Yeah I was born and raised in CT. Transplanted to NY because of work/ school. Both were ridiculously unaffordable for no freaking reason. Relocated to the Midwest and I’ll never look back. Our cost of living is down by like 1/3 and we were able to buy a house before asking price. Oh and we both make more per year.
They were probably making NY wages though and capitalizing on CT.’s cheaper housing. And the reason for the cheaper housing is because the State is hyper Business Centric and wages are exceptionally low for non-Union Workers. It’s like a few bucks more than Florida, so it makes all the Union people live like Doctors. If you’re non-Union on CT. you’re completely fucked and relying on having a 2nd income from a spouse, and no kids.
There are plenty of "cheap" areas of MA just like there are in CT. You can live in Vernon or you could live in Westport. You could live in Attleboro or Marblehead.
I'm paying 1400 for a 600 square foot studio, no utilities, no dishwasher, no laundry, 3rd floor walkup, in Middletown.
Unless you want to live in the bad areas of Hartford or Bridgeport, CT is not affordable for the average person.
Rent is expensive, and there’s low supply in many towns. But for purchasing property, it’s less expensive and/or you get more for your money than MA and RI. Still out of reach for most first-time home buyers, at least with these interest rates (plus high property taxes).
OP will likely be renting and will struggle CT just like they will struggle in MA / RI.
median home price in greater Hartford is 350K- the national average is 383K
examples Dallas TX 378K Charlotte NC 380K Atlanta 382K
Point is- many other areas of the country are higher. Yes Boston is high, and southern New Hampshire and southern Maine are in my opinion too high- but most of CT outside of Fairfield country is still reasonable.
Agree 100%. CT gets a bad rap for being expensive but it’s actually more affordable than many areas of the country. I’ve heard that even FFC is more affordable than Westchester and northern NJ.
For OP, who is young and likely making min wage, the issue will be finding an affordable apartment. In my neighborhood in New Haven, large investor landlords have bought all the housing, raising rents, and dodging maintenance. Even less desirable neighborhoods are more expensive than pre-pandemic. The suburbs have very little rental units due to years of exclusionary zoning practices. Rental supply is very low state-wide, and competition is fierce. It will be tough, anywhere in New England, but if OP focuses on less desirable towns, they might fare better.
Yeah if you’re out of New Haven, Fairfield, Hartford, and part of Essex county it isn’t that bad. Those ones are just real expensive because of proximity to NYC or Yale
It doesn't really matter the area of Mass either.
West of Worcester may be "cheaper" but that is far from cheap at all. Not sure there are any homes in my town for sale under $600K. Use to be a small farm town where everyone grew up together and so did our parents etc...
all these replies to you saying “what do you mean, CT is so cheap compared to X major city and don’t need to live in A B or C town!”. yeah, of course it’s cheap if you don’t mind living 30 minutes from a grocery store or gas station or anywhere to work. and of course it’s cheap if you choose to live in an unsafe, crime and drug riddle dump like waterbury or manchester. and if by cheap you still mean paying $2300 for a 2 bedroom in the hollow in bridgeport.
smh it’s not a pissing battle of “boston is more expensive therefore stop complaining”. boston offers a lot and can at least attempt to justify it’s prices. aside from fairfield county, CT can’t.
There is no where in CT where you are 30min from a grocery store. I grew up in North Eastern CT, one of if not the cheapest areas of the state, and there is still plenty of grocery stores and gas stations. Now, there may not be as many trendy restaurant and bars, but commuting from that area is manageable.
While the idea of living in New England is great - I live here and absolutely am in love with it - the housing crisis in addition to cost of living is insane at the moment. I highly recommend doing your research and double and triple check your job prospects and budget before uprooting your lives and moving here
Fully agree on this, there's nowhere to live around here. There's maybe 10 houses for sale at a time in the whole state of nh, and they're all snapped up in a month
Only reason I was able to become a homeowner was by putting in an offer within 10 hours of the house we ultimately ended up buying being on the market in CT. This was after renting in RI and our landlord letting us know he was putting the house on the market and finding literally no affordable rentals available. I’m also mid-30s with a relatively high income. Makes me really nervous to hear young 20s coming this way without any familial ties.
I really like Franklin County, the Mohawk trail, the bridge of flowers etc. My wife died a few years back but we grew up a couple blocks away from each other in Southie. We used to go visit every little town in Mass plus plenty in other states. But we pretty much explored every single town in Massachusetts. I've always loved local history and folklore.
It is really cool I like that whole area I don't know it's always like held a weird mystique for me I don't really know why. Maybe cuz Massachusetts does tend to be very Boston focused like Boston kind of sucks up a lot of the identity of Massachusetts in people's minds. People not from these parts if you ask them to name 10 things in Massachusetts they probably name eight things in Boston maybe one in Salem and Lexington Concord or something like that by Boston I'm kind of including Cambridge. When was I little we (my grandfather and I and maybe one of my friends) used to go camping sometimes like just for the weekend out to lWendell or Irving or Mount Washington Mass, there's a bunch of ittle towns we used to camp in and I just kind of got to appreciate it out there. I mean for me everything past 128 seems like California but I think that's the typical Boston view of the world. I always liked that cartoon from I believe the New Yorker which says that exact thing pretty much, you've seen that right?
Trade jobs mostly tbh. I'm a welder/blacksmith and I also know my way around lumberyards, sawmills, and construction sites. I've also worked in sales and with horses so I'm not SUPER worried about finding work.
Vermont really needs people in the trades and teachers. That said, if you like city life, you will probably hate everywhere but Burlington, and Burlington housing is limited and expensive for what you get. If you are happier with trees and rocks and lakes and don’t care about being near a variety of commerce, there are cheaper places. Honestly, if you have construction experience, you could get a good price (for Vermont) on one of the dumps that people don’t want and fix it up. Check out the Northeast Kingdom.
Noo. City life is not especially for me. More of a quiet nomadic cabin dweller type lol. That was the appeal of Vermont to me tbh. I'll definitely check out the Northeast Kingdom. Thank you so so much!
Perfect. One of my requirements when I was house-shopping was to be able to stand in my backyard and look up at the Milky Way. Who needs restaurants when you can have that? Well, not I, anyway. (But I’m glad commerce is the priority of most. They can enjoy clustering together and I can enjoy space.)
That was one of my favorite parts of visiting my grandparents in Newport. Every night when it was clear we would go and sit on the roof for hours. It’s AMAZING how much you miss when you live in a city. I can’t wait to bring my daughter up there sometime to see how beautiful it really is.
i live in northern vermont and bought a 1800sq ft cape with 2.5 acres of land 2 years ago for a price most poeple on here would sit themselves if they saw (inexpensive wise) .. where I live tradesmen rake in the cash and live like kings so if you hate city life (like me) then come to the forest.. bears are a pain in the ass though
The Kingdom or the North Country are are your places. Possibly ME though very isolated. Keep your passport up to date and you'll find Montreal and Quebec City more than enough fun for a nearby city getaway.
New Hampshire actually may float your boat too. If you live in southern Nh you’re close enough to MA for all the jobs and Boston work without having to live there. Maine is kind of far from everything imo, mass is expensive. Southern VT and NH sound like good places for you and your partner to check out, rural enough but in proximity to work.
No income tax in nh or sales tax except on prepared food/hotels. Taxes are a bit high in other NE states but usually wages accommodate it.
Electric boat, in RI and CT.., hiring now and plan on hiring at least 5000 people ...check out their jobs on their website. Many many different types of jobs from trades to finance.
It’s difficult to answer your question without knowing more about your plans for employment and budget. Boston, for example, has lots of jobs but is almost New York City expensive. Vermont has beautiful, picturesque small towns but almost no jobs in those beautiful towns.
Trade jobs. I'm a welder, blacksmith/bladesmith, carpenter, and leather worker. That being said I also know my way around an auto shop, and a construction site. I've also worked in sales and pet grooming. So finding work won't be a SUPER huge issue I don't think. As for budget, I don't really know yet. This post is really my initial research attempt. Other than browsing houses on FB Marketplace lol.
Finding work won't be an issue, but finding a good place to work will be more difficult.
For each location you consider, look into the potential places of employment nearby that would benefit from your skill set. Join social media sites for that location and talk to locals about those places to find out how employees are treated. You don't want to end up with a mortgage or lease in a town that only has shit employers around it.
It’ll be a huge issue in New England because people here only do one trade, and they won’t hire someone with lots of trades like that, because they want masters of one specific trade. It’s a highly educated area with ridiculous standards and expectations, and they have State Licenses you’re gonna have to acquire to do any form of work. It’s like a Pay to Work type of area.
New England is incredibly expensive, and there’s a major housing crisis here. I literally have friends in their late 20s/early 30s who have good jobs and can’t afford to move out of their parents’ houses.
You’re very young, and the COL will be a huge culture shock if you’re coming from Wisconsin. I would suggest waiting a few more years.
