How do you figure out where to move when there are so many to choose from? How do you know which place is right for you? Fortunately, clues to your best places to move are easier to unearth than you may think.
Rather than trying to find the answers to your questions about where to move online, it’s vital to cut through the bullshit and get to the heart of the matter. To do this, start by asking yourself:
- What am I looking for in my new home and why?
- What makes me happiest?
- What’s most important to me?
The secret to narrowing your field of possibilities is to use your answers to questions like these to create what I call your “ideal place profile.” Think of it as a customer avatar, except that you’re defining a place instead of a person.
The best part about creating your ideal place profile is that you can then use it as your very own personalized road map to guide your online and on-the-ground research, so you can be confident your search will stay focused and on point.
Curious how it works? Well, here’s your chance to take a peek behind the scenes!
In this post, I highlight the 11 essential characteristics of my ideal place, which I used to create my ideal place profile, guide my online research, and zero in on my top 3 best places to move – all using my signature PlaceFinder system.
See if you can guess my top 3 best places to move from the clues provided here. Then, keep an eye out for my next post, where I’ll spill the beans!
Population
I’ve lived in big, thriving cities and small, impoverished towns. I enjoy spending time in big cities but I don’t want to live in one. And, I’ve spent enough years living in a small town to know with complete certainty that it’s not the life for me. I feel most comfortable somewhere in the middle. This is confirmed by the results of my Place Personality Type quiz where I scored in the medium-sized city range. Ideally, the city we move to will have around 200,000 to 350,000 people.
Growth rate
I lived in Austin, Texas for 22 years. I watched it transform before my eyes from a laid back, affordable city of 350,000 to an overly hip and expensive metropolis of 850,000. Seemingly overnight, the traffic was abysmal, the cost of living was ridiculous, and it just wasn’t fun to live there anymore. I’d rather move someplace that’s growing at a more reasonable pace. What’s my definition of “reasonable”? To put things in perspective, Austin’s population has grown by 20% since 2010. Which is insane! I consider reasonable growth to be about half that rate.
Physical
I grew up in San Francisco. Now, after 30 years of living in the middle of the country, I’m ready to live closer to the coast again. I miss the fresh air and going to the beach – and trees! I’m so tree-deprived, it’s ridiculous. No more plains living for me. I don’t care if I ever see a cornfield or tumbleweed ever again! I’m also totally done with long, disgustingly hot and humid summers and icy cold winters. I’m sick of dashing from one climate-controlled environment to another. I’m looking forward to living in a more moderate climate where we can enjoy the outdoors year-round.
Get the free PlaceFinding Cheat Sheet, a comprehensive reference list designed to help you gather all the information you need online, so that you’re better equipped to decide which places to investigate further.
Natural disasters
One non-negotiable is that the city must be in a tornado-free zone. My husband survived a tornado in Central Texas that tore the roof off his apartment (while he was inside). It would have killed him had it not been a “jumper”. Iowa also has more than its share of tornadoes. However, we didn’t know that when we moved here because we didn’t research it beforehand! While it’s difficult to avoid places that don’t experience some type of natural disaster, it is possible to avoid tornadoes.
Find out the types and frequency of natural disasters that take place in the U.S. by state and county here and by Canadian province here.
Cost of living
Going from living in high-priced Austin to a series of more affordable, albeit depressed locations in Texas and Iowa, I finally learned to keep the bigger picture in mind. Often a place has a low cost of living for good reason, and you get what you pay for. While moving to a city with a high cost of living doesn’t appeal to me, I’m willing to stretch a bit cost-wise in order to get the return quality of life-wise. I consider a city with a “reasonable” cost of living to be one where we can buy a modest older house close to the center for under $250,000.
Vibe
The vibe of the city we move to must be friendly, open and welcoming. After living in unhospitable places for the last several years, I long to feel a sense of belonging instead of like I’m a stranger in a strange land. What a place feels like and the qualities of the people who live there can only be experienced first-hand. You can’t find this information online. Instead, it’s vital to immerse yourself in a place through scouting visits, so you can confirm a place is a good fit before you move.
Grab the free PlaceFinding Cheat Sheet, a comprehensive reference list designed to help you gather all the information you need online, so that you’re better equipped to decide which places to investigate further.
Policies and perspectives
West Texas and Iowa are not exactly bastions of liberality, which makes the prospect of living in a place with tolerant perspectives and policies especially appealing. In particular, the city we move to has to be in a state that has legalized recreational marijuana. I’m done living in ignorant states that criminalize marijuana.
Food
A vibrant food scene is crucial. We’ve been completely deprived of food options in West Texas and Iowa. It’s reached the point where we don’t bother going out because the food is better at home – which gets really boring! Specifically, the city has to have a wide selection of vegetarian and vegetarian-friendly restaurants, international restaurants, grocery stores, and farmer’s markets.
Get your hands on the free PlaceFinding Cheat Sheet, a comprehensive reference list designed to help you gather all the information you need online, so that you’re better equipped to decide which places to investigate further.
Culture
We’re movie and music buffs, so the city has to have a variety of movie theaters and live music venues. In particular, the city needs to have at least one operating historic movie theater that screens independent and classic movies. There also has to be at least one, preferably more, independent comic book store for my husband. Also, a wide selection of yarn stores for me – especially ones that offer classes.
Specialty veterinarians
Our four-legged family of four cats and one rabbit means the world to us, and we want them to stay healthy for a long time. That’s why the city we move to needs to have high quality specialty veterinary care options.
Nature trails and walking opportunities
Daily walks on what passes for a nature trail here in Iowa have helped to keep us sane, but it leaves a lot to be desired. The city we move to will have actual nature trails and parks, as well as ample opportunities to walk in town. When you live outside a city, you drive everywhere. I’m looking forward to relying less on the car and walking and using public transportation more.
Get the free PlaceFinding Cheat Sheet, a comprehensive reference list designed to help you gather all the information you need online, so that you’re better equipped to decide which places to investigate further.
Take your best guess!
Can you tell which 3 cities are my top best places to move based on the clues I provided? Share your best guesses in the comments below and stay tuned to my next post where I’ll reveal the answers and what makes them such a great fit. Happy guessing!
sounds like surrounding city of Orlando