# Aussies moving to US. Help us choose where!



## matthewh133 (Nov 27, 2014)

Hello everyone! My partner and I (both 25 years old) are moving to the USA in January on green cards. We were set on moving to Portland, OR and then later Bend, OR, but we're having some trouble with state accreditation for my partner's job with the Oregon board and other states are far more lenient, so we may have to choose somewhere else (but hopefully not!).

If this is the case, we'd love your assistance with finding a new home! Here's some of our needs/wants:

- Adventure/outdoor recreation within close driving distance. Preferably mountains, hiking, downhill mountain biking/snowboarding, golf etc.

- Affordable. Our joint income will likely be somewhere between 90,000-110,000. We were looking for preferably a 2 bedroom apartment.. if not a single bedroom. Under $1400 a month but preferably closer to $1200.

- Vegetarian/healthy living friendly. My partner and I are cheat vegos (eat seafood) so a variety of vegetarian and seafood restaurants would be great.

- Central. We will only own one car so we are looking for somewhere with easy bike access and relatively close to downtown areas.

- Decent size population. Access to things like shopping malls/movies/sporting venues etc. Maybe 75,000+?

I guess these are the main points. If anyone could help us out it would be HUGELY appreciated. Not long until we move now and I guess we should know where to catch our connecting flight from LA to


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

How about the other Portland -- Portland, Maine?


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## matthewh133 (Nov 27, 2014)

BBCWatcher said:


> How about the other Portland -- Portland, Maine?


The winter seems a little too extreme for us over there. We're used to rain, so Oregon is fine, but extreme cold and lots and lots of snow is a bit wild for us ATM.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

As you have to work why not find out which state your partner can get licensed in first. One car will limit your location considerably.


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## matthewh133 (Nov 27, 2014)

twostep said:


> As you have to work why not find out which state your partner can get licensed in first. One car will limit your location considerably.


We know Colorado and California should be fine. Same with New Mexico, Arizona, Montana. Oregon and Washington seem to be the biggest PITA, which is annoying because the PNW is our favourite part of the US.


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## Bellthorpe (Jun 23, 2013)

Keep in mind that cars are so much cheaper in the US than anywhere else, as is gasoline, that you might well reconsider how many cars you want.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

matthewh133 said:


> The winter seems a little too extreme for us over there.


That criterion wasn't on your list. In fact, snowboarding was. 

How about Baltimore? It's a city of just over 622,000. Seafood, yes, certainly. Vegetables, no problem. It's not far from snowboarding areas (e.g. Liberty Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania, 63 miles away and about 1 hour 15 minutes with no traffic) and other recreational activities (e.g. Maryland's eastern shore, Washington's museums and other attractions). It's also about 2 hours 40 minutes by train to New York City and all its attractions. Annapolis (the state capital) is also quite lovely and well worth a trip (31 miles/37 minutes). Cost of living is low as long as you stay away from Washington, D.C., and its immediate suburbs. It's a rather compact, bike-friendly city, with several nice neighborhoods (and also some not-so-nice ones, so choose among the former). It has great public transit options, so it'd work well for a one car or even (often) a zero car household.

It has a mid-Atlantic climate with average annual snowfall of 51 centimeters. There are on average 1.6 days per year when Baltimore has more than 25 centimeters of snow on the ground. (It tends to melt quickly after it falls, if it falls.) Oh, and you won't be arrested for watering your garden or window box of lovely vegetables. There's no drought in Baltimore, nor is one likely.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

To generalize, "Go East, Aussies."

You've stated that the fundamental barrier is that it's difficult to get government permission to work in a certified field. OK then. Excluding Hawaii and Alaska (where the cost of living is quite high), the entire U.S. Pacific coast has just 3 states, and 2 of them are evidently closed to you. In contrast, the U.S. Atlantic coast has a whopping 14 states, and that's not counting states like Vermont that don't have an Atlantic coastline but that are closer to the coastline than most of California. Unlike California it's even viable to live in one state and work in another, providing even more flexibility in finding a certification-friendly state.

