OT: Do you live in PA? If not, how does your state compare? Any future moves for you?

[john4psu]

What state are you living in now and in what aspects do you find it favorable or less favorable compared to Pennsylvania?

Do you foresee moving to another state?

For those currently residing in Pennsylvania, do you foresee moving to another state?

 

[dawgduice]

Just moved from New Jersey to Florida, love it !!!! NO MORE WINTER !!!!
Grew up in Philadelphia

 

[wplion]

I live in North Carolina and have for 11 years. Previously, I lived in New York for 17 years. My first 25 years were spent in PA. My heart is still in PA, but I probably will not move back. The weather, economy, and overall quality of life is just better in NC for my family and myself, but that is a very individual decision. It does make it extremely difficult to get back to State College for football games.

 

[Obliviax]

I live outside CLE having moved from PA after collage in WVa. I travel a lot (in Seattle right now).

This always a "half full glass" question. Every place has their advantages and disadvantages. The trick in life is to take advantage of those. CLE allows me to live on the lake which I could never afford near any other major metro area. The weather can suck, but I am not sure a summer of 100 degree+ weather in ATL, NC or TX is my cup of tea.

In the end, I do what I do for family. I am close enough to PA for my family, and near my wife's family.

 

[psuro]

Been living in New Jersey for over 40 years, except a few when I was at Penn State and then worked for the University.

I like where I live, I am close enough to Philly/NYC, the Shore, Poconos, etc. I am in suburbia but I like it.

 

[psurudy]

I have lived in Ohio since I started law schoolin 1970. 1970-1973in Cleveland,1973-1979 in Columbos and 1979 to date in Dayton. I have learned to ignore the constant buckeye bullshat. Needless to say I have developed a thick skin. I have been to games at Illinois,Indiana,Purdue,and OSU.

 

[bwifan]

going south as I am looking at jobs in FL and NC... will definetly retire in the south. Much cheaper to live and have no idea what is going to happen to this pension liability in PA but I am not going to be on the hook for it as a taxpayer living in PA. When I retire I want to stay retired and not have to go back to work. Easiest way to keep that goal is to be down south. When I get the urge to ski my friends still live in Utah and work at Alta so I will just hop on a plane ski for 4-5 days to get my fix of snow and cold and back to FL and 80s. Most likely looking at the Delray Beach/Boca Raton area....

 

[uppermaclion]

Live in PA. Most likely will leave the state in the near future. Trying to retire by my early 50's so I'll be moving to a more tax friendly state. If they raise taxes as much as the gov wants this year(and I see more for the next 3 years), it will just force me to leave sooner.

 

[fairgambit]

What state are you living in now and in what aspects do you find it favorable or less favorable compared to Pennsylvania?
Do you foresee moving to another state?
For those currently residing in Pennsylvania, do you foresee moving to another state?

I've visited about 35 states and of those, the only two I would consider moving to are Virginia and Maine. I know that's a bit of a dichotomy, but I love Virginia for it's history and Maine for it's scenic beauty. That said, I am close enough to visit both without much difficulty and, despite it's politics, I do love Pennsylvania (especially the Pittsburgh area with it's rich culture and traditional family life), so I see no likelihood of me leaving.

 

[BBrown]

What state are you living in now and in what aspects do you find it favorable or less favorable compared to Pennsylvania?

Do you foresee moving to another state?

For those currently residing in Pennsylvania, do you foresee moving to another state?

Living in Balto. right now and well its got its "issues".
I like the convenience of it being close to DC, Philly and NYC not to mention I'm able to get to all the home games and am close
to family...but not too close.
But despite the obvious issues going on right now I think the cost of living is pretty high and taxes are insane and currently the weather
sucks.
For the past several years I've been scouting out areas in the Southwest to relocate too. Top of the list right now is Tucson, AZ and
Grand Junction, CO. Utah and CO. are pretty high on the list as well (pun not intended). I love New Mexico but that may just have to stay as a favorite state to vacation in.