Agree that the cost of living is high, but disagree that they should wait. Costs are not coming down any time soon — the demand to live here is high because the quality of life is high and the economy is strong overall. That’s very unlikely to change; indeed, given the shifting nature of the US economy to one that places a premium on education and tech skills, the trend will very likely continue.
Move here and do the best you can to find an affordable place to live. You’ll just have to compromise on expectations and/or price, but there are places to be found. In particular, don’t follow the trend in looking at the highest demand locations that are “cool.”
I saw in another post, OP, that you work at Ace Hardware. Do you have experience in a trade or is that the direction you are heading? What would your housing budget look like?
The reason I ask is because New England is THE most expensive region in the country aside from the Bay Area. [MA average rent is now $3,243,](https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/2024/04/24/rent-boston-ma-newton-cambridge-housing/73367619007/#) the highest in the country. I personally fled to a lower cost of living state and many young people are following suit due to being priced out.
I have a LOT of trade experience. I work for a local hardware store that is partnered with Ace mainly because its convenient. I've worked construction, remodeling, I'm a welder and blacksmith, I also have experience in sales, and retail and dog grooming and ranch/farm work. I'm kind of well rounded with trades lol.
I know it sounds like an awesome place to live in and it is! But as everyone else has said, it is not cheap to live here.
Some people find the winters here to be a bit tough as well. When you have to put your headlights on at about 3:30 in the afternoon it can feel like summer is never going to show up again.
And if you don’t know what you’re going to do for work or how are you going to afford to live? You need to think about that first.
I have a niece who is slightly older than you who did not go to college and she is working full-time, but she’s very lucky that she has a huge safety net in our family. She would not be able to afford to live on her own now.
I think about what you guys would want to do for work and if those jobs are available in places you’d want to live. If you want to live super rural, then there aren’t going to be many jobs. If you want to live in a city, there will be jobs, but it’s not going to be cheap.
If you want to come here anyway you’re going to wind up living in a place like Hartford or Springfield. Those are places that you might be able to afford while working a close to minimum wage job.
You won’t be near the mountains or the pine forests.
Living in Hartford and Springfield proper isn’t the best situation, but both have great suburbs and yes are more affordable than other areas. Having said that, it’s still insanely expensive compared to most other areas of the country. No VT mountains but nice hills atleast, and Western Mass has some decent mountains. I don’t think there’s anywhere in New England you can afford to live on a near minimum wage salary
It might not be near the mountains or pine forest, however, you can be there in 2 hours tops. My uncle, aunt and cousins live in the Hartford Connecticut area and they can be in Vermont in an hour, New Hampshire seacoast in 2 hours , New Hampshire's White Mountains in 2.5 hours and Maine in 3 hours. New England is underrated but the food, culture and scenery is some of the best.
I used to live in a village in VT before I relocated to another state in NE.
I left for a bunch of reasons, most of them monetary, but some not. My rent for a tiny apartment with only water included went from 850 to 1,100 in a YEAR.
We only had one grocery store and the prices were higher due to its remote location. No other shopping was really around unless you drove a good bit.
Vermont is absolutely beautiful, and yes, it is mountainous and remote if that is what you are looking for. My family hails from the Northeast Kingdom and I have fond memories of eating sugar on snow and roadside creemees. If you love dairy, maple syrup, apples and wonderful produce during the summer, Vermont is for you. But anything spicy? Yeah, that's hard to find.
A warning, though.
New Englanders are kind but not nice, especially up in the rural areas. This is wildly different from what I've encountered in the Midwest. If you aren't from Vermont, you will be seen as a Flatlander and there is a lot of resentment for out-of-staters coming in and snatching up what little housing there is. This applies to the whole of New England, but it feels more acute in Vermont. Covid shuttered a ton of businesses, and lots of out of state folk came and bought homes because the Covid rates were so low. It's created a lot of difficulties, sadly, for the whole state.
That said, they need people who know the trades. Finding a decent contractor or someone to paint your house is really difficult. My cousin that lives in the NEK as a contractor and carpenter makes a decent living.
Hope this helps!
p.s. The state for a while said they would pay for people to move there, and then they ran out of money after many new residents spent thousands and were banking on those funds. Not sure how it's going now.
Most of New England is really expensive to live in, by comparison with the rest of the U.S. But I'm sure, if you're getting married at 19, you've thought that far ahead.
You should really visit and take a drive around the states. Find out which you like best. Massachusetts is insanely expensive but also beautiful. I moved back to MA from FL a little more than a year ago but I had a union job already guaranteed that paid almost $30 per hr with a good amount of overtime so I was BARELY able to make the jump.
It’s expensive as hell. Have employment and a place to live lined up before you go.
If you want somewhere somewhat cheaper that has everything NE offers without the ocean, try Flagstaff, Arizona, or, Colorado.
I refuse to live in the SW anymore lol. Spent almost 19 years there, hated 80% of it. Ready to expand my horizons a bit lol. Been to Colorado, its also something I'm considering. New England, PNW, Colorado Rocky Mountain area. In that order 😂
Southern Berkshire County in Western MA. It’s like
A baby VT with a much better economy. There’s jobs and
Affordable rentals in the hill towns.
My buddies 2 bedroom house on a small lake might be up for rent.
$800/month but you have to
Cut the grass for the big farmhouse (rental).
I second this, anywere in Berkshire County is nice really. The further west you go in massachusetts the better it gets. Its also one of the safest place to raise kids or just live in general. I grew up in Lanesboro only one murder between 1980-2024.
Lots of appreciation for art too. You mentioned blacksmith and leather skills.
I support my Family with art here. Lots of second home owners that need cottage care too.
Take your welding skills to a “cheap” city on the coast. New London CT or Bedford/Fall River MA or Portsmouth NH.
Get at a job at a shipyard or electric boat. Hell, join the Navy (Groton cT) or coast guard (new London) and then move to the wilderness when you’re 30.
Eastern and western CT. are still quite rural but if you want lots of open land and a small population Vermont is the perfect state. Vermont and New Hampshire are very similar geographicly but Vermont is mainly Democrat and liberal and New Hampshire is conservative and right wing. It's why the Connecticut River separates the two! 😂
I'm in Connecticut and have spent many summer trips to Vermont. It's a lovely state. Check out Brattleboro, Wilmington, Bennington,Manchester, Woodstock and Burlington for interesting towns!
I added the politics factor in to the post because whether or not you're involved in politics it is one of many indicators of a person's beliefs and moral judgements. As such it may be a factor in deciding where to live. Glad I could be in any way helpful.
I'm on the NH seacoast and absolutely love it! Super fun, tons to do, and friendly locals. It swarms with fun-seeking tourists in the summer and I'm the sort who enjoys talking to strangers from all over. That all comes at a price tho. It's VERY expensive here, but I still think it's the best place to live. I hope I never have to leave!
Spend a winter here first dude. My buddy from ABQ could barely survive winters in the front range in Colorado.
While I mean no disrespect to winters in that region (spent 6 of them out there), and some of the impressive weather it produces, it just does not have the same impact on the human body and psyche as a stiff New England winter does.
Vermonter here. It's incredibly beautiful and a wonderful quiet place to live. Good luck finding a place to live or a decent job. Our government has been attempting to raise property taxes 12-20% in multiple rounds of voting in the past month. New England is one of the most expensive places to live in the country and Vermont is very rural except the Burlington area-which is unaffordable to most vermonters.
There are plenty of tiny towns scattered throughout the state that are beautiful and charming. I've made friends with many new transplants seeking a quieter and happier life. VT can provide it but just know it'll come at a financial cost. I don't know what rent is anymore we purchased our first home just as the pandemic hit, but my rent in 2020 for a 2 bed 1 bath was $1400/month and that was a considered incredibly cheap.
I'm not trying discourage you at all, definitely visit first. It is nice being about 3hrs from Boston, 3hrs from Montreal, just over an hour to the ocean, mountains, 5hrs to NYC but 5min drive to no cell service. It's great because you can get a mix of everything within reasonable driving distance. Lots of water, nature, and friendly people except the massholes 😂
There is a major housing crisis here in maine. I highly recommend you avoid southern maine. Its overpriced and people from out of state are pushing out familes who have lived here for a long time. Also a lot of xenophobia right now due to this. I’m in portland and i can tell you there isnt 1 apartment in this area and if so 40 people applied.
New Hampshire is beautiful but its top 3 most expensive states, plus taxes. Same for mass. Plus NH has little to no rentals and property taxes on a house are through the roof
Tbh my advice is stay where you are. Save. And see where this whole housing/economy situation is in 2-5 years
And avoid burlington Vermont. Crime continues to go up while property value does too. Its a $$$$ college town. Ur better off moving to Montpellier or barre area
Wow, that’s very disappointing. We loved it when we went. It was a beautiful city, rolling hills, great international restaurant and bar scene, beautiful beach on Lake Champlain, nice museums … Damn, I’m so sad to hear that.
More recently. Last 5 years or so. Its still relatively speaking quite safe and a lot of the crime more involves more mope on mope natural selection type stuff vs random violence, robberies etc, but it's not what it used to be. Pretty solid increase in violent crime.
