Best place to live in the US?

[Kindness]

My family are in England so unfortunately Kansas puts us approximately a million miles from everyone we are related to! We did drive through Kansas long ago pre-kids when we were driving from D.C. to Cali and although it sounds strongly Catholic I don’t think DH or I could handle the geography. We both like to get access to water, I am from an island nation and he likes to know we are within reasonable driving distance from an ocean. We also like to sail. We also like hills and valleys so the Great Plains are not really our land.

An international airport that is a reasonable commute is a big plus for when we want to see family abroad or they want to see us. Ditto if we are on the East coast with the American family on West.

We are interested in North Carolina, the Raleigh Diocese seems to have a strong bishop. What about Virginia, someone mentioned Roanoak? I wouldn’t call us conservative although we are Orthodox Catholic, if you follow church teaching you find yourself all over the map politically. I can’t vote anyway as I don’t want to give up my UK citizenship. (Although I can be taxed with no representation! Wasn’t that the revolutionary battlecry?) California doesn’t really hold a lot of appeal but we want to make sure we are open to God’s will and obviously family is there so we are not completely ruling it out. Southern Cal is not us at all. Too much focus on appearance and materialism. The family are in Sacramento and the Bay Area.

 

[Em_in_FL]

My husband and I were both raised (from early childhood on) here in our hometown of Central Florida… we love it!!!
The Catholic Schools are vibrant and FULL (with waiting lists), and it’s a nice place to raise a family with all the fun activities around - close to the beach, the attractions, lots of State Parks for hiking and swimming in the springs…
We love it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Everyone will tell you the usual suspects… Denver, Portland, San Diego, maybe a Texas city, and of course the big cities (LA, NY, and Washington).

But I’ll go totally off the wall and suggest…

Wichita.

What’s this with Kansas, when the obviously best place is the southern Mo. Ozarks.? All I have to do is drive around our lakes or Branson, and there’s car after car after car with Kansas license plates; people escaping the prairie to wade in crystal-clear streams, watch dusk take the valleys, sitting atop a bald knob where the sun still shines, sipping moonshine and watching the fireflies light up the hollows below. Mild winters when you don’t wear a coat most of the time. (at least I don’t) If bald eagles winter here, (which they do) you know it’s not all that tough a time.

There are even “Wichita clubs” among retirees living here. They’re bigger than the “Chicago clubs”. So what does that tell you?

Excellent Catholic high school in Springfield, Mo, which is only about a half hour drive from Branson. LOTS of doctors from the big cities who moved here so their kids could be safe and where the cost of living is low.

Not a lot of Catholics, but a lot of converts, and a very moral atmosphere.

And hey, it’s closer to England than Kansas is! (by a little )

Yes, yes, I know, Calilobo. The accent. Well, that’s our only fault.

 

[Kelfa28]

I know I’ll probably get a little flamed for mentioning this…but have your considered Massachusetts?

Not all the areas are “Cafeteria” Catholic. I belong to a very Orthodox church and I know their are plenty of others like the one we attend.
The Southeast area of Massachusetts has tons of Catholic Churches and most of them are very active.
When I say there is a Catholic Church at each corner…I’m not kidding. We drive by two active parishes to get to our Church that is only about 4 miles away.
There are loads of good Catholic schools here too. I think there are 10 Catholic elementary/middle schools and 2 Catholic high schools within 15 miles of my house.

I’m in the Fall River Diocese and it’s a good diocese. Churches are closing all over the place in Massachusetts but not in this diocese.

The towns are nice, the beaches are close and beautiful…the politics are terrible and the taxes are high.
But, IMHO…there isn’t a better place to work in the medical field anywhere. Boston is so close to where I live…the state is small and their are hospitals everywhere.

 

[savedbygrace71]

Look into Charlotte, NC it’s a wonderful place to live!

 

[PaulGH]

We are currently living and working in Europe but thinking seriously about a move back to the US. My husband’s family is from CA. We lived in the Seattle area which we loved but we want more sun. Where would you live, given the choice? My husband is in medicine so he usually can find a job in most communities. Catholic schools though high school are very important to us and hopefully affordable housing. I would love to be somewhere where the church is vibrant.