The best seafood tends to be found near the sea.  Montana and Colorado have some excellent fresh water fishing, but you asked for seafood. (Montana and Colorado also have winter weather.) New Mexico and Arizona don't have seas. They're also largely deserts -- beautiful in many ways, but not naturally vegetable producers.

The U.S. Atlantic coast has America's oldest cities, meaning their urban cores grew up pre-automobile. They still have many buildings dating back to the early 1600s, even earlier than that in the oldest settlements in Florida. (Though Florida didn't urbanize until much later.) That makes them, on average, more bicycle and public transport friendly. And horse friendly too, originally. They're not the world's oldest cities. Plenty of European cities are older, and even some cities in Asia are too (e.g. Kyoto, Japan). But they have Australia beat.

There is the Gulf Coast as well to stay near edible sea creatures, but snowboarding is on your list. It will not be a short drive from the Gulf Coast to a snowboarding venue, at least not an outdoor one. There are two principle mountain ranges in the United States: the newer/taller Rockies, and the older/shorter but still impressive Appalachians. The highest elevation east of the Mississippi River is in North Carolina: Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet, not too far from Asheville. That's still pretty tall, and particularly in the northern half of that range there's ample and excellent skiing, snowboarding, and mountain biking.

So, "Go East." Unless you'd like to revise your parameters substantially.


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## lovestravel (Apr 9, 2012)

Sounds like your criteria are similar to ours. We are headed to denver Colorado next week to check it out. I have never been there but it sounds like it will fit the bill. We are going to try to go without a car and just rent one when we want to travel out of town. It's a bit expensive but we are hoping to find affordable housing downtown. It seems there are some older condos that are less which I am willing to live with 70s decor to get the location I want.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Other than the facts Denver has ample winter weather and is nowhere near the sea, it sounds perfect.


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## lovestravel (Apr 9, 2012)

It would be hard to find a place close to winter sports without a bit of colder temps and snow. I grew up in the Bay Area california and lots of people went to Lake Tahoe for skiing in winter but of course it is super expensive.


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## matthewh133 (Nov 27, 2014)

Sorry I should clarify.. we're not adverse to snow.. but don't want to be covered all winter. The occasional fall and low temperature are fine, but we don't want anything too extreme. Denver's weather (on average) would be fine for example.

Also, we are looking to stay on the Western half of the US. Just personal preference with the mountains over there.


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## Sw11 (Nov 29, 2014)

I would give a huge recommendation to consider Boise, Idaho. I grew up there and it is an incredible city. Population about 250,000, set in the middle of the hills. We have a ski resort right up a mountain, just a short drive away (though there are plenty of bus routes). The cost of living is suprisingly cheap. You could easily afford a airy, beautiful apartment downtown. The social scene here is incredibly friendly, the economy is booming, and all sorts of wonderful hikes are within a 10 minute bike ride 
from downtown. It may sound like a random place, but you really should check out Boise! I think it has everything you're looking for and more.

Here's some more info!


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## Sw11 (Nov 29, 2014)

Sorry! Posted to soon!
http://www.opb.org/news/blog/newsblog/boise-seattle-named-best-cities-to-move-to-in-2014/
http://www.movoto.com/blog/opinions/moving-to-boise/


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

matthewh133 said:


> Denver's weather (on average) would be fine for example.


Denver is OK but Portland, Maine, isn't? That's...odd.

Have you checked annual average snowfall totals in both those places?



> Also, we are looking to stay on the Western half of the US. Just personal preference with the mountains over there.


Then unless it's California you will scratch seafood off your list. You may be able to substitute freshwater fish.

There are two major mountain ranges in the United States. One of them is east, and one of them is west. They are both lovely.


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

I lived more than 20 years in Northern Virginia, even more temperate climate than Baltimore, and while winters were tolerable in the 90s and early aughts, it changed savagely about 2005 to 10 years of harsh winters. Very, very nasty. Your comments on East Coast are on target but maybe a southern state such as the coastal areas of North or South Carolina would offer a better climate to immigrants hoping for mild and wet. I have no idea about the laws regarding OP's mate's work needs, but cost of living is much lower than Baltimore.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Meritorious-MasoMenos said:


> I have no idea about the laws regarding OP's mate's work needs, but cost of living is much lower than Baltimore.