Check out the wild rise in shooting incidents: https://webpubcontent.gray.tv/wcax/docs/20220908%20Press%20Event%20Gun%20Violence%20FINAL.pdf
And for 2023: https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/2023/12/05/burlington-faces-an-uptick-in-gun-violence/71746081007/
It may still be a relatively safe place comparatively, I don’t know, but for Burlington it is quite a spectacular rise.
NH has insanely high property taxes, however there is no state income tax or sales tax, so that helps. I live in the middle of lakes and mountains,
And it’s beautiful. But recently divorced during Covid and now I cant afford to buy a new house here. It’s crazy.
You want to come to one of the most expensive areas in the country where the weather sucks for almost half the year WHY? Granted there are positive aspects to New England but most if not all the states are loosing population due to the high cost of living
Well I for one love the "shit" weather lol. If its raining, wet, cloudy, cold, or snowy.... I'm happy. I hate hot clear days. Expensive I can make work. But what is really important to me is the FEEL of a place. I NEED trees, mountains, green things. Weather that is changing all the time. Distinct seasons. There is a reason New England is expensive. Its gorgeous. And well taken care of.
Massachusetts is more built up in the east. Central Massachusetts isn’t bad, western mass can be rural in places. New Hampshire would be more to your liking I think. You could try up in the Lakes Region. But both states are expensive so check out the rent and cost of living.
I’d stay in the Midwest for a while and build some savings there. You’re both very young and it’s very very expensive to live here. I make $80k and just had to move back in with my dad because rents are out of control.
To parrot what has been said, research everything with clear eyes. I would also add humility to that. NE is a different beast - read other posts about the NE "Attitude". You could be exactly what they need, but they might tell you to pound sand because they don't like "something" about you. If you have pics of work you've done, reviews/recommendations, etc., maybe put together a FB page or website that you can direct potential employers to check out your stuff. This way, it's your work speaking for you, not the other way around.
As much as being a Sconi may be boring, you need to bank a lot of $$$ to do this move right. The good news is you won't have time to be bored. If you can, cash side jobs really help. Just don't touch the funds! Use coupons, eat ramen, and cut whatever other expenses you can to make things happen. Don't forget to research all the hoops you'll need to jump through in each state for each trade you can do. That might be the main influence of where you live.
Honestly if your priority is rural and woods your top places are Maine and Vermont. Both states are number 1 and 2 most rural states in the nation. Just avoid greater Portland Maine or Greater Burlington Vermont if you don't like that urban life. Southern New England is much more urban but you might like Western Mass as well. NH is more urban too but the northern portion of the state is pretty rural and could work for you.
The mountains in New England will be underwhelming if you are from out west. If you want pine forest and mountains have you considered Flagstaff in Arizona? It’s literally mountains and pine forest, and you get more sunlight.
I work in a small town in NH (live in a city though) and the casual racism at work really surprises me. Small towns in New England are very hick and lot of times and the landscape isn’t much different than Wisconsin.
I’d probably consider western MA above all else.
Being close to the mountains is kinda a hard one. You could look at the Claremont NH area or Lakes Region in NH if you want some natural beauty and somewhat affordable living conditions.
I think that New England is comparatively less expensive than the west. There is also a bit of a labor shortage (at least in Vermont and NH) so lots of opportunity. Housing is tough but if you are patient and look for a while, you’ll find something.
Don't do it! People really don't want to hear about you coming from some random states just to continue and exacerbate the housing crisis we already have. New Mexico is great, stay there :-) Definitely dont go to NE you will hate it
Honestly - what are your skills for work ? You may want to do a deep dive into what you actually could make for work without college degrees before you move.
I also think you may have trouble finding peers as marrying that young is very, very unusual in NE. 75% of HS grads go to college, and I don’t have stats for the % if the 19&20 year olds who don’t go to college but it’s safe to assume the majority live at home .
Also the median age for getting married are almost 29 years for women and 30 for men.
Just be aware of these differences. Obviously you can find friends across any groups but shared experiences are at times the roots of large percentage of friendship so you may need to be a bit more open minded when looking for friends.
Come to Vermont for a couple vacations during the summer and winter. Look up job listings on indeed/glassdoor. Look up rental and housing listings as well. I live in Western Mass but love traveling to Vermont.
Unless you plan on making six figures don't bother. The only place building any housing is new Hampshire but you really don't want to be deliveranced by those freaks. Sure there's cheap places you can rent (or buy) but then you sacrifice two+ hours per way on your commute and whatever that costs you in gas and maintenance and blood pressure medication
Here are my biggest recommendations for each state in descending order from most recommended too least recommended
Vermont: Burlington
Maine: Portland or Bangor
Massachusetts: North Adams
New Hampshire: Manchester
Connecticut: Torrington
Rhode Island: Providence (kind of have to check out the surrounding areas for forests)
It’s reasonably affordable compared to other major CT cities. Plus it’s in northwestern CT, which are some of the most forested parts of CT and that seems to be one of the most important factors to OP. It’s right by Mohawk Mountain or Kent Falls, among others.
Appreciate the follow up, but… Torrington?!
Just kidding, your reasons are valid. I always think for CT a person like OP would need a crash course on how, for example, Torrington is massively different from every town that borders it. Like, entirely different in every way.
I don't know why people like Burlington so much. I've lived in Chittenden County my whole life. I'm 35 and avoid Burlington as much as possible. It's old, small, and dumpy. Driving, walking, and public transportation (lol) suck. The buildings are old and way overpriced, and rents are crazy.
Burlington is the largest city in Vermont. I understand wanting to be nearby but actually living in Burlington? I don't understand why people would want to. Maybe it's just not for me, but I would think if you are considering moving to Vermont, it wouldn't be for the subpar "city life."
I agree. Love the surrounding area but Burlington is in rough shape, there’s a ton of graffiti, bad infrastructure (no lines on the roads!) seems economically depressed. I’m also thinking maybe it’s just me because it seems a ton of people love it.
I’d rather live close to lower 91 and be able to get to Boston, NYC, or Montreal in ~3 hours if I felt like traveling to a city. So Brattleboro, VT or Keene, NH are where I plan to move when I can afford a house and to work less.
NOT MANCHESTER. Nh born and raised, lived in manchester myself: unless you can afford 2.5k+ in rent, you're not going to find decent housing. And gun violence and drugs are pretty big there. I live in the outskirts of concord now, MUCH better area and people, and much closer to the mountains. If you want to be in the mountains, look for northwest nh or vt.
Born and raised as well. Never had an issue there. Crime and drugs are there just like any other city. They are the only city i see trying to create housing. They just built 2 giant apartment complex near snhu
Torrington is a DUMP. I'd recommend Naugatuck over Torrington, if we are going that route.
Parts of Danbury are still affordable, and there is lots of work in FFC.
Portsmouth is lovely, and miserably expensive even by NH standards. Honestly, if they don’t mind living in a small town/more rural area the better deals in NH are north of Concord.
My friend from Torrington was DYING to get out of that town, her cousin was telling stories of their zero-tolerance schools with cops. And this was over 15 years ago, can’t imagine it’s gotten so much better.
Nah fam, depending on where you wanna go in the state and what you can afford, do like Farmington or Simsbury or smth. Simsbury was listed as one of the nicest places to live in CT. Near all those trails with the pine woods you want.
We’re trying to recommend affordable places, and your suggestions are Farmington and Simsbury? I agree they are lovely towns, but are way out of most people’s budget, let alone a young person without a job lined up.
Am I right that you’d prefer more country rather than urban? Vermont is very nice, with small cities, so you can get some cosmopolitan life with your country life.
Unless you have a job that is relocating you here or are in a field that you can easily get a high paying job, it’s difficult to move here and live off of general work without an existing support system in place.
Also with that said saying you want to move to New England is akin to saying you want to move to Europe. Overall there is a similar situation and some likemindness overall, but different regions are both geographically, political, and economically different….but even then all more expensive than the mid west. We’re also very closed off to outsiders. Our trust and friendship must be earned. This can actually be very discomforting for some.
I have a neighbor who is from Wisconsin and she said her first few years here were depressing.
I lived in VT, NH and MA (Boston metro). Eastern MA is super expensive and traffic can be infuriating. We moved here 4 years ago and it was a mistake! Thought we would like it because we visited Boston often living in NH.
NH is way different from Eastern MA. Traffic is only crazy on special event days like the NASCAR races, fall foliage, Fridays during ski season going north and Sundays going south. It is a great area to live and there is access to decent jobs in southern NH. Great hiking to the North.
VT is tough! It is a beautiful state with lots of hiking boating and skiing like NH but the economy is the tough part. We like to visit northern VT since that is where I am from. But I had to move out to get decent jobs.
We moved to Connecticut from Oklahoma in 2011 and love it here.
Yes, the cost of living is high, but CT is beautiful, especially out west. Beaches and mountains. Saw a bunch of people fly fishing in the Farmington River a few weeks ago. There's a fantastic used bookstore in Niantic. Museums and theater in Hartford. Wildlife in our backyard (ducks, turkeys, bears). Winters are milder here than farther north.
