If you could live anywhere in the United States, where would you live?

[mommyoffive]

Dh keeps asking me where I would like to live and I need to do some thinking about where I would like to live.  Politics, gun control, cost of living, and climate change all come into mind of things I would want to look for.

Where would you live if you could pick anywhere in the US?  And why? 

[Melissa in Australia]

I would not live anywhere in United States at all

[mommyoffive]

3 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

I would not live anywhere in United States at all

I 1000% get that. 

[Elizabeth86]

I would not feel at home anywhere other than a small town in the Appalachian Mountains. I would like to give Wyoming, Montana and Alaska a try, but I KNOW I couldn’t do the winters year after year.

[Wheres Toto]

I'm good living where I'm at.  We have strong gun laws, moderate politics that flip parties on a local level but mostly stay blue nationally and is very blue on social and reproductive issues, and we're not in a bad place as far as climate change impacts (at least where I am, I'm not that close to the coast).  

Cost of living on the other hand.......

[Caroline]

Columbia, Maryland

It’s where I grew up. I love that place. 

[Scarlett]

Hot Springs AR.   I think it is where we will end up.

[TheReader]

Until the last....three or four years??....I would have always said Texas. Lately, not so much. it breaks my heart. 

So....where instead....? Not a freaking clue. 

[mommyoffive]

Just now, TheReader said:

Until the last....three or four years??....I would have always said Texas. Lately, not so much. it breaks my heart. 

So....where instead....? Not a freaking clue. 

A lot has changed in that time hasn't it?  😞

[Indigo Blue]

9 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Hot Springs AR.   I think it is where we will end up.

Been there! Loved it.

[Indigo Blue]

I think I’m happy here in NC. 

[rebcoola]

Overall I think I would have to stay here in Eastern Wa. Western washington would be a better fit but more expensive and ive gotten used to the sunshine over here.  We used to talk about returning to the midwest but even a purple state feels dangerous with a trans kid.

[bookbard]

I always wonder why everyone doesn't move to Hawaii. Sounds like a great place, fewer guns, nice weather, healthcare was good I think when I looked.

[TheReader]

20 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

A lot has changed in that time hasn't it?  😞

so very much. Maybe a bit longer, I'm not sure...it's hard to pinpoint when exactly the politics here turned....climate, cost of living, being near family, all of that is still good and valuable. But....oof on the rest. 

[TheReader]

Just now, bookbard said:

I always wonder why everyone doesn't move to Hawaii. Sounds like a great place, fewer guns, nice weather, healthcare was good I think when I looked.

cost of living???? That would be my guess. 

[Ethel Mertz]

We retired to a small mountain town in NC and love it. Great music, purple politics,  half a dozen friends we’ve known and loved for 40 years, nearby colleges, and a strong social justice community. 

[fairfarmhand]

Right where I am, middle Tennessee. I love it here.

[Arcadia]

8 minutes ago, bookbard said:

I always wonder why everyone doesn't move to Hawaii. Sounds like a great place, fewer guns, nice weather, healthcare was good I think when I looked.

Cost of living and also some stores may not do free shipping to Hawaii. 

[easypeasy]

Easy pick if all my kids would agree to move there too: Hawaii. I’d live off pb&j and cereal forever, please and thank you 🙏😊

More realistically? North Carolina or certain areas of Tennessee

Im much more liberal than those states, but most places that fit me politically don’t fit me geographically 😶

[Kidlit]

I'm pretty happy in my little place in AL despite all the stuff I'd change if I could. A real bonus here has always been cost of living, which isn't nothing. 

[YaelAldrich]

I wish there was a reliably blue state in the south (not deep south). That's where I would like to go.  I like Boston (where we live)  but it's too darn cold. 

We are really considering a move to Australia once we aren't needed by our parents.  They would love to have my DH and we really like it there.  

[Harriet Vane]

Madison, Wisconsin or somewhere near to Lake Michigan. I adore the Great Lakes region. I'd love easy access to Chicago and easy access to a big lake. 

