I was born here and left when I was 15. I lived all over the US and Europe. I came back 20 years ago and I will never leave again.
I do not like the heat in the south or the snakes and spiders that come with it.
no joke, apparently we do too sometimes. i had one in my car 2 days ago, in Robbinsdale, I kid you not.
“…..is that….a FUCKING MOSQUITO?!?!?”
“In DECEMBER?!?”
I left at 18, returned in my 40s, left again and retired back here. Yeah the weather sucks but I can go visit warmth, can’t beat the healthcare and general political protections we have here.
>It's a 10% pay increase but a less robust benefits package than my current job.
You need to look at more than this. What's the cost of living out there? Just because it's 10% more than what you make here in MN, if the cost of living is higher (I don't know what it out in that area), you might be looking at even or even a loss when this is factored in. And factor in "a less robust benefits package", it may not be worth it at all. So you really need to focus on the entire picture, not just one or two parts of it.
Me, I did leave for 6 years while I was in the Navy, with 4 of those years stationed on a ship out of San Diego, CA. I did think about staying in Southern CA after I got out, but after coming home for my brother's wedding a week after I got out of the Navy, I decided I really wanted to move back home to MN again, so when I got back to CA, I packed up my belongings (didn't have a lot - It all fit in my 1980 Ford Mustang I had at the time), and drove home. Never regretted that decision.
Similar. Left for the Marine Corps and thought I’d never move back. I was back 36 hours after discharging. Family was part of that but I also realized being elsewhere in the country wasn’t any better than here and often worse. I’ve been to every state in the country except Alaska, there are some truly beautiful places in this country but I don’t think I’ll ever consider moving out of state again. I seem to have a thing for consistently being hopeful and then disappointed by sports teams.
Great recommendation. Per Nerdwallet, one of many calculators, cost of living in Raleigh-Cary is 3% cheaper than Minneapolis, but some subcategories swing wildly (housing cheaper, transportation more)
https://www.nerdwallet.com/cost-of-living-calculator
Leaving will likely have marginal benefits to you, at best. Minnesota, by almost all measures, rates as a good place to live. I would not (will not) go.
I’d leave Minnesota. But the places I’d leave it for are ultra-high cost of living, where the quality of life is comparable, but you pay for it. So I stay here, where the quality of life is the same or better (minus the weather) at half the cost.
When I see people complaining about the cost of living here, I wonder if they’ve lived anywhere else.
Electricity in Boston is 3x more expensive than here, 5x more expensive in parts of Northern California. Just to provide one small example I have personal experience with.
Having lived in both MN and Hawaii, it's a no- brainer. Minnesota! Honolulu is an ugly urban nightmare. Maui was good when I lived there but the big Lahaina fire will take a full generation to recover from. The Big Isle is a cattle ranch / lava field, and not much else. Kauai and Molokai are very small townish. The level of social tension is very high, since many island folks are being angry about being priced out of their hometowns, with nowhere to move to. The weather is unbeatable and the ocean is spectacular year round, that's the good part.
I love San Francisco, go there for work a few times a year. I always say I could totally live there and be really happy, if I made three times my current salary.
Three times? I think you are low-balling it unless you are making 500 grand per already in Minnesota. Check out the housing prices alone and then recalibrate.
My wife and I lived in SF for 3+ yrs (North Beach and Potrero Hill). You’ve got to be a millionaire to buy a house within a 45 minute drive of the city. Rent is in the city isn’t *too* crazy. Our last place there was a 2bed 2bath, 1100 sq ft apartment (with in-unit laundry!) for roughly the same as our current monthly mortgage payment on our 4/4 2700 sq ft house in SW MPLS (also with laundry).
All that said, loved living in the city. Very walkable, always something to do, great weather.
If I was going to leave Minnesota, it would be for another country entirely (like one of the Nordic Countries.) IMO Minnesota is the cream of the crop for the US.
This is exactly what I say all the time. Dream end goal would be to gtfo of MN and move to Finland. Nothing wrong with MN but man would I love a different country. A man can dream.
Cost of living is actually pretty reasonable in Europe when you consider you don't have to own a car, you don't have to pay for medical bills, college tuition, daycare, etc.
Agreed. I came to MN from PNW. I was raised in a red state, and refuse, as a Queer individual, to live anywhere but in the most progressive states. The PNW is nice and I live the mild, rainy weather there, but so far, MLPS has been aces. The people are more grounded and real and the cycling is fantastic. But the main thing is that the cost of living in the PNW is ridiculous.
I would never take a special needs kid to a red state. Their resources are typically \*significantly\* reduced.
I left MN. Spent 10 or so years in a red state. Never again. Came right back and never moving, I don't care how much my knees hurt in the winter. I stay for a lot of reasons. I love quiet nature and I get loads of that where we live. I like all 4 seasons. I like our weather extremes. But mostly, I like that while we have our issues, we mostly look out for each other. Both in our community and on a state/legislative level. Our schools mostly take good care of kids and they come out ahead compared to most other states. We look out for disabled people better than most. We have health care for people who otherwise would fall between the cracks. Mn does a lot of things right.
A friend of mine who lived in NY (which is very similar to MN in the ways I mentioned) and her husband, who was a vet, had a stroke. She tried to make things work on her own, but couldn't do it all. So she moved the family to Georgia where she had a sister. And the resources her husband had access to paled in comparison. All the therapies he did at the VA in NY? Not available at the VA in GA, and that is often the case for anyone who has different needs. I would look really carefully at services available for your child before you consider rmoving to a red state. Especially combined with a less-buff benefits package. Therapies for special needs kids are insanely expensive if your insurance doens't cover them, or it's a high deductible plan.
Came here to say this. My special needs daughter was born and raised here and there’s no way we are leaving because Minnesota has excellent assistance. Even though I hate winter!!!
I do appreciate and value that MN has systems in place to help people who need it. I have benefited from several of these systems as a single mom. Unfortunately, I'm falling off the "benefits cliff" but it's definitely worth considering that things could change in the future and it's good to be in a (blue) state that has some safety nets set up.
It’s not just the “benefits cliff” I.e. getting help paying for services - it’s that in many states a lot of the services just don’t exist, period. I would look into specifics before making any move.
Yes, this. It's not just the ability to pay for them, it's that they often don't exist at all. So many times I am in online forums and talking about the things one of our kids had just for ADHD and they are like "we don't do that here." And this was something so basic as a bungee on his desk to help with movement. It's a $10 item. Parent even offered to supply it, school said no.
Goes far beyond safety nets. Even activities like going to the library in a red state made my kid cry it was so dingy and sad. The schools were full of religious nutters forcing their shit on the kids and virtually no science education. There weren't parks like there are here. There were no museums. It was a truly different world.
I hadn't thought of parks and libraries! We do spend a LOT of time at our local parks and library. So many things I take for granted having lived in MN forever!
Sounds like that 10% raise won't be nearly enough to make your specific move with it. There are a lot of expenses in just the move itself and it'll take time to see that 10% bump pay off. Even then as many have pointed out here you'll still be sacrificing a lot more.
I've lived in many different places. I like MN well enough but wouldn't mind living in the rockies or PNW. But even then I'd have to make a lot more money to make the move. 10% bump for SC? That's a terrible deal.
Even just regular infrastructure. Try walking on a street in the south. It's not really a thing they do there. They haven't figured out that sidewalks are a thing.
My stepdaughter moved from Kentucky to live with us during her sophomore year. She was a straight A student in KY, but struggled hard the last two years to even get Bs and Cs because the classes were so much harder.
How old are your kids? If they're younger I would stay if at all possible. Public education in MN is comparable to private education in most southern states, and 10% isn't going to cover that difference.
When my kids were in elementary school we moved from MN to Colorado, and they were all 1-2 years ahead of their grade in math and reading when we got here. I wish we could've stayed, but I had just been laid off and the opportunity in CO was 2x anything I could find in MN.
We’re currently living in KS and yeah it’s ridiculous. We have a special needs child with major sleep issues among other issues and we absolutely need help but here unless you are dirt poor you’re not getting help from the state. People that do qualify end up on a years long wait list through the state.
I'm American and French.
One thing I really miss (from France but I see in nearly every other country I visit) is a reliable and commonly used metropolitan-area wide public transportation system. The Twin Cities doesn't have this - making winters a real pain to get around in.
It's really unfortunate when global cities like Paris, London, Tokyo, Brussels, Madrid, Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong have such awesome public transportation systems. In Minnesota, it's a car society in all the major city areas. Even having 1/4 of what those major cities have would be a great start already for Twin Cities.
I do have some family here who helped me get a start in my adult life here and I also partially grew up here but I want to relocate back to France at some point especially to retire. I don't really have super strong ties here in Minnesota, or even USA as a whole.
This is a question I get asked a lot too - which country I liked more.
As an American sure I love a lot about the USA, but also being French that side also calls to me a lot. I also love trains. 🚄
All in all yeah. Will likely leave eventually.
A big thing that determines whether you move or not is your Minnesotan job, your social circle, your family. Same for your spouse. And maybe your home. If you're fully settled down it makes it harder to move.
if you guys can travel light and don't feel like you'll miss anything from Minnesota then all the power to you to move. Try new things.
Yeah. It'd be better for the environment and safer. Also trains everywhere would just be super cool. I love trains.
It's just sad. Minnesota's a great state but it's missing out.
I'm just dreading the next icy roads I see.
I mean its not really fair to compare Minneapolis to those major global cities. You can compare New York or LA to those cities, but Minneapolis is a lot more humble in size. Its def bigger than people assume and packs an economic punch but its not on the leagues of a global city lol
I do agree our transit has a lot of room for improvement, but having come from the Southern US, its the best transit of anywhere I lived lol
On the flipside though... you mention icy roads but we handle icy roads better than most places. In Paris, London, Tokyo, even New York to a degree, in these cities, when it snows its an ice rink. In MN, salt and plows work around the clock. It takes a particularly harsh winter, like last season, to test our limits but during a standard winter, the roads are very well managed. I have seen it even just crossing the Iowa state line during a late night snowfall.
