# A new state of residence... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 17, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-state-of-residence/780099 "2017-02-17T20:19:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-state-of-residence/780099/41 "2017-02-20T01:28:31Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Anyone look up the climate of Connecticut? It looks like it is in the top third of states or higher (being next to the Atlantic Ocean it doesn’t have the temperature extremes of the interior states and it doesn’t have the high summer heat of the Southern states…). I think the OP is so used to the great California climate that most other states would be unacceptable. It may not have the high summer heat or the temperature extremes but it’s humid as hell in the summer. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-state-of-residence/780099/42 "2017-02-21T00:11:09Z")
I lived in southwestern Connecticut from '94 to '07 and I don’t remember the summers being particularly humid (and I hate hot weather.) Maybe it’s this “global warming” thing the liberals cooked up in order to destroy the economy. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-state-of-residence/780099/43 "2017-02-21T01:42:55Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > I lived in southwestern Connecticut from '94 to '07 and I don’t remember the summers being particularly humid (and I hate hot weather.) Maybe it’s this “global warming” thing the liberals cooked up in order to destroy the economy. Somewhat different climate down there (I’m in the other corner), and yes, according to the locals and a high school meteorology maven, the heat and humidity have increased in the last ten years. Last summer was almost unbroken humidity. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-state-of-residence/780099/44 "2017-02-21T15:29:03Z")
Those of us in Wisconsin and Minnesota are banking on global warming to make January livable up here. To be serious, both states have great places to live (Minneapolis, Madison, even Milwaukee’s getting interesting)… except for that sub-zero winter thing. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-state-of-residence/780099/45 "2017-02-21T16:09:56Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > In all seriousness… why? > > You’re comfortable with the economics of living somewhere that other costs are high (energy, housing) and have state revenue-related problems (infrastructure, crime, jobs/industry cycle holding things up)… because it has a 9% tax burden instead of a 12% one? > > Allowing for changing needs as we get older - specifically, we flock to areas with low crime and good schools and best employment until the kids are grown and the pension is locked in, then move someplace no one in their right mind would try to raise a family or try to live a decent young-adult life - I don’t really get the Anything But Taxes mentality. It seems you pay one way or the other, even if you think you’re in that win-win niche of neither paying for nor needing good schools. Considering that Texas is ranked 9th and Florida is ranked 27th on the cost of living index by state (higher ranking = lower cost of living) Those two choices are not that shabby. But to answer your question, the difference in state income taxes 0% vs. 7% were I currently reside will be a significant cost impact to my personally while the cost of living variations will be relatively minimal. As far as crime goes, again Florida is ranked 5th and Texas is ranked 15th on lowest amount of violent crime per capita, but IMHO, that’s irrelevant, as I will be able to select specific locations within the state to retire to that are optimum. Again, the factors that you list, I have greater control over than the legislative taxing authority which applies to the entire state, I select as my residence. I will most likely have two homes when I retire, one on the beach and one in the mountains. I will specifically ensure that I spend the most days during the year in the location with no state income tax. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-state-of-residence/780099/46 "2017-02-21T16:42:04Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > But to answer your question, the difference in state income taxes 0% vs. 7% were I currently reside will be a significant cost impact to my personally while the cost of living variations will be relatively minimal. What’s the total tax burden, though, especially with two homes? Income tax is not always the big-ticket item in this regard, especially on pension/investment income. As for local control, I understand completely, but it can backfire. Let’s just not go there. But I lived through the whole era of California going from sensible tax structures to a giant slush-fund with no accountability because of noble anti-tax warriors. ---
**Author:** ![Stana\_Claus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stana_claus/32/13874_2.png) [@Stana\_Claus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stana_Claus)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-state-of-residence/780099/47 "2017-02-21T16:42:46Z")
I would highly recommend the Asheville, NC area, or the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Research Triangle area. Asheville probably has the better climate and has a very liberal/bohemian oriented culture, but the Research Triangle has a definite high-end college town/technology thing going on. If I was forced to leave where I am now, I would be likely to relocate to one of those two areas. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-state-of-residence/780099/48 "2017-02-21T16:51:22Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > Colorado has four seasons. Almost winter, winter, still winter, and construction. But global warming is helping.