What are major things to consider when your moving to another state?

Question

My husband and I are thinking about moving out of the state of Michigan when I receive my degree. The field that I’m studying is accounting. Michigan economy is not doing all that well. But I’m afraid to make such a move without doing the proper homework. We are considering Chicago, IL.

Answer 1

We are currently in the process of relocating from PA to FL. Here are my tips:

1. Research the area in general
2. are there jobs in your field available nearby? How is the salary and how does it compare to what you would make where you currently live?
3. Crime and neighborhoods: where are the bad neighborhoods?
4. Schools: at some point you will have children and won't want to move again. so research the schools. school quality varies even within a city. look for the best district, and within that find out which school/s are ranked #1 etc. check class sizes, check thier gifted program (full time is a big plus), check if full time kindergarten, check if the state ha free/public pre-K.
5. weather: will it be different from where you currently live? is it known for storms, flooding, hurricanes, snow, etc.?
6. activities: what things do you enjoy doing? make sure they are available. if you love the ocean, living in Chicago,IL is not for you, but if you like giant lakes, it is.
7. costs of living: what are the prices for things such as gas, food, restaurants, rent, house prices, etc.
8. check where the state stands on smoking. For me, a statewide public smoking ban is a big plus. (ie workplace, restaurants).
9. can your husband get a job in the new location?

These are some additonal things I personally looked into, which influenced my decision of which area to move to:

1. Museums & culture: are there museums, art, science, theaters, etc. close by? are there concert venues? (no problem with chicago here)
2. restaurants: are there a great variety of high quality restaurants? (no problem here with chicago)
3. Parks: are there a great variety of parks?
4. Places to go of interest: will you be bored living there?
5. Types of people living there: for example, if you are Italian you may feel at home in an Italian neighborhood
6. Party or non party area: do you want quiet or do you want to be IN the party? are there noisy bars near by?
7. Look of the neighborhood: Is it trashy looking? Is the architechture of the area pleasing? (for me, one thing I liked was the town I chose has codes on the appearance of the town, for ex. no billboards allowed, no car dealerships, and the homes/bldgs. are very astheticly pleasing mostly med./spanish style.
8. Mall/shopping: Is the shopping convenient? will you have to drive far to get to the supermarket? are there a great variety of stores nearby (ie Target, drug stores, etc.). How is the mall? Is it big, nice? what dept. stores are in it?
9. are there things available in the new location that are not where you live now?

Most important:

Go visit the area you think you may want to live in, check it out in person.

Answer 2

I love Chicago, there's so much culture there! I love all the different neighborhoods and museums.

I'm sure you can get an accounting job most any decent-sized city. I guess you should look into what kinds of things you like to do - consider quality of life like activities just as much as cost of living. It's expensive to live everywhere. Good thing about the city is you don't need a car, plus they're very expensive because of toll roads and parking fees. The L and bus system in Chicago will get ya EVERYWHERE you need to. Good luck!

Answer 3

I moved from Chicago, IL to College Station, TX @ 5 years ago....do your research thoroughly on the internet from looking at homes to purchase to finding out about the school system.....all my research was done on the internet and I was very well informed when arriving in Texas...I made approx. only 3 weekend trips in advance of the move...good luck

Answer 4

Taxes

Answer 5

cost of living and pay rates for your profession