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Where to live in USA (was Fl or Ca)?

As examples: (these are degrees Celsius because, I'm still metric)

San Francisco average weather:
January low: 8
January high: 14
July high: 19 (seriously?!!)
Sept high: 21 (warmest month for SF...)

Walnut Creek (arbitrary east bay town) average weather:
January low: 2 (ok not always warmer...)
January high: 13
July high: 32 (yeah baby!!)
Sept high: 29

On average San Francisco, CA is wetter than Walnut Creek, CA by 87 mm.
 
SusieQQQ said:
As examples: (these are degrees Celsius because, I'm still metric)

San Francisco average weather:
January low: 8
January high: 14
July high: 19 (seriously?!!)
Sept high: 21 (warmest month for SF...)

Walnut Creek (arbitrary east bay town) average weather:
January low: 2 (ok not always warmer...)
January high: 13
July high: 32 (yeah baby!!)
Sept high: 29

On average San Francisco, CA is wetter than Walnut Creek, CA by 87 mm.
Click to expand...

TriValley area (LIvermore, Dublin etc) will see temps in the 40's. The forecast for today was 37.
 
Thanks Britsimon for your input again. Yes, you are right am sure salaries must be different for similar jobs in different states sort of thing to speak to cater for differences like taxes.

Having said that, maybe I should start out a new thread to avoid deviating off this thread's topic to get different POVs for those under 30 y/o planning to take this switch, to help advise....

Britsimon said:
About the tax thing. First of all, when companies hire people in different areas they adjust the salaries to cope with local taxes, cost of living and so on. So, for a new immigrant it would certainly be harder to start off in California compared to Florida, but 1 year down the road, the scenario is equalized (but at different salary levels).

Secondly, taxes pay for stuff. If you pay less taxes one way, you either get less services OR you pay another way. There is no free lunch.

There are areas where the dollar goes farther and there are many areas where people are generally keeping more of their money in their pocket. Texas has several such areas - Houston, Sallas, and Austen often feature in these surveys. One such survey below. However, we all make decisions on where they can afford, where they fit in, and so on. I personally like Texas, but feel I would be less likely to blend in there...

http://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkot...ties-where-a-paycheck-stretches-the-farthest/
Click to expand...
 
pose said:
Thanks Britsimon for your input again. Yes, you are right am sure salaries must be different for similar jobs in different states sort of thing to speak to cater for differences like taxes.

Having said that, maybe I should start out a new thread to avoid deviating off this thread's topic to get different POVs for those under 30 y/o planning to take this switch, to help advise....
Click to expand...

Actually I think it would be better to use this thread as a general - "compare X location with Y location" - I'll change the thread title.
 
Britsimon said:
Actually I think it would be better to use this thread as a general - "compare X location with Y location" - I'll change the thread title.
Click to expand...
You really think it is better to change from the original intended purpose of a simple two-state comparison, to a full-blown "Where to live in the USA" gigantic thread? o_O
 
OnTheGo said:
You really think it is better to change from the original intended purpose of a simple two-state comparison, to a full-blown "Where to live in the USA" gigantic thread? o_O
Click to expand...
I think its better to really live this thread as is and start a different specific thread...
 
OnTheGo said:
You really think it is better to change from the original intended purpose of a simple two-state comparison, to a full-blown "Where to live in the USA" gigantic thread? o_O
Click to expand...

It was heading that way anyway... and imagine the number of threads if we stuck to comparisons of bi-state pairs :D Wyoming vs South Dakota anyone? :D (before you laugh these are apparently good places to go currently)

And actually maybe strange for some but for quite a few people I know, us included, the choice is between California and Colorado, not Florida!. Both have good job prospects in the field and great outdoorsy lifestyles...very different weather obviously! Similarly people I know looking at Florida have it vs the Carolinas for example, not the other side of the country.
 
SusieQQQ said:
It was heading that way anyway... and imagine the number of threads if we stuck to comparisons of bi-state pairs :D Wyoming vs South Dakota anyone? :D (before you laugh these are apparently good places to go currently)
Click to expand...

Wyoming is a wonderful state. It's like Colorado but much much less populated.

Beautiful mountains, wildlife, friendly people. Jackson Hole is one of the world's best ski areas.
 
Here's a few more rankings. Not that any of them will be definitive, but there is so much to consider that it's nice to be given a few pointers as to places other than the NY/Florida/California nexus that is what most people have heard about. A lot of the rankings emphasise different things and that is why it is actually nice to look through a few - to find the particular factors that resonate with you personally.

Btw something that may be important for some people, is to think about the state college system. State residents get instate college fees and some public universities are really really good (UC Berkeley being the flagship of these but there are a number of others, including other UC schools, Michigan @ann Arbor, Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign and UNC @ Chapel Hill as examples). To offset this consideration one of the rankings below is aimed at under-35s :)

http://time.com/money/2791406/sharon-ma-1-best-places-to-live/
http://www.vocativ.com/culture/media/livability/
http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/2012-09-26/americas-50-best-cities
http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/04/towns-cities-real-estate-lifestyle-real-estate-top-towns.html
http://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/bestplaces05.aspx
 
I wonder why nobody ever mentions the DC area. It's a really nice place to live, with a good economy. I don't think it's been hit particularly hard by the recession, for instance. If I'm not mistaken, it's often quoted as the area where the largest percentage of young 6-figure earners are. Fairfax County (in NoVA) is among the wealthiest in the nation, with great schools. Maryland has some great areas as well.

The weather is not completely terrible either - winters are cold but not as cold as the NY area, and summers are hot (too humid for me, but some people like that).