[kokotg]

Canada. Heh. But, for real, I gravitate toward Almost Canada. I like the idea of the Great Lakes region for assorted reasons, but one of them is relatively inexpensive real estate. If that weren't a factor, I might go with Burlington, VT. I do like where I am now, too (near Atlanta), but...there are issues. 

[lewelma]

1 hour ago, bookbard said:

I always wonder why everyone doesn't move to Hawaii. Sounds like a great place, fewer guns, nice weather, healthcare was good I think when I looked.

That is where I was going to say. I'm used to high cost of living so choose to live small. 

[sweet2ndchance]

I've always wanted to go "home" to Phoenix. It is where I grew up. But last time I was there, I've come to realize, it's not the same place I grew up anymore.  

I've lived in the "Hawaii of Japan", Okinawa. I would go back there and live as an expat in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself. I haven't been to Hawaii itself but I imagine it would be similar tradeoffs living there as living in Okinawa. Honestly, my dream would be to live as an expat almost anywhere overseas and travel the world as much as possible.

I'm not much of a politics person but if I had to consider politics, I would definitely agree with those above and say no where in the US would suit me.

Where I live now, a tiny town in the mountains of Arkansas, is the longest I've lived in one place in my entire life. I've lived here for just over 10 years now. When we first moved here dh and I were quite sure that we would only be here temporarily and that we wanted to live in a metro area eventually but the longer we live here and the older we get, the more we appreciate the remoteness of where we live.

We love that we rarely have to put up with neighbor issues as there are acres between us and our neighbors. We have 4 seasons but none are extreme. We can get to a larger city on a day trip and a metro area on an overnight trip. We actually have several choices for both larger cities and metro areas depending on which direction we go. More and more though, we are just ordering online instead of traveling to the city even. Shipping is usually less than the cost of gas to get to the larger cities and metro areas.

We have an excellent doctor within an hour drive of us and that is huge for us since dh and I both have chronic health problems now. Just the thought of moving away from this area and having to find another primary care doctor gives me anxiety now. Basically, the cons of living here have been outweighed by the pros for us. So we will likely be staying put for a very long time, this is more than likely our forever home.

 

[Frances]

1 hour ago, bookbard said:

I always wonder why everyone doesn't move to Hawaii. Sounds like a great place, fewer guns, nice weather, healthcare was good I think when I looked.

Personally, I would not want to have that weather year round, too hot for me, and too humid in places. And the COL is very high, plus if your family isn’t there, travel to see them will be expensive and time consuming. My husband loves Hawaii, has been numerous times (and even lived there for short work stints), and would move there in a heartbeat, but I have no desire to live there at all. I visited once, but don’t even have a strong desire to return for another visit.

Edited June 13, 2023 by Frances

[Clarita]

I only know California so that's my go to, but cost of living is terrible. Although if I didn't have to compromise with my husband, I would move to southern California. Everyone who knows me say that I wouldn't like it but I prefer southern California weather. 

1 hour ago, bookbard said:

I always wonder why everyone doesn't move to Hawaii. Sounds like a great place, fewer guns, nice weather, healthcare was good I think when I looked.

It's too hot and humid in Hawaii and it's an island surrounded by a lot of ocean. On the mainland you can drive a few hours and get somewhere else. In Hawaii you have to fly a few hours to get somewhere else. That's how I've felt every time I've vacationed there.

[popmom]

I love where I live. Alabama. I love the natural beauty here. Alabama is possibly the most biodiverse state in the entire U.S. Who would guess? Very few, and I'd like to keep it that way honestly. It's a red state politically, but that's not an accurate representation of our state. If anyone closely follows our elections, they would see that its very close to 50/50 here in presidential elections. I'm socially and fiscally conservative, but many of my friends and neighbors think differently. I am glad about that. We all coexist just fine--not to say there isn't ever any tension--or that my minority neighbors think the Alabama world is all rainbows and unicorns because it's not. There is work to be done. But they are willing to live next to me and share their lives/experiences with me. I appreciate that. I love the diversity of my neighborhood in particular. I am fortunate in that way. The diversity is something I will miss if/when we move away from Birmingham. Rural areas in Alabama can be more homogenous or segregated--depending on the geographical location.

