Leaving DC for a lower COL area

[Anonymous]

Problem with lower COL areas is that the job market is not as robust. Yes, "everybody" know someone who moved to Cleveland/Detroit/Milwaukee and found a good position and cheap housing but there is nowhere near the opportunities found in growing areas. Also, lower COL places tend to be insular. You are competing with people who went to local schools, married someone from there, and will never leave there. They pick their own when an opening occurs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps upstate NY truly is cheaper, but be careful about assuming YOUR costs will be cheaper. I come from a western state that ostensibly is cheaper, but when I look at houses (neighborhoods) I would want to live in, the home cost is the same as here. Restaurants (decent, nothing fancy) are more expensive. Property taxes are less. Etc. We will probably retire out there, but not counting on it being cheaper.

Upstate NY has been emptying out for years. It is the Rust Belt. Do you really want to be in a declining or at best, stagnant area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone who posts on here so cagey about the cities they are talking about? "I live in a west Florida city. I'm thinking down South. I looked at a cheaper state out west".

How is this helpful? Why not just say Nashville, Missoula, Bumf*ck, whatever?

Because they don't want more people from DC moving there?

This. My neighbors in my new town have (very nicely) asked us to please not tell anyone in DC how much we like it here.

[Anonymous]

Major cities with a much lower cost of living with solid job markets

Phoenix, Kansas City, Houston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Minneapolis, Tampa, St Louis, Baltimore, Charlotte, Orlando, San Antonio, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Columbus

The list goes on and on and on

Basically anywhere except

LA, SF, Portland, Seattle, Denver, Austin, Boston, New York, DC

Borderline Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did this. Moved to Charlotte. Came right back.

Can you elaborate on what brought you back? I am interested in Charlotte due to the lower COL and hoping the winters would be better.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are super happy after moving to Chicago. Friends have moved to Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cleveland, Denver, and Charlottesville, all for similar reasons, and all seem to have more balance.

These are all pretty cosmopolitan places with great restaurant scenes, theater and music, and a healthier (IMO) approach to work/life. Some of my friends in Chicago may pull the same or longer hours than we saw as lawyers in DC, but it's not revered in the same way here.

I really do miss DC, even though I never thought I would, but am glad we made the move.

This is the move I am considering. I love Chicago, could find work and it checks pretty much all my boxes for diversity, culture, etc.

[Anonymous]

We'd love to move to any number of different cities (we like Pittsburgh, Providence, Rochester, Ithaca...) and always have our eyes open for opportunities, but the job thing is tough. I'm a fed and my spouse is an academic. There are jobs in my agency and universities all over the country, but they both tend to be rare opportunities that involve national searches, you can't just pick a place to move and expect the ONE job in your field to open up there at the right time AND go to YOU. Yes, sure the jobs exist, but getting two in the same place? Good luck.

Trying to buy a house here does make me think harder about upping the job search, though. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone who posts on here so cagey about the cities they are talking about? "I live in a west Florida city. I'm thinking down South. I looked at a cheaper state out west".

How is this helpful? Why not just say Nashville, Missoula, Bumf*ck, whatever?

Because they don't want more people from DC moving there?

This. My neighbors in my new town have (very nicely) asked us to please not tell anyone in DC how much we like it here.

Did you actually move from dc? No one I know living in NW DC would even care. Once you’re gone, you’re gone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Problem with lower COL areas is that the job market is not as robust. Yes, "everybody" know someone who moved to Cleveland/Detroit/Milwaukee and found a good position and cheap housing but there is nowhere near the opportunities found in growing areas. Also, lower COL places tend to be insular. You are competing with people who went to local schools, married someone from there, and will never leave there. They pick their own when an opening occurs.

That's ...wrong on just about every level. Dallas and Houston are the same size as DC, with an even better economy, record low unemployment rate and much better COL. I've lived in both and wouldn't describe either as "insular." People are pouring in from other states. And the idea a company like Toyota or AT&T is picking executives based on the neighborhood they grew up in, that's just ludicrous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Problem with lower COL areas is that the job market is not as robust. Yes, "everybody" know someone who moved to Cleveland/Detroit/Milwaukee and found a good position and cheap housing but there is nowhere near the opportunities found in growing areas. Also, lower COL places tend to be insular. You are competing with people who went to local schools, married someone from there, and will never leave there. They pick their own when an opening occurs.

