Location, Quality of life, profession/trade or family? What single factor influences where you live?

[Mojave]

I was in the military for 20 years and lived in all 4 corners of the USA and perminantly in 3 other nations. Then got into my current profession and have lived 5 states in the past 9 years and Germany.

I used to chase big money, but I am working on finding something that is back home in Wyoming, for a decent amount of money. Not necessarily to be closer to family (not really a bonus in my case), but to be closer to water, OTC tags and more personal firearms freedom, and less crime than living on the Mexican border.

What influences where you live, and what you do?

 

[fngTony]

My wife has lived in the same city all her life and me for thirty years so it’s a deep rooted home. Health care, jobs, climate, outdoor recreation and opportunities for our kids is why we are where we’re at.

 

[Amos Moses]

Chased my now wife across the country. She has a lot of immediate family here and couldn’t imagine raising our two young boys without the help of her family.

 

[Mojave]

We have been in Las Cruces for 3 years. My job has been good, and promotions have been exceptional.

I know I am wanting to move to a more expensive state, but we need to get out of here before the entire family establishes more roots. Even if it it cost us $10-20,000 a year.

 

[FLATHEAD]

The age old 64 million$ question.
It's a fine balance of all of those mentioned.

 

[roadrunner]

Surprised Personal Freedom is lower on the list, especially after the recent "pandemic".

I guess I don't know what Family Obligations means (anymore).

 

[CoStick]

I have lived all over and abroad, we currently are in Colorado and will probably be for the foreseeable future. At the end of the day outside of cost of living most places are the same. My quality of life never suffered based on location. All places offer good and bad, so it is really a matter of what you choose to pursue.

 

[bojangles808]

I live on Maui so definitely quality of life for me. Get to hunt and surf year-round.

 

[Tod osier]

Moved to the east coast to take a job 20 years ago (jobs in my line of work are tough to get) and will move in a few years for hunting access and freedom.

 

[Yoder]

I've lived all over the country but I wound up back close to where I started. Family is all within 2 hrs. My dad is getting older and I enjoy spending time with him. Once he's gone, I'm not sure. My job is very specific and I make pretty good money. I would lose probably 40% to change. I'm good with that as long as it's something I want to do. That's the problem. Figuring out what I want to do that I can make decent money. I'm not going to lose money to continue to do something I hate. If I get that figured out, I'm moving to a free state and taking a pay cut.

 

[*zap*]

Your physical location will do the most to determine the amount of personal freedoms you have as we move away from having a constitutional republic more and more each year...into complete socialism.. Some of the more attractive states have already had a heavy migration of liberals....I think I will stay in Kansas and I hope to move to a more rural area fairly soon.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Oil industry took me where I've been since leaving college (Texas then Oklahoma). Desire to be close to family is taking me where I'm going next (Missouri).

 

[bozeman]

Deep roots in west AL……much personal freedom and very blessed financially for a very high quality of life for us.

 

[zacattack]

Moved to Michigan for a job. the democrats running the place are probably going to ruin the state which is a shame as it has some fantastic out of doors activities, and has a decent amount of freedoms. Covid was pretty f’n horrible here though with Whitmer going batshit crazy with lockdowns.

Unfortunately we are probably looking to move in the next year or so. If we do I’ll truly miss living here.

 

[BadDogPSD]

My wife no longer wanting to commute brought us here. Her job is keeping us here, but we are starting to look for a better place to enjoy our retirement years.

 

[Nykki]

I've lived in Alaska most of my life, my wife was born here. She put in thirty years with the state and I worked construction and the oil patch. I've been to most of the lower 48 states and haven't found anywhere better.

 

[49ereric]

North central Mn.
make maple sugar-syrup in the spring
garden in the summer
harvest wild rice in the late summer
small game hunting,duck hunting (fewer ducks these days) and deer hunting In the fall and snare rabbits if you want in the winter but fewer snowshoes rabbits these days.
bugs and flies can be bad of course and the winter cold but you also can walk on water.

 

[gbflyer]

Staying in Alaska I couldn’t make it anywhere else.

 

[Theringworm]

IMO, one affects the other, which affects the other which etc etc…..leads to a decision.

Family is always first, however all of those other considerations all affect the family differently. I have been in this location for 10 yrs now. It affords me and my family more opportunities than if we lived somewhere else. We enjoy living where we do, however we are 5 hours from my parents and 9 hours from my wifes’ parents (close enough. but not too close ). Only issue with no family is when we had younger kids, getting away as a couple was difficult. The aesthetics of where we live are less than desirable but the community of people are amazing. Trade offs I guess. Is it somewhere that I’ll retire to…. Not a chance. But we do enjoy living here and it’s putting me way ahead for retirement. Sacrifice now for a greater reward later.

 

[Mojave]

I've lived in Alaska most of my life, my wife was born here. She put in thirty years with the state and I worked construction and the oil patch. I've been to most of the lower 48 states and haven't found anywhere better.

I have lived in Barrow, Sitka, Fairbanks and Anchorage. I would concur.

Fairbanks and the Valley to me are some of the best locations in the USA.