benefits of living in your state
Sep 17th, 2007, 03:32 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 303
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
benefits of living in your state
for those who desire to possibly relocate to another state from where they currently reside, and want to know what are some pros and cons to living in any given state, this is the thread to discuss such.
since i dont have details on every state, naturally, i am relying on feedback from other fodorites to share info about the pros and cons to living in their state as well.
hopefully, as this thread grows, we will have a robust resouce of information for anyone who so desires it. It would be nice to know about all 50 states, and even some U.S. commonwealths and territorial possessions.
Texas: I currently reside in Texas, and there are many benefits to living in the Lone Star state.
Income tax: There is no state income tax in Texas. So when you file taxes, you only get a federal return.
There is also no taxes on medicine and some grocery items as well.
given the massive size of the state, there are relatively few toll roads here, in comparison with other states which are much smaller.
weather: overall, the weather in texas tends to be on the warm side, which is great if you love warm, and sometimes humid weather. even where i reside in dallas/fort worth, there are scant few icy days in winter.
each year in august, texas promotes a tax-free shopping weekend. usually this is geared towards those who are out shopping for school supplies for their children, but many take advantage of the savings.
although compared to most other regions of the country, prices for homes are relatively lower here. however, property taxes do tend to be somewhat on a higher percentage though. some say this compensates for the fact that there is no state income tax.of course, if you choose to reside in an apartment, you would of course be exempt from the property tax , as it only applies to home owners.
One thing I personally love about Texas, is that here in Dallas, there is a great cellular provider called MetroPCS that allows you to talk all you want, when you want, unlimited minutes for local and long distance calling. there are no contracts, there are no credit checks, and you can change your plan at any time without any penalty fees. although this service may or may not be exclusive to Texas., the fact it exists here, alleviates the headaches some face with having to consistently monitor their cell phone bills for unexpected charges.
Texas' landscape varies much in contrast. In Texas you can find plains, mountains, beaches, lakes, canyons, and plateaus.
In many parts of Texas, you can choose who you want for your electric company. , with that being said, there is constant competition for your hard earned dollar. sometimes great promotions are offered, such as credits towards your first bill, or even gift cards, just to get you to switch companies.
Economy: With Texas being one of the wealthiest states, the economy here is robust, and jobs can be found everywhere, this is especially true if you reside in an urban area such as Dallas, Houston, or Austin. Many major companies either have their home offices in Texas, or a major branch located here. And sometimes you can even make more money doing the same job in Texas, than in other areas of the country.
These are some great things about Texas, what are some good and bad things about your state?
since i dont have details on every state, naturally, i am relying on feedback from other fodorites to share info about the pros and cons to living in their state as well.
hopefully, as this thread grows, we will have a robust resouce of information for anyone who so desires it. It would be nice to know about all 50 states, and even some U.S. commonwealths and territorial possessions.
Texas: I currently reside in Texas, and there are many benefits to living in the Lone Star state.
Income tax: There is no state income tax in Texas. So when you file taxes, you only get a federal return.
There is also no taxes on medicine and some grocery items as well.
given the massive size of the state, there are relatively few toll roads here, in comparison with other states which are much smaller.
weather: overall, the weather in texas tends to be on the warm side, which is great if you love warm, and sometimes humid weather. even where i reside in dallas/fort worth, there are scant few icy days in winter.
each year in august, texas promotes a tax-free shopping weekend. usually this is geared towards those who are out shopping for school supplies for their children, but many take advantage of the savings.
although compared to most other regions of the country, prices for homes are relatively lower here. however, property taxes do tend to be somewhat on a higher percentage though. some say this compensates for the fact that there is no state income tax.of course, if you choose to reside in an apartment, you would of course be exempt from the property tax , as it only applies to home owners.
One thing I personally love about Texas, is that here in Dallas, there is a great cellular provider called MetroPCS that allows you to talk all you want, when you want, unlimited minutes for local and long distance calling. there are no contracts, there are no credit checks, and you can change your plan at any time without any penalty fees. although this service may or may not be exclusive to Texas., the fact it exists here, alleviates the headaches some face with having to consistently monitor their cell phone bills for unexpected charges.