There are many nice places to live in the U.S. What things are important to you, other than Catholic schools and a few other things that you already mentioned? For example:

• Do you mind cold winters?
• Do you mind hot, humid summers?
• Do you want to be in a big city, a medium city, a small town, or a rural area?
• Are geographical features important to you? For example, do you prefer to live near mountains, near the ocean, etc.?
• Are low taxes important to you?
• What kinds of entertainment do you like? Sports? Theater? Live music? Outdoors? Etc.?

EDIT: I see that you provided some more information in your last post above. Since you say you want to be close to the ocean, I can’t help you much, as the only place I have lived that was close to an ocean was California. And you say that you don’t really want to move to California. (I don’t blame you. It is outstanding in terms of geography and things to do, but the cost of living is outrageous.) You might consider Florida. There are many nice things about Florida (e.g., warm weather, amusement parks, beaches, no state income tax, etc.), and you could see if there is a good Catholic community near Ave Maria University.

 

[Michael57]

Megan,
Michael’s distrust is unnecessary in this situation. Why is he making things personal on another person’s thread?

Even the Catholics are turned off by Kansas…

I’ve decided religion has let me down and is not for me right now, but it doesn’t stop me from 1) respecting the self-control of practicing Catholics, 2) wanting to help people, and 3) telling you my observations and advocating for a place that I used to live at.

It doesn’t change that I used to live in Kansas and can tell you about it.

But I gotta go to work, I’ll answer your questions this evening.

Michael,
Kansas is the place where I seriously considered being Catholic (maybe that proves a point to Megan in itself). You’re accusing me of deception by suggesting Kansas, because millions of people are quick to stereotype it as hickville. But have you lived here? Maybe Fort Riley sucks, but the rest of KS is a better place than people think. And I say that as a racial minority who moved there from “glamorous” California a few years back.

I’m here because I want something different from Protestant platitudes and secular sayings, both of which are readily available in Anytown USA.

Well, in that case, I apologize. It’s been a bit hard to read your past numerous angry posts and not form some impression of it based on what you’ve presented. I took your post here as sarcastic, and instead it is sincere. Sorry for misunderstanding.

Thank you for clarifying that.

And, yes, I lived in Kansas for a short while, and found it to be very nice and the people there very friendly. Fort Riley isn’t as bad as many people think, though my stay was at Ft Leavenworth.

Again, my apology and have a good rest of your day.

 

[Kindness]

Savedbygrace71 could you tell me more about Charlotte?

 

[ejlo1]

I second Cincinnati, especially the West Side of Cincinnati. Catholic Churches and schools are everywhere. Cincinnati has an international airport, lots of hills and while we get both snow in winter and 90 degree heat in the summer, we don’t usually have either for more than a week. We are not supper close to any large body of water (other than the Ohio river), but Lake Cumberland in Kentucky and the Great Lakes to our north are easily visited when you have long weekend.

 

[PaulGH]

Here are a few more ideas, if you don’t mind being inland:

• Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville has a low cost of living for a fairly big city, with low property tax rates and no state income tax. (Sales tax is high though – almost 10%.) People in Nashville are very nice, and there is a ton of great local live music (and not just country music). There is a good Catholic community and several good Catholic schools, anchored by the wonderful Nashville Dominican sisters. Check out Assumption Parish or the Cathedral of the Incarnation if you go for a visit. However, summers in Nashville are hot and humid, and it is a bad place for allergies.
• Texas. I don’t know much about the Catholic community in various parts of Texas, but I have heard many good things about the entire state. I have visited Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio, and have been very impressed with all of them. Like Tennesssee, there is no state income tax, people are friendly, and summers are hot (but perhaps not so humid in parts of the state that are far inland from the Gulf of Mexico).
• Colorado. I don’t know too much about Colorado, but I do have friends in Denver and in Fort Collins, and they seem to like it there a lot. There is a lot of good outdoor activity, with the Rocky Mountains, and I have heard that the weather is pleasant. I also have heard good things about the Archdiocese of Denver.
• St. Louis, Missouri. St. Louis is a nice city, with a good Catholic history. I grew up not too far from St. Louis, so I have visited it many times, and I like it a lot. Summers are hot and humid (though not as bad as places further south), and winters are cold, but at least you get the full range of seasons.
• Kansas or Nebraska. I have spent very little time in Kansas and none in Nebraska, but I have heard some good things about the Catholic communities in these two states. They might be worth a look.
• Michigan. Michigan is famous for its economic problems (particularly in Detroit), but Ave Maria Radio is based in Michigan, as are the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, so Michigan definitely has something going for it in terms of a good Catholic community. (Michigan does have very cold winters though.)

