What city and state has these?

Question

I live in California and I would love to move. It is very expensive here. A 2 bedroom rental is about $1500 while an average 3 bedroom home costs about $800,000. I have looked at many places and been to many different states, but now I am looking for some other opinions of places worth looking into. If you think you know of a good area please tell me where it is so I can research it myself to see if it is a good place for me. I am looking for:
-a place that has all four seasons
-reasonable cost for housing, both rental and buying (reasonable would be somewhere that less than 50% of your income goes towards housing)
-decent job market (retail drug stores, hospitals, clinics and such where I can work as a pharmacy technician)
-nice scenery (not flat land-somewhere with mountains or rolling hills)
-friendly people
-a major airport within a 2 hour drive
-no tornados or hurricanes (at least with an earthquake your house remains in the same location and it is over in 30 seconds)

Answer 1

Well I live in Spokane, WA and we hear quite often on the news about people from Calfornia coming up to live in Spokane or Coeur D'Alene, ID. We definitely have all of the things you want, but the city itself is only about 250,000 people, so it's not extremely large. We've got an international airport about 10 miles away. There isn't a state income tax, however the tax rate on everything but food is 8.4 i think. Gas here is also 2.70 which we've been told is well above the national average, however, a 10 minute drive to Idaho will get you gas at least 15 cents cheaper. Spokane and Idaho are both known for being close to nature (In fact, I think that's Spokane's motto "Close to nature, Close to perfect"). Our 6 bed 3.5 bath house cost $250,000 if that gives you an idea of the housing here. We also have 5 hospitals nearby, so I don't suppose you'd have a hard time finding a job.

Answer 2

I was amused to read others' answers, especially those from Chicago, Texas, Michigan and Tennessee who claimed no tornadoes - why those locations are practically tornadic bulls eyes. Actually, it is awfully hard to be not in a possible tornado location if you are east of the Rockies (go to your library and check out the map of actual locations of tornados over 50 years that was part of a "National Geogaphic" magazine article a couple of years ago). And even southern California and the southern US Rocky Mountain states have occasional twisters (like last week's outburst in New Mexico). But real killer twisters are very few, mostly confined to areas of the plains, central mid-west, and southern states and a swath just east of the Appalachians in the mid-Atlantic states. Also, though frightening (I've witnessed two in my 60-odd years, one a killer), tornados actually hit very, very small land areas, usually a line less than 100 yards in diameter. (And they also are over with usually in less than 30 seconds).

So, of others' answers so far I would agree with the Willamette Valley, Spokane and nearby Idaho, Anchorage. I would add metro Salt Lake City and some Front Range towns within 100 miles of Denver, and Tacoma as possible western venues. If you are willing to accept the once in ten years tornado warning, Pimpster's suggestion of northwestern Vermont cannot be beat (the area actually has 2 major airports, Burlington Intl and Montreal, and soon will have 3 with this summer's opening of Plattsburgh Intl). That is where you will REALLY have 4 seasons (all Californians who move to New England comment upon that); other areas in that part of the country that approach NW VT in satisfying almost all your parameters would be southwestern Maine and the nearby section of New Hampshire (conveniently situated between the central New England hurricane track and the Gulf of Maine to Nova Scotia hurricane track, but the winter nor'easter storms are occasionally ferocious) and metro-Albany-Schenedctady-Troy, NY including the nearby western Berkshires. The Blue Ridge area northwest of Philadelphia might also.

have you for some reason rejected the thought of just moving up I-80 to the northern, northwestern or northeastern extremities of Sacramento, or to Reno?

Answer 3

I live in Chicago and according to what you are looking for, it may be a good fit for you. A studio will cost about $600, 2 bedroom apt about $800. There is plenty of jobs since it is a big city and we have 2 airports within 20 miles from downtown Chicago. There are four seasons, but I warn you- winter is not pleasant at all- especially when it snows. But there are no hurricanes or tornadoes or earthquakes. One thing that is pretty bad is the traffic- but from what I hear, it's not as bad as in L.A.

Answer 4

Well if you don't mind the longer third season, Alaska; in your case the Anchorage area, especially as a pharmacy tech which is in high demand.

Housing will vary depending on where you live, but I guarantee you, flatland is a word we have a real hard time spelling.

Folks are very neighborly, and will be glad to help out.

We do get some high winds, hurricane force in fact, but they are not cyclonic. They are just loud.

And since you are from California, you know about earthquakes, as we do have a few here.

Answer 5

I definitely think you want to be in the southeast! I'm a Georgia girl, and I couldn't love it any more. The winters are mild and though there may be a chance of an occasional tornado, the weather is mild too. The southeast is full of great scenery and nature. A few places that come to mind are: Savannah, Ga, Athens, Ga, Valdosta, Ga, Toccoa, Ga (minus the occasional snow), Jaksonville, Fl, Birmingham, Al, Mobile, Al, Knoxville, Tn, Charleston, SC, Ashville, NC Just to name a few. I know most places in Georgia, you can buy a 2500 sq. ft. home for 250,000 to 400,000 depending on land value and acreage. Good Luck and I hope you decide to come give the southeast a try!

Answer 6

everything but the tornado thing you may wanna look up zip code 43130 it's lancaster ohio and the area is decent and tornados on the NE end of town are rare and it fits yer criteria tornados are rare in this area cause the hills and small mountain ranges block em from getting through like a natural wind barrier

it's a small town mentality here with a medium sized town and approx 45 mins from columbus ohio which has not only a major airport about an hour and a half away but also greyhound bus services in columbus ohio away also

Answer 7

Oregon; Eugene, Salem or Portland.
Eugen has a mid-size airport.
Salem has a small airport.
Portland is an 'international' air terminal.
Any town, in the Willamette Valley, has really good employment.
Salem has more 'State of Oregon' jobs than any others.
Portland is the largest Oregon town; has the largest employment opportunities, largest housing choices, tons of hospitals (including one VA) and lots of activities for the population.

Answer 8

Well Texas is a great place and if you choose East Texas they haven't had a tornado in decades. It has every thing you listed. Mountains are relative to the area you choose and you have a state of historical significance. Also you have no state income tax!

Answer 9

First 2 particularly unambiguous as there are purely certainly one of each and every in the U. S. i understand of: Louisiana and Texas, respectively. there's a Miami in Ohio i've got faith, yet usually the only in Florida is what's spoke of whilst no state is precise. For Houston, purely Texas that i'm attentive to; actual purely the extra advantageous one. For Jacksonville, there are a minimum of 8 in numerous states as I bear in mind, however the only substantial one among them is Florida.

Answer 10

I visited some friends in just such a place last summer. Check out Asheville, North Carolina. But do it quick before everyone else discovers it!