Advice/Comments Wanted: Where Should We Move & Why?

So me an my hubby are looking to move to the western part of the US. I hate where we live now. We all do, actually.

We've looked in Colorado (what IS WITH the cost of housing in that state??), Arizona and Oregon.

I really like Arizona but the hubs did not. I can work anywhere there is a hospital or medical center with a job opening since I am a nurse with a Bachelor's degree in science and nursing and I have great references with an employment history consistent over the last 16 years.

So, where should we move??

Things on both of our MUST HAVE list:

NO high humidity!!! It's 80% humidity today where I live and I just cannot tolerate it, anymore.

Natural beauty, parks and outdoor recreation. I'm a landscape photographer and have shot just about everything of interest within a few hours drive of where I live...

Decent housing market. If Colorado's wasn't out of control, that's where we'd probably go.

Mild winters.

Decent economy for my adult daughter and her fiance who are coming with us.

Low or no state income tax would be awesome.

Grass...The kind on the ground, silly. My hubby has a lawn and landscape business and would like be able to build a new one wherever we move to (and it's why he didn't like Arizona).

I'm open to living in a SMALL town and am willing to commute 30 or so miles to work in a hospital...

I've been looking into Coos Bay, Oregon today and it appears to be a nice, quaint place.

So, if you have time and you live somewheres out in the western part of the USA, where should we go?

The only part of 'the west' that I'd consider would be the four corners area. it doesn't match your criteria, but it's where a lot of the survivalists say is the best place to be. Just a thought.

Unfortunately in the western states, grass and mild winters normally do not go together.

If your husband is willing to learn xeriscaping, Sierra Vista Arizona is a really nice place to live. Low humidity, high elevation so the temperature is normally up to 20 degrees lower than Pheonix in the summer. Decent economy. Tons and tons of outdoor beauty and places to go and photograph. I would have retired there except our grandchildren were in another state. But grass, well, no.

Oregon, especially Coos Bay is cool to cold the majority of the year. We have relatives there.
Seattle is way way too depressingly rainy, mild yes, but overcast and rainy and cool to cold most of the year, all the way down the coast until you get past Monterrey California, then the drought means no grass anymore.

So I think you need to decide which is more important, grass or climate.

To get grass in the west you are in cool to cold areas.

To get mild winters in the west, well most, except for Texas, are going for xeriscaping.

Actually Texas has no state income tax - homes have grass lawns - then you have to decide city - town - or suburb.
Round rock Texas is a nice suburb of Austin. It has humidity but not consistently awful humidity like coastal areas of the south.
Austin is a nice city but the worst traffic problems I have ever encountered, even topping NYC in my opinion.
To get away from humidity you need to stay away from all coastal areas in the south.
Dallas/Ft Worth is booming and the homes have lots of grass, but again I'd stick with a suburb town and stay out of the city proper.

Colorado is outrageously expensive for the most part, beautiful if you don't mind living on a tight budget for the beauty, but it has really really bad winters. Also if you are a conservative, you will be wildly outnumbered.

If I could go back and live anywhere in the US and had lots and lots of money, it would be Hawaii, but you have to take Colorado's expensive and multiply it by 2-3 times. Plus high state taxes and lousy economy, but a thriving need for landscaping.

Actually Alabama has a thriving economy in the Madison/Huntsville area. A mild winter, lots and lots of grass and a huge need for landscaping businesses. Local legend says there are more PhD's and Engineers in Huntsville than anywhere else in the nation. Taxes are ok, property very affordable, plenty of work for an RN and a very good economy. It is not a hick town by any stretch of the imagination, it is a touch of sophistication in a state whose reputation is not sophistication.
However, if you are a liberal, well let's just say you will be wildly outnumbered.

Tennessee is really nice but the economy is struggling. Nashville is grassy and very nice and no state income tax. Good working place for RN, but economy stagnant and having some trouble. Winters are fairly mild but can be snowy.