I'm not sure what city(ies) in North Carolina or South Carolina you're thinking of.

According to a major cost of living index data source, if the U.S. overall is at 100 then Baltimore is at 94, Charleston is at 111, and Raleigh is at 103. Charlotte is at 97, and Durham is at 96. Chapel Hill is at a whopping 129.

It'll also depend on how highly the original poster values proximity to snowboarding. As mentioned, Baltimore is about 1 hour 15 minutes away (in that one car) from a Pennsylvania ski resort that can typically keep snow on their runs for a long season, plus others that are just a bit longer drive. Charleston, for example, isn't so lucky, unless your definition of "near" includes "pretty far," and unless you shorten the ski season.

It'll also depend on the original poster's other desired characteristics, e.g. public transit, bikeability, etc. Baltimore has got those characteristics, certainly. All those places in North and South Carolina are much, much more heavily car dependent. Here are the average walk scores for these cities and some others mentioned (higher is better):

66 Baltimore
63 Portland, Oregon
57 Portland, Maine
56 Denver
34 Charleston
34 Chapel Hill
29 Raleigh
28 Durham
24 Charlotte

Let's turn to weather, specifically snow. According to another major weather source, here are the annual average snowfall totals for some of the cities mentioned in this thread, in centimeters:

157.0 Portland, Maine
136.7 Denver
63.5 United States
51.3 Baltimore
12.7 Seattle
10.9 Charlotte
9.9 Raleigh
7.6 Portland, Oregon
1.3 Charleston, South Carolina

In terms of snowfall anyway, Baltimore has milder winters than the United States average. How far below the U.S. average the original poster wants to get -- while still trying to stay near snowboarding, still living in a place that's not heavily car dependent, and with permission to work -- is up to the original poster.

Let me toss in another possible candidate in yet another state: Wilmington, Delaware. Wilmington has a walk score of 72, average annual snowfall of 51.3 centimeters (same as Baltimore), and a cost of living index of 107. It's a bit farther from snowboarding venues than Baltimore. However, if the original poster wants to trade something they'll experience every day (walkability) for a longer drive to snowboarding, and also add the state of Delaware to the list as yet another jurisdiction offering yet another possible certification outcome, that'd work. Norfolk, Virginia has the same cost of living index (107), a walk score of 44 (still better than all those examples in the Carolinas), and average annual snowfall of 14.7 centimeters. It's a little farther away from snowboarding venues than Baltimore -- the snowfall average gives you a hint -- but only a little. And it's in yet another state with yet another set of certification rules.

That's the wonderful thing about the East Coast: 14+ states to choose from versus 3 (2 already disqualified), unless Alaska and Hawaii get added to the list.


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## Bellthorpe (Jun 23, 2013)

I can see why it's happening, but I'm a bit worried about reducing everything to 'scores'. There is no substitute for an extended trip looking at all the places of interest.

The US is far too big to even think about seeing all in a month - or even a year. But the idea is to reduce it to candidates on the east and west coast, mid-west, south and north, and spend at least a few days in each. Chances are that in at least one place, things will click and you'll say "right, this is the one". And some will simply seem not right. For my wife and me, for example, it's either west or east coast (we're now in DC). There is no way on earth I would live in the mid-west. But that's a personal thing, and others will differ. 

We've also bought in France. We toured the country (which is bit more practical, given the size), arrived in Annecy and within two hours had looked at each other and said "right, this is the place".


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Let's continue this a bit more and assume (for a moment) that the good seafood requirement is now thrown back into the sea. I posited that East Coast cities are, on average, more walkable than Western cities. So let's take a look at average walk scores, state by state....