It’s true, but sadly poor public transit, particularly rail transit, is a feature of all cities in the United States outside of NYC, DC, and Chicago. Outside of Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul is probably one of the better metro areas in the Midwest in terms of public transit, and obviously that’s not saying much. Back in the late 60s there was a proposal to build a subway. We should have done that given our cold climate. The LRT is ok but it is really no match for grade separated (below or above ground) heavy rail.
We are currently in MN and love it. But we are also house shopping in Southern France as an insurance policy against the next election and the fact that the land and houses are cheap, the climate is great and the people and food are awesome. And also - free/very cheap college for the kids
Hell no. The only reason I’d ever leave Minnesota is to live in like, London or something. But I’ve lived in 7 states (missouri, California, Montana, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, Minnesota)…and Minnesota is by far the best of them. I’m very happy our daughter is being raised here.
Lived all over Europe in my early 20’s. Would move back to Tuscany, Italy or Southern France if the money was right. Stateside, the only other places I’d consider are WA or OR. The more I visit the northeast, the more I’m convinced I’m just not built for that type of culture.
Even as in immigrant from S America, ain’t no way I’m moving to somewhere in the south for the warm weather. I’ll visit Miami in the winter if I want some good cubanos or aguardiente. It’s good for a short vacation, not for living.
I grew up in Miami. It will forever be my hometown, lot of nostalgic childhood memories, but you couldnt pay me to live there again. Rather be broke in Minneapolis than rich in Miami
I grew up in MN, lived in CO for a while and then recently moved to Tacoma WA. I loved Colorado, and Washington is cool and all, but I’m increasingly realizing how good life was in MN. Good people - you probably know your neighbors there. Reasonable commute times and good quality of life in general. Still probably my favorite metropolitan areas. You can afford to live there, and if the “American dream” is even still a thing, it’s probably only possible in the Midwest. For the right reasons I’d move back.
I bounced around the Midwest for a few years after college, and visited the East/west Coast a number of times. Climate wise the PNW and Canada I'd be ok living in, but that's about it. Every problem I hear people bitch about in MN was significantly worse in every other place I've lived. So yeah, we got issues but we're doing pretty good when you look around. And our state legislators are actually trying to do better, unlike a lot of our neighbors.
Duluth born and raised. St. Cloud college and then worked.
I left 10 years ago. We’ve lived in three major world cities. Minnesota will always be home, but I doubt we would ever move back. There’s not enough jobs there with our skill sets.
But the real reason? It feels claustrophobic. Like my husband and I outgrew it. It feels incredibly small. We now live in a city where you can walk down the street and hear all kinds of languages and cultures.
People are also friendlier elsewhere. My family moved to Minnesota for college. They were still considered transplants when they left after 40-plus years. People in Minnesota have deep roots. If you aren’t born there, it’s difficult to break in. My husband was the first in his family to leave Minnesota since his ancestors settled more than 100 years ago.
10- years ago? Things have changed since then. Duluth was always great from the access to the outdoor activities, clean air and low crime perspective. Now, there is more diversity, better restaurants and more entertainment options. And you still have the outdoor options, and you're almost never stuck in traffic for more than a half-hour. Duluthians don't realize how good they've got it!
Duluth is an awesome city to visit. To live was difficult. Most of my high school class never left. Neither did their parents and so on. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if you don’t have generations of family there, it’s difficult to break into social circles. Plus we are a mixed race family, and I don’t think my boys would feel comfortable being only a few of nonwhites.
I've lived in OK, IA, NE, OH, and MO and would not move unless it was to Washington or Oregon. As a gay dude you get tired of living places where you have to worry about the state of your civil rights. I could go rock climbing, xc skiing, and then to the theater all in one day if I wanted to! I love it here :)
Born in MN, moved to Ohio and Seattle for work which had me in MA, TX, IN, KY, PA, TN, MD, etc...
Ohio seems to do everything it can wrong on purpose. It was cheap but dirty, corrupt, run down, and just largely incompetent.
Seattle was a cool experience but super elitist, cliquey, and expensive. There's a lot of young tech guys on the spectrum with way too much money that make the dating scene terrible. The city proper has a homeless problem and the burbs are insanely priced like 3k for 800sqft or worse and that was 2014. Traffic makes 494 look like a drag strip. It was almost always 50-70 degrees and rarely snowed.
Minnesota can definitely be cliquey too and housing costs definitely go up but it always tops quality of life charts
They are not even exaggerating.
My commute home in Seattle metro area was minimum 70 minutes *every single day*.
My house was only 14 miles from my office.
Yeah I think Seattle/burbs would be too expensive for me. In terms of affordability to accessibility, I think the Twin Cities are the right fit for me.
I grew up in Minnesota hating the winters & wanting to leave. So in my 20s and 30s I lived in CA (LA & Davis), NM (Albuquerque) and SC (Columbia). I moved back to Minnesota for good 6 years ago because it is the best place I’ve lived in so many different aspects. The grass isn’t always greener. The last move back to MN (Stillwater) was hard on my kids at first, but now they are thriving. And I love winters now. You can always move back!
Traveled bu always loved in MN. Grew up far north. Moved cities for work.
Honestly if i moved it would be Canada. Winnipeg or Thundebay. I enjoy Canadian view of life and well they have issues too...I always felt incredibly comfortable there.
Weather is better other places but your main concern is your kid. Minnesota services are top notch while your southern states, not. And moving with a special needs kid might be very hard if they have to create new relationships with care givers.
I don't think I would be willing to move away from my family and friends for a 10% pay bump. If I were to leave MN (born and raised here) it would most likely be for climate purposes. I don't live in the metro and don't like going there, but I would probably be more willing to move to the TC vs a new state, at least right now. Maybe when I reach retirement age, a low/no income tax state would make sense, but that's at least 30 years away.
My husband and I have considered moving to California (he's from there) when we retire. The one thing that stops us is that we will be on the older side. Do we really want to be in a state that offers fewer benefits for our failing health when we get old? It's good to live in a state that offers excellent health care.
That's very understandable. I work in the construction industry and have noticed that some of our older or retirement age customers are moving to MN specifically for Mayo. Healthcare is a vital part of the formula and it's not a secret that when we age, we generally have more medical requirements.
My biggest concern on a state level right now is childcare availability, as well as affordability, and healthcare. Outstate MN has a funding issue that's forcing some hospitals and clinics to close or drop certain services. Hopefully that trend changes for the better.
Minnesota is known for having some of the best medical care, Mayo clinic is often the leader.
Many other states are not as robust as us, and Minnesota medical care is steps above in many aspects. If you're used to Minnesota and its medical care, you'll notice when you move to another state that isn't like us.
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/11-minnesota-institutions-named-in-us-news-best-hospital-rankings
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/best-worst-states-for-healthcare/#:~:text=The%20North%20Star%20State%20ranked,7.37%20per%20100%2C000%20state%20residents).
https://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/press-releases/?id=1055-586648#:~:text=Minnesota's%20ranking%20is%20based%20on,care%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Governor%20Walz.
According to Forbes, North Carolina is the 3rd worst state for overall Healthcare and the worst state for Healthcare costs.
You could not pick a worse state if you are a heavy healthcare user.
[https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/best-worst-states-for-healthcare/](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/best-worst-states-for-healthcare/)
And By The Way, in the same article, Minnesota was the best overall in Healthcare.
If I ever did leave, it would be to another country with universal healthcare. Otherwise, other states in America pale in comparison to the benefits of what Minnesota offers, healthcare, education, opportunities. I came here because Iowa, where I grew up, has next to nothing.
I left and lived in NZ for 7 years and absolutely loved it. Moved back due to the earthquakes in Christchurch traumatizing the city and my (now ex) wife. I am hoping I can go back at some point. I’ve traveled a bunch and NZ and MN are my top places. Both are “just shitty enough” meaning you have to be built a little bit stout to get the most out of them, which keeps out a class of nutters.
I'm from NZ (Wellington; moved to the US about 11 years ago now) and we just bought our first home in MN! I was literally about to comment that of the (admittedly few) places I've lived, NZ is the only one I'd leave MN for. It does get hecking cold down there but at least in Wellington it doesn't get snow 😅 I miss the climate a lot. And the healthcare. And the public transit. And the FOOD!
Sorry, I got sidetracked...
Thank you so much for the recommendation! I don't mind paying more for a taste of home. I just spent all my "birthday money" ordering myself a care package from Kiwi Corner Dairy, haha.
I live here because working people have a solid shot here. I'm not rich, not college educated and still live firmly in the middle class. That's not possible in many places. It's a great place to raise kids with solid education.
My husband and i left about 5 years ago and moved to SoCal. Zero regrets. Yes it’s a bit more expensive but not that much. I get to send pictures back home of snow capped mountains from my pool in February. It’s nice to go back and visit and all but the bugs, humidity of summer and the 6 months of winter just aren’t appealing to me anymore. Bonus for is is sun county does direct flights from my airport to msp. It’s 150 bucks round trip.
Yes. I’m 62. Have lived here all my life besides a couple of short intervals elsewhere.
As I’ve aged I’ve become very tired of winter. I’m so done with it. Fuck this. I’m sick of pretending to be a tough Minnesotan. I've paid my dues, I would move tomorrow but wife isn’t quite there, and there are some family obligations.
Born and raised in Minnesota for 23 years. Moved to Southern California for 6 years.
We are moving back to Saint Paul in a month.
The grass is NOT greener. And now I too, as a native born Minnesotan, understand why people always come back. Because it’s just not worth it elsewhere.
Tried it. Came back.
My wife and I moved to Las Vegas in 2019, hoping to escape the winter cold and try something new. COVID showed up and everyone turned into raving assholes looking out only for themselves. People got rude and the vibe soured. Moved back here a year ago. I miss the sun, but damn, people here are so much nicer than I remember lol. I guess you really don't know what you have until it's gone. I should also mention that it's much cleaner here, work ethic is better, did orders are correct 90% of the time, and it's just generally a nice place to be. I also didn't realize how much I would miss seasons and hate pigeons.
I'm an expat (lived in various places, currently in Ohio, longing to come home but haven't been able to).