Where have I lived or have relatives and visited regularly?
Central Texas - San Antonio/Austin and I35 corridor Dallas/Ft Worth - fit your criteria
New Mexico - just no - dry dry dry and fairly bleak
Arizona - only high elevations towns, but no grass
East and West Texas - just no for different reasons
California - not now for sure
Colorado - expensive and super liberal
Kansas/Nebraska and north - rotten winters
Washington State - if you like gloom and rain
Oregon - cool to cold and damp most of the time
Arkansas/Louisiana/Mississippi - just yuck in my opinion
Florida is not in the west but many places come close to what you want
Tennessee and Northern Alabama - come close to what you want

a reply to: lovebeck

My vote goes to any medical MMJ state. Even if you do not partake at all it's a very booming part of the economy right now. Can very much supplement a lawn mowing business.

Colorado is booming in general too just because of this. So more people to pay to get a lawn mowed. I would stay as far away from a major industrial state/area. Michigan, buffalo ny, philly, jersey. No customers in these parts for pretty much any business's.

Colorado tho for sure is my vote.

a reply to: lovebeck

Google Birkshire-Hathaway reality. Search them for Myrtle Creek Oregon. 97457. Once you get that, search their listings and you will find one listing located on Old Hwyway 99S. This place has acerage and a view of the river. The house sits on a hill side, out of view of the road. Take a look at this example and listed with all the acerage at 268,000. This is only an example.

Mild winters, snow in the valleys minimal and on the peaks usually a little more. No snow at all last winter.
Last summer was mild also. Temps into the 90s often but seldom into the 100s. Humid seldom.

Spring is gorgeous and falls spectacular. This area is known as the Umpqua Basins. We have two fine year round rivers that come down out of the Cascades up around Crater Lake. CL is only a two hour drive up the North Umpqua River from Roseburg. A world class drive along the coooold river with waterfalls all along the way and redwood groves and campgrounds. Tons of fishing and I have stories.

Two hour drive to the Oregon Coast. Roseburg is a fair sized town, with one movie house with 6 screens. Mercy Medical center is the major heath care facility, you can look them up.

The area is growing in retirees and the support system for them.

The major west coast freeway I-5 runs from down in Mexico and up into Canada and runs through the middle of Roseburg. The closest town to the north is the college town of Eugene(go Oregon Ducks) and is an hour away. To the South is Medford also an hour away. Both have airports. Roseburg has only a little airport with no commercial filghts.

So here we are isolated from major centers of commerce and populations, but does have most of what normal folk would want. For a small town, Roseburg (you can basically get from one end to the other in 10 minutes) has most of the amedities an average person would look for.

We focus on this are because we have been here for 13 years and am amazed at how much we still love it. But you would do yourselves no good service if you did not spend some time checking out almost all of the available opportunities up and down the I-5 corridor from Ashland to Portland.

Also check out the Oregon Coast from Brookings up to Astoria.

Edit. Acutally that two hour dirve I mentioned to the Oregon Coast? That would be Coos Bay that you mentioned. We like to make that trip once or twice a year especially in the Spring as it is one terrific drive.

Where are you going to be moving from? We were originally planning to move from FL to CO also, because the economy was & still is booming out there. The cost of housing in CO is quite high, there's no way around that now that housing is in high demand out there with everyone flocking to CO.

We ended up looking at the economies & industries in several other states, and settled on W MI. My husband is an industrial mechanic, and he can fix pretty much any broken machinery. We needed to look for areas with high, steady manufacturing. I can't speak for east MI (Detroit & so forth) but there's jobs here on this side of the state, lots of jobs across multiple industries. Landscaping is a big business (not a major one, but it's heavily used after the snow melts until it falls again) The environment is awesome -- very few high humidity days thus far, and only a couple of days hitting mid-80's. The landscape is gorgeous, and there are plenty of parks everywhere for nature shutterbugs. We haven't gone to any of the ones outside the area we live in, but I've got my eye on parks around the northern end of the mitten for future day trips.

If you do seriously consider W MI, the housing market is quite competitive. We lived in a hotel for several months trying to beat others out for a rental. We got really lucky with ours here, but it's still not going to be easy or fast if you're planning on renting. This region of the state is having a steady economic boom & people have been steadily flocking to it from out of state (thus the housing competition)

Also, I'd suggest using a job placement/temp agency if you find you have little luck going at it on your own for applications. It was a big, fat tip he was given here, and it paid off in less than a day. He was working at a company he still calls a dream job less than 18 hours after having his paperwork squared away at an agency.