Texas' landscape varies much in contrast. In Texas you can find plains, mountains, beaches, lakes, canyons, and plateaus.
In many parts of Texas, you can choose who you want for your electric company. , with that being said, there is constant competition for your hard earned dollar. sometimes great promotions are offered, such as credits towards your first bill, or even gift cards, just to get you to switch companies.
Economy: With Texas being one of the wealthiest states, the economy here is robust, and jobs can be found everywhere, this is especially true if you reside in an urban area such as Dallas, Houston, or Austin. Many major companies either have their home offices in Texas, or a major branch located here. And sometimes you can even make more money doing the same job in Texas, than in other areas of the country.
These are some great things about Texas, what are some good and bad things about your state?
Sep 17th, 2007, 07:55 AM
#6
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
California has it all,weather,beaches, mountains,desert,big cities,small towns,did I mention the weather? Oh I almost forgot high home prices, busy freeways, millions of people, high crime rate (in my city)but its home.
Sep 17th, 2007, 08:03 AM
#7
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 304
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Florida!
Beautiful Beaches-The Keys, Panama City, New Smyrna Beach
Racing- Daytona Beach
History- St. Augustine, Key West
Quaint Villages - Cedar Key
Theme parks - Orlando, Tampa Bay
No state income tax.
Now for the bad.
HUMIDITY! Hot weather. Sinking home values.
All in all, its a great place to live, if you go on vacation in the mountains.
Beautiful Beaches-The Keys, Panama City, New Smyrna Beach
Racing- Daytona Beach
History- St. Augustine, Key West
Quaint Villages - Cedar Key
Theme parks - Orlando, Tampa Bay
No state income tax.
Now for the bad.
HUMIDITY! Hot weather. Sinking home values.
All in all, its a great place to live, if you go on vacation in the mountains.
Sep 17th, 2007, 08:56 AM
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
New York State:
Pro: everything you could want is here
Con: you have to pay for it
As a born and raised New Yorker (but having lived in the SF Bay Area for 34 years), I had to comment that that was why we left NY in the first place -- after college, when we couldn't afford to live in NY in the manner in which we wanted to live (which was definitely more affordable in SF back then; this was just before housing prices started to skyrocket, oh, if I had only had a crystal ball).
So, California:
Great:
San Francisco in general
Weather
Other great cities and small towns
Close to beaches, skiing, cities, mountains, nothing is too far
Weather
Low real estate taxes
Weather
Not so great:
Low real estate taxes means low level of services and low levels of school funding
Homelessness
The SF Giants for this year
The fact that SF is so politically correct it's hard to get anything accomplished here
I know that's SF sprinkled with the whole state, but California is really like several states.
Pro: everything you could want is here
Con: you have to pay for it
As a born and raised New Yorker (but having lived in the SF Bay Area for 34 years), I had to comment that that was why we left NY in the first place -- after college, when we couldn't afford to live in NY in the manner in which we wanted to live (which was definitely more affordable in SF back then; this was just before housing prices started to skyrocket, oh, if I had only had a crystal ball).
So, California:
Great:
San Francisco in general
Weather
Other great cities and small towns
Close to beaches, skiing, cities, mountains, nothing is too far
Weather
Low real estate taxes
Weather
Not so great:
Low real estate taxes means low level of services and low levels of school funding
Homelessness
The SF Giants for this year
The fact that SF is so politically correct it's hard to get anything accomplished here
I know that's SF sprinkled with the whole state, but California is really like several states.
Sep 17th, 2007, 09:19 AM
#11
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 965
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would like to add some things to Texas:
Pros: Some of the best and most unique food, for example Tex-Mex (Yum) and Texas BBQ
Cons: No real season changes and lack of a good public transportation system. This would be esp. helpful on the I35 corridor. Anyway a car is a must here.