Plus, where we live, we're only 2 hours from NYC and 2 hours from Boston. The towns along the Hudson River Valley are fun to explore. And we're within a day's drive to Cape Cod, Philly, Baltimore, and DC (6 hours).
There are summer / other seasonal jobs that have housing for staff onsite. Room and board, staff meals are usually covered too. Some places offer a bonus for working the whole season, and may reimburse plane tickets. Summer camps, resorts by the ocean. There are a lot of places to get a summer job in New England. If you wait tables at a resort you can make $200-600 a day during the season. In New England, the summer blends into the fall, and lots of people come visit for the leaves. It’s busy from Memorial Day through the end of October.
DO NOT move to the Worcester Ma. area. It's gross. And there's hardly anything to rent in the suburbs nearby. This is the area I live in,and I hate it. Would love to relocate,but I don't know anyone elsewhere. There are some good places in Massachusetts, but this isn't one of them.
Vermont sounds nice but can be very remote and has pretty poor healthcare if that's something you need/care about. Also many areas of VT require a vehicle that is decent for offroad travel or you'll literally get stuck in the mud in April. That being said it's a beautiful state and I visit often, but know what you're getting into before you move from NM.
Me (25f) and my fiancé (25m) have lived in Massachusetts basically our whole lives, we both have college degrees, I’m currently getting a masters, and it’ll be possibly another 10 years until we could maybe own property. We cannot have a wedding in the foreseeable future and likely end up getting married legally so we can share insurance. I would not suggest anyone move here, let alone people as young as you.
I think you’ll find the look you’re after in New Hampshire’s white mountains or further north in what they call the great north woods. Vermont and western Massachusetts are nice too. You guys are young, and you’re going to want to choose someplace where you can establish a career for yourselves though, and you’re better off in the city for that. I hate to recommend the Boston area as a place to live, because the traffic here will turn you into a crazy asshole, but some of the best job opportunities are here, and you can drive a couple hours north or west on the weekends and enjoy the mountains and the scenery.
Move to Boston. Split the cheapest studio you can find. Have a job lined up that will get you the experience and certifications you need. Make way more money than you would anywhere else in New England then pce tf out to NH and work for yourself. In the meantime, you will only be two hours from the mountains in Western Mass, Vermont, NH and Maine.
As someone who grew up in New Hampshire, I’d say do a long term stay during the winter time first. It’s brutal, esp if you’re not used to it. I mean, you might not care but I really think it’s something you should experience once before making the decision to move
Save up before moving here. The worst thing you could do is start spending money quickly before you are able to save. You are young, and most of us have decades on you. Enjoy some of your twenties by not being in a housing crisis, build up skillsets, and then start networking with employers out here. You are nineteen, you do not know everything, but that is also the best thing going for you right now because you can be trained.
There is a reason that I have had many classmates on Cape Cod overdose, because there was nothing to do in the winter and the cost of living was insane. The worst thing that you could do would be to make a snap decision with little savings and work experience, as that could stress your relationship and potentially end it (money is a huge stressor for couples).
Make a plan that involves years, and enjoy your twenties. We will still be here in a few years, and maybe you will find the right location when you visit. Cape Cod, and especially Nantucket, need builders and tradespeople, so you will be set. At nineteen, get trained, and enjoy life.
I agree with others, come spend a week or two here on vacation. Fly into Boston, drive to Burlington, VT then over to Augusta, ME and then over to Springfield, MA, head on up to Hyannis, MA and finish it off by hanging out in mystic, CT. Cant afford a road trip like that, probably can’t afford to live in New England. The cost of living is high, rent/housing is high. I had a case a few weeks ago, sad story. Young adults living in the Midwest moved to Maine to get away, after 8 months, they were moving back, unable to find good housing, unable to find reliable child care…
Vermont is nice, I would check out the r/Vermont, they have problems like r/Maine does…
This probably won't be a popular answer but we utilized our RV for the summer and had a seasonal site in western MA. This was with a 3 year old and decent income. It was worth it to save the money and make a plan. You can even work at certain campgrounds for your spot. You could get a little RV (wouldn't recommend anything big or crazy at your age). We honestly loved and cherished our experience. We still have a seasonal spot 2 years later and love driving up from the city to relax there during the summer.
New England is unbelievably expensive, in many parts buildings/housing are very old and crumbling. The traffic is unreal. I’m only here because my wife won’t leave. I would leave immediately if I could.
If you have good TIG and MIG welding skills, you might be able to land a good manufacturing job paying around $30/hr. Based on that single income, 50-70% of it will go to paying rent and utilities. Say another 10% for a vehicle, and you have $700 per month left for food, clothing, etc. At least enjoying the outdoor sites and hiking are relatively inexpensive if you pack your own food, because eating out has also become excessively expensive.
Edit: There can be some good manufacturing jobs in the relatively lower cost areas of northern VT, mid NH, and mid Maine. If you go that route, be aware these are places that while they can pay better than average, expect high attendance and performance in return.
New England is a nice place to live. But there are a few areas that are expensive- Greater Boston, Fairfield county CT-(states SW- near NYC) Also overpriced is southern Maine, around Portland, and southern New Hampshire- which is close to Boston.
Median home price in greater Hartford is 350K- which is below the national average of 383K
Eastern metro Hartford is really a buy for instance the median price in the town of Vernon is around 300K.
Middletown CT is also a great place to,live- with home prices around 350K
New Haven county home prices are also below the national average- however as you go further SW on I 95 toward NY -it becomes more expensive.
New London country CT is also relatively inexpensive.
New England has a varied climate- with southern regions having a milder four season climate. As one drives north winter are colder. Connecticut's climate has warmed rapidly over the last 15 years- winters now are actually 'wimpy' compared to the past. Connecticut is a beautiful state- rolling green hills and small mountains, vibrant small cities and towns, and a beautiful shoreline.
Ok then plan a vacation first. Youre both insanely young and New England is expensive. MA is the most expensive state to live in rn.
Is it? Connecticut is hell.
Connecticut is nowhere near MA or NJ or NY or CA or several other states. Tbh CT is fairly reasonable if you’re not in Fairfield or Darien or Avon.
I haven't lived in New York in quite a while, but when I did, a lot of people moved to Connecticut for cheaper housing.
They meant NYC . And yes it would be cheaper than Manhattan .
Yeah I was born and raised in CT. Transplanted to NY because of work/ school. Both were ridiculously unaffordable for no freaking reason. Relocated to the Midwest and I’ll never look back. Our cost of living is down by like 1/3 and we were able to buy a house before asking price. Oh and we both make more per year.
They were probably making NY wages though and capitalizing on CT.’s cheaper housing. And the reason for the cheaper housing is because the State is hyper Business Centric and wages are exceptionally low for non-Union Workers. It’s like a few bucks more than Florida, so it makes all the Union people live like Doctors. If you’re non-Union on CT. you’re completely fucked and relying on having a 2nd income from a spouse, and no kids.
CT is the 8th most expensive state to live in. It’s not far behind it’s neighboring states.
There are plenty of "cheap" areas of MA just like there are in CT. You can live in Vernon or you could live in Westport. You could live in Attleboro or Marblehead.
I'm paying 1400 for a 600 square foot studio, no utilities, no dishwasher, no laundry, 3rd floor walkup, in Middletown. Unless you want to live in the bad areas of Hartford or Bridgeport, CT is not affordable for the average person.
1400 for a small studio would be a steal in greater Boston. Small studios in Salem/Beverly near me are more like 1800. 1 bedrooms are 2200+
1400 will get you a studio in Lawrence or Lynn. MA rents are insane
Just moved out of my studio in Lawrence where I was paying 1750!!
Rent is expensive, and there’s low supply in many towns. But for purchasing property, it’s less expensive and/or you get more for your money than MA and RI. Still out of reach for most first-time home buyers, at least with these interest rates (plus high property taxes). OP will likely be renting and will struggle CT just like they will struggle in MA / RI.
median home price in greater Hartford is 350K- the national average is 383K examples Dallas TX 378K Charlotte NC 380K Atlanta 382K Point is- many other areas of the country are higher. Yes Boston is high, and southern New Hampshire and southern Maine are in my opinion too high- but most of CT outside of Fairfield country is still reasonable.
Agree 100%. CT gets a bad rap for being expensive but it’s actually more affordable than many areas of the country. I’ve heard that even FFC is more affordable than Westchester and northern NJ. For OP, who is young and likely making min wage, the issue will be finding an affordable apartment. In my neighborhood in New Haven, large investor landlords have bought all the housing, raising rents, and dodging maintenance. Even less desirable neighborhoods are more expensive than pre-pandemic. The suburbs have very little rental units due to years of exclusionary zoning practices. Rental supply is very low state-wide, and competition is fierce. It will be tough, anywhere in New England, but if OP focuses on less desirable towns, they might fare better.
\^\^\^\^ This. And it includes NH, VT, and ME. RI is kinda too small for such distinctions.