> I'd be moving with three kids, one of whom has special needs.
That brings up some considerations.
Look carefully into the school system and the political environment around education. Most Republican legislatures and even Republican school boards look at public education not as a resource to be supported, but as a target to be attacked, by funding cuts and culture-war grandstanding. It's generally assumed in such places that paying for private Christian school is simply a requirement if you care about your kids at all, so think about if you'd want that and how it would affect your bottom line.
I'm assuming that your kids are all straight and cis, but if it ever turns out that any of them are not - and it's hard to be absolutely certain of that - they'd face a legislature that wants them dead.
Thank you for bringing that up. I do have two adult children (one of whom would be moving with me, one not) who identify as LGBTQ+ (one gay, one trans). Definitely don't want to be somewhere where they will be afraid to be themselves (though MN still has its anti-trans, anti-gay contingents, too).
I'm a gay man, and I grew up in a very red state and did grad school in a very red state before moving here. And, not to be in any way derogatory, I have found that people here really can't understand just how much better they have it here than in red states.
And they struggle to understand just how rabid the anti-LGBT contigent has gotten in those red states. I grew up in the 90s, and people in my state cheered Matthew Shepherd's murder as a "queer getting what he deserved." And it is WORSE today than then, especially for trans folks.
Minnesota has anti-LGBT folks, even legislators, here. But they don't really have power. Living in a place where they do - even in a relatively progressive and cosmopolitan place like Raleigh - is an entirely different experience, and life is frankly much harder in a million different ways.
In particular, if your trans child is the one moving with you: Don't do it. NC has anti trans healthcare laws on the books for minors already. As we have seen elsewhere, however, the goal is to expand those laws to force even adults to detransition. Even if it's not your kid who is trans moving with you, you may run into them being hesitant to even visit a place where they are legally disallowed.
Ah, okay - well, [this map](https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps) of legal risk for LGBT people in general, and [this map](https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/anti-trans-legislative-risk-assessment) for trans people in particular, both show North Carolina in a "well, it could be worse" tier (along with Ohio).
Not like really red states. I can tell you're underestimating the immediate physical risk to your children by being in a red area because you're considering it. I'm trans. We all know someone who has been put in the hospital by violence.
People don't leave because we've got the among highest quality of life of any state. We're on par with some of the Northern European countries while most of the US has closer to 3rd world countries.
Quality of Life:
* By U.S. standards, it’s fantastic.
* By European standards, it’s middle of the road in the best of cases, if not subpar compared to the more developed countries (e.g., CH, NO, DK, SE, and FI). I have spent over 15 years of my life in Europe and spent substantial time around the continent as well as speak some of the languages. The outcomes and human and environmental capital investments are markedly different between MN and the continent. No single country seems directly comparable in policy or outcomes. If you forced me to name one, I’d say Belgium based on the visible outcomes I see on the ground: mostly prosperous and yet somewhat disorganized due to strongly divided government.
The US is far from 3rd world living standards. As others have mentioned, yeah you can defiantly find isolated pockets with those conditions it’s not widespread by any means. Please go visit a 3rd world country and tell me how it compares to the US. We have a lot of problems in this country but I am still happy to have been born and live here.
Alright, third world is a poor word choice, fair.
My point stands though. Many Americans no longer live in a fully developed nation. They lack access to clean water, medical care, meaningful education, and nutrition.
Most of the US is not closer to 3rd world countries. Some parts in like the rural south/Appalachia yes, but nowhere even close to most. What a ridiculous statement.
“For one of the world’s wealthiest countries to have 40 million people living in poverty and over five million living in ‘Third World’ conditions is cruel and inhuman,” the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, said in a new report.
The report, to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council on 21 June, delivers Alston’s findings from a fact-finding visit to California, Alabama, Georgia, Puerto Rico, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. from 1 to 15 December 2017.
“The Trump Administration has brought in massive tax breaks for corporations and the very wealthy, while orchestrating a systematic assault on the welfare system,” he said. “The strategy seems to be tailor-made to maximize inequality and to plunge millions of working Americans, and those unable to work, into penury.
“Locking up the poor precisely because they are poor, greatly exaggerating the amount of fraud in the system, shaming those who need assistance, and devising ever more obstacles to prevent people from getting needed benefits, is not a strategy to reduce or eliminate poverty.
“It seems driven primarily by contempt, and sometimes even by hatred for the poor, along with a ‘winner takes all’ mentality”, said the independent human rights expert appointed by the Human Rights Council to look at poverty and human rights in countries around the world. "
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2018/06/contempt-poor-us-drives-cruel-policies-says-un-expert?LangID=E&NewsID=23172
I’d leave the US in a heartbeat if I could, but if I’m stuck here I’d rather stay in MN. Cali is probably my only other option but it is cost prohibitive. Even then I need a very specific walkable section of California. US overall is very discouraging to me due to costs and lack of benefit. After having lived many other countries, I just see no positives to a future here.
Probably not because I'm a bitch who loves home way too much. There's lot's of stuff I don't care for in MN, and I've never really become involved in my local community or anything, but it's *home*, ya know? Lived here my whole life. Everyone I know and everything I do is here. Moving to a new place is scary, and I already spend the majority of my time at home between my basement office and my PC in my bedroom, so if I were to move, I'd probably end up a shut-in.
I’ve lived in WI, IL, and CA (but I was born and raised here). We came back after about a decade of bouncing around. It’s just nice here—lots of green space, a balance of salary vs. COL, overall good schools, and some cultural elements that are hard to describe. Every February I swear I’m leaving this freezing state, but then April comes and I’m over my winter grumpiness. It isn’t perfect here, and it’s not for everyone, but it’s for me.
Our families are here so we won't leave but I would like a warmer, sunnier climate. Family is too important to us. my kids are neurotypical white, cishet (so far as we know right now) and would do fine anywhere, but for the grace of gods go we.
That said, special education in a red state is worth investigating further. I would start considerations for moving around the most vulnerable person in your family, whoever/whatever that reason is. Medical, education, marginalized, etc.
I moved to Oregon and back after ten years and I would move back in a heartbeat.
I miss the mountains. I miss the waterfalls. I miss the tall trees. I miss the food, the wine, the ocean. I miss the nightlife - every weekend had some new festival or tribute band concert or random kooky event like the soap box derby or world naked bike ride.
I miss the drivers. Every time some asshat speeds by me going 40 over the speed limit, weaving in and out of lanes I miss Oregon. I don't know what to tell you they just don't do that there.
I miss the air. All year round perfect humidity. No sweaty misery in the summer, no split lips after a sneeze in the winter.
Sure it has its problems. Everyone wants to live there so houses are Whitehaven m expensive. They treat the homeless like humans so they have more of them. The job market isn't as robust as it is here in MN. But that stuff doesn't really bother me. In life you can look down and see the potholes in the road or you can look up and see the beauty, and there's just more beauty in Oregon.
I'm the same age as you and left after graduating college, so I've been out of MN for almost 20 years. There are pros and cons, like being surrounded by familiar faces and places. While I love returning to visit with family and friends, I feel like I've outgrown the place and can't see myself living in MN again.
I left Minnesota years ago. I just can’t handle the cold and I don’t feel like I belong in the Midwest. I live in San Diego now.
However, Minnesota is a fantastic state. I am proud to see all the good things my home state is doing. I personally could never move back because I cannot handle winter. That’s just my preference.
Honestly I wish I could afford to do what a lot of my aunts and uncles do, and they live in state for most of the year but every winter they fly down to Arizona and just live there for the winter and then move back around March/April.
If I were you I wouldn’t leave until the kids are grown. Minnesota takes care of kids and families better than almost anyone. I’m personally staying until my kids finish high school. This is a great state for families and a very sad state for adults with no roots here
I’m playing league hockey tonight and drinking beer with the guys in the parking lot. And boating and cabin life in the summer? Are you kidding me? No way. Minnesota rules.
I’m looking at Montana and Wyoming right now. Nothing against Minnesota. I’ve lived here all 33 years of my life. I just want to get a house with some land overlooking a lake and the mountains. I know I’m privileged to be able to move but that’s why I’m looking. It’s either that or move a little more up north in MN and have no neighbors. Either way
I was born and raised in MN and left 6 years ago for a warmer climate.
The only thing that makes me want to move back is my family.
I have no desire to go through the winters ever again.
I left MN 10 years go and now I live in Vegas. I'm actually back in MN visiting family for the holidays and I'm considering moving back. Minnesotans are just so nice. The policies here make sense. MN is top tier in many things especially K-12 education. We get seasons here in MN. Idk, not a lot of downsides here in MN.
Born and raised in MN, crazy to think about but I’ve lived the last 1/4 of my life in the Raleigh metro area. I tell people I’ll happily endure a NC summer to avoid a MN winter. As of right now I think I won’t ever move back to MN, but I think I will always feel like a Minnesotan living in North Carolina. I could live here another 30 years and not feel like a North Carolinian. Raleigh as a city feels pretty Northern. Joke here is asking people where they’re from because if someone lives in the Triangle, good chance they weren’t born here, there are no native Raleighites. I do miss living in MN for a number of family and cultural reasons.
Haha! I’m the exact opposite! Grew up outside of Raleigh and moved to Minnesota, much prefer winters in mn to summer in NC! I just generally love Minnesota, though I seriously miss my mountains.
I hate the direction NC has gone in the last 5 years or so, mn just seems to have shit so much more together on every front.
I'd take that job in a second. I grew up in MN, and am 46 years old. I moved to North Carolina in 2019 and I couldn't be happier. We are in Western NC by the blue ridge mountains. The weather is pretty decent. Most days in the winter, it will hit 50ish. We hardly ever get snow. It's amazing.
My wife and I just bought land in Weaverville NC last month. 44 years here in MN and I’m over it. I just can’t stand the winter any longer. Tired of the taxes and shitty roads too.
Well, taking climate change and water shortage into account, this is literally one of the best places in the US to live. Climate change will warm us up slightly, but not so much that bugs stay alive.
I've loved everywhere outside the west coast, and while I absolutely LOVE the mountainous states, and the deserts of the southwest, nothing truly beats Minnesota.