Pros: Some of the best and most unique food, for example Tex-Mex (Yum) and Texas BBQ
Cons: No real season changes and lack of a good public transportation system. This would be esp. helpful on the I35 corridor. Anyway a car is a must here.
Sep 17th, 2007, 10:08 AM
#12
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,693
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
New Jersey for me!
Pros: close to Manhattan, beaches, mountains, cultural events, beautiful residental and country areas, excellent univerities, full-service gas stations, 2 pro football teams, major international airport,etc. etc.
Cons: congested, high property taxes, high car insurance, high housing prices.
Pros: close to Manhattan, beaches, mountains, cultural events, beautiful residental and country areas, excellent univerities, full-service gas stations, 2 pro football teams, major international airport,etc. etc.
Cons: congested, high property taxes, high car insurance, high housing prices.
Sep 17th, 2007, 10:11 AM
#13
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 513
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
North Carolina:
Pros:
Proximity to both the ocean and mountains.
Good weather most of the time
Eastern and Lexington-style BBQ.
Excellent colleges and universities.
Excellent NCAA basketball.
Cheerwine.
Cons:
High state income tax.
Poor public schools many areas.
Ice storms, occasionally.
Traffic and lack of rapid transit.
Dismal NCAA football, usually.
Pros:
Proximity to both the ocean and mountains.
Good weather most of the time
Eastern and Lexington-style BBQ.
Excellent colleges and universities.
Excellent NCAA basketball.
Cheerwine.
Cons:
High state income tax.
Poor public schools many areas.
Ice storms, occasionally.
Traffic and lack of rapid transit.
Dismal NCAA football, usually.
Sep 17th, 2007, 10:14 AM
#14
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,313
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Forgiddy, you forgot a couple things.
If you are in south Florida, the two most pernicious pests are Palmetto bugs and Snowbirds. They are everywhere! There is no way to beat them, but an eternal battle is waged.
If you are in south Florida, the two most pernicious pests are Palmetto bugs and Snowbirds. They are everywhere! There is no way to beat them, but an eternal battle is waged.
Sep 17th, 2007, 10:53 AM
#18
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 868
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
pros my immediate family
cons extended family; come over uninvited, unannounced and always wanting something
pros - extended family; can raid their property of cars, trucks, boats, quads, tools, heavy equipment, fruits, vegetables, chickens, goats and pigs (its different when we do it
)
cons island fever is fierce
pros great vegas deals
*****lucky you live hawaii*****
cons extended family; come over uninvited, unannounced and always wanting something
pros - extended family; can raid their property of cars, trucks, boats, quads, tools, heavy equipment, fruits, vegetables, chickens, goats and pigs (its different when we do it
)cons island fever is fierce
pros great vegas deals
*****lucky you live hawaii*****
Sep 17th, 2007, 11:07 AM
#20
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,498
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wisconsin
Pros -
The weather, all four seasons, and fall is beautiful
The state is beautiful, rolling hills, farms, lakes (More than Minnesota!), two great lakes, bluffs along the Mississippi...
The area I live in is VERY live and let live. What you do is nobody else's business.
Wonderful healthcare system.
Great services, best snow removal service in the country. They even remove my yard waste.
Family - everyone (and I have a BIG family) lives here, but one sister.
Cons
The weather, winter is looooong. It kills me when cities close down with 3 inches of snow. That's a light dusting of snow here.
Income taxes, some of the highest in the country.
Property taxes, some of the highest per housing value in the country.
Pros -
The weather, all four seasons, and fall is beautiful
The state is beautiful, rolling hills, farms, lakes (More than Minnesota!), two great lakes, bluffs along the Mississippi...
The area I live in is VERY live and let live. What you do is nobody else's business.
Wonderful healthcare system.
Great services, best snow removal service in the country. They even remove my yard waste.
Family - everyone (and I have a BIG family) lives here, but one sister.
Cons
The weather, winter is looooong. It kills me when cities close down with 3 inches of snow. That's a light dusting of snow here.
Income taxes, some of the highest in the country.
Property taxes, some of the highest per housing value in the country.