\* That’s hilarious. I’d say: Summer, still summer, mild winter, summer. Seriously, though, there are two seasons: summer and winter. The summers are HOT, but dry, and the winters are mostly mild. If it snows, it melts the next day (which means plowing is spotty and salting is non-existent when the snow does stick around). It’s not unusual to have 40-60 degree winter days, and since it’s a dry cold it feels a lot less cold than a Connecticut 40 degree day. The housing bubble never really burst in the Front Range, and the pot situation has only made it worse, but if you’re willing to pay and move FAST on a home, you’ll be fine. The people are much more like Californians than New Englanders. It’s a friendly, laid-back, casual culture. Very outdoorsy, healthy and athletic, too. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-state-of-residence/780099/49 "2017-02-21T16:58:23Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > CT’s weather is a lot lousier than I expected. As I said, I was braced for cold and generally less sunshine. I can cope with that, having stored up a few decades of NorCal summer heat. It’s the endlessly hot+humid summers that are driving me out, weather-wise. Last summer was 80 or so at high humidity (up to 100%) nearly without a break from May to October. Doesn’t cool off at night, so a bad patch goes on for days and days. Nothing like waking up to jungle fog in August, and so smothering hot walking out to get the paper leaves you drenched and sweating. In _New England_. Just so you know, last summer’s August heatwave in New England (and the Mid-Atlantic) was fucking insane. It was the longest and hottest heatwave I’ve seen in 30+ years in NE. Now if you didn’t see the difference between that and the summer before, and honestly haven’t been able to use your deck in the past 2 summers, I don’t know what to tell you. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-state-of-residence/780099/50 "2017-02-21T17:10:53Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > What’s the total tax burden, though, especially with two homes? Income tax is not always the big-ticket item in this regard, especially on pension/investment income. > > As for local control, I understand completely, but it can backfire. Let’s just not go there. But I lived through the whole era of California going from sensible tax structures to a giant slush-fund with no accountability because of noble anti-tax warriors. I’m going to have two homes regardless, because I want to be able to shift between climates at my leisure. Property taxes are a consideration in determining location even down to the county. But generally there will be a property tax burden regardless. But all retirement income I take out of 401k, retirement defined benefit plans and social security are subject to state income taxes. I live where I do now because of my job, and the opportunity it provides. After I retire, I will not be encumbered by that limitation. If my annual retirement income is $200k, that’s about a $14,000 a year savings vs. 7% tax. Worthwhile enough savings to shop around for a primary residence. ---
**Author:** ![eulalia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eulalia/32/457_2.png) [@eulalia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eulalia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2017, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-state-of-residence/780099/51 "2017-02-25T05:54:13Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > That’s hilarious. I’d say: Summer, still summer, mild winter, summer. > > Seriously, though, there are two seasons: summer and winter. The summers are HOT, but dry, and the winters are mostly mild. If it snows, it melts the next day (which means plowing is spotty and salting is non-existent when the snow does stick around). It’s not unusual to have 40-60 degree winter days, and since it’s a dry cold it feels a lot less cold than a Connecticut 40 degree day. > > The housing bubble never really burst in the Front Range, and the pot situation has only made it worse, but if you’re willing to pay and move FAST on a home, you’ll be fine. > > The people are much more like Californians than New Englanders. It’s a friendly, laid-back, casual culture. Very outdoorsy, healthy and athletic, too. I live a bit north of Denver. We get a few weeks in summer where the high is above 95, and a few weeks in winter where the lows are below 0. Because it’s dry the lows can be Maybe 35-40 degrees below the high for that day even if a front isn’t coming through. We get “monsoons” in the summer which are nothing like actual monsoons, we just get afternoon thunderstorms that move through very quickly but they happen every day for a few weeks. We get a few snowfalls over 6" every year, but most of the snowfalls are much lighter, and most of the winter the ground is bare and dry. There is a fair amount of high tech manufacturing going on around here, with the sort of jobs that go with that and otherwise support a thriving community with a state college. Housing costs are generally lower in the smaller towns along the front range, though. Traffic is getting to be a problem these days, but that’s probably still worse in CA and CT. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-state-of-residence/780099/52 "2017-02-25T14:25:09Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Just so you know, last summer’s August heatwave in New England (and the Mid-Atlantic) was fucking insane. It was the longest and hottest heatwave I’ve seen in 30+ years in NE. > > Now if you didn’t see the difference between that and the summer before, and honestly haven’t been able to use your deck in the past 2 summers, I don’t know what to tell you. Yes, I’ve been here long enough to know last summer - not just August - was unusual. But much of all five summers so far have been just as bad, and for some reason the trend is to the worse. As I said… smothering humidity was not something I expected here. My bad, I guess, but I ain’t staying for more. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-state-of-residence/780099.md?page=2)