 

[uppermaclion]

going south as I am looking at jobs in FL and NC... will definetly retire in the south. Much cheaper to live and have no idea what is going to happen to this pension liability in PA but I am not going to be on the hook for it as a taxpayer living in PA. When I retire I want to stay retired and not have to go back to work. Easiest way to keep that goal is to be down south. When I get the urge to ski my friends still live in Utah and work at Alta so I will just hop on a plane ski for 4-5 days to get my fix of snow and cold and back to FL and 80s. Most likely looking at the Delray Beach/Boca Raton area....

Sounds like we are thinking along the same lines.

 

[Metal Mike]

I grew up in the Pittsburgh area. After PSU I joined the Army and lived in Colorado, Texas, Alabama, Tenn, Georgia, Hawaii, Germany and Maryland. After retiring from the Army I stayed in Maryland. I own a place in Florida. I am retired and after my wife retires we plan to sell our house and move to PA or Delaware. The main reason for the move is taxes. State taxes in Maryland are high and we are hoping to have lower tax bills in PA or Delaware. One reason is that Maryland taxes my military retirement pay. Florida by the way does not have a state income tax, so I may make Florida my full time resident (live over 6 months in state). As for all the other places I lived all had some advantages and some disadvantages. I liked Hawaii best due to the weather and the scenery, but it was very expensive. It was so expensive the Army gave me additional pay to help match the cost of living. Everything was more expensive with housing being the most expensive. One note where one live in a particular state influences how you fell about living there. For example Texas is a very bit state and living in a big city like Dallas or Fort Worth is much different than living in Mineral Wells.

 

[Nitwit]

Just moved from one place to another within Pennsylvania, but also have a house at the jersey shore. Pennsylvania is very tax friendly to retirees in that there is no income tax on distributions from retirement plans. The real estate taxes are also much cheaper here, and the school systems are great. It would cost me a bundle if I moved to NJ, plus frankly where I live in PA is much nicer than anywhere I might think about in NJ. I still buy gas and booze in NJ though. And come winter time, I rent in Florida for a month.

 

[CentexLion]

What state are you living in now and in what aspects do you find it favorable or less favorable compared to Pennsylvania?

Do you foresee moving to another state?

For those currently residing in Pennsylvania, do you foresee moving to another state?

Lived in the Lehigh Valley and State College for the first 22 years of my life. Moved to Austin TX in 1984 after graduating. Did a 9 month "move" to Durham NH in 1986 and hated it, so moved back to Austin.

The pros: Plenty of jobs in most areas, and very much so in High Tech. Literally, if you don't have a job, you don't want one. The economy here has always been great, with a small downturn in 1987. When the rest of the country was tanking, the economy here was firm. Housing and land is inexpensive compared to many areas in the country. I owned land in State College in the early 2000s with the intent to build and have a summer home there, but decided it wasn't to my liking. Weather here is great 9 months of the year and June-August can get pretty hot (either 100 with no humidity or 90 with 90% humidity like this year). Lots of people from all over the country and world make Austin home, which is very unique. Live music and great BBQ and TexMex. Home of Whole Foods which is great (most of their chicken actually comes from PA). NO STATE INCOME TAX. NO LOCAL INCOME TAX. Toll roads if you want to use them and pay for them going up to 85MPH. Lots of outdoor activity with all of the lakes, trails, parks.

The cons: Housing prices in downtown Austin have creeped up and it is relatively expensive with tons of condos . You used to be able to see all across the city, but now it is high rise. Along with that, traffic is pretty bad from 8-9AM and 5-6PM. Most other times is very nice to drive. Relatively higher Real Estate Taxes. A bit difficult to get to PSU for games or for working with their Engineering group. Therefore, I go to their away games (MN, Iowa, UCF in Dublin, Bowl games). Easier to get to the Lehigh Valley via Baltimore or Philly.

I'd never move back to PA. Other than a small bit of family there, I see nothing that PA has to offer, nor a plan to get there. I do visit Santa Monica about 60 days per year and love it there but with the super high taxes and water issues, it only works for me as a short term visit, and not a long term plan.

 

[CF LION]

Grew up in western PA, 4 years at PSU, then central PA, then Delaware and now southeastern PA. For reasons that others have stated, I think I'll retire in PA but will move from my current suburban Philly location to a more walk-able and bike-able community. Actually have been keeping an eye on what's happening development-wise in Pittsburgh and could see myself in a condo downtown, the northside or in the strip. Would like to be able to walk to restaurants, etc.