 

[styrgwillidar]

Don’t come to CA. It’s a place governed by the insane and the senile and getting worse. Political correctness run amuck with the government agencies run by ideologues who institute policies based on their preconceptions vice any factual data. Truly our legislature is the laughingstock of the planet.

It’s pretty much a lawless place from the governor and attorney general on down. Randomly ignoring various laws, instituting sanctuary cities and failing to defend initiatives which passed. Our state legislature believes they are supposed to represent non-citizens vice the legal residents.

If you’re unfortunate enough to have to use the public school system, you’ll be fighting a battle with teachers indoctrinating your kid into their politically correct way of thinking on gay marriage, teen sex etc. etc. etc. Although overall, CA spends the most on their schools and ranks almost dead last, there are actually some very good public schools academically in core courses, but you have to weigh that against their complete failure to teach critical thinking. It’s blind acceptance of the PC positions or your kids grades will suffer.

Freedom is rapidly disappearing here with more and more regulations on every aspect of your life. Of course, you pay dearly for it-- highest gas taxes, sales taxes, income taxes etc. Government worker unions pretty much run the place. If you want to know more, read Victor Davis Hanson’s stuff- long time resident in the agricultural central valley.

I grew up here when it was a far different place. I’m out of here when my youngest hits 18 and I no longer feel obligated to keep my kids close to their mother.

I have a sister in Kansas who loves it there, she thought the schools were quite good. Another in Virginia who likes that area, she works for the federal government and they bought their house a while ago- housing in Northern Virginia is very expensive.

 

[sunnygt]

I know I’ll probably get a little flamed for mentioning this…but have your considered Massachusetts?

Not all the areas are “Cafeteria” Catholic. I belong to a very Orthodox church and I know their are plenty of others like the one we attend.
The Southeast area of Massachusetts has tons of Catholic Churches and most of them are very active.
When I say there is a Catholic Church at each corner…I’m not kidding. We drive by two active parishes to get to our Church that is only about 4 miles away.
There are loads of good Catholic schools here too. I think there are 10 Catholic elementary/middle schools and 2 Catholic high schools within 15 miles of my house.

I’m in the Fall River Diocese and it’s a good diocese. Churches are closing all over the place in Massachusetts but not in this diocese.

The towns are nice, the beaches are close and beautiful…the politics are terrible and the taxes are high.
But, IMHO…there isn’t a better place to work in the medical field anywhere. Boston is so close to where I live…the state is small and their are hospitals everywhere.

I can second this. I live in the Fall River dioceses and I can say with absolute honesty that all of this is true. Massachusetts is amazing… close to the ocean, the mountains, major cities, multiple world reknowned health care facilities, good public and private schools etc. I personally think you couldn’t go wrong.

 

[InLight247]

North Carolina is the place I have lived longest in my life. It is very good for family. Life here is not stressful. Bishop Jugis is in Charlotte. He is conservative and authentic, a very smart man. Someone says when he looks at you, you feel he can see into your soul. There are many good priests in Charlotte. Several of them were in the parishes around where I live and they were transferred to Charlotte by our Bishop! There is an Eucharistic Congress every year in Charlotte. I like my Diocese, I like North Carolina.

 

[CaliLobo]

I enjoy this topic! The US is so varied; it’s fun to hear stories about life in different states. A great place to get more info about the topic is the forums at citydata.com. Discussion about life in cities all over the world.

Great post with a nice sense of humor Thanks.

Do you happen to know if there are several Churches in the area that might offer the Mass in the Extraordinary Form? In Communion with Rome. If so, which ones & where? How hot are the summers? And are tornadoes a big concern or not? Thanks. Pax

Megan,
Sorry I can’t tell you exactly which parishes are good, but due diligence will solve that. Summers are hot and humid. About 90s with humidity, possibly more. But sunny days alternate with clouds and precipitation all through the year, so the weather is varied.

It reliably rains or snows in Kansas at least once a week (at least it seems that way).

There are always tornadoes during tornado season, but the odds of one happening in your neighborhood are very slim. Think of it this way–there’s an earthquake somewhere in the world every five seconds. The earth is dynamic–the wind always blows, and the earth always moves. That’s how God created it.