Quality healthcare (within driving distance of B'ham, Huntsville, Mobile, Atlanta, Vanderbilt): ✔️

Low cost of living: ✔️

Dh and I have discussed extensively where we would like to be when he retires. I guess there's no place like home. I have spent tons of time in FL and lived in TX. I want to stay here. I'm a geek, I guess, but the biodiversity alone would keep me here. 

Edited June 13, 2023 by popmom

[HomeAgain]

I've lived just about everywhere, and if I had to stay in the U.S. it would be Cape Cod, MA.  4 seasons, protected from the worst of it by being surrounded by water. Lots of green space and wildlife. Fascists and nazis are at a minimum.  Near enough to an airport and cities to not make it a chore - although living on Beacon Hill, Boston would be rather nice, too.  But other option would be Vermont: open land, few fascists and nazis, lots of green, and a heavy focus of sustainable living.

 

[Carrie12345]

I love my area of NEPA. I’d like it to be more blue, but my region leans enough that I fit in. Lots of guns, but not too high up on the list of gun violence by state. Cost of living index is 99.

The climate stuff is tricky. We won’t wash away, we don’t get “real” tornados or direct hurricanes. We don’t get fires the way other areas do.  BUT, the last long stretch of no rain was worrisome, a late freeze also hurt crops, and we do have the fuel for big fires. I can’t pretend we’re immune, but we’re in a better position than many.

Mostly I just love that this is a semi-rural life. I have some space, but also reasonable access to almost anything I need or want. (Except reasonably priced Uber or a hospital in under 20 minutes.)

 

[Pawz4me]

Some of the northern Great Lakes areas and parts of New England have always appealed to me, for various reasons. If we wanted to retire somewhere else that's where we'd look. In reality we'll almost certainly stay here in NC. There are cons, but the pros far outweigh them--family, great neighbors (may they all stay), reasonable cost of living, four seasons, we're established with and like all of our docs and specialists, proximity to mountains and beaches, and many more.

Edited June 13, 2023 by Pawz4me

[freesia]

I think Virginia or NC. I hesitate because we loved living in Vancouver, BC, so the Pacific NW is tempting. Family is all east coast but if we didn’t have family we wanted to see regularly and money were no object,  then I think we’d move to Washington state. 

[Scarlett]

7 hours ago, sweet2ndchance said:

I've always wanted to go "home" to Phoenix. It is where I grew up. But last time I was there, I've come to realize, it's not the same place I grew up anymore.  

I've lived in the "Hawaii of Japan", Okinawa. I would go back there and live as an expat in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself. I haven't been to Hawaii itself but I imagine it would be similar tradeoffs living there as living in Okinawa. Honestly, my dream would be to live as an expat almost anywhere overseas and travel the world as much as possible.

I'm not much of a politics person but if I had to consider politics, I would definitely agree with those above and say no where in the US would suit me.

Where I live now, a tiny town in the mountains of Arkansas, is the longest I've lived in one place in my entire life. I've lived here for just over 10 years now. When we first moved here dh and I were quite sure that we would only be here temporarily and that we wanted to live in a metro area eventually but the longer we live here and the older we get, the more we appreciate the remoteness of where we live.

We love that we rarely have to put up with neighbor issues as there are acres between us and our neighbors. We have 4 seasons but none are extreme. We can get to a larger city on a day trip and a metro area on an overnight trip. We actually have several choices for both larger cities and metro areas depending on which direction we go. More and more though, we are just ordering online instead of traveling to the city even. Shipping is usually less than the cost of gas to get to the larger cities and metro areas.

We have an excellent doctor within an hour drive of us and that is huge for us since dh and I both have chronic health problems now. Just the thought of moving away from this area and having to find another primary care doctor gives me anxiety now. Basically, the cons of living here have been outweighed by the pros for us. So we will likely be staying put for a very long time, this is more than likely our forever home.