 

[Ranger Dan]

I'd love to live in the Rocky Mountain states or northern plains even. I came very close to moving to Colorado this spring, but the timing wasn't right. If work continues to be miserable for me, I may be more forgiving of the timing thing.

 

[wilykyote]

In Allentown PA now, but I would move to Colorado, Montana or Florida. Main issues for me are pollution, lousy winter weather and traffic. Must be good fishing. Could possibly live outside USA, having expat friends in Costa Rica and Panama.

 

[Louisville JD]

Grew up in eastern Pa. Have lived in Allegheny county since 81. Love it and will stay here, but if life throws me a curveball, Santa Fe will be my choice!

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

Every place has its advantages and disadvantages. For me, I'll be in Pittsburgh or State College till they throw dirt on me.

 

[jim cummings]

In Pittsburgh. I HATE it. But having a shared time with my son kinda thing, it makes it extremely difficult to leave.

I dream everyday about living somewhere else. Anywhere.

The traffic sucks, the state systems are F'd, people are cheap, taxes are high and there's no flat property to be found.

Having to choose, I would actually move to Ohio where I can save $0.40-0.50 per gallon in fuel, flat land, cheap land and I would only be 55 min from my son.

Once my son is thorough high school (only 10 more years), columbia SC or Nashville are the ideal destinations b

 

[YeOldeCup]

Born and raised in PA through my PSU degree, then AF assignments took me to Illinois, Delaware, and Virginia. Been in Maryland since '94, which has been hands down the worst (taxes, insane laws). Would have left already except that my daughters wanted to stay to finish up at their current high school (youngest starts her senior year this fall). NC, VA, and TN are on the move list.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Maryland. And the taxes are ridiculous. Want to move to New Zealand

 

[1000_OaksLion]

I moved from PA 34 years ago to SoCal. I love the ethnic diversity, the blend of cultures and of course the climate. I live just north of LA (not the San Fernando Valley) in a great suburb. The downside ...CA is a costly place to live. The state is overrun with liberal politicians who are doing their best to turn this great state into Greece. Very unfortunate.

The only thing I miss is the autumn and some friends and family. There is nothing like a mid October drive through central PA to watch the Lions play some football.

 

[Safety Blitz]

Spent most of my life in the small towns of NW Pa. The economy has hit us hard, but I still like it here. Beautiful country, friendly people, cheap living, low taxes, no traffic. I can be in Cleveland, Buffalo, Pittsburgh or State College in less than three hours. And most of my family (kids, parents, siblings and their kids) are in the area, which is very important for me. Winters are starting to get a little long. I would like to go south for February and March (maybe January, too) once I reach retirement.

 

[TN Lion]

Grew up in Pgh and left almost twenty years ago to find a better economic climate along with more sunshine and warmer weather. Looked at a number of cities including Dallas, Atlanta, Charlotte and Austin. Chose Nashville as most suitable for my tastes. Great weather but not too hot with four somewhat distinct seasons, awesome entertainment options, low taxes, growth better than national average and great people to live among . My only regret since is not having left Pittsburgh sooner.

 

[DeBing]

Born and raised in PA until after I graduated from PSU. From there I moved to South Bend Indiana to take a job. Lived there for five years. I had a strong dislike for ND before living there and after having to live in the midst of them, my dislike has grown even stronger. Did not like South Bend. Then I moved to Northern Virginia which is where I have lived for the last 33 years. Currently living in Loudoun County near Dulles Airport. Tired of living here, to congested and the traffic is terrible, plus it is expensive. Plan on retiring at the end of next year and will move back to PA. We already have our retirement home in the Penn State area and are looking forward to our retirement there. We just love the area up there. Always felt at home there.

 

[royboy]

No place is paradise, and many areas have strong points. Born and raised in PA and lived in half-a-dozen places all over the state, 2 years in Maryland, and now coming up on 29 years in North Carolina.
North Carolina is my preference -- good climate (4 seasons but not a long, hard winter), coast and mountains easily accessible, strong economy, lots of interest in college sports, and good variety of city/suburban/country areas.