What’s this with Kansas, when the obviously best place is the southern Mo. Ozarks.? All I have to do is drive around our lakes or Branson, and there’s car after car after car with Kansas license plates; people escaping the prairie to wade in crystal-clear streams, watch dusk take the valleys, sitting atop a bald knob where the sun still shines, sipping moonshine and watching the fireflies light up the hollows below. Mild winters when you don’t wear a coat most of the time. (at least I don’t) If bald eagles winter here, (which they do) you know it’s not all that tough a time.

There are even “Wichita clubs” among retirees living here. They’re bigger than the “Chicago clubs”. So what does that tell you?

Excellent Catholic high school in Springfield, Mo, which is only about a half hour drive from Branson. LOTS of doctors from the big cities who moved here so their kids could be safe and where the cost of living is low.

Not a lot of Catholics, but a lot of converts, and a very moral atmosphere.

And hey, it’s closer to England than Kansas is! (by a little )

Yes, yes, I know, Calilobo. The accent. Well, that’s our only fault.

Are you still mad that Mizzou lost in the FIRST ROUND of the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row??

(I haven’t been to that part of Misery–eh, I mean Missouri, but I hear it’s interesting! Don’t they have that restaurant where the servers literally chuck the bread at you??)

styrgwillidar:

Don’t come to CA. It’s a place governed by the insane and the senile and getting worse. Political correctness run amuck with the government agencies run by ideologues who institute policies based on their preconceptions vice any factual data. Truly our legislature is the laughingstock of the planet.

People have been writing about the death of California for decades. If not by earthquake, forest fire, flood (without flood control engineering, deserts naturally have unpredictable water flows and flash flooding), or even Africanized bees (!), then by governmental, fiscal, and economic collapse.

But I will always like California for its beaches, mountains, geographic and cultural diversity, creativity, and international food (the food is AMAZING). It has historically represented the dreams of millions around the US and world for a better life. People come to CA from all over the world, and through the film industry, it in turn influences the world (and there are many Christians who are attempting to break into the industry). And quite simply, it is my home.

California is not as liberal as people think–a good 38% of California voted GOP in 2012. Orange County and inland areas are still conservative. And there are many churches; the LA Times has written about the Southern California Bible Belt:
California Christians worship in a big way

Don’t discount an area simply because it is run by leftists. Liberal areas tend to be 1) more diverse and more racially tolerant, 2) more populated, 3) have better nightlife and international cuisine due to #1 and #2, 4) tend to be coastal areas, 5) have weird, interesting people, 6) have weird, interesting things to do, 7) have better museums and universities, and 8) are more cosmopolitan and cultured.

And because of their diversity, there are conservative religious people in these areas too.

 

[Father_of_10]

I would recommend central Virginia between Richmond and Washington, DC beltway.

The state has low unemployment, access to very good healthcare and the Arlington diocese is one of the few in the country that does not have a great shortage of priests. The areas of the state outside of the cities are fairly conservative and overall taxation is among the lowest on the eastern seaboard. The state government is fairly conservative and no where near as intrusive as CA, or the states north of VA.

The ocean is an hour away, the mountains are closer. You can surf in the summer, ski in the winter and view some of the most beautiful mountains in the fall as the leaves turn. If you like gardening, it is a great area. Another advantage over southern CA is that we rarely have drought conditions and smog. The summers are hot and humid, not as much as FL, the winters are usually mild with less than 10" of snow. The best museum in the US (Smithsonian) is an hour away as well as the national monuments. Revolutionary War and Civil War battlefields and museums are a stones throw apart. Washington’s, Jefferson’s, and Madison’s homes are here. VA has some of the best universities in the country.

If you have children and wish to home school, it is one of the best states in the country to do this. Presently about 7% of children in the state are home schooled. Our parish has over 100 families doing this now. There are Catholic grade and high schools, both diocesan and private with tuition ranging from moderate to very high. Most parishes have an active CYO.

Almost all the priests I have run across are in synch with the Magistarium. Many of the seminarians that become priests in the diocese have received their undergraduate education from Christendom College, that has a very doctrinally sound theology and philosophy program, likely one of the top 5 for such an education in the USA.

You should care about the politics in the area you live. They will dictate the freedom in how you are allowed to raise your family as well as see the just fruits of your labor.

 

[Father_of_10]

You should care about the politics in the area you live. They will dictate the freedom in how you are allowed to raise your family as well as see the just fruits of your labor. Unlike “leftists”, conservatives are not concerned about race, but rather the quality of one’s character. If “diversity” means accepting immoral behavior whether it be sexual in nature or anti-Christian, do you really want to raise your family in a cultural cesspool?