 

I know where you live and it is a wonderful area.  I love it there also.  I just have more family in Hot Springs now.  

[MEmama]

I love where we live. It suits us perfectly, I honestly can't think of anywhere better.

We chose this state and community very intentionally, and while we've lived in some great places in the US this is my favorite. Bright blue community, safe, the state is currently under terrific leadership, 4 seasons but very little drastic thanks to the Gulf, decent cost of living, fantastic health care, no traffic, vibrant, walkable town...as a kid on the other coast I dreamed of living in a classic New England town and after 12+ years of living here I still can't believe I get to. ❤️ 
 

Sometimes we get caught with a touch of wanderlust and wonder where else we could go, but very little comes close to this place for us unless we could move overseas (and having lived in the country to the north, we are well aware the grass is not always greener).  Eventually the winters here might get to be too much (though climate change is taking care of that, sadly) so it's a good game to play now, I suppose. Western Massachusetts comes up in these talks, and sometimes we flirt with going back to Corvallis Oregon (but yikes the fires and water issues).

Nowhere in the world is free from ugly politics, but we know what we like and what makes a place feel like home for us. I think that's key.

[QueenCat]

9 hours ago, Caroline said:

Columbia, Maryland

It’s where I grew up. I love that place. 

The question is.... what is it like now? It was an awesome place to grow up but it's huge now. Would we be surprised at how it's changed or find that it's stuck to it's ideals from our childhood? 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

If I could, I would move to Bemidji, MN. I keep Bemidji on my weather app and check the weather daily. I visited once and it immediately felt like home to me. I would love a cozy home on a couple of acres and a nice quiet job at the university.

I could also live in the PNW. I love rain and gray, overcast days. I think anywhere in Montana, Wyoming, or Idaho would suit me just fine as well. Northern Maine would be acceptable too. Anywhere with a forest really.

Edited: Really, I could live anywhere if there are trees, deer, moose, loons, access to trails and public land. Anywhere, that is, other than the midwest where most of the trees have been cut down due to farming and there is no public land.

Edited June 13, 2023 by Granny_Weatherwax

[NorthernBeth]

South Carolina... but only because my brother lives there with his family and I don't see enough of him.  Otherwise probably somewhere like Minnesota that felt like Canada to me.  

The heat in SC would kill me in actuality. 

[DawnM]

8 hours ago, Clarita said:

I only know California so that's my go to, but cost of living is terrible. Although if I didn't have to compromise with my husband, I would move to southern California. Everyone who knows me say that I wouldn't like it but I prefer southern California weather. 

It's too hot and humid in Hawaii and it's an island surrounded by a lot of ocean. On the mainland you can drive a few hours and get somewhere else. In Hawaii you have to fly a few hours to get somewhere else. That's how I've felt every time I've vacationed there.

ME TOO!   Dh doesn't want to go back due to cost of living, etc....but I would move back in a nano-second!

However, I seem to be entrenched in NC now and other than my dad's family, my mom's family is over here, DH's family is over here, my birth family is over here (and by "over here" I mean East Coast/mid-West/drivable.).  Family in SC, MI, TN, and VA on my mom's side and DH's fam.

 

[GoVanGogh]

All of the areas I love have some issues making them a No.

Ames, Iowa (too cold in winter)

Upstate NY (too cold in winter) 

Tybee Island, Georgia, or Galveston, Texas (morally, I wouldn’t buy land on a barrier island) 

Austin, Texas (Texas politics, high housing costs, low annual rainfall) 

 

I want to live in an area that is known for great gardening, is somewhat quirky or unique, liberal, historic, etc.

[BeachGal]

Hawaii. I would love to live in or near Waimea (Kamuela) or Honokaa on the Big Island. Up high above Captain Cook would work, too. Second choice would be Kauai near Kilauea, preferably in the vicinity of the Wai Koa Loop Trail, the most spectacular place I’ve ever seen.

