# What state should I move to? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 4, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742 "2012-03-04T19:47:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/41 "2012-03-05T15:54:11Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#): > > I live near Albuquerque, New Mexico and I love it here. We are at 5000 ft. elevation so it doesn’t get nearly as hot as Phoenix or Las Vegas. It gets into the 90s a lot but the humidity is very low so it’s quite tolerable for me. It rarely gets over 100; I lived here for 3 years before I saw the temperature get that high. I can vouch for that. I lived in Albuquerque for 15 months and had spent a lot of time there before. Wonderful place. Does get cold in the winter though. But the smell of mesquite and pinon fires coming from chimneys helps to make up for that. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/42 "2012-03-05T15:57:45Z")
I want to find a really BORING place to retire to-it would be nice if the winters are not too cold, as well. By boring, I mean a place where not much happens…and time slows to a crawl. My ideal would be a place like the (fictional) Hooterville (of the old TV show “Green Acres”)-think about it-Sam Drucker’s store has the Dec.7, 1941 NY Times…and the local cinema feature “Wings”. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/43 "2012-03-05T16:09:23Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I can vouch for that. I lived in Albuquerque for 15 months and had spent a lot of time there before. Wonderful place. Does get cold in the winter though. **But the smell of mesquite and pinon fires coming from chimneys helps to make up for that.** _[bolding mine]_ Oh man, I love that smell! One of the best parts of camping in the mountains around here is starting a fire in the evening and the aroma that fills the campsite. Edit: The winters do get cold, but nothing like the Midwest. I saw it hit -42 (without wind chill) in Wisconsin one winter. And the sunshine makes the cold much more tolerable. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/44 "2012-03-05T16:56:13Z")
> [@ClarenceClancy](#): > > Same with Dallas and Houston? Houston has some of the most gawd-awful summer weather in the US. Dallas is better, but, it’s Dallas. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/45 "2012-03-05T16:58:32Z")
> [@ClarenceClancy](#): > > Same with Dallas and Houston? Houston is even hotter and more humid than Austin. Nasty! Dallas isn’t quite as bad, but you are NOT going to be comfortable there in the summer. I live in Tucson now, and tomorrow (March 6th) will be in the 90s. It’s way hot here and I’d love to move to a colder climate. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/46 "2012-03-05T17:07:38Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Houston has some of the most gawd-awful summer weather in the US. Dallas is better, but, it’s Dallas. Houston’s summer temps are often a few degrees cooler than Dallas’s–which is not saying much. But we do have more humidity. (Also, we stay a few degrees warmer in the winter–which has been quite mild, this year. And, as you pointed out, we aren’t Dallas.) Last summer was generally Hell all over Texas, with record breaking heat & a serious drought. At a family wedding in Austin a couple of years ago, visitors from Cool California were complaining about the heat. In May… ---
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/47 "2012-03-05T17:21:38Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I want to find a really BORING place to retire to-it would be nice if the winters are not too cold, as well. > By boring, I mean a place where not much happens..and time slows to a crawl. > My ideal would be a place like the (fictional) Hooterville (of the old TV show “Green Acres”)-think about it-Sam Drucker’s store has the Dec.7, 1941 NY Times..and the local cinema feature “Wings”. > Any suggestions? I would suggest that you look into small towns in eastern TN or western NC. Very friendly people and quite laid-back-- nothing much happens. Lovely geography: gentle mountains, woods, rivers, lakes. Nice weather: 4 distinct seasons, but never really cold, and not a lot of snow. It does get really hot in July & August. I’ve been all over the lower 48 states and in Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. There are a _ **lot** _ of great places to live! All things considered, I’ll take the Southern Appalachians. Rich or poor, I will retire here-- with **no** family ties. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/48 "2012-03-05T17:41:11Z")
> [@ClarenceClancy](#): > > I am not sure why intense heat was brought into the picture. I am talking about someplace in CA or TX that never escapes 50-95 except for rare occasions (e.g. San Diego or San Francisco or Austin – not too sure about Austin). 95 degrees is way more “painful” than temperatures in the 40s. But a lot depends on what you’re used to. “Too cold” and “too hot” are relative; they vary from person to person, depending on how your personal body thermostat is set, on what you’re acclimated to, and on how warmly you’re dressed. ---