Lawyers, IT professionals, etc, tend to do particularly well in this region.

Housing is pricey, but you can definitely get some good deals if you venture out a bit. In Alexandria (northern VA), I was living in a nice 2-bedroom apartment, with amenities like a gym and a pool, that I was renting for $1,200 (including utilities). I was about 15 min drive from downtown DC (no traffic).


eta: Forgot to note some other positive things about this area.

It's very diverse in every way - ethnically, racially, economically, etc. You'll find people from all parts of the world. It tends to be more segregated than the NY area for sure, but it's not bad.

There are tons of museums and cultural events, etc, so if that's the type of thing that appeals to you, this is the place to be. Museums are free too.

You're within a couple of hours drive from the coast as well. A weekend trip is very feasible. Same thing with outdoors activities - the Potomac river runs right through the area, and is popular for kayaking, etc.

If you're a history buff, this is a great area. A big chunk of US history revolves around here, particularly Civil War stuff.
 
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@SusieQQQ thanks alot for this. I like the under 35s consideration alot, let me go through them. I just might find my destination. By the way I wanted to ask so you really had considered Colorado?With all the cold that I hear is the definition of Colorado, or is it just a myth.

SusieQQQ said:
Here's a few more rankings. Not that any of them will be definitive, but there is so much to consider that it's nice to be given a few pointers as to places other than the NY/Florida/California nexus that is what most people have heard about. A lot of the rankings emphasise different things and that is why it is actually nice to look through a few - to find the particular factors that resonate with you personally.

Btw something that may be important for some people, is to think about the state college system. State residents get instate college fees and some public universities are really really good (UC Berkeley being the flagship of these but there are a number of others, including other UC schools, Michigan @ann Arbor, Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign and UNC @ Chapel Hill as examples). To offset this consideration one of the rankings below is aimed at under-35s :)

http://time.com/money/2791406/sharon-ma-1-best-places-to-live/
http://www.vocativ.com/culture/media/livability/
http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/2012-09-26/americas-50-best-cities
http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/04/towns-cities-real-estate-lifestyle-real-estate-top-towns.html
http://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/bestplaces05.aspx
Click to expand...
 
pose said:
@SusieQQQ thanks alot for this. I like the under 35s consideration alot, let me go through them. I just might find my destination. By the way I wanted to ask so you really had considered Colorado?With all the cold that I hear is the definition of Colorado, or is it just a myth.
Click to expand...

We were there in January so I am well equipped to answer that :) Firstly let me point out that Denver is expecting highs over 30 this week so they get real warm summers. And yes, January was the coldest I, being African, have ever experienced by far !!! BUT... obviously the place is geared for it. You wear the right clothes. And the clincher - the winter sports are awesome. We went up one of the slopes during the week, a normal workweek, the place was buzzing with skiers and snowboarders, and they had snow-tubing too. Yes it was flipping cold (-6 C at the base of the slope, no signal at the top so not sure what it was there) and we all looked like Michelin men in our snow gear, but such fun ...and so beautiful. And apparently the place is also really nice in summer for hiking etc. So if you are going to be looking for outdoorsy stuff - wonderful place. The jobs market also seems pretty buzzing from what we could see. And then... property prices. We stayed with people in one of the better areas in Denver (best school district) - stunning home, huge - probably close to 600 sq m/6500 sq ft - and they reckoned market value was about $850k... prices have been going up apparently this year, but it is way more bang for your buck than say CA. Oh and one final thing... the people. We really liked the people, amazing vibe. (Denver is not exactly a pretty city, places like Boulder obviously are though.)
 
pose said:
@SusieQQQ thanks alot for this. I like the under 35s consideration alot, let me go through them. I just might find my destination. By the way I wanted to ask so you really had considered Colorado?With all the cold that I hear is the definition of Colorado, or is it just a myth.
Click to expand...

Colorado has amazing weather. It gets hot air from Mexico and cold air from Canada. The air pushes up and down along the rockies. I remember one day it snowed in the morning (beautiful!) and in the afternoon I was walking around in shorts and a tshirt.

Summer is nice and warm, so it's hiking, kayaking, rafting etc in summer and snow sports in winter.

And this is why Coloradans are some of the healthiest people in the USA. It's the least obese state in the USA:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_the_United_States (click obesity rank)

(note: 55% overweight adults may be the best in the USA but it's hardly something to be proud of)
 
@guestgulkan thanks for the stats on obesity in the states but more importantly further insight into the weather of Colorado.
@SusieQQQ good to know they do have some high temperatures of upto 30s!

Well for anyone interested in knowing how comfortable and warm the temperatures I am from are here is a link just for your information( copy paste)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mombasa#Geography_and_climate

guestgulkan said:
Colorado has amazing weather. It gets hot air from Mexico and cold air from Canada. The air pushes up and down along the rockies. I remember one day it snowed in the morning (beautiful!) and in the afternoon I was walking around in shorts and a tshirt.

Summer is nice and warm, so it's hiking, kayaking, rafting etc in summer and snow sports in winter.

And this is why Coloradans are some of the healthiest people in the USA. It's the least obese state in the USA:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_the_United_States (click obesity rank)

(note: 55% overweight adults may be the best in the USA but it's hardly something to be proud of)
Click to expand...
 
Wow! I may have come late to that thread but I totally enjoyed reading, very enriching. Did I miss some lines about the east cost? Mainly NY? Would love to really read your opinions and thoughts, it has been over a month for me here in NYC and the city is really giving me a hard time! Also, I am very concerned about winter as I come from a mediterranean country and my body certainly prefers warm weather. Would love to read your posts.
 
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