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Good States to Live in the United States
- Thread starter Robin Williams
- Start date
Belgrade right outside Bozeman is a great spot. New construction, basically "red" Bozeman.
Whitefish, MT is a great town too. If you like Cour d'Alene I would guess you would like Whitefish. More Idaho climate than super cold MT.
Also, lots of nice spots on the Western Slope of Colorado. New Castle, Rifle, Glenwood Springs, then also Ridgway, Ouray, Montrose. You have a decent airport nearby in Grand Junction that is never too crowded or insane.
I heard on a podcast that the single biggest indicator of whether or not you will live longer is how many long-term, close relationships you have.
Turns out it's important to have a community of actual friends. Be it from church, family, likeminded hobbies, lifelong friends, etc. Doesn't matter where it's from, just that you have it.
Coeur d'Alene has actually stayed pretty right-wing, even with all the people moving in. It's one of the few places that can say that. The Californians are annoying, but it could be a lot worse. I live in another place that's been invaded by Californians and Portlanders, and the political atmosphere is noticeably different from Coeur d'Alene. A lot more masks, rainbow flags, black lives matter signs.
North Idaho still has that feeling like you're going back in time, when America was a much better place. The main downside is the cost of the houses.
The leftist influence is a lot more noticeable in Boise, but even Boise is a lot better than most Western cities. There's still a long way to go, if ever, before Idaho becomes a freak show.
North Idaho still has that feeling like you're going back in time, when America was a much better place. The main downside is the cost of the houses.
The leftist influence is a lot more noticeable in Boise, but even Boise is a lot better than most Western cities. There's still a long way to go, if ever, before Idaho becomes a freak show.
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For the most part yes, but you really have to look at it town by town and be careful where you decide to settle down.
It does get very hot and humid in the Ozarks. It would be miserable without A/C for a few months every year, but it's not as bad as the Deep South or Texas so I think it's survivable in a worst-case scenario. People managed back in the day. St. Louis borders the Ozarks and it was the nation's fourth largest city until 1900, before A/C was invented. Basically they slept outdoors on the porch. Nowadays that's an open invitation to get mugged.
The problem is there are 39 million unhappy Californians and only 1.9 million Idahoans. It only takes a small fraction of CA's population moving to Idaho to radically change it. Likewise Montana with 1.1 million souls is also vulnerable and I think it has more homegrown liberals already as well. On the positive side the conservative advantage percentage-wise is still very large up there.
On the other hand, Eastern states are more populated and that makes them more resistant to political change, even if the conservative margin is generally smaller percentage-wise. Tennessee has 7 million inhabitants and South Carolina has 5.2 million. These are solid conservative states that are likely to stay that way.
I had a guy I worked with back in 2010 that grew up and lived in Montana thru his 30’s. He mentioned even back then (so 2000-2010 timeframe) that Californians were invading Montana and trying to change the political landscape, but the saving grace is that a large % of them lasted only one winter season then moved out. So before you decide on Montana, Idaho, Maine etc….make sure you like long cold winters.
Yeah, north Idaho is probably my favorite place on the continent when all the things in life are factored in. And think back to the BLM days. Seeing the local CDA boys standing on Sherman st with their rifles and American flags... well just seeing that accepted and appreciated presence was all it took to get those bussed in BLM rioters to turn around and head out. That alone probably set the marxists back a decade. This last summer it was even more obvious than in the past. Everyone just talks normally, and for a Canadian, that alone is enough to make the place feel like the promised land.
It goes back to even my earliest memories of Montana in the 80s. Whitefish and Bozeman had already attracted Cali money with their perfect little towns and world class skiing. And Missoula has always been considered a 'hippy' town in the past, and now a full on marxist engine.
There is a certain underclass of rejects that you find in Montana. Like the Anti-Cowboy types that just hate on that masculine side of Montana's history. It used to be weed, then meth. Now it's something darker that is swallowing these people up.
I just looked it up and Wyoming has a lower population than my hometown in Germany. People complain a lot about what's happening in the US, but I think the fact alone that you just have giant region with very few people and close knit small communities still makes it seem like a kind of paradise to me. Just fields and forests and mountains. It almost makes it irrelevant that there are shidlibs around.