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/49 "2012-03-05T18:08:33Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > 95 degrees is way more “painful” than temperatures in the 40s. > > But a lot depends on what you’re used to. “Too cold” and “too hot” are relative; they vary from person to person, depending on how your personal body thermostat is set, on what you’re acclimated to, and on how warmly you’re dressed. Very true. Personally, I think below 20 is too cold and above 90 is too hot. Anything from 50 to 80 is just fine, with 70 being perfect. Obviously, I’d rather be cooler than warmer. My reasoning is that you can always put on more clothing, but there’s only so much you can take off. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/50 "2012-03-05T18:17:53Z")
> [@Jasper\_Kent](#): > > Very true. Personally, I think below 20 is too cold and above 90 is too hot. Anything from 50 to 80 is just fine, with 70 being perfect. > > Obviously, I’d rather be cooler than warmer. My reasoning is that you can always put on more clothing, but there’s only so much you can take off. Totally agree. Where do you live? Does it fit this profile? But I’m the only one I know who thinks the weather in England is great. I’ve lived there twice and loved the moderate rainy weather. ---
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/51 "2012-03-05T19:00:40Z")
I’m in Chattanooga, TN. I like the seasons and the fact that \*\*\*most \*\*\*of the time the temp is between 50F and 80F. Summer can get pretty brutal-- last August we had 0 rain and about 25 consecutive 100 degree days. That was a bit unusual, though. I lived in the Smoky Mountains for several years and loved it. Four nice seasons, including a little snow in winter-- but rarely bitter cold. Summers were very warm, but not sweltering. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/52 "2012-03-05T19:40:33Z")
C’mon down to Texas. We’d love to have you! ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/53 "2012-03-05T19:52:17Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > There’s a ton of people here who leave the house everyday and who would never want to live anywhere else. > > Really, some people like winter. I missed it when I lived in an area that didn’t get big winters. The snow is beautiful, I can ski and snowshoe outside, and it doesn’t stop me from going anywhere I want to go because the city knows how to keep the roads passable. > > Is that really so hard to understand? Not for me I understand perfectly. My preferred state (Virginia, near DC) is perfectly situated for each season to be profoundly noticed. And in a few weeks the weather will become spectacularly spring with cherry blossoms everywhere. It is a spectacle. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/54 "2012-03-06T02:31:46Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I can vouch for that. I lived in Albuquerque for 15 months and had spent a lot of time there before. Wonderful place. Does get cold in the winter though. But the smell of mesquite and pinon fires coming from chimneys helps to make up for that. > [@Bumbershoot](#): > > _[bolding mine]_ > > Oh man, I love that smell! One of the best parts of camping in the mountains around here is starting a fire in the evening and the aroma that fills the campsite. > > Edit: The winters do get cold, but nothing like the Midwest. I saw it hit -42 (without wind chill) in Wisconsin one winter. And the sunshine makes the cold much more tolerable. And let’s not forget juniper and cedar! It really is a pleasure walking the streets in northern New Mexico in the winter. It did get close to 0 degrees Fahrenheit during my winter there. But I’d much rather experience the beauty of that season in that enchanted land than somewhere like, say, Kansas. And my 15 months covered two summers; I recall it being rather uncomfortable for maybe one week each time, then it settled down. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/55 "2012-03-06T14:26:24Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > And let’s not forget juniper and cedar! It really is a pleasure walking the streets in northern New Mexico in the winter. It did get close to 0 degrees Fahrenheit during my winter there. But I’d much rather experience the beauty of that season in that enchanted land than somewhere like, say, Kansas. And my 15 months covered two summers; I recall it being rather uncomfortable for maybe one week each time, then it settled down. Wow, that’s really cold for Albuquerque! Our average lows for December and January are in the mid 20s and it’s fairly unusual for it get below 15. It does happen, but it’s not typical. Our average highs for December and January are in the mid 40s. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742/56 "2012-03-07T01:03:02Z")
I do remember hearing it was an exceptionally cold winter that year. And I was on a bicycle the whole time! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-state-should-i-move-to/614742.md?page=2)