Pros and cons of living in the mountains?
Wow, this question sounds like it was made for me!! My husband and I just moved to Mt. Baldy (local mountains above Upland, Rancho Cucamonga area) and we are loving it. Had our first snow today! We are so happy up there, so quiet, forest everywhere, people are friendly, has that small town feel (only about 200 people live up there), yet it is still close enough for us to get to conveinences like the grocery store, restaurants, theaters, etc. (only a 15-20 minute drive down the hill to "civilization". The pros are peace of mind, better quality of life, quiet, beauty, the cons are the drive back to "civilization" when you need it, and occassional snow (having to put chains on your car). If you can find a job not too far away...I'd say go for it. Houses are actually affordable in Big Bear and Idyllwild unlike anywhere else in So. Cal.
What is it like to live in Washington state? ?
well the east side of the state is very spaced out compared to the west side. the weather over there is also typically a lot different - it's way hotter over there in the summer, but also way colder (and get A LOT more snow) during the winter. The biggest city over there is Spokane which some people love yet some people really hate. Other areas of considerable population over there is also Wenatchee, Yakima, and the Tri Cities. The east side of the state also tends to be more conservative, where as the west side is liberal. In western washington you have Bellingham which is the biggest city to the north, it's probably only a 15-20 min drive or so to Canada from there. I like bellingham because you kind of get the small-big city feel. It's a large city, but not skyscrapper large. Then of course you have the seattle area or everett area if you're looking to be closer to the big city. there are nice suburbs that would be excellent places for families - but keep in mind anywhere around the city is going to be expensive. You move further south you get cities like Kent and Puyallup which I would describe are like Bellinghams except much closer to Seattle. Some other areas you might want to consider are Bremerton/Gig Harbor area, Olympia area, Vancouver area. I just graduated from college and a lot of my friends were teaching majors and all of them found jobs fairly easily - a lot of them got on the roster as full time teachers right away and didn't even have to go through the whole subbing process before finding a full time job. We've had a few minor earthquakes, but nothing terribly big (thank goodness) in the 20 years i've lived here.
Why is Texas doing well economically given that it’s a right wing state? Is it because of oil?
Don’t believe political propaganda. Texas is doing fine economically.It’s the second biggest GDP in the US; California is #1.List of U.S. states by GDP per capita - WikipediaTexas is 13th in GDP per capita. However, while its GDP is about $53,795 compared to say $58,619 in California, the after tax or “take home” GDP per capita is much higher in Texas as Texas has some of the lowest taxes in the nation (no state income tax, average sales tax). California has one of the highest income tax rates in the nation, and highest sales tax, and while property tax rates aren’t that high, with the property values so high, they are effectively some of the highest in the nation.Besides taxes, the cost of living in California is laughably more expensive. Housing alone…Texas Home Prices & Home Values | ZillowMedian house in Texas costs $120/square foot, or $175,000.California Home Prices & Home Values | ZillowMedian house in California costs $291/square foot, or $529,900.By the way, most of those houses in Texas are going to be on much, much larger lots than California.Texas and taxes: How we compare to other states in the give and take of federal fundsTexas actually ranks 43rd out of 50 in how much money it gets back from the Federal government.Is it oil? Oil helps but since 2010 their GDP per capita was 25th, it’s now 13th. It’s not just oil anymore. Depending on how you count it, there are about 3–400,000 people working in the oil and gas industry out of nearly 28 million Texans.It’s becoming increasingly tech oriented. A lot of tourism there. Hollywood is starting to make movies there. But a lot of its money is coming out from farming and cattle ranching. If California grows America’s food, Texas raises it. Texas also is the #1 exporting state (to other countries).So basically Texas right now is California lite (a lot of tourism but not quite as much as California), a lot of farming (not sure if more or less than California, but different products), a lot of tech but not quite as much as California, just with much lower taxes and much less limited housing.
What state is better to live in? Oklahoma or Arkansas?
My boyfriend got a job offer in Oklahoma or Arkansas. They told us to take a pick and we have never been to either of those states. We have lived in Minnesota our whole lifes. So just curious as to what one is better. We do like the country scene like woods, big back yards, and a place more not in the cities. We are completely not city people. Also, we have a 3 year old daughter so would want good day care programs and fun entertainment etc...Also, hows the weather? I heard they both can get hotter in the summer and colder in winters, which I am somewhat used to living in MN with all our messed up seasons. We have lots of tornadoes too so thats not a worry. Any feedback would help! Thanks a lot! :)
What is the best Thing About The State Of Utah?
The mountains. I can hike in spectacular Wasatch-Cache National Forest year round (snow shoe in the winter). World class skiing and the chill outdoor rec crowd, a sharp contrast from the bland Mormon suburbia in the valley.BLM dispersed camping is available all over the state. The Uinta Mountains are spectacular to escape the summer desert heat. Several state parks are highly underrated like Goblin Valley (Google It NOW), Goosenecks & Dead Horse Point. If you fancy river trips in rafts, whitewater or kyaking the Green, Provo & Colorado Rivers are uniquely wonderful.Now for the bad news: Utah is like living in the 1950's. Seriously, it's stupidly conservative. Literally, the state makes millions in travel & tourism & our Congressmen keep trying to make land grabs for developers, oil & coal mining of shale. It's not a feasible source of fossil fuel.Because the Mormon or LDS or whatever rebranded title they prefer, the legislature is so busy trying to out conservative each other they are far to the right of their constituents. The Utah Republican Party just spent millions suing to reverse a bill THEY THEMSELVES passed, until they realized if candidates got enough signatures anyone could got on the ballot. They passed the law because a bunch of fringe lunatics held the primary process hostage so only extreme candidates could get through.Wages are depressed here. Utah's are super cheap, largely owing to having 6–8 children. Even with the tech jobs & a host of defense, aerospace & healthcare jobs housing is inflated. There just isn't enough.The food sucks. There aren't great restaurants. Unless you just love “family dining.” Yet there is quite a lot of culture for a city this size. There are several high caliber theatres for plays including Broadway shows. We have an excellent symphony, many art galleries and public art in the form of sculptures & murals enliven Salt Lake City and it's surroundings.Salt Lake City is walkable & chill. Once you get South of Sandy, East of Holladay (except to hike), West of Taylorsville or North of North Temple it's not as desireable.Come see for yourself, it's amazing.
Why do liberals love California when the job stealing tech comes from there?
Liberals like California because it's a place where their free, intelligent and inquisitive thinking can give rise to a tsunami of jobs that benefits the entire globe.
Pros and Cons of living in Charleston, South Carolina?
I currently live in the midwest and am looking relocate to the south in September and October. I am looking for a city that is warm, kind, not racist or homophobic, biking-friendly, has decent fishing nearby, and a decent job market. Charleston seems to be the best option for me so far. What do you like and dislike about the city? Could I get a job there? (I'm an early childcare teacher and phlebotomist, but am happy doing pretty much any kind of work, as long as I can pay my rent!) Any information you can share would be great appreciated!