Moving out from NJ to where

Hello, Ive been living in NJ for most of my life and I can say that this state is not for me, its basically at point of becoming NYC and is very expensive with no payoff. Town that used to be little is now like city. I hate this state and I want to move out somewhere with slow phase and some culture, a country state where people are less angry.

I am eyeing Texas, Colorado, Virginia as states where me and my family could possibly move.

I've traveled so far to NY, Vermont, PA, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. I loved PA and loved South Virginia even more.

Knowing we have people from all over the country here, was wondering how its down there? cost of living & job market. I am IT specialist and I am doing well here but I hate this swamp petrol state.

 

I'm originally from the Lehigh Valley so you can probably relate to a similar environment as it's not that far from you. Left after 30+ years back in the mid 2000's. Back then I started feeling the same as you, getting built up, needed a change. We decided to just try and jump up to VT as we were driving around upper New England a bit at the time for something to do.

Anywhere in the upper 3 NE states, you will have to be fairly close to the bigger known cities to have a decent job. It's very nice out in the country areas (minus the usual redneck issues lol), but there are not too many businesses. A bit cheaper to live but you would be commuting quite a bit for IT type stuff. We did 40 miles one way for a decade of work, but we managed. NE winters are also longer and more active than NJ and Lehigh Valley and add to the commute fun.

For VT, the comparable cost of living and tax burden is quite high and only increasing at a good rate right now (this year 20% prop tax / 20% DMV fees, and 2025 big green gallon fuel tax coming just to name a few). Regulations and restrictions also seem more than necessary here, depending on what you are into.... OPSEC lol I fear most of NE is drifting this way... Check out on line - you should be able to easily find tax burdens and rates, COL, weather, real estate info comparing state vs state. Tough to recommend NE unless you are at retirement and got some bucks saved and want to be more remote. I just don't like going anywhere near the populated areas anymore. Southern NE states and bottom of VT and NH sound just like what you are trying to get away from.

I am also starting to get a long-term itch, where if I end up by myself before too long I would also be looking southward like you. WV / Tenn / KY seems like a nice balance of costs and locations, and easier to get to for pre-exploration. I'd love out west in the big mountains, but it's a hassle at the moment to check out.


TLDR haha: I like your idea of Virginia, start there and keep going that way.

 

Where are you in NJ?

 

Virginia has personal property taxes and can get quite expensive, just a warning if you have newer vehicles...

My area in PA is rural, but quick access to larger towns for necessities and jobs. I also am very close to a larger town in Maryland and there's work there. Taxes aren't hateful where I live despite what people say. Yearly registration renewals are not too hateful. Maryland is close in the tax retrospec, but insurance is higher. Lots of rural areas here that are a good commute to larger areas.

 

I feel for you, OP.

I grew up in Los Angeles (LA) and joined the military in 1986 and retired in 2011.

Been in Delaware since 2006 when I was at my 20 year mark of active duty.

At first, I did not think much of Delaware since we did not venture out much...but this city has grown on me.

It's quite the contrast from LA but the cost-of-living hasn't been an issue to other places I've lived.

There are jobs to be had here in Delaware...it took me a full circle in Logistics to get hired on by Boeing & the C17 Field Site on Dover AFB.

Good luck wherever you decide to live.

 

Duh, just make sure you are driving the right way so you don’t think he is full of shit when you get there… “I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this.”

 

North Jersey, 1 hour from NYC

and yea other states might also be costly but at least you get to enjoy area itself. I rather pay same amount for everything I do here in Virginia, Texas, Colorado , PA etc because at least I get to enjoy nature, culture and life. North Jersey always used to be swamp and smell like garbage and now on top of that its literally NYC construction zone.

You see all kinds of junkies walking around, so to me it makes no sense to be paying more than before when everything is worse quality wise. This town used to be so small and fine, schools near were nice, that's gone too. There is literally cement trucks driving thru here now, dust and trash everywhere, its becoming like city.

Hell when I was in Virginia everyone seemed so relaxed, first thing they told me when they heard i was from NJ they said " why do you live there " ?.

 

Check out Pittsburgh, if you liked PA. It's actually a growing tech hub, so your work experience might be relevant, and cost of living will be peanuts compared to NJ.

To me, it always seems like a trade-off of good paying job market and the crowdedness of a city. Although in IT you can probably find a remote job, in which case you could live anywhere.

 

head further west if you want to stay in Jersey. While not cheap by any means, Hunterdon and Warren county have some pockets that really are still rural. I’d say Somerset too. No junkies.