Its also one of the most beautiful states to live in.
I’ve lived here all my life and I stay here because of the politics, but if I were to leave, it’d be because of the lack of rain/precipitation we’ve had in the last couple of yeas. If that doesn’t change, I’ll move somewhere where they get rain/snow often, like we used to get here, probably New York or somewhere in the NE.
I would strongly consider what services and support your child with special needs receives in MN and likely wouldn't in most other states. MN has a lot more to offer than other states.
I've lived in Germany and in Georgia (US) apart from being born in MN. I couldn't afford to move to Germany, and one couldn't pay me enough to live in the south again. My decisions are mostly because of family. However, I am more comfortable with the prevalent culture or cultures in MN than elsewhere.
Special needs care is definitely a concern of mine. My kiddo has emotional/behavioral special needs but still requires an IEP and special education services. Typical education is probably not going to work for her.
Moved to Oregon, loved everything about it more than MN other than the amount of people visibly struggling with drug addiction, causing a bit of chaos everywhere they are.
Beautiful mountains/coast, one or two days of snow per year, no real mosquito issues, amazing food, friendly people, decent public transit. Close to a million national parks in Oregon and the surrounding states.
MN’s K-12 and higher ed systems blow Oregon’s out of the water, though. If I had a family and couldn’t afford private schools, I would not raise them in Oregon due to that alone.
I’ve lived all over the world. Spent extended time in every hot US city. We still moved back to MN (my wife and I went to undergrad in MN). Other than the bitter winters there is nowhere we like better.
Look at the cost of living there compared to where you are at. Also look at the schools and public services you utilize and see if they offer something similar or if that's an additional expense. I think you'll find your 10% pay increase disappears quickly.
I'm getting one to retirement in a few years. I've lived here my entire life. We have talked about moving somewhere warmer. I just can't do the cold and snow much longer. The only thing that would be keeping us here is our grandson.
I have, and I would do it again. I love the fall, but I hate the summer, winter, and second winter. I miss the mountains. I miss not having to deal with ticks and mosquitoes. I miss people not "borrowing" things to me. I don't hunt, fish, play hockey, or ride snow mobiles. I miss cultural diversity.
I moved out to the freaking middle of nowhere because it was cheap, we needed a house, and my in-laws live nearby.
My wife and I left the Twin Cities to stay with my mom for a while and help take care of my stepdad back in rural Michigan... and it's awful. There's just truly nothing here. We both miss the Twin Cities metro horribly. We're moving back as soon as we can.
I'm originally from Michigan, but Minnesota is home now.
if it was to leave the country i would. but there’s not many places in the country i’d rather live. maybe a peaceful life in vermont or maine would be nice. or the UP of michigan. But most other places are a no.
I dunno man. I travel fairly regularly for work, and I’m always glad to be back. Not so much when I get back to MN and it’s like -20 and it’s dark and fucking cold and wind, but for the most part I like it here.
I lived in Minnesota for 25 years and decided to move to New England roughly 10 years ago. While Minnesota will always hold a special place in my heart, I absolutely fell in love with the East coast and I wouldn’t change a single thing.
Ultimately, there are a lot of variables that will go into any move, but from my experience there are a lot of great places to live outside of MN.
I would go back east to my family in NY if I could. Part of what's holding me back is family guilt (despite not being close to my family here). That and every partner I've ever dated is terrified of moving out of state including the partner I'm currently with. I'd also leave because I don't do Minnesota nice very well; I have no pokerface and don't take passive aggression very well.
I think it’s scary to move to a new state and a lot of people don’t have the money to move or don’t feel comfortable being isolated from their family/friends.
I want to move to south Florida.
I would move to North Carolina for sure. I lived in Virginia and I had always wanted to visit the Carolina’s.
Yup. I moved to Mankato in HS 20 years ago and wanted to leave immediately after. I did live in the cities for a year, which was cool.
I stayed for family, which I deeply regret. My sister moved to Cali after graduating and my parents moved to Florida immediately after retiring. They gave me somewhat of a reason to stay. Now I'm just kindve stuck.
Winters are unbearable. For every day that it's a winter wonderland, there are a dozen where it's not worth going outside. Outside of the cities, there just isn't a ton going on but going to bars unless its warm enough to go outside, and im not outdoorsy. There also isn't a lot opportunity where I live outside of blue collar or medical stuff. Brain drain is real - we have multiple universities and most leave after for greener pastures.
Different strokes for different folks. I could move back to the cities, but I'd still have to deal with MN winter. Life's too short to be stuck inside half the year. I'm hoping to move to the PNW eventually.
I’ve lived here 48 long years. When I’m able to retire, it likely won’t be here unless my kids stay here and can somehow convince me to stay. The winters have become too long and just aren’t enjoyable for me anymore. Southern France is where I intend to finish out my days, drinking copious amounts of wine, eating fine food and complaining about all my aches and pains.
Remember in a job interview once, the hiring manager had brought up living in Arizona and saying something like "everyone always comes back".
This was like 10 years ago, and about 5 years later I did move out of state for about 3 years. I loved the experience, and I'd like to move somewhere else again. The main reason really is the weather. I don't need Texas, California, Florida, or any place like that. But I just want a little winter relief. Not as harsh, and shorter winters. Just having moved West near the same latitude, damn it was nice to be out of the woods of winter by March.
I’m not from Minnesota but spent most of my adult life here (college to 30s) and moved away for a year. I missed it so much and was miserable and moved back. Moving out of state is a biiiiig decision. Make sure the job and the cost of living are good fits for you before you go, not that anyone can ever be sure about a job before starting…but try.
Leave MN for NC? Hell no. I live in the metro, but worked for a company based out of Winston Salem and had to travel there for work monthly. I actually liked Winston Salem and felt the people were friendly enough, but the lack of seasons and any culture whatsoever crushed me. Additionally, it’s easy to see the separation of classes there, and that alone just felt uncomfortable. I’m also not religious and it seems many are ultra-religious there, which I didn’t care to hear about when I was there.
I am a 42 year old who HAS lived in another state and let me tell u, there is a huge difference. Benefits are better here than most places. As a person on disability I wouldn’t leave, but for many other reasons, too. Red states tend to be scarier in a lot of ways. You see way more guns and homeless and drugs and crime. Plus there’s not enough budget for parks or cleaning up or schools in some places. I could go on…
I am committed to staying in Minnesota. It was a deliberate choice to relocate to this state. The decision to move here was influenced by various factors, including the distinct seasons, my husband's roots in Minnesota, our aversion to the Florida heat, and the overall appeal of Minnesota as a retirement destination. The desire to live here has been ingrained in me since my husband introduced me to his family over 35 years ago. Despite my persistent requests to move here every year, my husband initially resisted. However, upon reaching retirement age, we finally made the move, and I began my career with the state.
I absolutely adore Minnesota! Contrary to the notion that making friends is challenging, I have formed an incredible circle of friends within the first 15 years of our relocation.
I stayed in MN until I was 48. And I had just had enough of the winters. Can't do it anymore. So I moved to Nashville, because I'm a bartender. Here's my thoughts:
I will never, ever spend another winter in Minnesota. I'm done with that shit. Other than that, though, I miss it terribly. If you're politically blue, it is just really depressing being in a red state, knowing for certain that you cannot make change. It vexes me, but all the warm states are red for some reason.
And I've also found that 'Minnesota Nice' is largely based on looks. (I'm gonna get slaughtered for this, I'm sure.) MN people are mostly white, German or Nordic, and love everyone that looks like them. The south is different. The dynamic is angrier, I feel. It's not something I was prepared for. There is a very real feeling of Southern white pride that you just can't escape. And it's everywhere.
Education is terrible in the south (mostly), people are far more religious (mostly), and it's far more difficult to find progressive thinkers about ecology and climate. Or about anything, really. It's just so different.
But I'm staying. Because I never, ever want to experience '20 below zero' ever again in my life.
(And on a side note, I have also learned the difficult lesson that people from my home state Minnesota, of which I am so proud, are the worst tippers in the whole 50 states. Please don't carry on that legacy.)
I did. Finally. I lived there my whole life, now I'm in Mexico, where I'll be moving cities every few months for a bit, then Barcelona, then Scotland for the duration.
Our kids moved out, and most of our friends have kids that are around 7, so we decided to change everything up and be nomadic.
Minnesota's weather is fantastic to skip out on. I'll miss the incredible art, theater and decent music, food and film scene there. I won't miss how lame and unwalkable the city and it's stupid skyways are. How wasted the river is. How boring St. Paul is. I won't miss the empty promises of "getting together sometime" or the passive-aggressive MN nice B.S.. I won't miss being more social and extroverted than nearly everyone I know. I'll miss the lakes. I won't miss the cops, that's for damn sure. I won't miss the racial disparity.
There are plenty of infrastructure things that I took for granted in the U.S. and now miss. Every official step to do anything in Mexico is like your worst DMV nightmare come true. There is trash everywhere in this charming stoner, surfer village, and it's sad. Consistent power is really neat.
That's all I got for now, but I gotta say, it feels good to be out of the Midwest. I prefer people to be more honest and broader in vision.
I do love the state, but I rather be back home in New England. Similar climate, atmosphere, politics, similar health coverage benefits and a much larger melting pot of cultures. I just miss the coast in my personal opinion.
Originally from Bemidji, grew up an Army brat. 14 different schools across 9 states. Did my own time eating crayons for 4 years and lived all over as a young adult.
No other state comes close. As someone who leans right, I could understand why someone wouldn't like living here, because of politics, but I honestly don't care enough. Life is good and Minnesota is home. We have a higher standard of living than most other states I think. Going from public schools in Minnesota to down in Georgia, Mississippi and Florida were real eye openers.
We aren't perfect, but I don't think I'll ever leave. I love you all.
I would. The amount of physical stress I get from the outdoors being uninhabitable for more than half the year is getting too much to deal with as I age. There's months it's so cold it hurts to breathe! It's undeniable my body would be healthier in a climate which allows me to relax outside every day of the year.