1. In Colorado, Denver and Boulder have the highest walk scores in the state at 56.
2. In Montana, the highest walk score in the state is Helena's at 46. (Helena also gets nearly twice the average snowfall that Baltimore does.)
3. In Arizona, the most walkable city is Tempe at 50. "But it's a dry heat." 
4. In New Mexico, Albuquerque scores best at 40.
5. San Francisco has a great walk score of 84, though West Hollywood leads the state at 89. But look at the cost of living indexes: 179 for San Francisco and 161 for West Hollywood. "You get what you pay for," quite often. Makes sense, because California has a couple places that were settled pre-automobile.

OK, turning to the East Coast and the mid-Atlantic states:

6. Baltimore nearly leads Maryland with a walk score of 66, but there are a couple towns that score a bit higher.
7. Washington, D.C. has a walk score of 74.
8. Wilmington, Delaware, as mentioned, has a walk score of 72 and leads the state.
9. Arlington, Virginia, has a walk score of 67. No great surprise since it's a close DC suburb.
10. North Carolina doesn't do so well. Boone (where?) leads the state at 46.
11. Greenville leads South Carolina at 41.

So by and large you're going to do better in walkability if you stay a bit north, just as with proximity to snowboarding, other things being equal. (Is there snowboarding near Tempe? )

Note that these are _average_ walk scores. Cities are still big places, and various neighborhoods within cities have higher or lower walk scores. A higher walk score for a whole city simply means that, other things being equal, there are more neighborhoods that are more walkable.

....On edit: Here's an interesting city that ought to go on your short list. Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has a walk score of 80 (highest in Pennsylvania), average annual snowfall of 46.5 centimeters, is very close to snowboarding venues, and a cost of living index of 92. And it's in _yet another_ state with yet another set of certification rules.


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

BBCWatcher said:


> I'm not sure what city(ies) in North Carolina or South Carolina you're thinking of.
> 
> According to a major cost of living index data source, if the U.S. overall is at 100 then Baltimore is at 94, Charleston is at 111, and Raleigh is at 103. Charlotte is at 97, and Durham is at 96. Chapel Hill is at a whopping 129.
> 
> ...


Wow, you went through tremendous work. This should be very valuable for OP. However, it doesn't change the fact that for the past 10 winters, the weather has been savage and fierce in the mid-Atlantic. I mean blizzards that hit time after time and cut off power and roads for days at a time, much worse than anything I remember from my Connecticut youth -- where winters have also been the most savage in the memory of grand parents over the past decade or so as well.
In Virginia, Northern Virginia just south of DC, the winters nearly killed us a few times in the past decade, catching us unprepared because of how mild they had been in the previous ten years plus. We almost never lost power, and if so, for a few minutes, an hour at most. No one had generators, people laughed at the energetic (and wise) families that had snow plows, and those of us with powerful SUVs felt foolish as we never needed their off-road abilities.
All that changed. Every winter, we'd have storms that would cut us off for days at a time, in a rural section, but again, just 35 miles south of DC, in a direct line with Baltimore, and a few, when it went bitter cold for days at a time, in the teens F., suddenly, with no power, snow three to five feet tall, not a single vehicle moving, we were reduced to burning wood, books, anything for heat to avoid freezing to death, but I have to say, it was close a few times,, no phones, impossible to go out for two or three days, so fierce was the wind, the piled up snow.
Now, those were the past ten years. Things could switch back to the mild years - though last winter was the coldest in memory, and this year, we've had bitter cold since the beginning of Nov. We escaped killer snow so far, but I'm sure you've read or seen about the nightmare that hit Buffalo last week.
So, I was telling the OP, forget fancy statistics, if you want Portland, Oregon weather, stay far away, far, far away, from the Washington DC-Baltimore region.
While winters have also been colder in North and South Carolina, it's been nothing as bad and dangerous as we faced, well, except for driving in ice storms.