These areas tend to be cooler than other areas, too. Waimea can be chilly sometimes. By Hawaiian standards.

Cost of living where I live near Chicago is higher, especially property taxes. We do not live in a home that is large or remotely luxurious and still pay $1300+ monthly for hoa and taxes and that is considered low. Food isn’t necessarily cheaper either.

I also like Tennessee.

[MrsMommy]

10 hours ago, Harriet Vane said:

Madison, Wisconsin or somewhere near to Lake Michigan. I adore the Great Lakes region. I'd love easy access to Chicago and easy access to a big lake. 

Not Madison specifically, but the rest of it is my ideal location!

[elegantlion]

I honestly don't know if my ideal place is in the US. I like different places for different reasons - weather, politics, vibe. I loved my time in London. I'd love to hope on public transportation and view historical sites more easily. I'd pick England. 

If I have to pick a state, it wouldn't be the one I'm in now. This is my home state, so I'm comfortable here, but it's too far away from large bodies of water, gets too cold and too hot, and doesn't have the scenery that I'd like to see. 

[Scarlett]

Maine is on my bucket list to visit and I could see myself being happy there.  I have a friend who lives in Wells ME and I always intended to visit.  
 

 

[MEmama]

13 hours ago, bookbard said:

I always wonder why everyone doesn't move to Hawaii. Sounds like a great place, fewer guns, nice weather, healthcare was good I think when I looked.

The few people I've known who have moved there moved back to the mainland pretty quickly. Being isolated takes its toll. 

[happypamama]

Right about where I am and have been for seventeen years, central PA.  We get to live rurally but not super isolated.  Everything is reasonably close but without being too close to a city.  Top notch healthcare, with easy access to even higher level care if need be.  Cost of living is reasonable (my comparisons are being just outside of DC, Boston, and Philadelphia, though).  Weather is moderate, generally neither New England cold/snowy nor southern hot.  People are pretty friendly.  It's harder, on paper, to homeschool, but in reality, it's really not at all hard, even to unschool, and there's a lot of homeschool support.  The state currently runs a little more blue (though specific areas skew more red) but is not extreme.  And it's gorgeous here.  At the end of the day, I can look in any direction and see something beautiful.

[SKL]

Someplace with nice vistas, mostly mild weather, low-ish COL, and swing politics.  And since I'm raising teens right now, a good selection of accessible universities and jobs.

[Home'scool]

Quote

I've lived just about everywhere, and if I had to stay in the U.S. it would be Cape Cod, MA.  4 seasons, protected from the worst of it by being surrounded by water. Lots of green space and wildlife. Fascists and nazis are at a minimum.  Near enough to an airport and cities to not make it a chore - although living on Beacon Hill, Boston would be rather nice, too.  But other option would be Vermont: open land, few fascists and nazis, lots of green, and a heavy focus of sustainable living.

I agree with this. Cape Cod (or The Cape for us locals) is a wonderful area. Close to Boston, which is the perfect size city, in my opinion. With a short ride you can either be at the seashore or in the mountains. Plenty of farm land around. 

I read somewhere that the top three American vacation destinations are Hawaii, Florida, and Cape Cod 🙂

[Faith-manor]

It we had no real considerations other than "want", probably Vermont or Cape Cod, both are very appealing to us. But, we really do love Michigan, and will be maintaining a place north of here because the Alabama house is just too hot for late spring and all of summer, early autumn. Six months one place, six months the other will be a good compromise because most of the places we like in Vermont are too expensive and Cape Cod not even an option.

[madteaparty]

I want to live near (as in, overlooking)  a body of water (lake, ocean, large pond) on the east coast, within 2.5’hours of NYC. I currently do, as I have a tiny pond, but this is not a place we can afford to keep in retirement. 

[athena1277]

My dream home is on the beach in a small town in the Florida panhandle because I love the beach and the climate.  Probably wishing for a unicorn unless I find the proverbial money tree, but I can still dream.