Minnesota (MPLS area) vs Washington (Seattle area)

[Janeway]

Can anyone give me feed back? Thank you. 

 

My head is swimming. My husband is only getting calls for out of state jobs (with relocation packages). It is almost as if someone realized we were backing off on the idea of relocating so they jumped in and are forcing it. 

[JanetC]

What sort of info are you looking for?

The cost of living in Minneapolis will be lower than in Seattle. The job market should be pretty good in both cities.

[Janeway]

What sort of info are you looking for?

The cost of living in Minneapolis will be lower than in Seattle. The job market should be pretty good in both cities.

 

 

Minneapolis is a lot colder..right? Is there a lot of home schooling, or is it looked down on, or anything, in those areas? Are the laws restrictive on home schooling, or pretty easy? Are people generally accepting? Are they family friendly places..or places where people tend to have 2 working parents and few children?

[Mergath]

Minneapolis is a lot colder..right? Is there a lot of home schooling, or is it looked down on, or anything, in those areas? Are the laws restrictive on home schooling, or pretty easy? Are people generally accepting? Are they family friendly places..or places where people tend to have 2 working parents and few children?

I live a couple hours outside Minneapolis, but yes, Minnesota is very cold in the winter. There are a lot of homeschoolers all over the state. The schools here are pretty good, so some people don't understand why people bother homeschooling, but it's widely accepted. The last legislation MN passed irt homeschooling was actually to make it easier. We mail a letter to the school district each year that basically says, "Yup, still homeschooling," and give our kids a standardized test for our own records.

 

I don't have as much info specific to Minneapolis as a couple other people here will, but the culture throughout most of the state is very family-friendly. We were actually ranked the best state to raise children this year.

Edited November 10, 2016 by Mergath

[vonfirmath]

Minneapolis is a lot colder..right? Is there a lot of home schooling, or is it looked down on, or anything, in those areas? Are the laws restrictive on home schooling, or pretty easy? Are people generally accepting? Are they family friendly places..or places where people tend to have 2 working parents and few children?

 

WA is a good state to homeschool in. Very few rules. Plenty of co-ops (At least on the Eastside)  And lots of opportunity to attend Community College while still high-school aged. (Or even younger if you get into the Davidson Scholars program at the University of Washington)

 

WA has a great climate. Gets colder in the winter than Texas, but not nearly as hot (I never had a/c while living there for 14 years and only for a week-10 days in the summer really wished I did). in the summer.  But it rains a lot. Not enough to need an umbrella, but enough to stay overcast. Seasonal Affective Depression is a real thing.

 

Edited November 10, 2016 by vonfirmath

[Crimson Wife]

Seattle is pretty pricey. Not California expensive but definitely a lot more expensive than Minneapolis. You'd be looking at >$400k in Seattle for a decent home in an okay neighborhood. Minneapolis you'd be looking at mid-to-high 200's.

[catz]

I live in Saint Paul bordering Minneapolis.  There is a vigorous secular/welcoming homeschool community.  There are religious co-ops and communities too, but they keep to themselves so I don't know as much about them.  We have real winters but they haven't been horrible the past few years.  Cost of living isn't low, but isn't the worst either and housing costs can vary widely depending depending on where you want to settle.  There are some neighborhoods you'd be looking at 300-400K+ for a modest family home and if you're willing or want to be in an outer ring suburb or less convenient or popular area the 200K figure is more accurate.   Part of the thing with Seattle (or somewhere like Denver area) vs somewhere like Minneapolis is that Seattle is limited land wise by water and Denver by mountains.  The Minneapolis suburbs just keep stretching and stretching and that means huge variances in home prices and commute times.  I also know more than one person who has moved to a "cheap" suburb and regretted their location.  I recommend to people who can to rent for a few months if that's an option for you to really see what the traffic and travel is like and what neighborhoods are like.  Would your DH be working downtown Minneapolis and what would you like the commute to be like? 

 

You can PM me if you have specific questions. 

 

ETA - saw your later Minneapolis questions.  Homeschooling has been accepted no problem.  We live in a neighborhood where the kids go to schools all over the place, being a homeschooling family is not a big deal at all.  Heck, I have 3 homeschooling families that I'm aware of within 4 blocks of me.  The regulations are a breeze and the testing obligation is no big deal.  There are homeschool parents that will come to your house and do it if you're in the cities with the Peabody Achievement or Woodcock-Johnson - zero prep, done in an hour.  You can also use the ACT when kids get older.  It's actually been pretty good info over the years.

Edited November 10, 2016 by WoolySocks

[MEmama]

We lived in the Twin Cities years ago and loved it. It's very family friendly--terrific old neighbourhoods and tons of outdoorsy stuff to do year round. It can be stifling hot in the summer, and yes the winters are cold, but people just embrace and enjoy it no matter the weather (I do recommend A/C though). Back then it was quite inexpensive, but I don't know about now. Certainly much less than Seattle.