Only Russia can really compete with that.
I drove cross country this past summer. The Black Hills area was the most scenic and naturally beautiful area we came across. Some real cool, down to earth people as well. Sure there were the tourist areas but 10 mins in any direction and you're in wide-open nature. I also hate the heat. We were there first week of Aug and we had to throw on sweatshirts as soon as we pulled in.
But a real outdoors culture. Conservative and friendly. Easygoing. Hills and mountains everywhere. Hiking. Biking. No humidity. Wild bison on the side of the road. Man I loved it. Definitely going back.
Rest of South Dakota was sparse though. Real sparse. Just nothing as far as the eye can see. Not really scenic at all. Flat planes. Extremely windy. Sioux Falls area looked to have real crime/drug issues.
Aside from that there were areas my wife and I really liked.
1) The La Crosse area of southern Minn/Wisc.
2) Southern Ohio. Actually this area really stood out to us positively.
Great picture. I've heard great things about the Black Hills and far west side of South Dakota from anyone that's been there. I'd love to check it out. Rapid City, as well as Spearfish and the surrounding towns look like great places to live. No income tax in South Dakota is also huge, and very right-wing. The Black Hills seem to have everything you'd want living close to mountains, just on a smaller scale than the Rockies, Cascades, Sierras, etc. And they're still relatively close to some bigger ranges.
The rest of the state does look pretty boring, however. Rapid City seems to be in the far eastern portion of the Western US, and then nothingness as you go east.
The rest of the state does look pretty boring, however. Rapid City seems to be in the far eastern portion of the Western US, and then nothingness as you go east.
My dad planned a family vacation to the Black Hills when I was in middle school, and when I heard we were going to South Dakota I thought we would be looking at endless plains of nothing. But I fell in love with the Black Hills when I got there, just a beautiful and historic region.
A couple years ago I read Aaron Clarey's book "Reconnaissance Man". It goes through a methodology to choose the best parts of the country to live in and advises doing recon in various places. Aaron chooses to live in the Black Hills during the warmer months and winters somewhere around Vegas. He's not a Christian, but writes from a libertarian-conservative perspective and is very based when it comes to most things. He also says the people in SD are great no-nonsense types, but there are very few single non-obese women and this goes for much of the northwestern US.
Aaron did not have good things to say about the people of Wyoming, saying many of them are very aggressive or otherwise unpleasant. Lots of "trailer trash" types there.
A couple years ago I read Aaron Clarey's book "Reconnaissance Man". It goes through a methodology to choose the best parts of the country to live in and advises doing recon in various places. Aaron chooses to live in the Black Hills during the warmer months and winters somewhere around Vegas. He's not a Christian, but writes from a libertarian-conservative perspective and is very based when it comes to most things. He also says the people in SD are great no-nonsense types, but there are very few single non-obese women and this goes for much of the northwestern US.
Aaron did not have good things to say about the people of Wyoming, saying many of them are very aggressive or otherwise unpleasant. Lots of "trailer trash" types there.
Surprised no one has mentioned anywhere in northern New Mexico yet . Higher elevation so cooler summers and far enough southern latitude so winters aren’t that brutal or long months with darkness like northern states. Better political climate than neighboring AZ as well with less California culture infiltration.
Also I just watched a podcast that statedNM has dropped in population for 2 years in a row. Although extreme poverty, rural part of Mississippi and Alabama are have a great cost of living advantage if you have a telework job. But a weekly trip to Dollar General to talk to low IQ locals isn’t exactly a fulfilling social network to nurture. I’ve heard great things about the Huntsville AL area. Lots of high level job opportunities, and more intelligent and ambitious people there to network with while still being in a politically red region overall, good weather and lower cost of living.
Many people have been complaining that the Seattle metro area (Washington) has gone down.
Are there any livable suburbs left in that metro area?
Are there any livable suburbs left in that metro area?
