# Are there any cities/regions of the US that you wouldn't move to regardless of the money? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 6, 2024, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202 "2024-05-06T20:25:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/61 "2024-05-08T01:50:48Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Doesn’t do anything for me – I hate beer. Even if it has a certain Genesee-kwah. Groan. You don’t _deserve_ beer. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/62 "2024-05-08T04:26:33Z")
For $6 million, I’d live anywhere in the US. I would probably even do the job adequately enough not to get fired in the first year, and then I’d quit and take the millions I’d saved back to my actual home. The lower amounts mentioned? Not on your life. $250K is a nice salary, and it would get you a pretty nice lifestyle almost everywhere, but you’d need to do it for a while to save up any serious amount. $150K? Not only would I not move anywhere for that, our family actually turned down an equivalent (accounting for inflation) amount to move to the California Bay area. Once we figured in the higher cost of living, we’d have just broken even - before factoring in higher travel costs. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/63 "2024-05-08T06:10:57Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Are there any locations that would cause you to not accept the job? _Any_ of them? No amount of money would entice me to move to the US. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/64 "2024-05-08T06:23:32Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Hey, there’s blue areas in the South, mainly in the cities. It’s not all Trump country. Some of us even have indoor plumbing. Let me know when Houston secedes from Texas. Then I might think about moving there. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/65 "2024-05-08T10:06:43Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Pretty much everyone in Canada (except maybe for those who’ve never lived outside of the Vancouver area) would recognize the concept of a winter beater car. I’ve never had one, but they’re very common, or at least used to be. I think winter beaters disappeared in the 80s when cars didn’t start rusting the first time they came near salt. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/66 "2024-05-08T11:15:14Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You’d be okay with Buffalo or Syracuse or Binghamton or Elmira or Utica and it’s Rochester you’d have a problem with? I found Buffalo even duller than Rochester at the time. No way I’d move there. I liked Binghamton when I lived there, but the p-lace has definitely gone downhill with the departure of BE, IBM, and Endicott Johnson shoes. I’ve visited there since, and the city has become downright scary. Even at its best it was kinda limited, but I wouldn’t go live there now. Elmira and Utica were “small towns” that I think I’d quickly exhaust the pleasures of. I didn’t spend a lot of time in Syracuse or Ithaca, xso I can’t speak for them. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/67 "2024-05-08T11:48:13Z")
Unfortunate the OP tossed out $6 million. Something considerably lower - say $500k for those who are relatively well off, or $100k for those less wealthy - might have made for a much more interesting discussion. For $6 mill, I’d live anywhere in the US for a couple of years. For well under a mill, I doubt I’d move to any deep red state. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/68 "2024-05-08T11:58:56Z")
My wife and I talk a lot about where we’d like to live (neither of us is fond of DC) and haven’t even settled on criteria. We have some medical factors to consider. But for a year? Pretty much anywhere would be fine. But for longer amounts of time or less money, hot places are out. > [@kayaker](#): > > Hah! My gf has gone to Rochester with coworkers for some kind of event. While there she stopped at the brewery to grab me some swag. I love good beer, but Genesee Cream Ale is one of my guilty pleasures. A friend brought some over as a joke, “We called it Genesewer growing up!” and was surprised when my wife and I liked it. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/69 "2024-05-08T12:18:56Z")
A single year at $6 million would put me into a comfortable retirement. 2 mil for taxes, 1 mil for a nice house somewhere reasonably nice (as well as furnishings), put the rest into a retirement account, and live more comfortably than I’m living now. Assuming I and my family would survive the move, and that the work isn’t unethical, just about anywhere would be worth a year of shittiness in order to set myself up for life. ---
**Author:** ![Bayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bayaker/32/3454_2.png) [@Bayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/70 "2024-05-08T12:30:14Z")
I hate cold weather and never want to live anywhere away from the Gulf Coast. And the more remote the better. But for $6 million? I would happily endure a Minnesota winter, or even New York City - for one year, then I’d quit. Since I’m already retired that money would mean no financial worries for the rest of my life. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/71 "2024-05-08T12:34:50Z")
Your $6m hypothetical is too high. I would live anywhere for $6mil per year, Calcutta and Petropavlovsk included. And yes, you would too, don’t kid yourselves. Now if it was say, $600,000 per year, there’s a lot of places I wouldn’t live, starting with all of FL, AL, and MS. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/72 "2024-05-08T12:37:51Z")
Hell, I’d spend a year in prison for $6 million. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/73 "2024-05-08T13:09:35Z")
Texas. I’ve been there. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/74 "2024-05-08T13:17:08Z")
Texas. Even now, as a man whose wife is past child-bearing age and thus has nothing to fear personally from their horrific abortion laws. Those, plus the guns, plus the heat, makes Texas a no-go state for me. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/75 "2024-05-08T13:28:23Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > No, I cannot think of a city in the US I wouldn’t move to for $6 million a year. I could even afford New York or San Francisco. I knew two university professors who loved New York and lived quite comfortably in a nice part of Manhattan near the Broadway theatre district. Other than ultra-luxury apartments it’s not as expensive to live there as some might think. San Francisco is probably worse. Personally there are many places in the US where I wouldn’t move even for a $6 mil salary, but I’d happily do it for a while somewhere around the Palo Alto area near Stanford. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/76 "2024-05-08T13:30:16Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Hell, I’d spend a year in prison for $6 million I’ll bet you’ve never done time in a US prison. The two guys I know who spent time locked up wouldn’t go back for all the money in the world. One is dead (liver failure from prison acquired hepatitis) and the other has PTSD from a 2 year stretch. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/77 "2024-05-08T13:31:51Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > And yes, you would too, don’t kid yourselves. I dunno. I just retired, and i think I’m going to be okay without that ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/78 "2024-05-08T13:34:01Z")
For $6M a year, I’d live anywhere in the world except a war zone. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/79 "2024-05-08T13:39:36Z")
Detroit, Camden NJ (Urban Blight and Crime) and Gary Indiana (pollution/contaminated water) Are my top three. I’d have serious concerns about any of the rust belt cities. 1. The collapse of industry and 2. Pollution and dangerous waste sites are major concerns. Ruining my health or my family’s health by living in the wrong area is terrifying. Unfortunately the cancer hotspots aren’t always known until the damage is done. Dumping sites can occur anywhere. I prefer rural areas and small towns. But could put up with big cities for 6 million. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2024, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202/80 "2024-05-08T13:43:52Z")
In Minnesota we call them Beater Cars too! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-cities-regions-of-the-us-that-you-wouldnt-move-to-regardless-of-the-money/1001202.md?page=5)