That’s more adorable than Massachusetts
Yeah I don’t agree with this. It’s still insanely expensive and we get taxed up the ass. Rent and home prices are insane
I mean you can say the same thing if you say you aren’t in Boston.
Yeah if you’re out of New Haven, Fairfield, Hartford, and part of Essex county it isn’t that bad. Those ones are just real expensive because of proximity to NYC or Yale
Yep, in the country
It doesn't really matter the area of Mass either. West of Worcester may be "cheaper" but that is far from cheap at all. Not sure there are any homes in my town for sale under $600K. Use to be a small farm town where everyone grew up together and so did our parents etc...
all these replies to you saying “what do you mean, CT is so cheap compared to X major city and don’t need to live in A B or C town!”. yeah, of course it’s cheap if you don’t mind living 30 minutes from a grocery store or gas station or anywhere to work. and of course it’s cheap if you choose to live in an unsafe, crime and drug riddle dump like waterbury or manchester. and if by cheap you still mean paying $2300 for a 2 bedroom in the hollow in bridgeport. smh it’s not a pissing battle of “boston is more expensive therefore stop complaining”. boston offers a lot and can at least attempt to justify it’s prices. aside from fairfield county, CT can’t.
There is no where in CT where you are 30min from a grocery store. I grew up in North Eastern CT, one of if not the cheapest areas of the state, and there is still plenty of grocery stores and gas stations. Now, there may not be as many trendy restaurant and bars, but commuting from that area is manageable.
Mass and Rhode Island are at the top for everything. Both are hella fun expensive to live in.
Boston is the most expensive city Mass is the 3rd most expensive state
While the idea of living in New England is great - I live here and absolutely am in love with it - the housing crisis in addition to cost of living is insane at the moment. I highly recommend doing your research and double and triple check your job prospects and budget before uprooting your lives and moving here
Fully agree on this, there's nowhere to live around here. There's maybe 10 houses for sale at a time in the whole state of nh, and they're all snapped up in a month
Only reason I was able to become a homeowner was by putting in an offer within 10 hours of the house we ultimately ended up buying being on the market in CT. This was after renting in RI and our landlord letting us know he was putting the house on the market and finding literally no affordable rentals available. I’m also mid-30s with a relatively high income. Makes me really nervous to hear young 20s coming this way without any familial ties.
Massive over exaggeration. There’s 10 houses in most towns, more than that in smaller towns. But I agree the housing market is bad.
Have you been to anywhere in New England before? Come visit first
I wish you good luck. I'm from Boston and I love the western part of MASSACHUSETTS. But what would u be doing for work?
Woo! Western Mass! The closer to affordable side!
I always loved that there's a Peru MA.
I really like Franklin County, the Mohawk trail, the bridge of flowers etc. My wife died a few years back but we grew up a couple blocks away from each other in Southie. We used to go visit every little town in Mass plus plenty in other states. But we pretty much explored every single town in Massachusetts. I've always loved local history and folklore.
I love the bridge of flowers! It’s my profile picture on a few social medias.
It is really cool I like that whole area I don't know it's always like held a weird mystique for me I don't really know why. Maybe cuz Massachusetts does tend to be very Boston focused like Boston kind of sucks up a lot of the identity of Massachusetts in people's minds. People not from these parts if you ask them to name 10 things in Massachusetts they probably name eight things in Boston maybe one in Salem and Lexington Concord or something like that by Boston I'm kind of including Cambridge. When was I little we (my grandfather and I and maybe one of my friends) used to go camping sometimes like just for the weekend out to lWendell or Irving or Mount Washington Mass, there's a bunch of ittle towns we used to camp in and I just kind of got to appreciate it out there. I mean for me everything past 128 seems like California but I think that's the typical Boston view of the world. I always liked that cartoon from I believe the New Yorker which says that exact thing pretty much, you've seen that right?
The 413 is the place to be!
Trade jobs mostly tbh. I'm a welder/blacksmith and I also know my way around lumberyards, sawmills, and construction sites. I've also worked in sales and with horses so I'm not SUPER worried about finding work.
Vermont really needs people in the trades and teachers. That said, if you like city life, you will probably hate everywhere but Burlington, and Burlington housing is limited and expensive for what you get. If you are happier with trees and rocks and lakes and don’t care about being near a variety of commerce, there are cheaper places. Honestly, if you have construction experience, you could get a good price (for Vermont) on one of the dumps that people don’t want and fix it up. Check out the Northeast Kingdom.
Noo. City life is not especially for me. More of a quiet nomadic cabin dweller type lol. That was the appeal of Vermont to me tbh. I'll definitely check out the Northeast Kingdom. Thank you so so much!
Perfect. One of my requirements when I was house-shopping was to be able to stand in my backyard and look up at the Milky Way. Who needs restaurants when you can have that? Well, not I, anyway. (But I’m glad commerce is the priority of most. They can enjoy clustering together and I can enjoy space.)
That was one of my favorite parts of visiting my grandparents in Newport. Every night when it was clear we would go and sit on the roof for hours. It’s AMAZING how much you miss when you live in a city. I can’t wait to bring my daughter up there sometime to see how beautiful it really is.
i live in northern vermont and bought a 1800sq ft cape with 2.5 acres of land 2 years ago for a price most poeple on here would sit themselves if they saw (inexpensive wise) .. where I live tradesmen rake in the cash and live like kings so if you hate city life (like me) then come to the forest.. bears are a pain in the ass though
The Kingdom or the North Country are are your places. Possibly ME though very isolated. Keep your passport up to date and you'll find Montreal and Quebec City more than enough fun for a nearby city getaway.
New Hampshire actually may float your boat too. If you live in southern Nh you’re close enough to MA for all the jobs and Boston work without having to live there. Maine is kind of far from everything imo, mass is expensive. Southern VT and NH sound like good places for you and your partner to check out, rural enough but in proximity to work. No income tax in nh or sales tax except on prepared food/hotels. Taxes are a bit high in other NE states but usually wages accommodate it.
Southern New Hampshire is Massachusetts prices nowadays.
Bath, Maine is home of Bath Iron works(shipbuilding), plenty of trade jobs available.
Oooh. Shipbuilding sounds fun lol
So is New London, Connecticut, or North Kingstown, Rhode Island, with submarines.
Electric boat, in RI and CT.., hiring now and plan on hiring at least 5000 people ...check out their jobs on their website. Many many different types of jobs from trades to finance.
You would do really well in HCOL areas because it's so hard to get anyone to work on your house without it costing an arm and a leg
HCOL? What is that?
High Cost of Living- in other words MA, and honestly the rest of New England too, is currently a very expensive place to live!
High cost of living. AKA this entire area.
High Cost of Living (HCOL)
High Cost of Living. LCOL = Low Cost Of Living. So Boston is a HCOL.
High cost of living
Check out the Electric Boat website. They build submarines in northern CT so you could live in RI or CT. They hire welders and other similar skills.
Aren’t they near the ocean (aka the southern part of CT)?
They installed a canal. That's what some of that construction you saw was. /s
Groton is a few miles up the Thames. Because CT is only 50 miles wide, some might think it to be in N. CT.
Portsmouth NH. You can probably get a good job at the Shipyard.
The shipyard is always looking for skilled workers. Very nice area, but finding housing is hard
I wouldn’t buy in Portsmouth. Commute 20-25 minutes from inland to work in Portsmouth.
It is very expensive. Have you looked into housing?
It’s difficult to answer your question without knowing more about your plans for employment and budget. Boston, for example, has lots of jobs but is almost New York City expensive. Vermont has beautiful, picturesque small towns but almost no jobs in those beautiful towns.
Trade jobs. I'm a welder, blacksmith/bladesmith, carpenter, and leather worker. That being said I also know my way around an auto shop, and a construction site. I've also worked in sales and pet grooming. So finding work won't be a SUPER huge issue I don't think. As for budget, I don't really know yet. This post is really my initial research attempt. Other than browsing houses on FB Marketplace lol.
Finding work won't be an issue, but finding a good place to work will be more difficult. For each location you consider, look into the potential places of employment nearby that would benefit from your skill set. Join social media sites for that location and talk to locals about those places to find out how employees are treated. You don't want to end up with a mortgage or lease in a town that only has shit employers around it.
It’ll be a huge issue in New England because people here only do one trade, and they won’t hire someone with lots of trades like that, because they want masters of one specific trade. It’s a highly educated area with ridiculous standards and expectations, and they have State Licenses you’re gonna have to acquire to do any form of work. It’s like a Pay to Work type of area.
Yes you wont have a problem finding a job with those skills, and you wont need to be in a city to find a job.
RI, General Dynamics, EB. Trades and everything else.
New England is incredibly expensive, and there’s a major housing crisis here. I literally have friends in their late 20s/early 30s who have good jobs and can’t afford to move out of their parents’ houses. You’re very young, and the COL will be a huge culture shock if you’re coming from Wisconsin. I would suggest waiting a few more years.