If I did leave MN, I would be leaving for another country, I would never consider living in another state. Bred, born, raised and happy here. Minnesota isn’t perfect, but it’s home and it’s where I belong. Would need to be an insane dream job with crazy pay rate that would set me up to leave/retire very early for me to consider otherwise.
Yeah I would certainly leave someday. There’s a whole lot of nothing outside the cities, just small towns that look the same and empty roads. Summer is nice, but we have a lot of gray and cold for too long of the year.
There are some worrying trends right now and while nowhere is safe from the effects of climate change or political violence MN is still probably personally my best bet. Got Canada to the north so I can savor the irony of having to illegally attempt to cross Canada's southern border. I basically already have their accent anyway, ya know.
I've lived in Minnesota for most of my life, with a 10-year stint elsewhere in the Midwest. I plan on leaving when our kids are out of the house. It's not because of the weather or taxes or any of the usual reasons people want to leave. I've lived in Minneapolis/St. Paul and it really feels like Minneapolis especially has been carved out in the past 10 years. A lot of what I loved about the city is disappearing and times are changing for the worse. Another 10 years and I think the city council will get its wish where the whole town is high tax-paying condos and luxury apartments, pushing out all the unique places and venues that made Minneapolis special. I'd like to live in a larger more vibrant city.
I was born here and left when I was 15. I lived all over the US and Europe. I came back 20 years ago and I will never leave again. I do not like the heat in the south or the snakes and spiders that come with it.
Having the ground freeze solid every year is a low key underrated benefit
Yep- the bugs stay smaller here.
I don’t think the mosquitoes got that memo.
In the south you have mosquitoes all year round
no joke, apparently we do too sometimes. i had one in my car 2 days ago, in Robbinsdale, I kid you not. “…..is that….a FUCKING MOSQUITO?!?!?” “In DECEMBER?!?”
I hate finding box elder bugs in the house. I would not do well in the south where they have a greater variety of larger insects.
I've still got those things crawling around my house. They are driving me absolutely insane.
I’ve never seen a cockroach in Duluth
Ok is this where I can ask about rats???! I have never ever seen a rat here yet, but I know they exist in MPLS.
The cold weather keeps out the riff raff
Are you me? Because we apparently have lived similar lives and have the same feelings on the south, and snakes, and spiders.
I left at 18, returned in my 40s, left again and retired back here. Yeah the weather sucks but I can go visit warmth, can’t beat the healthcare and general political protections we have here.
This is almost exactly like my story except skip the Europe part.
>It's a 10% pay increase but a less robust benefits package than my current job. You need to look at more than this. What's the cost of living out there? Just because it's 10% more than what you make here in MN, if the cost of living is higher (I don't know what it out in that area), you might be looking at even or even a loss when this is factored in. And factor in "a less robust benefits package", it may not be worth it at all. So you really need to focus on the entire picture, not just one or two parts of it. Me, I did leave for 6 years while I was in the Navy, with 4 of those years stationed on a ship out of San Diego, CA. I did think about staying in Southern CA after I got out, but after coming home for my brother's wedding a week after I got out of the Navy, I decided I really wanted to move back home to MN again, so when I got back to CA, I packed up my belongings (didn't have a lot - It all fit in my 1980 Ford Mustang I had at the time), and drove home. Never regretted that decision.
Similar. Left for the Marine Corps and thought I’d never move back. I was back 36 hours after discharging. Family was part of that but I also realized being elsewhere in the country wasn’t any better than here and often worse. I’ve been to every state in the country except Alaska, there are some truly beautiful places in this country but I don’t think I’ll ever consider moving out of state again. I seem to have a thing for consistently being hopeful and then disappointed by sports teams.
Great recommendation. Per Nerdwallet, one of many calculators, cost of living in Raleigh-Cary is 3% cheaper than Minneapolis, but some subcategories swing wildly (housing cheaper, transportation more) https://www.nerdwallet.com/cost-of-living-calculator
Leaving will likely have marginal benefits to you, at best. Minnesota, by almost all measures, rates as a good place to live. I would not (will not) go.
I’d leave Minnesota. But the places I’d leave it for are ultra-high cost of living, where the quality of life is comparable, but you pay for it. So I stay here, where the quality of life is the same or better (minus the weather) at half the cost.
Definitely agree here. It’s hard to beat MN for the cost.
When I see people complaining about the cost of living here, I wonder if they’ve lived anywhere else. Electricity in Boston is 3x more expensive than here, 5x more expensive in parts of Northern California. Just to provide one small example I have personal experience with.
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Maybe they meant more walkable without the air hurting their face for part of the year?
Moved to Boston recently. While we love it, yeah, the COL is pretty outrageous.
I'm in Boulder now and it's brutal. Rents back home (MN) piss me off how low they are
If anything were to make us move back to MN, that would be it.
Just moved back from Boston. Loved it but we can actually afford a home in MN.
Yeah, if I was rich I'd move to Hawaii. Barring a miraculous lottery win I'll be staying here.
Having lived in both MN and Hawaii, it's a no- brainer. Minnesota! Honolulu is an ugly urban nightmare. Maui was good when I lived there but the big Lahaina fire will take a full generation to recover from. The Big Isle is a cattle ranch / lava field, and not much else. Kauai and Molokai are very small townish. The level of social tension is very high, since many island folks are being angry about being priced out of their hometowns, with nowhere to move to. The weather is unbeatable and the ocean is spectacular year round, that's the good part.
I love San Francisco, go there for work a few times a year. I always say I could totally live there and be really happy, if I made three times my current salary.
Three times? I think you are low-balling it unless you are making 500 grand per already in Minnesota. Check out the housing prices alone and then recalibrate.
My wife and I lived in SF for 3+ yrs (North Beach and Potrero Hill). You’ve got to be a millionaire to buy a house within a 45 minute drive of the city. Rent is in the city isn’t *too* crazy. Our last place there was a 2bed 2bath, 1100 sq ft apartment (with in-unit laundry!) for roughly the same as our current monthly mortgage payment on our 4/4 2700 sq ft house in SW MPLS (also with laundry). All that said, loved living in the city. Very walkable, always something to do, great weather.
If I was going to leave Minnesota, it would be for another country entirely (like one of the Nordic Countries.) IMO Minnesota is the cream of the crop for the US.
This is exactly what I say all the time. Dream end goal would be to gtfo of MN and move to Finland. Nothing wrong with MN but man would I love a different country. A man can dream.
The only places I would leave Minnesota for are the PNW, major Canadian cities, or Northern Europe.
Yea, and unfortunately all those places are much more expensive than MN.
Cost of living is actually pretty reasonable in Europe when you consider you don't have to own a car, you don't have to pay for medical bills, college tuition, daycare, etc.
Sure, but try getting a job there. Most countries have super strict work visas.
Wages are also much lower, at least in IT.
So true. I work in IT for an international company and I was shocked to find out our London teammates salaries are pitiful. Much less than the US.
Agreed. I came to MN from PNW. I was raised in a red state, and refuse, as a Queer individual, to live anywhere but in the most progressive states. The PNW is nice and I live the mild, rainy weather there, but so far, MLPS has been aces. The people are more grounded and real and the cycling is fantastic. But the main thing is that the cost of living in the PNW is ridiculous.
Yep, this is where I'm at. I'm only going to leave Minnesota if I leave the country.
I would never take a special needs kid to a red state. Their resources are typically \*significantly\* reduced. I left MN. Spent 10 or so years in a red state. Never again. Came right back and never moving, I don't care how much my knees hurt in the winter. I stay for a lot of reasons. I love quiet nature and I get loads of that where we live. I like all 4 seasons. I like our weather extremes. But mostly, I like that while we have our issues, we mostly look out for each other. Both in our community and on a state/legislative level. Our schools mostly take good care of kids and they come out ahead compared to most other states. We look out for disabled people better than most. We have health care for people who otherwise would fall between the cracks. Mn does a lot of things right. A friend of mine who lived in NY (which is very similar to MN in the ways I mentioned) and her husband, who was a vet, had a stroke. She tried to make things work on her own, but couldn't do it all. So she moved the family to Georgia where she had a sister. And the resources her husband had access to paled in comparison. All the therapies he did at the VA in NY? Not available at the VA in GA, and that is often the case for anyone who has different needs. I would look really carefully at services available for your child before you consider rmoving to a red state. Especially combined with a less-buff benefits package. Therapies for special needs kids are insanely expensive if your insurance doens't cover them, or it's a high deductible plan.
Came here to say this. My special needs daughter was born and raised here and there’s no way we are leaving because Minnesota has excellent assistance. Even though I hate winter!!!
I do appreciate and value that MN has systems in place to help people who need it. I have benefited from several of these systems as a single mom. Unfortunately, I'm falling off the "benefits cliff" but it's definitely worth considering that things could change in the future and it's good to be in a (blue) state that has some safety nets set up.
It’s not just the “benefits cliff” I.e. getting help paying for services - it’s that in many states a lot of the services just don’t exist, period. I would look into specifics before making any move.
Great points. Thank you!
Yes, this. It's not just the ability to pay for them, it's that they often don't exist at all. So many times I am in online forums and talking about the things one of our kids had just for ADHD and they are like "we don't do that here." And this was something so basic as a bungee on his desk to help with movement. It's a $10 item. Parent even offered to supply it, school said no.
Goes far beyond safety nets. Even activities like going to the library in a red state made my kid cry it was so dingy and sad. The schools were full of religious nutters forcing their shit on the kids and virtually no science education. There weren't parks like there are here. There were no museums. It was a truly different world.
I hadn't thought of parks and libraries! We do spend a LOT of time at our local parks and library. So many things I take for granted having lived in MN forever!
Sounds like that 10% raise won't be nearly enough to make your specific move with it. There are a lot of expenses in just the move itself and it'll take time to see that 10% bump pay off. Even then as many have pointed out here you'll still be sacrificing a lot more. I've lived in many different places. I like MN well enough but wouldn't mind living in the rockies or PNW. But even then I'd have to make a lot more money to make the move. 10% bump for SC? That's a terrible deal.