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## Meritorious-MasoMenos (Apr 17, 2014)

Also, for cost of living, Baltimore is in Maryland, a heavily Democrat state where folks are taxed up the yahzoo. Maryland had a stunning election this Nov. where the Dem candidate for governor got trounced, despite all polls and about a 70-30 Dem-Rep voting breakdown. Reason, high taxes and low services. Taxes in Baltimore are even worse, and it is an ugly corrupt city, with a monolithic ruling party that controls all major offices, well, minor ones as well. They had a huge scandal last year in the city prison, where imprisoned drug traffickers ran the place, with guards bringing in all the drugs and other supplies they wanted, women guards bearing all children with prisoners as fathers. The feds had to come and sweep everyone away. Real estate prices are high, and every single thing is taxed. We in Virginia kept a close eye on Maryland prices. Also of course, from even before I moved to Virginia, beginning I imagine in the 1970s, Maryland had been much more developed than Virginia in the DC area, but because of Maryland's high taxes and corruption, all of the explosion in the private sector, especially in the high tech corridor that group up in Loudon county, and the private contractors in Fairfax County, just outstripped Maryland about 10-to-one.
Our wise city fathers, for example, built up a subway-metro system to serve commuters from Maryland and Virginia working in DC. 
However, all of the jobs, or 80 percent, came to Virginia, so we have this absurd system of no public transport, no subway, bringing folks form Maryland into Virginia, no highways built recently to bring commuters between the two states, and because of the Potomac, no bridge built in the past 50 years between the two states. Residents file law suits to halt them.
While this has affected mainly southern Maryland, it has had its effects on Baltimore. Nasty place to live, unless you're wealthy, or have family that has lived there for decades. 
Oh, okay, there is also nasty feelings between DC and Baltimore regions that may have influenced me just a smidge.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Not sure why everyone is going on about the East Coast. On first reading, my first impression was that these folks definitely want to be in the West - West Coast if possible. Don't know what the issues are regarding certification for the profession, but it might be easier to address that head on rather than give up on an area that has all the other features you'd enjoy.
Cheers,
Bev


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Bevdeforges said:


> Not sure why everyone is going on about the East Coast. On first reading, my first impression was that these folks definitely want to be in the West - West Coast if possible.


As the original poster noted, not possible, except for California. There's a certification problem in Oregon and in Washington State....

....So, given that Oregon and Washington are impossible, one searches for the next best options. If the criteria are accurate, at least some of those next best options will be along the U.S. eastern seaboard.

The weather averages include the past 10 years. Weather varies. If last winter -- or the last 10 -- had more snow than average, that doesn't predict next year's winter. It doesn't even begin to predict next year's. Nor does it necessarily predict a mild winter either ("we're due"). If you flip a coin 10 times and it's heads every time, the 11th flip has no higher probability of being heads.

By the way, most of the U.S. west has a serious, persistent drought underway, right now.

Cost of living indexes take into account taxes and housing. Baltimore is genuinely a lower cost place to live than the national average (and than, say, Raleigh) given typical/average household characteristics. A prison scandal might be interesting and relevant...if one plans to reside in prison. I'm also quite sure prison scandals are not unique to Baltimore anyway.

I'm just going by the original poster's stated lifestyle criteria and assuming they are accurate. If they are not, the original poster can advise.


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## matthewh133 (Nov 27, 2014)

Hey everyone. While we really do appreciate everyone's thoughts in relation to the East, we are definitely set on the West due completely to our personal preference of the nature and mountains over there. Just a personal preference thing having been to both the West and East. 

Great 'seafood' is definitely not a top priority, but just a bonus. Please don't let that steer you away from recommendations


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## matthewh133 (Nov 27, 2014)

I think topping our list atm (in order) are:

Denver, CO
Boulder, CO
San Diego, CA
Boise, ID
Coeur D'Alene, ID 
Missoula, MT
Salt Lake City, UT
Flagstaff, AR

Are there any places that are nice and affordable close to the Bay Area for easy access to Yosemite? We love SF but it's crazy expensive.


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## cschrd2 (Oct 31, 2011)

Cheaper places south of the Bay Area: Gilroy but also Fresno is ok. Both are reasonably located vs Yosemite. They are hot in the summer though.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Part of the beauty of Yosemite is the fact that it's not really all that close to anyplace. But take a look at either Reno or Carson City, Nevada. 
Cheers,
Bev


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

A fair number of the places mentioned have low walk scores and thus many/most people would feel they're difficult places to live with one car and two adults.

Several of the places mentioned have tough winters.

