've had the same daydream and put in a lot of time reading the city-data forums. I came up with the Boise, Idaho area. Idaho is one of the most homeschool friendly states. The Boise area has warm weather and and low cost of living in relation to the northeast. I've never been there, though. Can anyone from Boise confirm? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Texas. I'd go back if I could. Tennessee is an option, but it really does get very humid in the summer. Both are very easy to homeschool in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chava_Raizel Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 Thanks everyone - you've given me a good list to start with. I've been to NC and always liked it there, and I had been thinking of maybe TN since Nashville is a good music area. But I love the idea of venturing off the east coast since I've never been anywhere that wasn't on the east coast. I'd heard ID was a great state for homeschooling so that's going to the top of my list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Indianapolis is all these things (not too humid, relatively mild winters (snows 3-4 times a year, melts quickly), super easy HS laws, low cost of living and housing prices). I didn't get involved with the HS scene but it seemed secular friendly-ish. We lived in Danville, Indiana for a few years which is on the west side of Indianapolis. Yes to all of this. We also loved the climate of Newburg, Oregon - portland area, but I am not certain what the homeschool laws are like there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Idaho definitely is an easy place to homeschool and the cost of living is generally low, but I wouldn't say any part of it has warm winters. It's not as cold as some part of the US, but it still snows in Boise, although not usually a lot at a time. It's wintery for several months though. Other parts of southern Idaho can be warmer but often they're windy. Lots and lots of wind. It's definitely not humid though. Lewiston is further north but its elevation is really low and it's on the Snake and Clearwater Rivers so it's consistently warmer there in the winter than other nearby towns. It's a very noticeable difference. There's less snow there than in Boise. In all of Idaho you're going to find a very different culture than you're used to on the East coast. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ringwoodgal Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Well, Amira, you're right it does snow in Boise! I guess I'm delusional. It does snow a lot less than in the northeast, though, doesn't it? And the average low temperatures for the winter months are higher in Boise. Lewiston seems like a nice place to live especially because it's closer Moscow, which is where I'd really like to live except for the snow. I'm not sure about the paper mill odors in Lewiston however. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I'd suggest the west coast. Maybe near Seattle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Certain parts of Arizona may work. What about St. George, Utah? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Well, Amira, you're right it does snow in Boise! I guess I'm delusional. It does snow a lot less than in the northeast, though, doesn't it? And the average low temperatures for the winter months are higher in Boise. Lewiston seems like a nice place to live especially because it's closer Moscow, which is where I'd really like to live except for the snow. I'm not sure about the paper mill odors in Lewiston however. There is a noticeable odor in Lewiston, unquestionably, and I never liked it but people say they get used to it. Moscow usually does get a lot of snow. We lived there for three winters and one winter had almost no snow and everyone commented on it. It's not the place to live if you don't want snow even though I always thought it was much nicer than Lewiston. Boise really doesn't get much snow, which always disappointed me. And it's really not in a pretty part of the state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Vancouver area of Washngton state. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I'd consider the Sacramento area of California, or the Portland area of Oregon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I'd suggest the west coast. Maybe near Seattle? No low COL there! I thought of that too except for the cost of living thing. Maybe it's lower than east coast? We're just over the Cascade Mountains 2 hours eat of Seattle and have everything on your list except super mild winters. I don't think they're anything like the east coast winters I've seen on the news though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chava_Raizel Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 I'm definitely open to the west coast, but I always thought that was a higher COL area of the country. Maybe there are segments where it's not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Texas. The answer is always Texas. :D 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planner Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I recommend Arizona. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 We moved to Charlotte for those reasons. Low COL, lots of jobs, growing area but not too big and crazy, mild weather, and easy homeschool laws. However it is rather hot and somewhat humid (not as bad as georgia) in the summer. We'd prefer a colder climate but this is livable for us. There are lots of transplants too so you guys would have no trouble breaking into the social scene and stuff. I was also going to recommend Charlotte. The Winter, hah!, is milder by far. We're in Indiana and the humidity in NC is significantly less. I liked being only a few hours from the beach too. Great HSing community on both the North and South sides. For even lower COL it's relatively easy to live outside Charlotte but still be involved in the activities in Charlotte. It's a bit of a haul to get from one side to the other but there are a bunch of city greenspaces and the loop around the eastside of the city looks like a drive in the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I'm definitely open to the west coast, but I always thought that was a higher COL area of the country. Maybe there are segments where it's not? Definitely segments where the COL is lower. Washington is divided into two "halves" -- west and east. Seattle, Tacoma, the majority of the population, etc. is on the west side of the mountains. The east side is more rural (except for 2-3 large cities/areas here and there) and maintains a lower COL. (By the way, this is true of Oregon as well.) We definitely have four seasons where I live, but while the winters can have a foot or so of snow for several weeks at a time, that's not usual. The last two winters, we haven't had any snow to speak of. The summers can be hot though. There's usually a run of 100 degree weather -- this year one lasted for 2+ weeks and another is coming this week. ETA: It's definitely a dry heat, not a humid one, especially here in eastern Washington. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Sounds like you'd love Texas. Atlanta is a great choice except for the humidity. My sister lives in Tucson -- dry heat, but the land is tons of cacti? Cactus? What's the plural. If you like four seasons w/ yellow leaves, it's probably not for you. Alley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Isn't most of Texas humid though? I suppose El Paso and Amarillo aren't humid, but I wouldn't go to Texas if I were trying to avoid humidity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Isn't most of Texas humid though? I suppose El Paso and Amarillo aren't humid, but I wouldn't go to Texas if I were trying to avoid humidity. I don't consider the DFW area particularly humid. It is not dry, but it is not humid. I consider it somewhere in the middle. Houston is humid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chava_Raizel Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 Dh's brother and his wife live in DFW Texas, and my dd visited them with her grandparents this past spring. She would happily move there, but I keep reminding her that she hasn't experienced summer there. She was impressed that she could go swimming in April, whereas we still had snow on the ground here in NH. She's always saying that if she doesn't end up moving to Japan, she'll go to Dallas, TX because that's the headquarters for Funimation. So, if you ask dd, Texas is the top of her list. Dh is concerned about the summers though. I can imagine that if it's humid and hot in VA in the summer then it must be pretty miserable in TX. I'm happy to be proven wrong though. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 ladybugs Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 A word of caution about Portland, OR if that is anywhere near your list. My father lives there and he knows someone who has near perfect credit, and is willing to pay 1 year in advance, and can't find a place to rent! He said he has had to write several letters saying why he wants to rent places he is looking at, because I guess they can afford to be THAT picky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Dh's brother and his wife live in DFW Texas, and my dd visited them with her grandparents this past spring. She would happily move there, but I keep reminding her that she hasn't experienced summer there. She was impressed that she could go swimming in April, whereas we still had snow on the ground here in NH. She's always saying that if she doesn't end up moving to Japan, she'll go to Dallas, TX because that's the headquarters for Funimation. So, if you ask dd, Texas is the top of her list. Dh is concerned about the summers though. I can imagine that if it's humid and hot in VA in the summer then it must be pretty miserable in TX. I'm happy to be proven wrong though. ;) I have been trapped in DFW, Texas since 1995, and I would not be able to flee this place rapidly enough. The land is ugly. The weather is hellishly hot. The people are very pleasant and very friendly, which salvages the area on that score. There are plenty of cultural opportunities here to hold ones interest -- music, acting, museums, festivals, public speakers, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 It has been 99 or 100 every day for the last few weeks in West Texas. It is a dry heat, though, LOL. Same forcast for the next week, down to 91 Saturday, then back to 97... My husband has a ton of family in Boise, the winters are better than Virginia and it is dry there with not as hot summers as Texas, low COL, homeschool friendly, lots of things to do. We have lived in Little Rock, Fairfax, VA, Albuquerque, Germany, Los Angeles, Alabama, Illinois, Ohio, and I grew up in Seattle, we visit Seattle and Boise often. We have also visited or driven through a lot of places. I would vote Boise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 I'm definitely open to the west coast, but I always thought that was a higher COL area of the country. Maybe there are segments where it's not? Eastern Washington and Idaho are low COL, the rest in generally high, Seattle is very high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Many places are warm without humidity, some are downright hot like the CA Central Valley or the Southern CA valley areas. Coastal CA has mild winters and mild summers but COL is through the roof for that very reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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