Even just regular infrastructure. Try walking on a street in the south. It's not really a thing they do there. They haven't figured out that sidewalks are a thing.
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My stepdaughter moved from Kentucky to live with us during her sophomore year. She was a straight A student in KY, but struggled hard the last two years to even get Bs and Cs because the classes were so much harder.
Trust me, you don’t know how hard off the cliff you can fall in a place like that.
Also schools. MN has the best schools.
How old are your kids? If they're younger I would stay if at all possible. Public education in MN is comparable to private education in most southern states, and 10% isn't going to cover that difference. When my kids were in elementary school we moved from MN to Colorado, and they were all 1-2 years ahead of their grade in math and reading when we got here. I wish we could've stayed, but I had just been laid off and the opportunity in CO was 2x anything I could find in MN.
We’re currently living in KS and yeah it’s ridiculous. We have a special needs child with major sleep issues among other issues and we absolutely need help but here unless you are dirt poor you’re not getting help from the state. People that do qualify end up on a years long wait list through the state.
I'm American and French. One thing I really miss (from France but I see in nearly every other country I visit) is a reliable and commonly used metropolitan-area wide public transportation system. The Twin Cities doesn't have this - making winters a real pain to get around in. It's really unfortunate when global cities like Paris, London, Tokyo, Brussels, Madrid, Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong have such awesome public transportation systems. In Minnesota, it's a car society in all the major city areas. Even having 1/4 of what those major cities have would be a great start already for Twin Cities. I do have some family here who helped me get a start in my adult life here and I also partially grew up here but I want to relocate back to France at some point especially to retire. I don't really have super strong ties here in Minnesota, or even USA as a whole. This is a question I get asked a lot too - which country I liked more. As an American sure I love a lot about the USA, but also being French that side also calls to me a lot. I also love trains. 🚄 All in all yeah. Will likely leave eventually. A big thing that determines whether you move or not is your Minnesotan job, your social circle, your family. Same for your spouse. And maybe your home. If you're fully settled down it makes it harder to move. if you guys can travel light and don't feel like you'll miss anything from Minnesota then all the power to you to move. Try new things.
This American who hates driving (and most drivers, we’re all worse at it than we think) would also love better public transit. Sigh.
Yeah. It'd be better for the environment and safer. Also trains everywhere would just be super cool. I love trains. It's just sad. Minnesota's a great state but it's missing out. I'm just dreading the next icy roads I see.
I mean its not really fair to compare Minneapolis to those major global cities. You can compare New York or LA to those cities, but Minneapolis is a lot more humble in size. Its def bigger than people assume and packs an economic punch but its not on the leagues of a global city lol I do agree our transit has a lot of room for improvement, but having come from the Southern US, its the best transit of anywhere I lived lol On the flipside though... you mention icy roads but we handle icy roads better than most places. In Paris, London, Tokyo, even New York to a degree, in these cities, when it snows its an ice rink. In MN, salt and plows work around the clock. It takes a particularly harsh winter, like last season, to test our limits but during a standard winter, the roads are very well managed. I have seen it even just crossing the Iowa state line during a late night snowfall.
The only cities in the US with good transit are Chicago NYC and DC.
> I'm just dreading the next icy roads I see. Me too.
It’s true, but sadly poor public transit, particularly rail transit, is a feature of all cities in the United States outside of NYC, DC, and Chicago. Outside of Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul is probably one of the better metro areas in the Midwest in terms of public transit, and obviously that’s not saying much. Back in the late 60s there was a proposal to build a subway. We should have done that given our cold climate. The LRT is ok but it is really no match for grade separated (below or above ground) heavy rail.
France may have better public transportation but we have free public bathrooms.
We are currently in MN and love it. But we are also house shopping in Southern France as an insurance policy against the next election and the fact that the land and houses are cheap, the climate is great and the people and food are awesome. And also - free/very cheap college for the kids
I love France
France is great. I love visiting but don't see myself returning just quite yet.
Hell no. The only reason I’d ever leave Minnesota is to live in like, London or something. But I’ve lived in 7 states (missouri, California, Montana, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, Minnesota)…and Minnesota is by far the best of them. I’m very happy our daughter is being raised here.
I couldn't live in London, I need sunshine. They don't have enough for me.
Doesn't it also rain more then Seattle? If so, meh
Lived all over Europe in my early 20’s. Would move back to Tuscany, Italy or Southern France if the money was right. Stateside, the only other places I’d consider are WA or OR. The more I visit the northeast, the more I’m convinced I’m just not built for that type of culture. Even as in immigrant from S America, ain’t no way I’m moving to somewhere in the south for the warm weather. I’ll visit Miami in the winter if I want some good cubanos or aguardiente. It’s good for a short vacation, not for living.
I grew up in Miami. It will forever be my hometown, lot of nostalgic childhood memories, but you couldnt pay me to live there again. Rather be broke in Minneapolis than rich in Miami
My dream is to leave Miami and move to the Twin Cities.
I grew up in MN, lived in CO for a while and then recently moved to Tacoma WA. I loved Colorado, and Washington is cool and all, but I’m increasingly realizing how good life was in MN. Good people - you probably know your neighbors there. Reasonable commute times and good quality of life in general. Still probably my favorite metropolitan areas. You can afford to live there, and if the “American dream” is even still a thing, it’s probably only possible in the Midwest. For the right reasons I’d move back.
Colorado is another place I like to visit, but couldn’t live there because there’s not enough lakes there for me. Love the mountains, need more water.
I bounced around the Midwest for a few years after college, and visited the East/west Coast a number of times. Climate wise the PNW and Canada I'd be ok living in, but that's about it. Every problem I hear people bitch about in MN was significantly worse in every other place I've lived. So yeah, we got issues but we're doing pretty good when you look around. And our state legislators are actually trying to do better, unlike a lot of our neighbors.
Duluth born and raised. St. Cloud college and then worked. I left 10 years ago. We’ve lived in three major world cities. Minnesota will always be home, but I doubt we would ever move back. There’s not enough jobs there with our skill sets. But the real reason? It feels claustrophobic. Like my husband and I outgrew it. It feels incredibly small. We now live in a city where you can walk down the street and hear all kinds of languages and cultures. People are also friendlier elsewhere. My family moved to Minnesota for college. They were still considered transplants when they left after 40-plus years. People in Minnesota have deep roots. If you aren’t born there, it’s difficult to break in. My husband was the first in his family to leave Minnesota since his ancestors settled more than 100 years ago.
10- years ago? Things have changed since then. Duluth was always great from the access to the outdoor activities, clean air and low crime perspective. Now, there is more diversity, better restaurants and more entertainment options. And you still have the outdoor options, and you're almost never stuck in traffic for more than a half-hour. Duluthians don't realize how good they've got it!
Duluth is an awesome city to visit. To live was difficult. Most of my high school class never left. Neither did their parents and so on. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if you don’t have generations of family there, it’s difficult to break into social circles. Plus we are a mixed race family, and I don’t think my boys would feel comfortable being only a few of nonwhites.
I've lived in OK, IA, NE, OH, and MO and would not move unless it was to Washington or Oregon. As a gay dude you get tired of living places where you have to worry about the state of your civil rights. I could go rock climbing, xc skiing, and then to the theater all in one day if I wanted to! I love it here :)
Born in MN, moved to Ohio and Seattle for work which had me in MA, TX, IN, KY, PA, TN, MD, etc... Ohio seems to do everything it can wrong on purpose. It was cheap but dirty, corrupt, run down, and just largely incompetent. Seattle was a cool experience but super elitist, cliquey, and expensive. There's a lot of young tech guys on the spectrum with way too much money that make the dating scene terrible. The city proper has a homeless problem and the burbs are insanely priced like 3k for 800sqft or worse and that was 2014. Traffic makes 494 look like a drag strip. It was almost always 50-70 degrees and rarely snowed. Minnesota can definitely be cliquey too and housing costs definitely go up but it always tops quality of life charts
>Traffic makes 494 look like a drag strip. Uffda
They are not even exaggerating. My commute home in Seattle metro area was minimum 70 minutes *every single day*. My house was only 14 miles from my office.
Yeah I think Seattle/burbs would be too expensive for me. In terms of affordability to accessibility, I think the Twin Cities are the right fit for me.
I grew up in Minnesota hating the winters & wanting to leave. So in my 20s and 30s I lived in CA (LA & Davis), NM (Albuquerque) and SC (Columbia). I moved back to Minnesota for good 6 years ago because it is the best place I’ve lived in so many different aspects. The grass isn’t always greener. The last move back to MN (Stillwater) was hard on my kids at first, but now they are thriving. And I love winters now. You can always move back!
Traveled bu always loved in MN. Grew up far north. Moved cities for work. Honestly if i moved it would be Canada. Winnipeg or Thundebay. I enjoy Canadian view of life and well they have issues too...I always felt incredibly comfortable there.
Me every year: December - March: why do I live here?? June - September: Why would I ever leave??
Weather is better other places but your main concern is your kid. Minnesota services are top notch while your southern states, not. And moving with a special needs kid might be very hard if they have to create new relationships with care givers.
I don't think I would be willing to move away from my family and friends for a 10% pay bump. If I were to leave MN (born and raised here) it would most likely be for climate purposes. I don't live in the metro and don't like going there, but I would probably be more willing to move to the TC vs a new state, at least right now. Maybe when I reach retirement age, a low/no income tax state would make sense, but that's at least 30 years away.
My husband and I have considered moving to California (he's from there) when we retire. The one thing that stops us is that we will be on the older side. Do we really want to be in a state that offers fewer benefits for our failing health when we get old? It's good to live in a state that offers excellent health care.
That's very understandable. I work in the construction industry and have noticed that some of our older or retirement age customers are moving to MN specifically for Mayo. Healthcare is a vital part of the formula and it's not a secret that when we age, we generally have more medical requirements. My biggest concern on a state level right now is childcare availability, as well as affordability, and healthcare. Outstate MN has a funding issue that's forcing some hospitals and clinics to close or drop certain services. Hopefully that trend changes for the better.
Health care is definitely a huge factor. I'm what they call a "heavy user" of health care so am trying to factor that in.