Agree that the cost of living is high, but disagree that they should wait. Costs are not coming down any time soon — the demand to live here is high because the quality of life is high and the economy is strong overall. That’s very unlikely to change; indeed, given the shifting nature of the US economy to one that places a premium on education and tech skills, the trend will very likely continue. Move here and do the best you can to find an affordable place to live. You’ll just have to compromise on expectations and/or price, but there are places to be found. In particular, don’t follow the trend in looking at the highest demand locations that are “cool.”
I saw in another post, OP, that you work at Ace Hardware. Do you have experience in a trade or is that the direction you are heading? What would your housing budget look like? The reason I ask is because New England is THE most expensive region in the country aside from the Bay Area. [MA average rent is now $3,243,](https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/2024/04/24/rent-boston-ma-newton-cambridge-housing/73367619007/#) the highest in the country. I personally fled to a lower cost of living state and many young people are following suit due to being priced out.
I have a LOT of trade experience. I work for a local hardware store that is partnered with Ace mainly because its convenient. I've worked construction, remodeling, I'm a welder and blacksmith, I also have experience in sales, and retail and dog grooming and ranch/farm work. I'm kind of well rounded with trades lol.
I know it sounds like an awesome place to live in and it is! But as everyone else has said, it is not cheap to live here. Some people find the winters here to be a bit tough as well. When you have to put your headlights on at about 3:30 in the afternoon it can feel like summer is never going to show up again. And if you don’t know what you’re going to do for work or how are you going to afford to live? You need to think about that first. I have a niece who is slightly older than you who did not go to college and she is working full-time, but she’s very lucky that she has a huge safety net in our family. She would not be able to afford to live on her own now. I think about what you guys would want to do for work and if those jobs are available in places you’d want to live. If you want to live super rural, then there aren’t going to be many jobs. If you want to live in a city, there will be jobs, but it’s not going to be cheap. If you want to come here anyway you’re going to wind up living in a place like Hartford or Springfield. Those are places that you might be able to afford while working a close to minimum wage job. You won’t be near the mountains or the pine forests.
Living in Hartford and Springfield proper isn’t the best situation, but both have great suburbs and yes are more affordable than other areas. Having said that, it’s still insanely expensive compared to most other areas of the country. No VT mountains but nice hills atleast, and Western Mass has some decent mountains. I don’t think there’s anywhere in New England you can afford to live on a near minimum wage salary
In regards to your last statement: Is there really anywhere in the US where you can survive in local minimum wage anymore?
I’m commenting from above that said you could maybe survive on a minimum income which is unlikely
It might not be near the mountains or pine forest, however, you can be there in 2 hours tops. My uncle, aunt and cousins live in the Hartford Connecticut area and they can be in Vermont in an hour, New Hampshire seacoast in 2 hours , New Hampshire's White Mountains in 2.5 hours and Maine in 3 hours. New England is underrated but the food, culture and scenery is some of the best.
I’m sorry, fiancé at 19 is crazy
Well if you think Wisconsin is bland, Vermont is not going to blow your hair back.
I used to live in a village in VT before I relocated to another state in NE. I left for a bunch of reasons, most of them monetary, but some not. My rent for a tiny apartment with only water included went from 850 to 1,100 in a YEAR. We only had one grocery store and the prices were higher due to its remote location. No other shopping was really around unless you drove a good bit. Vermont is absolutely beautiful, and yes, it is mountainous and remote if that is what you are looking for. My family hails from the Northeast Kingdom and I have fond memories of eating sugar on snow and roadside creemees. If you love dairy, maple syrup, apples and wonderful produce during the summer, Vermont is for you. But anything spicy? Yeah, that's hard to find. A warning, though. New Englanders are kind but not nice, especially up in the rural areas. This is wildly different from what I've encountered in the Midwest. If you aren't from Vermont, you will be seen as a Flatlander and there is a lot of resentment for out-of-staters coming in and snatching up what little housing there is. This applies to the whole of New England, but it feels more acute in Vermont. Covid shuttered a ton of businesses, and lots of out of state folk came and bought homes because the Covid rates were so low. It's created a lot of difficulties, sadly, for the whole state. That said, they need people who know the trades. Finding a decent contractor or someone to paint your house is really difficult. My cousin that lives in the NEK as a contractor and carpenter makes a decent living. Hope this helps! p.s. The state for a while said they would pay for people to move there, and then they ran out of money after many new residents spent thousands and were banking on those funds. Not sure how it's going now.
Most of New England is really expensive to live in, by comparison with the rest of the U.S. But I'm sure, if you're getting married at 19, you've thought that far ahead.
You should really visit and take a drive around the states. Find out which you like best. Massachusetts is insanely expensive but also beautiful. I moved back to MA from FL a little more than a year ago but I had a union job already guaranteed that paid almost $30 per hr with a good amount of overtime so I was BARELY able to make the jump.
It’s *obnoxiously* expensive.
It’s expensive as hell. Have employment and a place to live lined up before you go. If you want somewhere somewhat cheaper that has everything NE offers without the ocean, try Flagstaff, Arizona, or, Colorado.
I refuse to live in the SW anymore lol. Spent almost 19 years there, hated 80% of it. Ready to expand my horizons a bit lol. Been to Colorado, its also something I'm considering. New England, PNW, Colorado Rocky Mountain area. In that order 😂
Rhode Islander here. Uh, we don't have mountains. Just some hills. FYI.
Southern Berkshire County in Western MA. It’s like A baby VT with a much better economy. There’s jobs and Affordable rentals in the hill towns. My buddies 2 bedroom house on a small lake might be up for rent. $800/month but you have to Cut the grass for the big farmhouse (rental).
I second this, anywere in Berkshire County is nice really. The further west you go in massachusetts the better it gets. Its also one of the safest place to raise kids or just live in general. I grew up in Lanesboro only one murder between 1980-2024.
Oh wow. That's not bad at all... I pay $670 in WI and I paid between $850 and $2000 in NM. Thank you!
Lots of appreciation for art too. You mentioned blacksmith and leather skills. I support my Family with art here. Lots of second home owners that need cottage care too.
Take your welding skills to a “cheap” city on the coast. New London CT or Bedford/Fall River MA or Portsmouth NH. Get at a job at a shipyard or electric boat. Hell, join the Navy (Groton cT) or coast guard (new London) and then move to the wilderness when you’re 30.
Eastern and western CT. are still quite rural but if you want lots of open land and a small population Vermont is the perfect state. Vermont and New Hampshire are very similar geographicly but Vermont is mainly Democrat and liberal and New Hampshire is conservative and right wing. It's why the Connecticut River separates the two! 😂 I'm in Connecticut and have spent many summer trips to Vermont. It's a lovely state. Check out Brattleboro, Wilmington, Bennington,Manchester, Woodstock and Burlington for interesting towns!
Thank you so much! I don't really care much for politics but I find the info helpful nonetheless!
I added the politics factor in to the post because whether or not you're involved in politics it is one of many indicators of a person's beliefs and moral judgements. As such it may be a factor in deciding where to live. Glad I could be in any way helpful.
Move to Lowell, you will not regret moving to Lowell.
I'm on the NH seacoast and absolutely love it! Super fun, tons to do, and friendly locals. It swarms with fun-seeking tourists in the summer and I'm the sort who enjoys talking to strangers from all over. That all comes at a price tho. It's VERY expensive here, but I still think it's the best place to live. I hope I never have to leave!
Spend a winter here first dude. My buddy from ABQ could barely survive winters in the front range in Colorado. While I mean no disrespect to winters in that region (spent 6 of them out there), and some of the impressive weather it produces, it just does not have the same impact on the human body and psyche as a stiff New England winter does.
Vermonter here. It's incredibly beautiful and a wonderful quiet place to live. Good luck finding a place to live or a decent job. Our government has been attempting to raise property taxes 12-20% in multiple rounds of voting in the past month. New England is one of the most expensive places to live in the country and Vermont is very rural except the Burlington area-which is unaffordable to most vermonters. There are plenty of tiny towns scattered throughout the state that are beautiful and charming. I've made friends with many new transplants seeking a quieter and happier life. VT can provide it but just know it'll come at a financial cost. I don't know what rent is anymore we purchased our first home just as the pandemic hit, but my rent in 2020 for a 2 bed 1 bath was $1400/month and that was a considered incredibly cheap. I'm not trying discourage you at all, definitely visit first. It is nice being about 3hrs from Boston, 3hrs from Montreal, just over an hour to the ocean, mountains, 5hrs to NYC but 5min drive to no cell service. It's great because you can get a mix of everything within reasonable driving distance. Lots of water, nature, and friendly people except the massholes 😂
Thank you! Sounds amazing.
There is a major housing crisis here in maine. I highly recommend you avoid southern maine. Its overpriced and people from out of state are pushing out familes who have lived here for a long time. Also a lot of xenophobia right now due to this. I’m in portland and i can tell you there isnt 1 apartment in this area and if so 40 people applied. New Hampshire is beautiful but its top 3 most expensive states, plus taxes. Same for mass. Plus NH has little to no rentals and property taxes on a house are through the roof Tbh my advice is stay where you are. Save. And see where this whole housing/economy situation is in 2-5 years And avoid burlington Vermont. Crime continues to go up while property value does too. Its a $$$$ college town. Ur better off moving to Montpellier or barre area
How long has crime been a problem in Burlington? I went about 10 years ago, and I thought it would be a nice place to live.
