Things to Look at When Choosing a City to Move to

Single workers want to know if they can live well within their means, while families want to make sure that the city has a safe neighborhood and good schools for their kids. 

If you are choosing a city for your retirement, then you should look at weather conditions and healthcare in your new place. To help you out, we’ve found the things to look at when choosing a city to move to.

Affordability

Regardless of your earnings, your first concern is living comfortably within your means. Affordability is more than just housing expenses, it also refers to the prices of consumable goods like groceries, gas, and utility services. All of these expenses can vary widely from place to place. 

Standard of living

Healthcare is an essential part of everyday life, no matter how old you are, but it does become more relevant when you have children or are in retirement. Because of that, it is important to keep an eye out for cities or towns that have easy access to good healthcare or medical institutions, which can drastically improve your quality of life. 

Another thing to consider is whether the place you want to move to has facilities which can provide your children with a good education. Education can also factor into your finances as many of the best schools are quite expensive. 

Employment opportunities

Unemployed individuals need to do a decent amount of research of the job market for each city they are considering for their new home. A good place to start is to analyze the quality of employment opportunities in the sector you work in, and then see where the highest concentration of these jobs can be found. 

Another thing to keep in mind is the ratio of salary to cost of living. For example, with an above-average yearly income, you could make a lot of money if you worked in Seattle, but since the cost of living in Seattle is very high, it won’t be enough. Make sure to do your research on the cities you are considering. The best option would be to secure a job before your move.

Weather

Weather can be a critical factor in choosing your future city. When deciding where to live, think about the kind of activities you enjoy and how much weather will affect those activities. 

Are you a summer or winter person? Or do you like a moderate and spring-like climate during the entire year? What is the amount of rain or snow you can handle? And how will different weather conditions affect your daily activities? These are just some of the questions you need to ask yourself before moving to a new city. 

Before making your final choice, go to the Weather Channel and see the current weather, and World Climate to see climate information about average temperatures, precipitation, and sea-level pressures.

Taxes

Another important thing to consider when moving is taxes. Forty states provide property tax credits or homestead exemptions which give homeowners some additional tax relief. Several states, namely Alaska, Nevada, Florida, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Texas, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming, don’t collect individual income tax. But, Delaware, Alaska, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon don’t collect sales tax. 

The Tax Foundation’s report from 2009 has stated that citizens of Alaska pay the lowest taxes, while residents of New Jersey pay the highest taxes. We advise you to look into local sales tax, income tax, and tax credits and exemptions when you’re searching for the perfect new home.

Crime Rates and Statistics

No one wants to live in a high-crime area, but not everyone can live in a perfect society where crime never happens. However, by researching the crime rates and statistics for each city, you can identify the risk of crimes for a town or neighborhood. 

You can even stop by the local police stations and discuss any concerns you have about the area. If you can’t make it to the city yet, you can check out Crime Reports, which lets you review crime statistics for different neighborhoods.

However, just because an area is safe today does not mean that it will be safe in the future. The long-term stability can be a determining factor in how safe your neighborhood will be. 

Cost of Living

For most people, the cost of living is a crucial piece of information to assess. Cost for housing, transportation, food, and entertainment are all factors that can affect your decision. Luckily, there are a few places you can look.

These helpful tools allow you to measure the cost of living in a variety of cities nationwide. You can take a look at Bankrate’s Cost of Living Calculator and compare the cost of living between two cities. Meanwhile, Sperling’s Cost of Living Calculator will give you a comparison of costs with estimated expenses for food, utilities, housing, transportation, health, and taxes.

Ready to Move?

Before choosing a new place to live, you need to determine what your future city needs to have. Finding a new place will get frustrating and intimidating at times, but if you do your research and keep in mind the most important things, you will be able to find your new home. After you choose your new home, East Coast West Coast moving company can help you move to and from anywhere in the country. Contact us and let us help you with your relocation.