We relocated from Chicagoland to San Diego three years ago, but the plans were 10 years in the making. Neither of these locations can be considered low budget! California income taxes surprisingly are not much of an issue - partly because they are graduated (compared to the Illinois flat rate), and partly because they allow itemized deductions.
I really do not miss snow at all!! I had four seasons for over 60 years so one season is fine with me.
These are some of the tools we used to identify and compare potential locations:
We had ten major criteria we used to evaluate options:
-Cost of housing
-Weather - snow, rain, heat, cold
-Cost of living (taxes, utilities, food, gas, etc.)
-Recreation/entertainment/access to body of water, beaches
-Socialization opportunities (JCC, synagogues, universities)
-Major urban access, access to city center
-Health - doctors, hospitals
-Neighborhood, walkability, shopping, etc.
-Ease of transportation - airport, highways, trains
-Safety/crime
We have only one son and he’s single - left him behind in Illinois and he landed in Seattle last year. His long term goal is to be a Californian again (he spent three years in San Jose - another NOT low budget area).
Here is a cost of living comparison calculator. Not sure that it was the one used to calculate the figures posted earlier. If you search, you can find different calculators which presumably will result in somewhat different calculations. What goes into a given cost of living will vary (as will how well your own cost of living will line up with it).
I envy folks who are comfortable relocating and could be happy in a variety of locales. We are pretty stuck due to climate limitations for our comfort range. The best we can do is visit other regions but probably have a very narrow range where relocation could even be considered seriously.
Great medical care and major airport are important to us too.
San Diego would be a top choice for DH and me…but your first criteria makes it not possible. The cost of housing there, even for smaller places, is extremely high. We would NOT want to live in one of the outlying towns.
So sadly…San Diego is off the list…and really it’s because of the cost of housing.
The one thing we won’t trade away…no mortgage. And that would be impossible for us in San Diego.
I don’t have any need to be surrounded in my city by only politically like-minded people. I think that expectation is kind of ridiculous, honestly, and am surprised that this is a serious consideration. But then, I’m kind of used to being surrounded by people who are not like-minded. Welcome to America, the land of vastly divergent views.
That said, certain locations abroad are looking appealing due to better health care costs and the general cost of living. I do enjoy watching Househunters International sometimes and imagining where we might want to go.
I could see co-owning in a place like San Diego. Or it would be lovely to know friends were relocating to the same city or apt/condo complex.
My area is blue. But all the radio stations lean very red, mostly syndicated, one is unspecified but allows a lot of (mostly) mocking of liberal positions. I often have the radio on, am in an odd pocket that doesn’t get NPR, and don’t usually go for online listening. I can see why we might easily interact with diverse inclinations, but still want a familiar baseline available, on radio, in newspapers, or other commentary. And not just by going and seeking out similar views.
While we live in a high COL area, we bought our house 20 years ago when the market was low and never upgraded. We’re in a starter neighborhood that is one of the few “affordable” enclaves left in this part of the county. Our mortgage/taxes/insurance is less than what we were paying in rent in 1998 when we bought this house. A townhouse would meet our current needs, but they are more than what we would get for our current house. Ditto a 3 BR condo. I’m more flexible geographically than DH, but I don’t see him retiring before 70 and by that point he won’t want to go through the pain and aggravation of moving. He doesn’t have many friends, so I worry about having to be his sole point of contact and socializing – another reason I’m thinking we would stay here.
Personally, I’d look at Columbus; Louisville (I have a sister and cousin near there); Portland (leading CML specialist is there); Philadelphia area (used to live there, good hospitals); southern NJ; Newark, DE. Central VA is gorgeous and reasonable, but there is not much of a Jewish community, which is important to us even though we are not super-observant. I’d even look at Frederick, MD, which is an hour from DC and Baltimore. Not as cheap as it used to be, but it has grown into an area with good resources and is close to airports.
If I were solo the list would open up some more. If DH were solo, I think he’d sell the house in a heartbeat and move to an apartment in NJ near his brother.
There are many others, but this one seems to let you plug in almost any city. Many of the others are limited to larger metro areas, or just a few cities per state. It’s probably worth looking at several, though, because they’ll probably spit out somewhat different answers.