I lived in Seattle for a year. I would not recommend living in King County (Seattle). There's way too much BS you'll have to deal with. Maybe some of the suburbs (like Snoqualmie) that are far east going into the mountains would be ok. There are some pretty nice to decent places in Snohomish County and Pierce County. Much less drama than Seattle, but still in that bubble.
Kitsap County across the Puget Sound was one of my favorite places in the Seattle area. Less people and a little more isolated. Bremerton is meh, but decent enough.
Anacortes (farther north) is my favorite town in Western Washington. Great scenery and very peaceful. Oak Harbor and Mount Vernon are ok too.
Most of Western Washington is very expensive. You have to go into Central and Eastern Washington to find cheaper houses, right-wing politics and much more open space/less people. It is packed from Tacoma to Everett.
Kitsap County across the Puget Sound was one of my favorite places in the Seattle area. Less people and a little more isolated. Bremerton is meh, but decent enough.
Anacortes (farther north) is my favorite town in Western Washington. Great scenery and very peaceful. Oak Harbor and Mount Vernon are ok too.
Most of Western Washington is very expensive. You have to go into Central and Eastern Washington to find cheaper houses, right-wing politics and much more open space/less people. It is packed from Tacoma to Everett.
This year, I had been to formerly small, peaceful, quiet, no traffic Idaho town by Canada border, again.
I haven't been to the place in 7 years.
This time I had found traffic, rushing drivers, honking, lack of parking, grocery store packed with obviously California hipsters too, even in nearby Walmart there were hipsters and crowds. Camping was hard to find, with hordes driving to camp, despite area being very far, hours, from any big cities. 7 years ago I could walk in downtown crossing the street without looking to the side, because there were no cars and there were hardly any people anywhere. Both summer home crowds and relocations had run all over it now. In only few years. I was pretty much speechless from the transformation.
This is Idaho boom. I like more peaceful "undiscovered" places with little population, they usually won't have nature scenery as nice as Northern Idaho. They shouldn't be even discussed online, it will cause hordes to move there too.
Right now Boise newcomer crowds are already looking for new landings, as Boise is packed. People from Boise are looking at Black Hills, at Montana, etc. Black Hills are super full of Minnesotans in summer. This is the closest mountains to them, and the cosest place where they don't get eaten by mosquitoes in the woods, the place seems to be isolated but it's a summer destination for Northern Midwest. Big Horn mountains nearby get so packed too I won't camp there anymore, finding camping became an adventure there. 2 years ago it was stuffed with RVs NFS had to start expelling them. Plus Yellowstone crowds traveling from the East stop there. I'm just used to low population and tourist density. These days got to be far from big National Parks, these draw crowds all along the access routes.
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I think the suburbs are a tough sell in the Seattle area. If I was to move to Seattle yet take advantage of the good jobs there, I would try and choose Bellevue. But as @Douglas Quaid mentioned, the islands are actually pretty amazing QOL, especially in places like the mentioned Anacortes. I like Port Townsend, Anacortes and even Mt Vernon.
Yeah it is mindblowing to me to think back to my childhood in these parts. It doesn't even feel like the same world. But then, nothing does, no matter where I go. And northern Idaho at least still feels like there are enough glimpses of the good days to make it worthwhile. I don't know if it will last, but I still want to give my family as much of those memories as I can before the next phase of our current path take effect. The more they learn how good it once was here, the more they will be willing to fight for it in the future.
I'm going to make an oddly specific recommendation for anyone working remote in the US (or skilled blue collar labor). It's a town that is near where I have some extended family and I've been in the town a number of times during extended visits.
Colwich, Kansas.
I notice almost nobody complaining about newcomers has mentioned Kansas. That's a good thing. Nobody is thinking about it and the wider area lacks the large number of transplants.
It's a tiny town located about 10-15 minutes away from the Outskirts of Wichita. Here's why.
Reasons for it:
- The parish in town is large and traditionally minded with a school attached. The congregation has been full when I've gone there and had a large number of young families with a noticeable number of unattended young singles.
-A trad-catholic co-working space is located in town named Ora et Labora. They have daily devotionals and form a ready-made community to plug into. I haven't seen anything quite like it before.