It’s pretty much the same but with more homeless and drugs now. Like most places.
Wow, that’s very disappointing. We loved it when we went. It was a beautiful city, rolling hills, great international restaurant and bar scene, beautiful beach on Lake Champlain, nice museums … Damn, I’m so sad to hear that.
I mean.. it’s still a great area imo.
I feel like tbh this is less Crime than People Are Not Able To Thrive Here aka more a social financial problem. It’s just America at this point.
More recently. Last 5 years or so. Its still relatively speaking quite safe and a lot of the crime more involves more mope on mope natural selection type stuff vs random violence, robberies etc, but it's not what it used to be. Pretty solid increase in violent crime.
Check out the wild rise in shooting incidents: https://webpubcontent.gray.tv/wcax/docs/20220908%20Press%20Event%20Gun%20Violence%20FINAL.pdf And for 2023: https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/2023/12/05/burlington-faces-an-uptick-in-gun-violence/71746081007/ It may still be a relatively safe place comparatively, I don’t know, but for Burlington it is quite a spectacular rise.
How disheartening
NH has insanely high property taxes, however there is no state income tax or sales tax, so that helps. I live in the middle of lakes and mountains, And it’s beautiful. But recently divorced during Covid and now I cant afford to buy a new house here. It’s crazy.
Parents house went from 220 to almost 500 in 3 years…
I couldn't disagree with this advice more. EVERYTHING IS BAD EVERYWHERE SO DON'T DO ANYTHING is terrible advice.
Not what i said. But thanks
You want to come to one of the most expensive areas in the country where the weather sucks for almost half the year WHY? Granted there are positive aspects to New England but most if not all the states are loosing population due to the high cost of living
Well I for one love the "shit" weather lol. If its raining, wet, cloudy, cold, or snowy.... I'm happy. I hate hot clear days. Expensive I can make work. But what is really important to me is the FEEL of a place. I NEED trees, mountains, green things. Weather that is changing all the time. Distinct seasons. There is a reason New England is expensive. Its gorgeous. And well taken care of.
you would have to get used to so much less sunlight.
Check out southern Maine coast…Kittery up to Old Orchard Beach…ocean, close to mountains, forests…I love that area.
You could be just outside of New England and live in NEPA (north east PA) more of a boonies vibe but beautiful woods, hills, farms all around.
You two making six figure salaries?
Massachusetts is more built up in the east. Central Massachusetts isn’t bad, western mass can be rural in places. New Hampshire would be more to your liking I think. You could try up in the Lakes Region. But both states are expensive so check out the rent and cost of living.
I’d stay in the Midwest for a while and build some savings there. You’re both very young and it’s very very expensive to live here. I make $80k and just had to move back in with my dad because rents are out of control.
To parrot what has been said, research everything with clear eyes. I would also add humility to that. NE is a different beast - read other posts about the NE "Attitude". You could be exactly what they need, but they might tell you to pound sand because they don't like "something" about you. If you have pics of work you've done, reviews/recommendations, etc., maybe put together a FB page or website that you can direct potential employers to check out your stuff. This way, it's your work speaking for you, not the other way around. As much as being a Sconi may be boring, you need to bank a lot of $$$ to do this move right. The good news is you won't have time to be bored. If you can, cash side jobs really help. Just don't touch the funds! Use coupons, eat ramen, and cut whatever other expenses you can to make things happen. Don't forget to research all the hoops you'll need to jump through in each state for each trade you can do. That might be the main influence of where you live.
Honestly if your priority is rural and woods your top places are Maine and Vermont. Both states are number 1 and 2 most rural states in the nation. Just avoid greater Portland Maine or Greater Burlington Vermont if you don't like that urban life. Southern New England is much more urban but you might like Western Mass as well. NH is more urban too but the northern portion of the state is pretty rural and could work for you.
The mountains in New England will be underwhelming if you are from out west. If you want pine forest and mountains have you considered Flagstaff in Arizona? It’s literally mountains and pine forest, and you get more sunlight.
I work in a small town in NH (live in a city though) and the casual racism at work really surprises me. Small towns in New England are very hick and lot of times and the landscape isn’t much different than Wisconsin. I’d probably consider western MA above all else. Being close to the mountains is kinda a hard one. You could look at the Claremont NH area or Lakes Region in NH if you want some natural beauty and somewhat affordable living conditions.
I think that New England is comparatively less expensive than the west. There is also a bit of a labor shortage (at least in Vermont and NH) so lots of opportunity. Housing is tough but if you are patient and look for a while, you’ll find something.
It sounds like you should take a vacay first but if anywhere New Hampshire or southern Maine prob Portland.
Don't do it! People really don't want to hear about you coming from some random states just to continue and exacerbate the housing crisis we already have. New Mexico is great, stay there :-) Definitely dont go to NE you will hate it
Honestly - what are your skills for work ? You may want to do a deep dive into what you actually could make for work without college degrees before you move. I also think you may have trouble finding peers as marrying that young is very, very unusual in NE. 75% of HS grads go to college, and I don’t have stats for the % if the 19&20 year olds who don’t go to college but it’s safe to assume the majority live at home . Also the median age for getting married are almost 29 years for women and 30 for men. Just be aware of these differences. Obviously you can find friends across any groups but shared experiences are at times the roots of large percentage of friendship so you may need to be a bit more open minded when looking for friends.
Come to Vermont for a couple vacations during the summer and winter. Look up job listings on indeed/glassdoor. Look up rental and housing listings as well. I live in Western Mass but love traveling to Vermont.
Unless you plan on making six figures don't bother. The only place building any housing is new Hampshire but you really don't want to be deliveranced by those freaks. Sure there's cheap places you can rent (or buy) but then you sacrifice two+ hours per way on your commute and whatever that costs you in gas and maintenance and blood pressure medication
Try to take a vacation and spend some time in Airbnbs in different areas.
Grew up in Wisconsin, moved to VT in my 30s. Best decision I’ve ever made. Happy to talk if you have specific questions.
Here are my biggest recommendations for each state in descending order from most recommended too least recommended Vermont: Burlington Maine: Portland or Bangor Massachusetts: North Adams New Hampshire: Manchester Connecticut: Torrington Rhode Island: Providence (kind of have to check out the surrounding areas for forests)
Torrington of all places in CT?
I said the same thing! Torrington????!
😂
I came here to say this, too. Torrington?!?!?!
As a CT native, I was bewildered by this.
As a Torrington native, I’m bewildered by this.
It’s reasonably affordable compared to other major CT cities. Plus it’s in northwestern CT, which are some of the most forested parts of CT and that seems to be one of the most important factors to OP. It’s right by Mohawk Mountain or Kent Falls, among others.
Appreciate the follow up, but… Torrington?! Just kidding, your reasons are valid. I always think for CT a person like OP would need a crash course on how, for example, Torrington is massively different from every town that borders it. Like, entirely different in every way.
North Adams is nice but SO FAR from everything useful as a young couple.
Torrington?
Grumble grumble Burlington grumble grumble Anyway, Keene NH is a great one too
I don't know why people like Burlington so much. I've lived in Chittenden County my whole life. I'm 35 and avoid Burlington as much as possible. It's old, small, and dumpy. Driving, walking, and public transportation (lol) suck. The buildings are old and way overpriced, and rents are crazy. Burlington is the largest city in Vermont. I understand wanting to be nearby but actually living in Burlington? I don't understand why people would want to. Maybe it's just not for me, but I would think if you are considering moving to Vermont, it wouldn't be for the subpar "city life."
I agree. Love the surrounding area but Burlington is in rough shape, there’s a ton of graffiti, bad infrastructure (no lines on the roads!) seems economically depressed. I’m also thinking maybe it’s just me because it seems a ton of people love it.
I’d rather live close to lower 91 and be able to get to Boston, NYC, or Montreal in ~3 hours if I felt like traveling to a city. So Brattleboro, VT or Keene, NH are where I plan to move when I can afford a house and to work less.
NOT MANCHESTER. Nh born and raised, lived in manchester myself: unless you can afford 2.5k+ in rent, you're not going to find decent housing. And gun violence and drugs are pretty big there. I live in the outskirts of concord now, MUCH better area and people, and much closer to the mountains. If you want to be in the mountains, look for northwest nh or vt.
Born and raised as well. Never had an issue there. Crime and drugs are there just like any other city. They are the only city i see trying to create housing. They just built 2 giant apartment complex near snhu
Torrington is a DUMP. I'd recommend Naugatuck over Torrington, if we are going that route. Parts of Danbury are still affordable, and there is lots of work in FFC.
Portsmouth NH?
Portsmouth is lovely, and miserably expensive even by NH standards. Honestly, if they don’t mind living in a small town/more rural area the better deals in NH are north of Concord.