 

[Grass]

Born in MD, but raised in PA. Lived in Dallas, Little Rock, Philly, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale and Ocean City, MD. Still own a condo in Ocean City, but I haven't seen it in two years. Been living in CA (Bay Area) for the last four years. Looking to move early next year. Love so much about CA, but the taxes and high cost of living is too much. I'm thinking about Nashville or possibly Florida. What I really want to do is move to Japan, by my wife is hesitant to move back there. We can rent out our condo for 3K+ a month and continue to let the price rise while renting it out. The one good thing about San Fran taking over as the most expensive city in the US.

 

[PSU Mike]

Living in Chicagoland after 12 years in DC/MD/VA and a little time in Seattle. I see few benefits to moving back to PA. Would love to retire to OR in 15 years, or move there even sooner.

 

[MontereyLion]

Born near Phoenixville at Valley Forge Army Hospital. Was an Army brat and bounced around
all over the world, following my Dad, form post to post. Graduated from Penn State in 1975 and moved
to and settled in California. Have lived near Monterey ever since. Love the weather here. I can golf all year round.
I do miss the greenery in the summer and the September thru Christmas time frame, in Pennsylvania. California has changed a lot thru the years. I don't know that I would pick
here to settle if I were to do it all over again.

 

[tgar]

Born in Reading Pa, lived in Argentina as a kid for a couple of years. Lived in Reading through high school, DC for college, Navy, DC after ( Capitol Hill for a couple of years, loved it )

Moved back to Reading and have been holed up in the Skook for the past 5 years. My Girlfriend lives in South Hills below Pittsburgh so I spend a ton of time there. We are buying a lot 1 block from Spring Creek in State College!!!! And building there. I will be in the creek by 4 every day for a couple of hours every day we are there.

If everything goes well, we will have a condo in downtown Pittsburgh and a home is State College. I Am a food loving, sports loving, music loving, party loving outdoorsman. Pennsylvania has Philly, SC, The Burgh, mountains, streams, restaurants, music, art, museums, sports, yeah, I love it. My dogs love it. My kids love it.

 

[wbcincy]

I've lived all over PA (Lock Haven, Scranton, Altoona, Pittsburgh, State College and multiple places in Mifflin County), as well as Dallas, TX and Cincinnati/Dayton where I currently reside. While mifflin county feels most like "home" to me, I don't imagine I'll ever end up back in central PA. My wife's family and mine all live here in SW OH. I may end up in C-Bus at some point though. If I had to move somewhere, I think Charlotte or Charlottesville would top my list, love those 2 areas.

 

[njlion73]

Born and raised in Camp Hill. After PSU, moved to Northern Va. Then moved to western Maryland and then to Long Island. Lived in Northern New Jersey for about 20 years. Moved to State College last fall and love it. Able to work from home and plan to retire in the next year or two. Love the activity, primarily the sports, but also the concerts and plays, etc. Biggest difference between here and other places, the people as a whole are friendlier here. As long as I can get to basketball, hockey, wrestling and volleyball, the winters aren't so bad. If I wanted to, I could see a sporting event almost every day during the school year.

 

[OaktonDave]

I've lived in Northern VA since 1987 and really enjoy it. Yes, it's expensive and the traffic is awful, but I actually like the weather and, as a federal employee, I'm pretty much where I need to be for my career. I also have a son going into 5th grade. Fairfax county schools are very good, and he will attend as good a high school as one could find. Baring something unforeseen, I'll be staying put until he's out of high school. Plans for that are somewhat driven by what he decides about post-high school. If he's going to a state university in VA, I'm not moving out of state until he's done.

As for PA, I don't see going back. My heart will always be there, I'm not inclined to move somewhere colder, and I'd be moving from a state where both major political parties parties are generally sane and govern well to a state where both seem self-serving and inept. While a thriving economy won't be a must post-retirement, there's a lot that goes with it that I like - shopping, restaurants, entertainment, etc. I really like Williamsburg, so that's a possibility. If we don't stay in Virginia, we've been hearing a lot of good things about Nashville and may look there.