 

I've got family in Richmond/Chesterfield VA area. Lots to see and do. Might be worth looking into.

 

Tennessee, but you better hurry everyone is coming here

 

Well that's politics but Murphy has been NJ governor for a while, I believe issue is way above him. The old man who can barely speak, he is in charge of once great nation. I never voted for him but damage is already done so i don't think even if people vote him out anything will change anytime soon.

 

unless you move to Flyover, USA it’s the same everywhere now. Even Ohio got expensive. And it’s getting more $$ by the day, even Tacomas are stupid money now.

Texas, Colorado, and Vagina are getting more expensive by the day and two of the three have some really strict laws on, well, everything. if you don’t like the Garbage state, chances are VA and CO will be worse for you.

 

I didnt notice expense increase in vagina but thanks for pointing out . And they might be expensive but least I get to enjoy culture there and some fresh air, nature. Rather than swamp and NYC people flooding my state.

 

I lived in NJ my whole life, and worked for the state for 26 years. 2 years ago I was able to retire and move. After many trips and several years of overall searching, I sold my Long Valley home and migrated to Prescott AZ. I rented here for a year and about 9 months ago bought a house up in the pine trees on the south side of town. Real estate is pricey here, but the property taxes are about 10% of what NJ cost. I have no regrets.

 

Congratulations on the move. I am fairly close to Long Valley, Tewksbury

 

If you're looking for a change of scenery, how about checking out some spots down South like North Carolina or Georgia? They've got a bit of everything—city life, beach vibes, and that good ol' Southern charm. Plus, the cost of living is pretty decent compared to NJ. But if you're into a more laid-back lifestyle, maybe head out West to Colorado or Oregon. The mountains are breathtaking, and there's a real outdoorsy feel to the place. It's a bit different from the East Coast hustle, that's for sure. Each place has its unique vibe and perks. Just make sure to do your research and maybe visit a few spots before making the big move. And if you need any help with the move itself, check out https://discountmoving.ca/fr/ —they're a great option for making the transition a smooth one.

 

Recent transplant from VA here. I second the personal property tax comment above. You’ll probably pay $800-$1000+ on a new Tacoma in PP Taxes now, I would guess. We lived in Richmond; it too is getting very crowded and going vertical. Too crowded for us to enjoy, and there are some folks with housing/addiction/mental health issues roaming about as well. All the prime outdoor spots we used to go to have become completely overrun since the pandemic. Wife and I used to go to a botanical garden every year in Dec. Last time we tried was 2021 and there were so many people, we both agreed that we’d just stay home the following year. Eventually, it got to the point that we didn’t want to go out because there were too many people to deal with, any- and every- where.

On one of the last weekends we were there, we tried to get Sunday brunch out with a friend — first available table at a place we had been to a handful of times pre-pandemic (usu. 45’ wait) was 1h45m wait. The food was good, but in NO WAY was it that good; so we went elsewhere and waited probably 45m. Most we’d ever waited pre-pandemic was 1h15, which was a Saturday-7p slot.

So, we sold our house and moved to were we could get a nice, larger house on some land in PA. Yeah, interest rates suck. But it will also suck when they come down and the pent up demand drives prices up like in the early aughts, which I’m convinced is coming before the end of the decade. Anyway — no regrets on our decision — But we also had become pretty clear on what we wanted and what we were willing to trade off. (Ex. What does the landscape look like? How far are we willing to drive to get groceries? Can we live without Door Dash? How close is nearest medical center? What’s the high-speed internet like? What is the climate like? What are taxes like? Noise? Flood Zone? Etc.) — Sounds like you might still have some sussing out to do on some of that. Be really honest with yourself about how many people you can stand around you. We eventually decided to move as rural as we felt we could stand. I tell people moving is like divorce; if it can be avoided, it should be — but sometimes it can’t be, and you have to make a change — so you want to ensure you set yourself up to not have to do it all TF over again in a few years. Good luck!

 

Virginia and Colorado will resemble NJ, politically. Western Colorado has the trees and mountains. Eastern Colorado has ranches, sheep and steers. Both will have winter.

Wyoming will be a severe culture, economic, and climate shock. There's a joke about a Wyoming wind sock being made of 3/8 inch chain. There are places in Wyoming where the snow does not melt. It wears out. Cattle outnumber people. Jackson Hole is an enigma. It is as if a ski resort filled with NYC residents was transplanted into Wyoming and exists as its own world.