[bethben]

Minnesota has the dual college enrollment for free which is a nice option and is homeschooling friendly for the most part. Like a pp mentioned, it is a family friendly state in general. We did like the lush trees and grass and had many friends. We just moved from Minnesota 1 1/2 years ago mainly because of the weather. It was just so very very cold for 1/2 of the year. I got rid of what I call my "huge honking Minnesota coat" when I moved--this was a really warm coat that I would wear when it was -20 windchill and I had to get out and shovel snow. I may wind up getting rid of my "it's just cold" coat also because my "it's fall" coat is warm enough for winter here. And the lack of sun during that time did affect my mood. Many people get those indoor lights to help with the lack of sunshine. If you can endure months of very cold weather, it's not a bad state to live in. We just couldn't take it anymore.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JanetC]

Washington homeschool laws are moderate: You need to register (fill out a simple form with the school district) and either test or do a non-test assessment annually (there are lots of options here, and you do not have to send the scores anywhere outside the home). The law says that you must make a "good faith effort" to remedy any deficiencies found in testing, but it does not require any particular amount of academic progress.

 

Homeschool co-ops, both secular and Christian are pretty common, but tend to focus on elementary and middle school age. A lot of families that do structured academic co-op classes put their kids in Running Start (free community college) in 11th, and it's hard to find the numbers to run high-school-age classes in many cases.

 

 

Our state organization is here: http://washhomeschool.org/homeschooling/

 

If you look for Washington Homeschool Organization on Facebook, Jen is very active and answers questions quickly.

[catz]

For Minnesota -

 

This is our volunteer run state wide secular organization - has info about laws and homeschooling in Minnesota

http://homeschoolers.org/

 

This is a volunteer run activities website/calendar for twin cities homeschoolers

http://hsadventures.org/

[gardenmom5]

seattle has MUCH milder winters than MN.

it also has a higher cost of living. for all we complain about stuff here, it's a great area.

 

eta: homeschooling in WA is *very* easy.

Edited November 10, 2016 by gardenmom5

[Mama Geek]

I don't know about Minn. but I have lived in Alaska and just north of Seattle.  In regards to weather, I would take Alaska any day.  Seattle has a lot of cold rainy, drizzly days that are gray.  Summer has sunny dry days mostly but that is only about 2 1/2 months a year.  Seattle proper is crowded enough that I would not consider working or living in the city.

[LucyStoner]

Seattle is pretty pricey. Not California expensive but definitely a lot more expensive than Minneapolis. You'd be looking at >$400k in Seattle for a decent home in an okay neighborhood. Minneapolis you'd be looking at mid-to-high 200's.

And easily more like >$500K.

 

A wholly condemned house on a small lot went over 400K not long ago. A tiny spite house which is on one end not much wider than a dishwasher sold for $500k (great area though). The quintessential Seattle neighborhoods people think of when they think about living here are far more.

Edited November 11, 2016 by LucyStoner

[LucyStoner]

We are kicking around the idea of moving to MN from Seattle.

[Mergath]

We are kicking around the idea of moving to MN from Seattle.

Do it! Duluth is great. Lots to do, gorgeous area, and super liberal, but without the cost of living in the cities. I went to college there and loved it.

[LifeLovePassion]

I grew up in Minneapolis, live in a suburb now. Homeschool is easy, like others have mentioned. Houses near mine 4 bed/2 bath on about 1 acre were listed for $230-250k. Mostly up kept, maybe needing some updates. Just to give you an idea.

[kirstenhill]

Minneapolis is a lot colder..right? Is there a lot of home schooling, or is it looked down on, or anything, in those areas? Are the laws restrictive on home schooling, or pretty easy? Are people generally accepting? Are they family friendly places..or places where people tend to have 2 working parents and few children?

Minnesota is cold in the winter, but most of us here think that the absolutely beautiful weather in the summer/fall (and sometimes the spring too) makes up for it! :-)

 

We live in Minneapolis itself, and know a lot of other homeschoolers. It's rare for us to get a negative reaction from anyone about homeschooling. We know a lot of 1 income/stay-home-parent families even outside of homeschooling circles, but obviously in some neighborhoods or suburbs the immediate local culture can be different. Most commutes aren't too bad, at least compared to stories I hear from friends who live in Chicago or other large metro areas.

[Insertcreativenamehere]

Can anyone give me feed back? Thank you. 

 

My head is swimming. My husband is only getting calls for out of state jobs (with relocation packages). It is almost as if someone realized we were backing off on the idea of relocating so they jumped in and are forcing it. 

I've lived in both areas, although I've only homeschooled in Minnesota.

 

Cost of living is lower in MN. Commutes are generally shorter and easier. The health care system is very good. Mayo Clinic is in Rochester, about 90 miles from Minneapolis. Homeschooling is easy; standardized testing is required yearly but you don't have to show anyone your scores. There are many homeschoolers, activities for homeschoolers and homeschooling groups. 

 

The weather is colder, but it is sunny much of the time.

 

There are great museums and zoos. Lots to do with kids. 

 

There is a lot of natural beauty; lots of lakes. The North Shore of Lake Superior is magnificent. 

 

WA has a different kind of natural beauty. The mountains are amazing. The dark, foggy winters are sometimes hard to take. We loved being near the ocean. 

 

My DH worked in downtown Seattle; we had to live an hour out of the city in order to find affordable housing. He commuted on the train. 

 

We ultimately moved back to MN to be near family. 

[Lawyer&Mom]

I've lived in both cities. Minnesota is much much much colder. So much colder. But you get a lot more sun in Minnesota during the winter. Those extra cold days are actually really bright. Seasonal depression is actually more of an issue for me in Seattle. But man, it is so freaking cold in Minnesota. But if you can get past that Minneapolis is a lovely city.