- Multiple Latin masses within a 30 minute drive of that location (one Diocesan, one SSPX)
- As far as Roman dioceses go (which isn't a great benchmark), it falls in the Wichita diocese which is one of the most conservative (relatively speaking) in the country. Average age of priests is about two decades lower than average and it produces a healthy stream of vocations.
-The town is good for anyone who wants a quiet life. Not that much there but you've got a grocery store, library, gas station, park, and a local tavern.
- As far as larger errands, you can get everything you need done in the Maize neighborhood of Wichita which is a safe, boring, suburban strip mall neighborhoods with the kinds of establishments you would find such as the large chain hardware stores, department stores, and grocery stores.
-In general I have found things to be largely more functional there. The locals tend to dislike drama or complication and want to just get things done the easiest way. The few interactions I've had with local government entities were vastly easier than anything else I've ever done with. Just simple, straightforward, in and out transactions. Also never noticed "competence crisis" problems like having food orders messed up or checkout at stores screwed up. The baseline level of competence is higher than other areas I've been to and there's a noticeably lower level of neuroticism among the people I've interacted with (compared to upper midwest, NorthEast, SouthEast).
Cons
-Biggest con is a significant one. Your closest city is Wichita. The outskirts are nice suburban areas, but a lot of the inside areas seem fairly economically depressed. It doesn't seem to really have any large ghettos but there's a widely acknowledged problem with property crime. Last time I went through, for the first time, I noticed the homeless population downtown had shot up rapidly.
-It's flat. It's boring. You won't find great hiking, nightlife, or amazing hustle there.
-Water. The area had a drought last year. The general area was pretty wet visiting over the Christmas break but I am told the prognosis for the area with the aquifer reserves is "grim".
Colwich, Kansas.
I notice almost nobody complaining about newcomers has mentioned Kansas. That's a good thing. Nobody is thinking about it and the wider area lacks the large number of transplants.
It's a tiny town located about 10-15 minutes away from the Outskirts of Wichita. Here's why.
Reasons for it:
- The parish in town is large and traditionally minded with a school attached. The congregation has been full when I've gone there and had a large number of young families with a noticeable number of unattended young singles.
-A trad-catholic co-working space is located in town named Ora et Labora. They have daily devotionals and form a ready-made community to plug into. I haven't seen anything quite like it before.
- Multiple Latin masses within a 30 minute drive of that location (one Diocesan, one SSPX)
- As far as Roman dioceses go (which isn't a great benchmark), it falls in the Wichita diocese which is one of the most conservative (relatively speaking) in the country. Average age of priests is about two decades lower than average and it produces a healthy stream of vocations.
-The town is good for anyone who wants a quiet life. Not that much there but you've got a grocery store, library, gas station, park, and a local tavern.
- As far as larger errands, you can get everything you need done in the Maize neighborhood of Wichita which is a safe, boring, suburban strip mall neighborhoods with the kinds of establishments you would find such as the large chain hardware stores, department stores, and grocery stores.
-In general I have found things to be largely more functional there. The locals tend to dislike drama or complication and want to just get things done the easiest way. The few interactions I've had with local government entities were vastly easier than anything else I've ever done with. Just simple, straightforward, in and out transactions. Also never noticed "competence crisis" problems like having food orders messed up or checkout at stores screwed up. The baseline level of competence is higher than other areas I've been to and there's a noticeably lower level of neuroticism among the people I've interacted with (compared to upper midwest, NorthEast, SouthEast).
Cons
-Biggest con is a significant one. Your closest city is Wichita. The outskirts are nice suburban areas, but a lot of the inside areas seem fairly economically depressed. It doesn't seem to really have any large ghettos but there's a widely acknowledged problem with property crime. Last time I went through, for the first time, I noticed the homeless population downtown had shot up rapidly.
-It's flat. It's boring. You won't find great hiking, nightlife, or amazing hustle there.
-Water. The area had a drought last year. The general area was pretty wet visiting over the Christmas break but I am told the prognosis for the area with the aquifer reserves is "grim".
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