So the work I do is 100% remote now. I moved to Southern California because of an industry that has in part moved to remote work. My only requirements are a temperate climate, nature access and hopefully a blue-ish state. Is there a place out there that makes sense financially? I’m hoping to buy a house less then 500k. I don’t need access to large cities as I honestly don’t do anything. The only requirement I can think of is access to solid internet as I stream full screen video for what I do.
I’m currently looking at Michigan and Virginia as options.
Virginia still has cheap areas and is a blue state thanks to the DC area and Hampton Roads, but the cheap areas suck and don’t necessarily have broadband access or mobile coverage.
Are you a blue voter or do you just like blue areas?
https://www.kiplinger.com/real-estate/places-to-live/601488/25-cheapest-us-cities-to-live-in
Michigan isn’t a friendly place for taxes on middle-class families. Things have changed with the influx of people from neighboring blue states. For example, my hometown of Grand Rapids, which once had an average midwestern cost of living, is now no longer affordable:
Also, if you are looking for somewhere temperate, you’ll only have that here May through August.
I honestly don’t care red vs blue but my wife would take a bit of convincing to move to a red state. We live in the outskirts of LA county and have never taken advantage of that so I feel like we’re wasting money and roasting, especially considering we’re now 100% remote
Virginia is roughly purple. The General Assembly is hung (one house majority Republican, the other majority Democratic), and the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general are all Republican.
The DC area is ridiculously expensive ($1 million or $2500/month is quite possible). I can’t speak to Hampton Roads.
The city of Richmond, most of Henrico County (not Varina), Charles City County, and part of Chesterfield County are blue. Charles City County is cheap but good luck getting a phone signal with certain carriers or getting internet access. Glen Allen, Short Pump, and the West End (all Henrico County) are all pretty expensive as well but less so than DC.
People live longer in blue areas. In America, the difference could be as many as 10 years.