Whether you’re ready for a change or change is thrust upon you, finding the right place for you and your family isn’t easy. Moving isn’t a decision you can reverse, not easily, and it’ll cost you a lot of time and money to make the transition. You’ll need to really consider your options here.
How to Decide Where to Live for the Next Few Years
As of June 2022, the US inflation rate has reached 9.06%. This sharp rise in cost has made several cities unlivable, but you can find the best option for you if you consider the following.
1. Desirability
While the other points on this list can help you with the logical aspects of your decisions, you can’t forget about your own happiness. What’s the point of moving to a location with a low cost of living, quality education, or low crime rate if you know you’ll hate living and working there?
On Homeandmoney.com, you may be able to get the best of both worlds. That’s because they’ll set you up with an agent that can search for a home in a city that suits your specifications.
2. Job Availability
Remote work has made it possible to live anywhere, but some jobs still have to be done in person. If you want to live in a place with more opportunities, focus on big city centers. If you want to work from home and save big on your cost of living, move to a rural area or suburb.
Millennials and Gen Z are more focused on living in a place with more opportunities, while retirees may not care as much. Consider the average unemployment rate for your calculation.
3. Cost of Living
Cost of living is defined by how much money you’ll need to cover necessary expenses or a certain lifestyle. Essential expenses include but aren’t limited to housing, taxes, food, clothing, education, healthcare (medication, hygiene, oxygen), transportation, and entertainment.
You can determine how affordable a location is by comparing your income to the liveability of different cities. Since prices vary depending on the city, cost of living is specific to each city.
4. Crime Rate
An unfamiliar city is scary enough, but if you move to a location with a high crime rate, it’ll be even scarier. However, keep in mind that crime statistics rarely share the whole story, as a high crime area may have a built-in bias or could only be concentrating on certain neighbourhoods.
It’s a good idea to spend time in a potential neighbourhood before you move, ideally during the day and night. Look at what your neighbours are doing and ask yourself if you truly feel safe.
5. Commute
Once again, if you work from home, your commute may not be an issue, but you should still consider how long it takes you to travel. If you don’t have a car, check if public transit is on time. Does your new city have bus spots, a subway, trains, rideshare, bike rentals, or streetcars?
If you’re driving, is the traffic congested? Regardless of what mode of transport you’re using, ask yourself whether you’ll be able to get where you need to go without a lot of hassle.
6. Quality of Education
Whether you have school-aged children or you plan on going to college, education is likely a key factor in your move. Most metro areas offer plenty of schooling options for children, teens, and adults, but you’ll find them lacking in rural towns. You should also look at private schools.
If you want to narrow down your options, search for the “Best High Schools” or “Best Colleges” in your area. For high schools, pay attention to college readiness and graduation rates.
7. Quality of Healthcare
Some communities don’t have access to quality healthcare, but it’s something you may not think about at the time of your move. If you’re in poor health, you’ll want to be next to a hospital (a 10 minute drive). Healthy individuals should focus on pharmacies and access to general doctors.
Keep in mind that proximity doesn’t equal quality. Make sure to find a neighbourhood with plenty of talented doctors that can take new patients, including your children, if you have them.
Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.