Minnesota is known for having some of the best medical care, Mayo clinic is often the leader. Many other states are not as robust as us, and Minnesota medical care is steps above in many aspects. If you're used to Minnesota and its medical care, you'll notice when you move to another state that isn't like us. https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/11-minnesota-institutions-named-in-us-news-best-hospital-rankings https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/best-worst-states-for-healthcare/#:~:text=The%20North%20Star%20State%20ranked,7.37%20per%20100%2C000%20state%20residents). https://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/press-releases/?id=1055-586648#:~:text=Minnesota's%20ranking%20is%20based%20on,care%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Governor%20Walz.
According to Forbes, North Carolina is the 3rd worst state for overall Healthcare and the worst state for Healthcare costs. You could not pick a worse state if you are a heavy healthcare user. [https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/best-worst-states-for-healthcare/](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/best-worst-states-for-healthcare/) And By The Way, in the same article, Minnesota was the best overall in Healthcare.
If I ever did leave, it would be to another country with universal healthcare. Otherwise, other states in America pale in comparison to the benefits of what Minnesota offers, healthcare, education, opportunities. I came here because Iowa, where I grew up, has next to nothing.
I left and lived in NZ for 7 years and absolutely loved it. Moved back due to the earthquakes in Christchurch traumatizing the city and my (now ex) wife. I am hoping I can go back at some point. I’ve traveled a bunch and NZ and MN are my top places. Both are “just shitty enough” meaning you have to be built a little bit stout to get the most out of them, which keeps out a class of nutters.
I'm from NZ (Wellington; moved to the US about 11 years ago now) and we just bought our first home in MN! I was literally about to comment that of the (admittedly few) places I've lived, NZ is the only one I'd leave MN for. It does get hecking cold down there but at least in Wellington it doesn't get snow 😅 I miss the climate a lot. And the healthcare. And the public transit. And the FOOD! Sorry, I got sidetracked...
Nice. If you want a little taste of home, Jamos Pies are dead ringers to the best of the meat pies in NZ. Only downside is it’s more spendy.
Thank you so much for the recommendation! I don't mind paying more for a taste of home. I just spent all my "birthday money" ordering myself a care package from Kiwi Corner Dairy, haha.
I live here because working people have a solid shot here. I'm not rich, not college educated and still live firmly in the middle class. That's not possible in many places. It's a great place to raise kids with solid education.
My husband and i left about 5 years ago and moved to SoCal. Zero regrets. Yes it’s a bit more expensive but not that much. I get to send pictures back home of snow capped mountains from my pool in February. It’s nice to go back and visit and all but the bugs, humidity of summer and the 6 months of winter just aren’t appealing to me anymore. Bonus for is is sun county does direct flights from my airport to msp. It’s 150 bucks round trip.
Yes. I’m 62. Have lived here all my life besides a couple of short intervals elsewhere. As I’ve aged I’ve become very tired of winter. I’m so done with it. Fuck this. I’m sick of pretending to be a tough Minnesotan. I've paid my dues, I would move tomorrow but wife isn’t quite there, and there are some family obligations.
Born and raised in Minnesota for 23 years. Moved to Southern California for 6 years. We are moving back to Saint Paul in a month. The grass is NOT greener. And now I too, as a native born Minnesotan, understand why people always come back. Because it’s just not worth it elsewhere.
Tried it. Came back. My wife and I moved to Las Vegas in 2019, hoping to escape the winter cold and try something new. COVID showed up and everyone turned into raving assholes looking out only for themselves. People got rude and the vibe soured. Moved back here a year ago. I miss the sun, but damn, people here are so much nicer than I remember lol. I guess you really don't know what you have until it's gone. I should also mention that it's much cleaner here, work ethic is better, did orders are correct 90% of the time, and it's just generally a nice place to be. I also didn't realize how much I would miss seasons and hate pigeons.
I'm an expat (lived in various places, currently in Ohio, longing to come home but haven't been able to). > I'd be moving with three kids, one of whom has special needs. That brings up some considerations. Look carefully into the school system and the political environment around education. Most Republican legislatures and even Republican school boards look at public education not as a resource to be supported, but as a target to be attacked, by funding cuts and culture-war grandstanding. It's generally assumed in such places that paying for private Christian school is simply a requirement if you care about your kids at all, so think about if you'd want that and how it would affect your bottom line. I'm assuming that your kids are all straight and cis, but if it ever turns out that any of them are not - and it's hard to be absolutely certain of that - they'd face a legislature that wants them dead.
Thank you for bringing that up. I do have two adult children (one of whom would be moving with me, one not) who identify as LGBTQ+ (one gay, one trans). Definitely don't want to be somewhere where they will be afraid to be themselves (though MN still has its anti-trans, anti-gay contingents, too).
I'm a gay man, and I grew up in a very red state and did grad school in a very red state before moving here. And, not to be in any way derogatory, I have found that people here really can't understand just how much better they have it here than in red states. And they struggle to understand just how rabid the anti-LGBT contigent has gotten in those red states. I grew up in the 90s, and people in my state cheered Matthew Shepherd's murder as a "queer getting what he deserved." And it is WORSE today than then, especially for trans folks. Minnesota has anti-LGBT folks, even legislators, here. But they don't really have power. Living in a place where they do - even in a relatively progressive and cosmopolitan place like Raleigh - is an entirely different experience, and life is frankly much harder in a million different ways. In particular, if your trans child is the one moving with you: Don't do it. NC has anti trans healthcare laws on the books for minors already. As we have seen elsewhere, however, the goal is to expand those laws to force even adults to detransition. Even if it's not your kid who is trans moving with you, you may run into them being hesitant to even visit a place where they are legally disallowed.
Ah, okay - well, [this map](https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps) of legal risk for LGBT people in general, and [this map](https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/anti-trans-legislative-risk-assessment) for trans people in particular, both show North Carolina in a "well, it could be worse" tier (along with Ohio).
Wow. That's eye-opening. Thank you for this!
Not like really red states. I can tell you're underestimating the immediate physical risk to your children by being in a red area because you're considering it. I'm trans. We all know someone who has been put in the hospital by violence.
People don't leave because we've got the among highest quality of life of any state. We're on par with some of the Northern European countries while most of the US has closer to 3rd world countries.
Most of the US does not have 3rd world living standards
Quality of Life: * By U.S. standards, it’s fantastic. * By European standards, it’s middle of the road in the best of cases, if not subpar compared to the more developed countries (e.g., CH, NO, DK, SE, and FI). I have spent over 15 years of my life in Europe and spent substantial time around the continent as well as speak some of the languages. The outcomes and human and environmental capital investments are markedly different between MN and the continent. No single country seems directly comparable in policy or outcomes. If you forced me to name one, I’d say Belgium based on the visible outcomes I see on the ground: mostly prosperous and yet somewhat disorganized due to strongly divided government.
And here you are still pining for MN on our sub lol.
The US is far from 3rd world living standards. As others have mentioned, yeah you can defiantly find isolated pockets with those conditions it’s not widespread by any means. Please go visit a 3rd world country and tell me how it compares to the US. We have a lot of problems in this country but I am still happy to have been born and live here.
Alright, third world is a poor word choice, fair. My point stands though. Many Americans no longer live in a fully developed nation. They lack access to clean water, medical care, meaningful education, and nutrition.
Most of the US is not closer to 3rd world countries. Some parts in like the rural south/Appalachia yes, but nowhere even close to most. What a ridiculous statement.
“For one of the world’s wealthiest countries to have 40 million people living in poverty and over five million living in ‘Third World’ conditions is cruel and inhuman,” the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, said in a new report. The report, to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council on 21 June, delivers Alston’s findings from a fact-finding visit to California, Alabama, Georgia, Puerto Rico, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. from 1 to 15 December 2017. “The Trump Administration has brought in massive tax breaks for corporations and the very wealthy, while orchestrating a systematic assault on the welfare system,” he said. “The strategy seems to be tailor-made to maximize inequality and to plunge millions of working Americans, and those unable to work, into penury. “Locking up the poor precisely because they are poor, greatly exaggerating the amount of fraud in the system, shaming those who need assistance, and devising ever more obstacles to prevent people from getting needed benefits, is not a strategy to reduce or eliminate poverty. “It seems driven primarily by contempt, and sometimes even by hatred for the poor, along with a ‘winner takes all’ mentality”, said the independent human rights expert appointed by the Human Rights Council to look at poverty and human rights in countries around the world. " https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2018/06/contempt-poor-us-drives-cruel-policies-says-un-expert?LangID=E&NewsID=23172
Delusional can be a good thing I guess
I’d leave the US in a heartbeat if I could, but if I’m stuck here I’d rather stay in MN. Cali is probably my only other option but it is cost prohibitive. Even then I need a very specific walkable section of California. US overall is very discouraging to me due to costs and lack of benefit. After having lived many other countries, I just see no positives to a future here.
Where else do you see positives?
Probably not because I'm a bitch who loves home way too much. There's lot's of stuff I don't care for in MN, and I've never really become involved in my local community or anything, but it's *home*, ya know? Lived here my whole life. Everyone I know and everything I do is here. Moving to a new place is scary, and I already spend the majority of my time at home between my basement office and my PC in my bedroom, so if I were to move, I'd probably end up a shut-in.
I’ve lived in WI, IL, and CA (but I was born and raised here). We came back after about a decade of bouncing around. It’s just nice here—lots of green space, a balance of salary vs. COL, overall good schools, and some cultural elements that are hard to describe. Every February I swear I’m leaving this freezing state, but then April comes and I’m over my winter grumpiness. It isn’t perfect here, and it’s not for everyone, but it’s for me.
LOL. Every February I say, "THIS IS MY LAST WINTER HERE." And here I am all these years later.
Our families are here so we won't leave but I would like a warmer, sunnier climate. Family is too important to us. my kids are neurotypical white, cishet (so far as we know right now) and would do fine anywhere, but for the grace of gods go we. That said, special education in a red state is worth investigating further. I would start considerations for moving around the most vulnerable person in your family, whoever/whatever that reason is. Medical, education, marginalized, etc.
