Which state in the USA for a small-town lifestyle?

[EleventyTrillion]

I have the opportunity to move to the states, basically anywhere I like. It's something I've always loved the idea of, though I've never actually been there.

First off - guns. I know. I don't have any children and it's just not something I'm particularly worried about. Ditto politics. I know many people would not entertain a move to the states for these reasons, but I still want to go. I'm purely interested in which parts of the country would offer the best quality of life for someone like me.

I've always lived rurally in the UK and am definitely not wanting to live in a city or large town. I just want space - the kind of space you don't get in the UK unless you're very wealthy. Not necessarily a big house, but space around it.

I love the look of the towns in Christmas films. Maybe Vermont or Massachusetts. I don't really like the heat and I do like mountains. Can take or leave the coast. I don't have many hobbies except walking, and am very introverted and not bothered about meeting people really.

So for someone like me, where shall I start looking? I'll only be renting for the first while, but have £400k equity in my UK house which I plan to eventually put towards a home wherever I settle.

@TiredMagnolia i am fascinated by borders like where you are and being able to pretty much step into another country. Do you have to actually cross a checkpoint?

As PP said - you would be best to check connectivity (internet) before committing to an area if you need a good connection for work.

Wouldn't the time difference be a problem workwise?

So interesting reading all this, I always had a yearning to live in America or at least see lots of it, I’ve been to New York and enjoyed it very much. What do you need financially to be able to live there?
Where I live, Americans are arriving in their droves in order to escape America and fall of how unsafe it is for their kids, I appreciate it depends where you’re from though.

Oh yes. We have to go through border control with a passport or valid id (Canadians don’t necessarily need a passport to enter the US, there are other forms of identification they can use). And they have eyes EVERYWHERE. You can’t just swim across the river. (A river runs along/marks the border where I am).

i live in a small town and can actually see the border crossing from my dining room window so I can look out the window and think “Nah, I’ll go later” 🤣

Thanks for answering that @TiredMagnolia

i love looking at photos where the border is literally a line on the ground and I know there’s a library or something somewhere that has the border inside it. Must look that up again.

@Wouldhatetobeanewsreader how much it would cost would absolutely depend on location. And the differences would be massive.

Major metropolitan areas are really expensive (for what are considered good/safe neighborhoods) and rural areas are fairly cheap for housing etc.

Things that tend to cost a lot more in the US than the UK are health insurance and education.

Taxes also make a big difference and there are income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes etc. and that all depends on location too.

I lived and travelled in the states for a while and if I could live anywhere it would be North or South Carolina. Beautiful states, gorgeous food, southern hospitality, laid back climate.

I would love to know how you’ve been handed this free pass op? Is it open to any muggle?

Realistically though it's very difficult to move countries. It seems like droves, but the vast majority of people can't move countries. It's not easy to get a visa. That's the big stumbling block for most people who would like to move to another country.

My DB went to work in the US. to get a work visa he had to be interviewed by a professor at the local uni who was an expert in DB's field of work - this was to ensure that DB had experience and skills not available in an already resident American worker.

We had a nice holiday in Virginia. Lots of History around. Colonial Williamsburg The first settlement area at on James River. Richmond is an easy drive.
The museums of Washington DC. Fall colours and Skyline Drive.

A language confusion point I remember was being in a chat with colleagues (or coworkers, over there), one of whom was talking about a married couple who were friends of hers. I got more and more concerned as she described how it was hard, they kept fighting. Eventually I broke in to ask if someone was supporting the women, because this sounded like a serious case of domestic violence. They all looked at me like I was stupid. Eventually I worked out that “fighting” in American English means what we would call “arguing” or “rowing”. Multiply that sort of confusion, though usually I’d work it out in my own head rather than in public like that, several times a day at least at the beginning, and you really do feel that you’re in a foreign country

Eh?

The first state in the country to legalize marijuana?