 

[Lion84]

Grew up outside Chicago - loved it as a kid and Chicago is a great city in the summer but would never move back due to the winters. I am in Chicago a dozen or more times a year for work so I get my fix. I live in SE Pa now. West Chester area. Taxes not bad and good schools for the kids. Have a condo in NJ - will always live near the water. I would retire in San Diego - love it there but very expensive and wife afraid of earth quakes so maybe NC area. Parents live in Florida. Palm Coast, not a big fan - summers are brutal. Need a few more pesos in the 401K before I have to pull the trigger - would like to move sooner and may if I get the opportunity

 

[YogiMan71]

I grew up in Munhall, Pa and graduated PSU in 71. I moved to Colorado in 72 and will never leave. We get over 300 days of sun and the dry climate encourages one to be outside. I have enjoyed skiing, mountain biking through field of wild flowers and aspens, white water rafting, hiking in wilderness areas and the old hippy mountain towns of Crested Butte and Telluride. We also have property in Summit County, an 80 mile drive away. We live at 6300 feet and our house faces SW. If we do get snow in the winter it melts quickly from the sun more often than not. Most days we ski are blue sky, white peaks, and warm. I was fortunate enough to retire last year and enjoy more of being outside. Colorado attracts folks from every state and it is a diverse and progressive state with a young and vibrant work force. Moab, Arches, and Canyonlands National Park in Utah are just a 5 hour easy drive away. Jackson Hole and Yellowstone are an 8 hour drive away. We have taken RV's into Glacier Montana, Waterton Lakes, Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper Alberta. Jasper is a 3 day drive. Colorado has legalized gambling if you prefer and also marijuana if you want to partake.
I have been very impressed with the transformation of Pittsburgh and was blown away by the amount of great looking girls in the summer at the Southside bars a few years ago however I am old enough to be their grand dad, hah ! I still like to take my son back for an occasional Steelers game but could never move back. The climate, sunshine, and high country are too great to leave.

 

[NittanyLionNation]

Have lived my entire life in Montco PA - grew up in Abington and now live in the Collegeville/Schwenksville area. My wife and I just built a new house, so we are not moving anywhere any time soon.

We talk about retiring to Maine in the summer and Florida in the winter, but right now that is a long way off.

 

[Peetz Pool Boy]

I'd like to relocate, but I'm having difficulty finding that special place meeting the below criteria

1) low to moderate cost of living
2) no/low state income taxes
3) no/low estate taxes
4) low property taxes
5) has a semblance of four seasons, but not too cold in the winter or hot in the summer
6) ample recreational opportunities, including freshwater lakes, golfing etc...
7) Waterfront property available for purchase at reasonable prices
8) neighbors / fellow residents with manners and at least average intelligence
9) access to good quality health care within a reasonable distance of my lake home
10) has no/few Ohio State fans (see #8 above)

 

[hagberg]

Born in Texas but moved to NW PA at age 5. Spent a bit over 20 years in the USMC, stationed everywhere from Guam to Korea to Spain, and in CA/TX/FL/NC/MD in the states. Moved to FL a year after retiring in the Sarasota area, which I loved aside from the sometimes brutally hot summer days. I live in MD now, just south of B'more, ONLY because this is where the job is. I know I'll leave in 3-4 years; not sure to where, I just know there is no way I'm staying here!.

Every place I've looked has both positives and negatives, so I'm really enjoying reading the different perspectives here. So far I've narrowed my own choices to southern tier NY (one of the few places to buy acreage without paying through the nose, but very restricted infrastructure, e.g. internet/cell access), NW PA (family in the area, but limited options at reasonable prices), NC/TN (beautiful areas and decent prices, but no family/friends in the area) or back to Sarasota/Bradenton. They have still not recovered from their housing bust, so home prices are just now starting to recover. Slowly.

 

[CLWBT]

going south as I am looking at jobs in FL and NC... will definetly retire in the south. Much cheaper to live and have no idea what is going to happen to this pension liability in PA but I am not going to be on the hook for it as a taxpayer living in PA. When I retire I want to stay retired and not have to go back to work. Easiest way to keep that goal is to be down south. When I get the urge to ski my friends still live in Utah and work at Alta so I will just hop on a plane ski for 4-5 days to get my fix of snow and cold and back to FL and 80s. Most likely looking at the Delray Beach/Boca Raton area....

Check out the Palm Beach Gardens/Jupiter area as well. Many housing options and far less crowded.