That's ...wrong on just about every level. Dallas and Houston are the same size as DC, with an even better economy, record low unemployment rate and much better COL. I've lived in both and wouldn't describe either as "insular." People are pouring in from other states. And the idea a company like Toyota or AT&T is picking executives based on the neighborhood they grew up in, that's just ludicrous.

SInce when are Dallas and Houston = Cleveland/Detroit/Milwaukee?

Dallas and Houston have incredible economies but are very hot and 100% sprawl. No charm, history, or walkability.

[Anonymous]

Move to Baltimore. Seriously just move the f to Baltimore and get on the property ladder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Problem with lower COL areas is that the job market is not as robust. Yes, "everybody" know someone who moved to Cleveland/Detroit/Milwaukee and found a good position and cheap housing but there is nowhere near the opportunities found in growing areas. Also, lower COL places tend to be insular. You are competing with people who went to local schools, married someone from there, and will never leave there. They pick their own when an opening occurs.

That's ...wrong on just about every level. Dallas and Houston are the same size as DC, with an even better economy, record low unemployment rate and much better COL. I've lived in both and wouldn't describe either as "insular." People are pouring in from other states. And the idea a company like Toyota or AT&T is picking executives based on the neighborhood they grew up in, that's just ludicrous.

SInce when are Dallas and Houston = Cleveland/Detroit/Milwaukee?

Dallas and Houston have incredible economies but are very hot and 100% sprawl. No charm, history, or walkability.

Dallas is hot and boring. Houston is a flood plain. Austin is the only place in Tx thats doable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had friends who have moved from DC to the following and are so happy:

Nashville, TN
Denver, CO (although they don't have kids)
Louisville, KY
Redlands, CA
Jacksonville, FL (two people, actually)
Annapolis, MD (and not commuting to DC)

Some of those cities are where they are from or had family in, others were just moves to get away from DC and somewhere they found jobs.

There's a whole wide world out there, OP (or country, as the case may be). We've left DC and are so grateful every day that we did!

Redlands is, categorically, awful. But that's true for all of Riverside/San Bernardino. I hope they are not the 'extreme commuters' you hear about. What an awful life.

No, they work in Redlands. I'm from Los Angeles country and I agree, I would never live in Redlands but they're super happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone who posts on here so cagey about the cities they are talking about? "I live in a west Florida city. I'm thinking down South. I looked at a cheaper state out west".

How is this helpful? Why not just say Nashville, Missoula, Bumf*ck, whatever?

Because they don't want more people from DC moving there?

This. My neighbors in my new town have (very nicely) asked us to please not tell anyone in DC how much we like it here.

Did you actually move from dc? No one I know living in NW DC would even care. Once you’re gone, you’re gone.

Because they know people are intelligent enough to tear apart their little 'haven' if they named it.

You live in Baltimore? Ohh, the murder rate must be horrible!

Canton? Hope you like heroin addicts.

St. Petersburg? So, umm how do you feel about those schools? *nervous laugh*

Atlanta? Sprawl, more sprawl, and abortion outlawed.

Alburquerque? People actually LIVE there? *shocked gasp*

Denver? Cut off from everywhere else and its expensive.

Charlotte? Yeah, its like a mini-Atlanta without the charm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Problem with lower COL areas is that the job market is not as robust. Yes, "everybody" know someone who moved to Cleveland/Detroit/Milwaukee and found a good position and cheap housing but there is nowhere near the opportunities found in growing areas. Also, lower COL places tend to be insular. You are competing with people who went to local schools, married someone from there, and will never leave there. They pick their own when an opening occurs.

There's a lot more to America than Cleveland/Detroit/Milwaukee.

But even in those areas the unemployment rate ain't bad and there's jobs. It may not be the type of work you do but there are jobs. There are sizable upper middle classes and professional classes in those cities. And people move in and out of those cities all the time.