You've substantially deviated from your stated criteria, it would appear.


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## matthewh133 (Nov 27, 2014)

BBCWatcher said:


> A fair number of the places mentioned have low walk scores and thus many/most people would feel they're difficult places to live with one car and two adults.
> 
> Several of the places mentioned have tough winters.
> 
> You've substantially deviated from your stated criteria, it would appear.


Maybe I should clarify further as to not confuse.

By tough winters.. we mean we don't want to be snowed in all winter long.. or have constant 20 degree weather all winter. We can handle an average of 30-40 for the coldest month.

The whole one car thing is not really a problem for us. We go most places together and we're planning to live near downtown areas of whichever city we choose so as long as it's a manageable bike ride into downtown it's fine.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

matthewh133 said:


> By tough winters.. we mean we don't want to be snowed in all winter long.. or have constant 20 degree weather all winter. We can handle an average of 30-40 for the coldest month.


At least a few of the places on your list don't meet that set of weather requirements. Check the weather statistics for any place you are considering.

Missoula, for example, has an average _high_ temperature of 31 °F in December and 33 °F in January. Its average temperature does not hit even 30 in either of those months. It also gets a pretty good snowfall total (94 centimeters on average per winter).



> The whole one car thing is not really a problem for us. We go most places together and we're planning to live near downtown areas of whichever city we choose so as long as it's a manageable bike ride into downtown it's fine.


Again, it seems you haven't checked all the places on your list. You cannot bike into "downtown" in more than trivial snow, for example. Forget ice. ("Downtown" is kind of a funny concept for a few of the places you mentioned, by the way.)

Walk scores are excellent proxies for ability to access "downtown" without a car, and the same site also publishes bikeability scores. Do check out those scores. You can get greater, pinpoint scoring accuracy once you have specific residential addresses you're considering.


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## Bellthorpe (Jun 23, 2013)

For the decades that I lived in Singapore I looked forward to going skiing, after Lee Kuan Yew said that the country would become the Switzerland of Asia.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

We're still waiting for the snow here. 

There are many, many places I enjoyed living and would enjoy living, as it happens. But if you're seeking advice on where to live, and you specify particular lifestyle requirements and preferences, then "don't shoot the model." If you don't like the answer(s), reexamine your requirements, preferences, and relative priorities. Change them if you wish, run the model, then see if the answers change.

We've seen some really weird questions in this forum, like the person who wanted to leave the United States to find another country that has more permissive laws and regulations associated with personal ownership of firearms. Our planet does not have such a country within its developed portion, and even within the undeveloped/developing portion there are very few such countries. (Yemen is one of the very few candidates.) He didn't like the answer, but that really is the answer.

In this case, "I want to live in the Pacific Northwest, but I can't because my spouse cannot get professional certification." OK, then, you won't be living in either Washington or Oregon. Case closed there. If you then require and/or prefer particular lifestyle attributes, why should it be surprising that the next best answers will be found elsewhere? Then if you don't like the next best answers, fine, but don't expect anybody to pretend that Denver doesn't experience snowfall and other forms of winter weather, that Boise has miles upon miles of oceanfront where the world's best seafood is caught and lands on your plate within mere minutes, and that San Francisco has thousands of America's most affordable apartments ready and waiting for you to rent. None of these things are true -- sorry about that!


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Ohne Moos nix los - translated money makes the world go around.

Running with the amount of information OP has given which is basically a wish list of creature comforts the options are somewhat limited. Add the licensing issue for CA and OR which means there is some sort of requirement everywhere and the need to find a job - it may not be a bad idea to set priorities straight. 

Maybe OP will keep us posted about their progress.


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## victx (Dec 23, 2014)

I would recommend Austin, TX (yep, that is where I am). It is often seen as an alternative to Portland. It is a liberal city, not comparable to the rest of Texas. Employment is excellent at this time which may help since you don't have local experience yet. 

-Excellent local and state parks for outdoor recreation. Tons of golf. Forget about snow stuff and mountains though. Summer gets HOT. Free public pools all over.