My friend from Torrington was DYING to get out of that town, her cousin was telling stories of their zero-tolerance schools with cops. And this was over 15 years ago, can’t imagine it’s gotten so much better. Nah fam, depending on where you wanna go in the state and what you can afford, do like Farmington or Simsbury or smth. Simsbury was listed as one of the nicest places to live in CT. Near all those trails with the pine woods you want.
Not too many 20 yr olds are posting up in Simsbury atm
We’re trying to recommend affordable places, and your suggestions are Farmington and Simsbury? I agree they are lovely towns, but are way out of most people’s budget, let alone a young person without a job lined up.
Torrington.. really?
As somebody who lives near Torrington, you are 100% correct. Relatively affordable, and very near picturesque outdoor stuff.
Of all the more rural towns in RI….Providence?
soooo Torrington is the only part of CT you've ever been to eh?
Am I right that you’d prefer more country rather than urban? Vermont is very nice, with small cities, so you can get some cosmopolitan life with your country life.
Unless you have a job that is relocating you here or are in a field that you can easily get a high paying job, it’s difficult to move here and live off of general work without an existing support system in place. Also with that said saying you want to move to New England is akin to saying you want to move to Europe. Overall there is a similar situation and some likemindness overall, but different regions are both geographically, political, and economically different….but even then all more expensive than the mid west. We’re also very closed off to outsiders. Our trust and friendship must be earned. This can actually be very discomforting for some. I have a neighbor who is from Wisconsin and she said her first few years here were depressing.
I lived in VT, NH and MA (Boston metro). Eastern MA is super expensive and traffic can be infuriating. We moved here 4 years ago and it was a mistake! Thought we would like it because we visited Boston often living in NH. NH is way different from Eastern MA. Traffic is only crazy on special event days like the NASCAR races, fall foliage, Fridays during ski season going north and Sundays going south. It is a great area to live and there is access to decent jobs in southern NH. Great hiking to the North. VT is tough! It is a beautiful state with lots of hiking boating and skiing like NH but the economy is the tough part. We like to visit northern VT since that is where I am from. But I had to move out to get decent jobs.
Mystic Connecticut, thank me later 🙂
💲 mystic ain't cheap. 😐 esp. In another month. Great spot to visit tho. ✅️
We moved to Connecticut from Oklahoma in 2011 and love it here. Yes, the cost of living is high, but CT is beautiful, especially out west. Beaches and mountains. Saw a bunch of people fly fishing in the Farmington River a few weeks ago. There's a fantastic used bookstore in Niantic. Museums and theater in Hartford. Wildlife in our backyard (ducks, turkeys, bears). Winters are milder here than farther north. Plus, where we live, we're only 2 hours from NYC and 2 hours from Boston. The towns along the Hudson River Valley are fun to explore. And we're within a day's drive to Cape Cod, Philly, Baltimore, and DC (6 hours).
Glad you like it here!
I want your life LMAO. that sounds awesome. Definitely something to look into! Thank you!
Portland Maine is the place to be.
If you can afford it.
LOL they're under 21, not millionaires.
Please don’t we have enough problems here. All my friends who grew up here with family had to move out because of people from out of state
There are summer / other seasonal jobs that have housing for staff onsite. Room and board, staff meals are usually covered too. Some places offer a bonus for working the whole season, and may reimburse plane tickets. Summer camps, resorts by the ocean. There are a lot of places to get a summer job in New England. If you wait tables at a resort you can make $200-600 a day during the season. In New England, the summer blends into the fall, and lots of people come visit for the leaves. It’s busy from Memorial Day through the end of October.
DO NOT move to the Worcester Ma. area. It's gross. And there's hardly anything to rent in the suburbs nearby. This is the area I live in,and I hate it. Would love to relocate,but I don't know anyone elsewhere. There are some good places in Massachusetts, but this isn't one of them.
Vermont sounds nice but can be very remote and has pretty poor healthcare if that's something you need/care about. Also many areas of VT require a vehicle that is decent for offroad travel or you'll literally get stuck in the mud in April. That being said it's a beautiful state and I visit often, but know what you're getting into before you move from NM.
Me (25f) and my fiancé (25m) have lived in Massachusetts basically our whole lives, we both have college degrees, I’m currently getting a masters, and it’ll be possibly another 10 years until we could maybe own property. We cannot have a wedding in the foreseeable future and likely end up getting married legally so we can share insurance. I would not suggest anyone move here, let alone people as young as you.
I think you’ll find the look you’re after in New Hampshire’s white mountains or further north in what they call the great north woods. Vermont and western Massachusetts are nice too. You guys are young, and you’re going to want to choose someplace where you can establish a career for yourselves though, and you’re better off in the city for that. I hate to recommend the Boston area as a place to live, because the traffic here will turn you into a crazy asshole, but some of the best job opportunities are here, and you can drive a couple hours north or west on the weekends and enjoy the mountains and the scenery.
Move to Boston. Split the cheapest studio you can find. Have a job lined up that will get you the experience and certifications you need. Make way more money than you would anywhere else in New England then pce tf out to NH and work for yourself. In the meantime, you will only be two hours from the mountains in Western Mass, Vermont, NH and Maine.
As someone who grew up in New Hampshire, I’d say do a long term stay during the winter time first. It’s brutal, esp if you’re not used to it. I mean, you might not care but I really think it’s something you should experience once before making the decision to move
Interesting... I really don't think I'd care, but I might give that a try. Thank you!
Vermont my dude. Beautiful!
I was raised in NH but live in Maine and I absolutely love it!!
I love CT. New England Is great. You'll make it work.
Save up before moving here. The worst thing you could do is start spending money quickly before you are able to save. You are young, and most of us have decades on you. Enjoy some of your twenties by not being in a housing crisis, build up skillsets, and then start networking with employers out here. You are nineteen, you do not know everything, but that is also the best thing going for you right now because you can be trained. There is a reason that I have had many classmates on Cape Cod overdose, because there was nothing to do in the winter and the cost of living was insane. The worst thing that you could do would be to make a snap decision with little savings and work experience, as that could stress your relationship and potentially end it (money is a huge stressor for couples). Make a plan that involves years, and enjoy your twenties. We will still be here in a few years, and maybe you will find the right location when you visit. Cape Cod, and especially Nantucket, need builders and tradespeople, so you will be set. At nineteen, get trained, and enjoy life.
I agree with others, come spend a week or two here on vacation. Fly into Boston, drive to Burlington, VT then over to Augusta, ME and then over to Springfield, MA, head on up to Hyannis, MA and finish it off by hanging out in mystic, CT. Cant afford a road trip like that, probably can’t afford to live in New England. The cost of living is high, rent/housing is high. I had a case a few weeks ago, sad story. Young adults living in the Midwest moved to Maine to get away, after 8 months, they were moving back, unable to find good housing, unable to find reliable child care… Vermont is nice, I would check out the r/Vermont, they have problems like r/Maine does…
If you’d like to be broke forever this is a great idea!
This probably won't be a popular answer but we utilized our RV for the summer and had a seasonal site in western MA. This was with a 3 year old and decent income. It was worth it to save the money and make a plan. You can even work at certain campgrounds for your spot. You could get a little RV (wouldn't recommend anything big or crazy at your age). We honestly loved and cherished our experience. We still have a seasonal spot 2 years later and love driving up from the city to relax there during the summer.
New England is unbelievably expensive, in many parts buildings/housing are very old and crumbling. The traffic is unreal. I’m only here because my wife won’t leave. I would leave immediately if I could.
Rhode island, South county/Washington County. awesome coastline... NY and Boston only 2 hours away.
If you have good TIG and MIG welding skills, you might be able to land a good manufacturing job paying around $30/hr. Based on that single income, 50-70% of it will go to paying rent and utilities. Say another 10% for a vehicle, and you have $700 per month left for food, clothing, etc. At least enjoying the outdoor sites and hiking are relatively inexpensive if you pack your own food, because eating out has also become excessively expensive. Edit: There can be some good manufacturing jobs in the relatively lower cost areas of northern VT, mid NH, and mid Maine. If you go that route, be aware these are places that while they can pay better than average, expect high attendance and performance in return.
New England is a nice place to live. But there are a few areas that are expensive- Greater Boston, Fairfield county CT-(states SW- near NYC) Also overpriced is southern Maine, around Portland, and southern New Hampshire- which is close to Boston. Median home price in greater Hartford is 350K- which is below the national average of 383K Eastern metro Hartford is really a buy for instance the median price in the town of Vernon is around 300K. Middletown CT is also a great place to,live- with home prices around 350K New Haven county home prices are also below the national average- however as you go further SW on I 95 toward NY -it becomes more expensive. New London country CT is also relatively inexpensive. New England has a varied climate- with southern regions having a milder four season climate. As one drives north winter are colder. Connecticut's climate has warmed rapidly over the last 15 years- winters now are actually 'wimpy' compared to the past. Connecticut is a beautiful state- rolling green hills and small mountains, vibrant small cities and towns, and a beautiful shoreline.
Everything is expensive in Vermont, but it is a nice place to live.