Sperling’s also breaks down the difference by category of cost. The cost of housing is often the biggest difference in overall COL, so if the choice is between staying in a house you’ve already paid for and a new location where you’d be buying anew, the overall COL comparison may be misleading. You’d need to factor that in to figure out whether a move would save you money.
This thread has been very helpful to me in my similar search. I have actually begun researching a new possible relocation area based on comments here.
I want to put in my 2 cents about the red blue thing. I have been a political minority in my city and state for over 40 years and it’s been skewing so that every year I’m in a tinier and tinier minority.
I get along with everybody. Many people have no idea what my views are, because I’m friendly and polite and mostly keep my opinions to myself or very close friends.
Sometimes I have had to decline invitations to things anathema to my beliefs. Occasionally people have been so persistent that I have had to gently and reluctantly reveal the fact that I don’t share their views. Of course they were polite and friendly, like me, and didn’t beat me up or anything!
I don’t need or want a place where everyone is of the same mind. I would just like a few years of not having to bite my tongue several times a day because of political commentary. 50-50 or better will do.
Alooknac, very much understood. I moved to my current state after a number of years in the rural West, and never opening my mouth about subjects held dear to my heart during much of my education and early professional life. Not that I would expound on such subjects at length in the workplace, but it is good for my beleaguered soul to not feel I have to watch every utterance. But I do think we all need to listen to each other and conversation needs to be encouraged, rather than avoided. I am having a good time on planes these days, asking seat mates what they are thinking and promising a receptive ear.
Bclintoc, that link is a great deal of fun. My lowest cost of living is Ellensburg, WA.
S attended U of Pittsburgh and I have often thought of that as an ideal retirement city as it has a great and interesting old housing stock, culture and health care of high quality and low cost of living.
In retirement, I want to live in a state where I will have the option to request my doc to prescribe me that very last prescription if I ever get to that point, so yes, state politics matter to me. What my neighbors think and how they vote - I don’t give a hoot.
@great lakes mom - Pittsburgh is a great suggestion! Zillow strangely is reluctant to show square footage for the condos on the market there, but I see some really appealing looking properties. Property taxes do not look cheap, however, nor are the properties themselves. Here is a 2-bedroom, 2 bath place on the market for $299K, property taxes are $4,911, walkscore is 84 (very walkable).
@fendrock - Riverdale or Spyten Duyvil in the Bronx might interest you, if you’re open to living in a Coop as opposed to a Condo. Suggest you look using more than one multi-listing real estate site.
“In retirement, I want to live in a state where I will have the option to request my doc to prescribe me that very last prescription if I ever get to that point, so yes, state politics matter to me.”
Or knowing that your friends will be treated as equals regardless of their gender identity or sexual persuasions, or that your friends and family who are ill can access medical marijuana, or have a livable minimum wage, or a whole other host of reasons that are tied to treatment and freedom of folks in-state. I can think of all kinds of reasons why I’d prefer to live in some states than others. I want my core values to align with as many local laws as possible and I want my tax dollars to be spent efficiently in areas that I think are important. I see nothing wrong with that when having the freedom to choose where I wish to reside.
I find a walk score that’s midrange to be more of a fit for me than the top walkscore areas. You will be walking next to very busy, often multiple-lane roads in some cases. I want some amenities in walking distance but I also want the option to walk just for pleasure, and crowded urban areas aren’t pleasure walks to me.
In our case, with an 88, that takes you to CVS, banks and hairdressers, cafes and some great restaurants, a bookstore and shops. We’re on a bus line straight to the U and downtown. But the two markets are straight downhill And uphill, coming back.
@fendrock, I agree with @ManhattanBoro’s suggestions. Also Inwood in upper-upper Manhattan. I have a friend who sold a place on 52nd St. east of 1st Ave. and bought a place for much, much less, complete with river views and balcony for much, much less money… And maybe Bay Ridge. I am on a rather extreme budget (live on $45k/year in Brooklyn) and I’m looking to buy a prewar coop in Bay Ridge. 20 percent down mortgage and maintenance less than I am paying in Bed Stuy to rent. Totally walkable, river views, beautiful parks, long subway rides to Manhattan but express buses cut the time by a lot.
Heck, my 27 yo son has given serious consideration to Pittsburgh should he decide to leave SV. Housing prices are great, lots of tech stuff there, city has really revitalized. A friend just went there for a few days and her list of things to see included lots of things I’d enjoy!