Best of luck to you

a reply to: lovebeck

I'll say one thing you a are very brave couple .


I would hesitate to see what was suggested if I ask ATS where I should go . Lol

originally posted by: mindseye1609
I would stay as far away from a major industrial state/area. Michigan, buffalo ny, philly, jersey. No customers in these parts for pretty much any business's.

Didn't see your comment before I got to typing. Not true, actually The state is best looked at by regions, and east Michigan isn't doing well, though it's better than it was. Don't think of MI as just Detroit, though, that's not accurate at all. The economy in west MI is booming to the point where the unemployment rate in the Greater Grand Rapids Metro area (our area) is at about 3.4% at last check. That's fricking spectacular, and they're very proud of that around here. Ever since we set foot here last autumn, everyone's told us the same thing, "If you don't have a job here, it's because you don't WANT one." And they're right, if you're not working, it's not for the lack of available work in these parts, that's very abundant.

Phoenix is cool. There are times when I wonder why housing is so expensive but I blame it on the old people. (that was a joke for those of you who have a stick up your ass.)

I would suggest Phoenix or Tucson. Just my 2 cents.

We aren't west, but the cost of living is reasonable here in the U.P. You only get grass for five months a year though. If your husband likes to do snowplowing in the winter, this is the place to be.

We do have hospitals here in the U.P. Wildlife runs in front of you all the time when you are driving. It eats your garden and mows your weeds. I have a yard full of weeds. Most people like grass here though.

a reply to: lovebeck

Isn't there high humidity in Oregon? I think Pendleton might have the lowest average relative humidity at 58%.

www.currentresults.com...

If you want little to no humidity, then you may need to narrow your search to Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. I don't think there's anything scientific to prove this, but in areas of the country where the humidity is low, there is far less greenery. More water......more green.

With all due respect, it sounds as if some of your criteria may need to be shaved off the list of "must haves".

Here is what I took out of your situation. You have a skilled trade in nursing that can take you anywhere with good pay. Hubby.......not so much. Since you are the major breadwinner here and have a degree that you worked hard to get, your needs should trump his. Keep everything as fair, as far as meeting needs, and equal as possible of course, but if it comes right down to it, hubby may have to alter his business to more xeriscaping than anything else. I would recommend Phoenix for this, but there is a TON of competition down there in that line of work. Building his own clientele may take awhile.

But in the meantime, you would have access to some of the best medical facilities in the world in that town, and make really good money doing it. Even if you move 50 or 70 miles to the north of Phoenix for a more temperate climate, you still wouldn't have that bad of a commute. Just buy a Prius for that reason. If you choose an area closer to the Prescott area, you still have hospitals of course, but the pay isn't as competitive. Housing prices are decent though and the weather is more evened out up there. Milder winters, cooler summers and more green.

But the biggest selling point Arizona has that fits your criteria, is that no matter where you live in that state, humidity will not be an issue for you. And since humid versus dry air has always been a medical point of contention for some people, (Something you of all people should know) then you should put the medical needs of the family ahead of everything else.

I don't know much about New Mexico or Utah, but you can use the above suggestions as a template of sorts and see if they also apply to those states.

Good luck with your choice.

(Check into Camp Verde as well. Small town with more grass than any other town I've seen in that state.)

a reply to: lovebeckCalifornia is out of the question because of the extreme taxation and cost of living. Coos Bay Is cold, wet, and snowy. If it where me looking I would look toward the panhandle of Texas. Texas has no state income tax, cost of living is reasonable. It is also part of the four corners of area of the United States. Of the four states represented in the four corners, it is the only one without state income tax.

a reply to: lovebeck

I live on the Oregon coast, my wife is an RN. If you have any questions, feel free to U2U me.

originally posted by: lovebeck

I've been looking into Coos Bay, Oregon today and it appears to be a nice, quaint place.

It is, but it is also excessively rainy. Try up the coast a bit to the "Westside" of Western Washington, across Puget Sound from Seattle. NOT Seattle itself, which is to be avoided like the plague, but it IS nearby if you want a taste of uber-liberal culture.