 

[savedbygrace71]

Savedbygrace71 could you tell me more about Charlotte?

Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina, with an impressive international business community including many businesses from Germany. There have been thousands of companies who relocated here over the last twenty years from the north and therefore, a large increase in the Catholic Church! Historically the CC was not a huge presence, but now we are the largest denomination. The Meckenburg area Catholic Schools have about ten elementary schools, four middle schools, and two high schools. My children go to one in a neighboring diocese of South Carolina, as we live right over the border in SC.

The weather is lovely, warm and mild winters and hot humid summers, but not that much more so than you’d find in other places. We are a four hour drive from Myrtle Beach, the tourist trap favored by charlotteans, and about three from Charleston, a lovely and historic beach town. There are truly dozens of beaches to choose from and everyone has a family favorite. The mountains are two hours away and an easy day trip or weekend adventure. Yes, there are a lot of charismatic Protestant folks around who don’t understand the CC. But that’s ok. We are all learning to live side by side

 

[iepuras]

Just wanted to give a shout out for my home city and state, Houston, TX.

Houston is a very international city due to oil&gas, chemicals and health care. The economy is doing well. Lots of diversity. The medical center is fantastic. Many people come here for treatment. Good freeway system to get around. Affordable housing. Many Catholics due to the Hispanic population, folks from Louisiana and transplants from up north. I cannot say much about the Catholic community because I am in RCIA, but I can say that the parish I am attending is a great community and very active. Plenty of good public and Catholic schools. Houston has a very good arts community. Galveston is not far for beach access. Ok, the water is brown due to Mississippi River silt and currents but it is still a beach. Houston is a very underrated city and is starting to be recognized.

Now for the negatives. The seasons are summer and not summer, but you can grow citrus. The weather is hot and humid in summer but everything is air conditioned. It does wear on you. I am so ready for summer to be over! Yes, there can be hurricanes. If you live far enough north, there is no need to evacuate. Our home made it through Ike unscathed. Every place has some kind of natural disaster to deal with.

The people are friendly and tend to have a live and let live attitude. Houston is really not a great place to visit but a great place to live.

 

[Kindness]

We are very attracted to the Triangle area in North Carolina (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill) and my husband is talking with some employers there. We will visit in early October. It seems like Charlotte to have a faithful Bishop and a growing Catholic population. I like the idea of being surrounded by Christians (even if they not Catholic - yet) and a growing Catholic community, I imagine the way things are going the CC will look more and more attractive to many Protestants once they truly know what the church teaches. I came into the CC thru the Catholic Charismatic movement when I attended a Catholic prayer meeting as an unbaptised teenager. I have found Catholic Charismatics to be very loyal to the church, most have a deep spirituality, support their priests, parish etc. and they are crazy about the Blessed Mother. The Mass at this young people’s prayer group that I would attend was deeply reverent and it was the presence of God that I encountered immediately in the Eucharist that brought me into the church.

So you won’t find me bashing Charismatics, I love all faithful, loving, believing Catholics whatever their stripe. We need to continue to promote unity in the church. As Mike Cumbie says (Alabama bible-thumping Baptist minister turned Catholic evangelist) his favorite saint is St. Francis “the patron saint of Charismatic crazy people!”

If anyone can tell me about the Triangle area and the church there I would be very grateful. My husband wants somewhere with plenty of sun because as a California boy he can’t take any more dark, Northern winters a la Seattle and Germany!

 

[InLight247]

We are very attracted to the Triangle area in North Carolina (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill) and my husband is talking with some employers there. We will visit in early October.

I am glad you are considering the Triangle area of NC. I am about 1 1/2 hours away from Triangle Park and belong to the Charlotte Diocese. The Triangle Park belongs to the Raleigh Diocese. The Bishop is the Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Raleigh. I am not familiar with him but NC is basically a conservative State. Bishop Jugis and Bishop Burbidge often send us co-signed letter for good civil cause expressing the Church’s position on different issues. Triangle Park is a good area to live. Cary, part of the Triangle is rated one of the best cities to live in US. Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill are all top universities of the country. Duke Medical Center is famous. You won’t do wrong by coming to the area. October is a beautiful time with all the leaves changing color. I believe you will like what you see when you come to visit. God bless!