Since the beginning of 2020, the world has undergone quite a transformation. Many that were already considering relocating became untethered because of remote work and other socio-economic forces. The United States saw a large increase in migration for reasons other than corporate relocation, as the pandemic put many in a position to move freely.
So if you’re in a similar circumstance but haven’t decided on a destination, this blog article will help you find the best places to live.
Step 1: Figure Out What Location Attributes Matter Most To You
Even if you know what metro you’d like to move to, this is still a good exercise to find the best area for you. So let’s begin with the end in mind. What attributes about a potential living destination matter most to you? You may know these off the top of your head, or you may not. If you’re unsure, you could start by ranking the following attributes in terms of importance to you.
- Cost of Living
- Population Density
- School Ratings
- Access to Parks
- Access to Airports
- Points of Interest
- Diversity
- Politics
- Proximity/Commute Times
- Climate
Step 2: Decide If Your Searching For A City or A State
You may or may not have done this already, but if you haven’t, it’s an important step. Most people will create a shortlist of cities but completely overlook the states they are located in. For example, if a potential location’s political landscape is a priority, you may want to only look at states instead of cities so you can find a system of government that aligns with your values. Similarly, if you have kids and quality of eduction is important, you may want to start with a list of all the states with the best school ratings, then only look at cities in those states.
Step 3. Do Online Research To Shortlist a Few Places
Once you know what attributes you’re looking for, you can start to do your research on which cities fit in your criteria. Start by taking your top criterion that you selected in Step 1 and build a list of 4-5 cities for each of them. So, if cost of living is on your list of important attributes, find 4-5 cities where either the median home price or average rent price fall within your monthly budget. Repeat this for every piece of criteria from step 1 you’ve identified as important.
Step 4: Refine Your Final List of Cities or States and Start Comparing
Now take that handful of places you shortlisted in the previous step, and look for the ones that fit into most of the attributes you selected in the first step. Select a 2-5 cities/states that check off the most boxes and are locations that you could see yourself living. There are many online tools that will help you compare places. So if you wanted to compare the cost of living of Dallas TX vs. Phoenix AZ, you can easily see how they match up.
Step 5: Check Out Online Forums
Nothing beats a local perspective on a potential city, and luckily we live in the digital age where you chat with these local folk directly on the interweb. Check out sites like Reddit, Quora, and City-Data to get a pulse on what life is like in a city. Most cities have there own forums where users can post questions. You’ll get some great (and often hilarious) insights from the people who know the area best. You can check out their Patch page as well to see what kind of local events and news is happening.
Step 6: Look For The Best Places To Live In That Area
Once you’ve refined your list to a few options, your now ready to look for the best places to live in that area. So if you can’t decide on Texas or Arizona, check out the best places to live in Texas and find a few places that look good. Then repeat for Arizona, you’re ready to move on to the next step!
If you have the same dilemma with Dallas and Phoenix, check out the best places to live in Dallas. Once you’ve picked a few areas the look ideal, repeat for Phoenix.
Step 7: See It For Yourself
Go online, book a flight, and explore! No better reason for an impromptu vacation to a cool city than for research purposes! Besides, you’ll want to make sure you see it firsthand before you pack up a U-Haul and upend your life. Take the list of best places from each candidate and go there to see how it looks. Rent a car so you can ride around and check out the scenery. You’ll be happy you did this, especially if you find out it wasn’t what you expected.
Step 8. Move - Go On, Get Going!
Once you’ve seen the place you want to live and it was everything you dreamed it would be, then pull the trigger immediately. Tomorrow is where dreams go to die, and if you procrastinate once you’ll repeat it.
Use Zillow to find a place to move into. They have detailed market reports on different metros so you can use them as a resource to make sure your not overpaying. Consider a short term rental to help you find a house if the market is tight.
If you're employed and planning on staying with that company, hit them up for moving expenses. This is something many forget to do that could save them a lot of time and aggravation.
Beware of cut-rate long distance movers and fly-by-nights. If a professional mover isn’t in your budget, you can handle the move yourself. Rent a truck and hit up your friends to help you. If a company’s rate seem to good to be true, they probably are. You don’t have to look hard to find a ton of horrific online reviews from people who got burned by bad movers.