To move or not to move - need advice

Do not make the number of highly ranked colleges/universities in either state play a part in your decision. Your D can only go to ONE school, the rest are superfluous. Both have schools that will be excellent for your D.

There is no perfect place to live. Every place will have pros and cons. You need to think about your family’s quality of life. This means figuring out a host of factors.

Finances will certainly be different- remember the state income tax factor and cost of living.

Schools will be different- check on quality for the area you can afford for her HS.

Religion and politics matter. You need to be comfortable with the area’s demographics. Hard to be in the extreme minority for these two.

Climates and terrain are different. I’m sure you can come up with pros and cons for each area. Hurricane or earthquake possibilities… Dry/humid.

Finally- look at this as a move for long after your D is gone. Where will you parents be happier in the long run? Will the work, commute et al be worth leaving your current culture? Again, being instate for your D’s public college means you have two excellent states.