1. "NO high humidity!!!" Check. Yes it rains, but compared to "high humidity" the way people mean it, that sweltering humidity that makes you gag like you get in the Southeast. There's none of that there. And if you get a bit north into Klallam County, there's a rain shadow and they actually have to irrigate.

2. "Natural beauty, parks and outdoor recreation." In spades. Olympic National Park takes up most of the greater peninsula. Well known for hiking opportunity in the Olympic range. Salt water beaches. Tall trees and a lush environment. They don't call it "The Evergreen State" for nothing.

3. "Decent housing market." The further away from Seattle the better it is. Jefferson County is quite reasonable except for Port Townsend proper. There's plenty of rural space.

4. "Mild winters." Check. It did not snow once last winter. Climate is "marine temperate" not too hot, not too cold. Extremes are very rare.

5. "Decent economy" Meh? It's all about the skills you have. Probably not much call for swimming pool installers. But it isn't depressed either. Seattle area is a tech hub (Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing) and the benefits flow outward. More Starbucks per square inch than anywhere else. Harrison Hospital is big in Silverdale, and Pt. Angeles up north has a decent sized hospital as well. Everybody is always craving nurses anyway.

6. "Grass" Check. All over. Except my house. The backyard is a forest, but most people are more conventional.

7. "No income Tax" Check. Property taxes are also lower than average, limited by Constitution to 1% plus special levies. Sales tax is high at 8+% and gas taxes are also high.

The area as a whole has a modern infrastructure and is not excessively crowded. It's worth checking out. The "Rain Thing" is completely overblown (to keep people away): Dallas and New York get more, averaging 45 inches in the Seattle area to less than 16 in Sequim. PM me if you have specifics.

a reply to: DeepImpactX

I agree with you about Arizona, but Phoenix while practically no humidity has god awful hot summers.

That's why I like Sierra Vista, the elevation keeps it cool.

A spot in Arizona above 4000 foot elevation will have all the climate she wants without the oppressive heat. But no grass, go higher in elevation and some people have grass for lawns. But the high elevations where there is grass don't have much in the way of health care facilities for finding an easy job.

a reply to: lovebeck

Aside from the 'west' part that sounds like Pennsylvania, particularly the part about your profession. Pittsburgh has some of the best medical facilities in the world.

"Unfortunately in the western states, grass and mild winters normally do not go together."

Ya, what they said. Pittsburgh is at the same latitude as northern California, but it's a completely different climate.

I don't remember much grass on the west coast, just lots of pine needles... I was in Washington, though.

a reply to: lovebeck

Hmmm, well, it isn't the US, but maybe you might want to look at Vancouver BC?

There is grass all over Phoenix... I have to mow mine today. There is a ton of landscaping opportunity here. All of these palms, and flowering shrubs and bushes and stuff need constant attention. Gravel maintenance and weeds are a big opportunity too, as well as irrigation if your husband is handy with that sort of thing. I've lived all over the country, and like AZ the best, right next to N.C. /The weather is awesome, although I may be somewhat jaded by growing up in MI with its crappy winters.

a reply to: grandmakdw

Yeah, I'm at 5,200 feet and it's climate perfect for me and my age. And you're right, the more rural you get out here the scarcer the medical facilities get.

It sounds like the OP is going to sacrifice something one way or the other though.

Have you looked into Vancouver, WA?

Plenty of grass. Winters are mild by most standards, usually only a few light snowfalls a year that melt fast, occasionally there will be "storms" which are really just more like the "normal" snow people back east get but that's a once every few years type of thing. Summers are summers but generally don't get crazy hot or humid like other places.

Tons and tons of natural beauty in every direction, no income tax but there is a sales tax. However, living so close to Portland, OR you can do most of your shopping south of the border to save on tax.

Housing is the reason I suggested Vancouver over Portland, as a ton of people from Portland are moving up there due to the cheaper housing. You can get property super cheap outside the city in Oregon too, if you don't mind a moderate drive to work you can get yourself something that surrounds the Portland metro area with good amount of land and more "country" like atmosphere.

The Coast is nice too, but it's not very economically active beside the tourist activity which is limited compared to the more popular coastal vacation spots around the country, good place to retire or to live if you have some independent means of generating income, but especially for your daughter and husband it probably wouldn't be the best option.