# In your opinion, where is the best place to live(In US)



## Morning_Snow (Apr 21, 2015)

Hi all~ I am turning 18 in august and am going to take a two year vet tech program locally. I decided after college that I am going to get a job and save up for my own small farm land (for goats, meat rabbits, chickens and a garden). The problem is, I live in AZ and am miserable here, and I have been for the last 10 years that I have lived here. I don't feel comfortable living here. The summers are literal hell for me and the winters arn't even cold. I barely see grass and desert landscaping is so boring. I want to live somewhere where it rains, Where there is grass and possibly snow in the winter. Somewhere with actual seasons and even slightly enjoyable summers. The problem is that I don't know where to go. I was kind of looking into moving to Washington state, but I feel like I need a little more input from an outside-of-AZ party before I make a choice, especially since this choice will be awfully expensive and shape my entire rest of my life. If you guys could share your opinion on the best state to live in, that would be awesome!


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## Lokin4AReason (Apr 21, 2015)

keep on driving to the east ( pass texas tho ) =0)


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## Watermelons (Apr 21, 2015)

Stay away from the hurricane and tornado areas. North east gets too too much snow in the winter.
West coast is nice. Maybe east washington or oregon. Idaho? Housing will cost way way more in the NW then say arkansas... 
We have nice warm but tolerable summers on the.coast. Winters arent too harsh. Didnt get any snow where i live in canada land this year but i like how it never goes below -10celcius and even then below 0 isnt that often. 
Summers are so nice.... 
No tornadoes.... No hurricanes. We get earth quakes but their pretty sissy and mild in the NW. Just stay away from living in tsunami zones just incase the big one comes.


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## Morning_Snow (Apr 21, 2015)

Thank you both, and thanks for all the info Watermelons! The west coast sounds really nice, and I also heard Idaho and Washington were nice places to live. I'm definitely looking into somewhere where the summers are wonderful! I'm also curious on how different living in Canada is from the US. I was considering Canada but moving out of country sounds like a really big deal.


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## Watermelons (Apr 21, 2015)

Switching countries is a pretty big pain in the butt.
I looked into it because as a Paramedic I would make the same in the US as I would where I am now, however housing costs, and taxes, and insurance, and groceries, and gas, and well honestly EVERYTHING is so much cheaper across the border. But the process to move and work legally is almost not worth it lol.
The biggest thing for me is to live somewhere with a lack of natural disasters. So that would rule out almost the entire east coast. Tornadoes rule out central US. The north east area gets WAYYY too much snow... well anywhere central US does too. TOOOOOO hot in the summer and way to cold in the winter. Go too far south and you really don't get winter just unbearable summers.
So really whats left? North west coast!
We get bearable summers, A lot of people live just fine with no AC. It does snow occasionally though not frequently. We don't get anything like what those easterners are getting hahahahah Where I live right now on Vancouver Island we got no snow this year (hour further north they got a little) I had to scrape my windshield of ice once. I don't think I've been alive and seen more then 2' locally within greater Vancouver accumulate over any winter (more inland you will get more snow, and more north you will get more snow, even an hour makes a big difference) It does get chilly but everythings mild. Plenty of rain, plenty of sun. You're close to the ocean but you're close to mountains and world class ski resorts. You don't have to live right along the coast to enjoy the luxuries either. Washington is 5 hours drive from north border to south if that gives you a rough idea of how long of a drive east to west is. It is an area where there is tectonic plate movement so their are earthquakes but I have never felt a quake in my entire life here. having sat through many news worthy ones. Their honestly nothing to bat and eye at. This isn't California or Alaska. And if the big scary one ever does come just stay out of tsunami zones and flood plains. 

http://s94.photobucket.com/user/Lolaandthecrowd/British%20Columbia/story


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## fluffybuns (Apr 21, 2015)

Sounds like you'd be happier in Colorado, Washington or Oregon. These states have lots of rain and snow and mountains and gorgeous seasonal changes. The quality of living is very high and the education programs are mostly very good. They're also great for farming and setting up homesteads.
Best wishes to you with wherever life takes you.


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## Nancy McClelland (Apr 21, 2015)

We like it right here, but the second choice was Oregon followed by Idaho--one of us doesn't like snow or rain.


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## Lokin4AReason (Apr 22, 2015)

a place I would move is a place that would have diverse amount of job(s) ( even if you have to work out in your field ) .... it can be pretty and nice but what about the job market. 

I don't have a strong mind set staying in the south but this is what I have known besides moving to Europe. now that was a change and also a struggle w/ work ( needing documents on everything ). so I moved back knowing that they have plenty of work here ...

but I intend to travel a bit in the foresee future w/ seeing at what is out there. but one things for sure, California is a place I would just want to visit but not wanting to live there ( some of the wild and most awkward laws in the union ) =0/

again, this IMO


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## Blue eyes (Apr 22, 2015)

You mentioned taking a _local_ vet tech program for two years before moving. Have you considered looking for such programs in other states? That would be a way you could get a better feel for an area and see just how cold & wet you'd like your winters to be and how cool you'd like your summers. 

Maybe do some searching on average monthly temperatures and precipitation in various states and see which ones appeal to you. Then you could do your schooling in one of those states as a trial run.


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## Azerane (Apr 25, 2015)

I'm bias because I've been so few places in the US, but Oregon is beautiful. I've only been there in Summer but it was gorgeous.


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