-You will be able to get an apt for less than $1200/month. Stay central though, suburbia will bore you stiff. 

-The place if full of vegetarian and healthy living folks. Some seafood but BBQ rules here- Texans are not great fish eaters. 

-There is a very decent bus system if you stay in the urban core. Lots of bike lanes. Also buses have racks for bikes. 

-Population is about a million now I believe - that's the metro of course. All action is in the urban core. 

For what profession is your state accreditation issue?


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## lintexas (Feb 11, 2015)

You might look at Camas (or Vancouver) WA. Close to everything you mentioned. Portland airport is a 15 minute drive away. No state tax. Not too far from the ocean. Lots of mountains close by. Shopping and dining in Portland is a short drive. Check it out. I can get more info for you if you like.


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## lovestravel (Apr 9, 2012)

I was curious on where they landed since they said it would be january. We settled on denver, co. We finally got our furnishings january 31. Still unpacking. We struggled finding a place large enough downtown. We settled for something much smaller and trying to figure out what will go and what will stay. We have used the car a few times for ikea and target but otherwise it has stayed parked since arrival.


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## TurtleToo (Aug 23, 2013)

BBCWatcher, where do you find the "walkable" scores that you've mentioned for various cities? Thanks!

.


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

Walkscore.com is a notable source.


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## TurtleToo (Aug 23, 2013)

BBCWatcher said:


> Walkscore.com is a notable source.



Great information--thanks, again.


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## Kimbella (Jul 4, 2013)

matthewh133 said:


> Sorry I should clarify.. we're not adverse to snow.. but don't want to be covered all winter. The occasional fall and low temperature are fine, but we don't want anything too extreme. Denver's weather (on average) would be fine for example.
> 
> Also, we are looking to stay on the Western half of the US. Just personal preference with the mountains over there.


San Diego, California has the best weather in the nation (consistently), is a coastal city, with close-ish access to snow topped mountains. The cost of living is higher than the US average, but much like Aus, you are paying for quality weather/lifestyle, etc. It's also a single pop over the border to Mexico/Baja peninsula. With the funds you describe you'd be fine as far as finances--that is a very comfortable budget, even by California standards. And, given that your wages are likely to continue rising, given your age, you're actually ahead of the game, financially. I'd give it some serious though--over 300+ days of sunshine, low humidity, generally stable year-round temp, etc.

I should also add, that some folks will take issue with the high taxes in California, but I will posit that coming from Oz, you will find the cost of living either comparable or possibly even cheaper (I live in NZ and travel to Oz semi-regularly). 

Cheers from an ex-Californian!


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## lovestravel (Apr 9, 2012)

I love San Diego! If we had more time we would have looked there as well. We are settling into denver just fine thus far though. We have been enjoying the mountains for sure. I wish there was better public transport to other areas. The bus is fine but is still subject to weather and traffic delays.


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## Montana Ranches (Feb 2, 2017)

BBCWatcher said:


> To generalize, "Go East, Aussies."
> 
> You've stated that the fundamental barrier is that it's difficult to get government permission to work in a certified field. OK then. Excluding Hawaii and Alaska (where the cost of living is quite high), the entire U.S. Pacific coast has just 3 states, and 2 of them are evidently closed to you. In contrast, the U.S. Atlantic coast has a whopping 14 states, and that's not counting states like Vermont that don't have an Atlantic coastline but that are closer to the coastline than most of California. Unlike California it's even viable to live in one state and work in another, providing even more flexibility in finding a certification-friendly state.
> 
> ...


I live in Bozeman, Montana and it is a beautiful place with lots to do. Job situation can vary depending on what you do. State Income Tax so that isn't great. You will have snow on the ground from @ Dec-Mid March. Bozeman is growing very fast and is possibly becoming a hi-tech hub. That remains to be seen but there is lots of talk. All the hiking, skiing, fishing, hunting, biking, wildlife you could ever want. Hope that helps and let me know on anymore ?'s on Montana.


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## katzgar (Feb 3, 2017)

there are only 2 cities that meet the snow boarding and sea food criteria. Portland, OR and Seattle, WA


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