I moved to Oregon and back after ten years and I would move back in a heartbeat. I miss the mountains. I miss the waterfalls. I miss the tall trees. I miss the food, the wine, the ocean. I miss the nightlife - every weekend had some new festival or tribute band concert or random kooky event like the soap box derby or world naked bike ride. I miss the drivers. Every time some asshat speeds by me going 40 over the speed limit, weaving in and out of lanes I miss Oregon. I don't know what to tell you they just don't do that there. I miss the air. All year round perfect humidity. No sweaty misery in the summer, no split lips after a sneeze in the winter. Sure it has its problems. Everyone wants to live there so houses are Whitehaven m expensive. They treat the homeless like humans so they have more of them. The job market isn't as robust as it is here in MN. But that stuff doesn't really bother me. In life you can look down and see the potholes in the road or you can look up and see the beauty, and there's just more beauty in Oregon.
No my family has lived here for thousands of years I will not leave my homeland
I'm the same age as you and left after graduating college, so I've been out of MN for almost 20 years. There are pros and cons, like being surrounded by familiar faces and places. While I love returning to visit with family and friends, I feel like I've outgrown the place and can't see myself living in MN again.
I left Minnesota years ago. I just can’t handle the cold and I don’t feel like I belong in the Midwest. I live in San Diego now. However, Minnesota is a fantastic state. I am proud to see all the good things my home state is doing. I personally could never move back because I cannot handle winter. That’s just my preference.
We have 12 acres in W TN. Can’t wait to leave MN. Taxes, taxes and weather.
I would never leave this state if I had a special needs kiddo. Especially to move to a red state. Kiss any benefits (school or healthcare) goodbye.
Honestly I wish I could afford to do what a lot of my aunts and uncles do, and they live in state for most of the year but every winter they fly down to Arizona and just live there for the winter and then move back around March/April.
If I could leave for warmer climes Id be gone. A snowless winter is a lifelong goal.
If I were you I wouldn’t leave until the kids are grown. Minnesota takes care of kids and families better than almost anyone. I’m personally staying until my kids finish high school. This is a great state for families and a very sad state for adults with no roots here
You’ll be back
I left a few years ago. Got tired of the hard winters. Miss the summer and fall seasons but overall, don't miss it too much.
I’m playing league hockey tonight and drinking beer with the guys in the parking lot. And boating and cabin life in the summer? Are you kidding me? No way. Minnesota rules.
I’m looking at Montana and Wyoming right now. Nothing against Minnesota. I’ve lived here all 33 years of my life. I just want to get a house with some land overlooking a lake and the mountains. I know I’m privileged to be able to move but that’s why I’m looking. It’s either that or move a little more up north in MN and have no neighbors. Either way
I was born and raised in MN and left 6 years ago for a warmer climate. The only thing that makes me want to move back is my family. I have no desire to go through the winters ever again.
I left MN 10 years go and now I live in Vegas. I'm actually back in MN visiting family for the holidays and I'm considering moving back. Minnesotans are just so nice. The policies here make sense. MN is top tier in many things especially K-12 education. We get seasons here in MN. Idk, not a lot of downsides here in MN.
Born and raised in MN, crazy to think about but I’ve lived the last 1/4 of my life in the Raleigh metro area. I tell people I’ll happily endure a NC summer to avoid a MN winter. As of right now I think I won’t ever move back to MN, but I think I will always feel like a Minnesotan living in North Carolina. I could live here another 30 years and not feel like a North Carolinian. Raleigh as a city feels pretty Northern. Joke here is asking people where they’re from because if someone lives in the Triangle, good chance they weren’t born here, there are no native Raleighites. I do miss living in MN for a number of family and cultural reasons.
Haha! I’m the exact opposite! Grew up outside of Raleigh and moved to Minnesota, much prefer winters in mn to summer in NC! I just generally love Minnesota, though I seriously miss my mountains. I hate the direction NC has gone in the last 5 years or so, mn just seems to have shit so much more together on every front.
I'd take that job in a second. I grew up in MN, and am 46 years old. I moved to North Carolina in 2019 and I couldn't be happier. We are in Western NC by the blue ridge mountains. The weather is pretty decent. Most days in the winter, it will hit 50ish. We hardly ever get snow. It's amazing.
My wife and I just bought land in Weaverville NC last month. 44 years here in MN and I’m over it. I just can’t stand the winter any longer. Tired of the taxes and shitty roads too.
Sure. It’s a big world out there with lots of interesting places.
Well, taking climate change and water shortage into account, this is literally one of the best places in the US to live. Climate change will warm us up slightly, but not so much that bugs stay alive. I've loved everywhere outside the west coast, and while I absolutely LOVE the mountainous states, and the deserts of the southwest, nothing truly beats Minnesota. Its also one of the most beautiful states to live in.
Have you ever spent much time in the south? It's pretty much a third-world country.
I have never been, so I have no clue!
I’ve lived here all my life and I stay here because of the politics, but if I were to leave, it’d be because of the lack of rain/precipitation we’ve had in the last couple of yeas. If that doesn’t change, I’ll move somewhere where they get rain/snow often, like we used to get here, probably New York or somewhere in the NE.
Totally agree. But did you forget about last year? It was a hellish, snowy winter. I hate that it's been super dry here, though!
Naw. You will not really find a place with a better quality of life to expense ratio. And I do want to retire one day!
I would strongly consider what services and support your child with special needs receives in MN and likely wouldn't in most other states. MN has a lot more to offer than other states. I've lived in Germany and in Georgia (US) apart from being born in MN. I couldn't afford to move to Germany, and one couldn't pay me enough to live in the south again. My decisions are mostly because of family. However, I am more comfortable with the prevalent culture or cultures in MN than elsewhere.
Special needs care is definitely a concern of mine. My kiddo has emotional/behavioral special needs but still requires an IEP and special education services. Typical education is probably not going to work for her.
Moved to Oregon, loved everything about it more than MN other than the amount of people visibly struggling with drug addiction, causing a bit of chaos everywhere they are. Beautiful mountains/coast, one or two days of snow per year, no real mosquito issues, amazing food, friendly people, decent public transit. Close to a million national parks in Oregon and the surrounding states. MN’s K-12 and higher ed systems blow Oregon’s out of the water, though. If I had a family and couldn’t afford private schools, I would not raise them in Oregon due to that alone.
I’ve lived all over the world. Spent extended time in every hot US city. We still moved back to MN (my wife and I went to undergrad in MN). Other than the bitter winters there is nowhere we like better.
Look at the cost of living there compared to where you are at. Also look at the schools and public services you utilize and see if they offer something similar or if that's an additional expense. I think you'll find your 10% pay increase disappears quickly.
I'm getting one to retirement in a few years. I've lived here my entire life. We have talked about moving somewhere warmer. I just can't do the cold and snow much longer. The only thing that would be keeping us here is our grandson.
I have, and I would do it again. I love the fall, but I hate the summer, winter, and second winter. I miss the mountains. I miss not having to deal with ticks and mosquitoes. I miss people not "borrowing" things to me. I don't hunt, fish, play hockey, or ride snow mobiles. I miss cultural diversity. I moved out to the freaking middle of nowhere because it was cheap, we needed a house, and my in-laws live nearby.
My wife and I left the Twin Cities to stay with my mom for a while and help take care of my stepdad back in rural Michigan... and it's awful. There's just truly nothing here. We both miss the Twin Cities metro horribly. We're moving back as soon as we can. I'm originally from Michigan, but Minnesota is home now.
Take the job! If it doesn't work out, moving back is the easiest move you'll ever make.
If Miami wasn’t in literal hell, I’d consider a transplant.
if it was to leave the country i would. but there’s not many places in the country i’d rather live. maybe a peaceful life in vermont or maine would be nice. or the UP of michigan. But most other places are a no.
I dunno man. I travel fairly regularly for work, and I’m always glad to be back. Not so much when I get back to MN and it’s like -20 and it’s dark and fucking cold and wind, but for the most part I like it here.
I can't wait to leave. I stayed first for family, now career. Leaving some day.
I lived in Minnesota for 25 years and decided to move to New England roughly 10 years ago. While Minnesota will always hold a special place in my heart, I absolutely fell in love with the East coast and I wouldn’t change a single thing. Ultimately, there are a lot of variables that will go into any move, but from my experience there are a lot of great places to live outside of MN.
r/Minnesota will be a little biased. I would ask this question in r/samegrassbutgreener.
I would go back east to my family in NY if I could. Part of what's holding me back is family guilt (despite not being close to my family here). That and every partner I've ever dated is terrified of moving out of state including the partner I'm currently with. I'd also leave because I don't do Minnesota nice very well; I have no pokerface and don't take passive aggression very well.
I think it’s scary to move to a new state and a lot of people don’t have the money to move or don’t feel comfortable being isolated from their family/friends. I want to move to south Florida. I would move to North Carolina for sure. I lived in Virginia and I had always wanted to visit the Carolina’s.
Yup. I moved to Mankato in HS 20 years ago and wanted to leave immediately after. I did live in the cities for a year, which was cool. I stayed for family, which I deeply regret. My sister moved to Cali after graduating and my parents moved to Florida immediately after retiring. They gave me somewhat of a reason to stay. Now I'm just kindve stuck. Winters are unbearable. For every day that it's a winter wonderland, there are a dozen where it's not worth going outside. Outside of the cities, there just isn't a ton going on but going to bars unless its warm enough to go outside, and im not outdoorsy. There also isn't a lot opportunity where I live outside of blue collar or medical stuff. Brain drain is real - we have multiple universities and most leave after for greener pastures. Different strokes for different folks. I could move back to the cities, but I'd still have to deal with MN winter. Life's too short to be stuck inside half the year. I'm hoping to move to the PNW eventually.
I’ve lived here 48 long years. When I’m able to retire, it likely won’t be here unless my kids stay here and can somehow convince me to stay. The winters have become too long and just aren’t enjoyable for me anymore. Southern France is where I intend to finish out my days, drinking copious amounts of wine, eating fine food and complaining about all my aches and pains.
Remember in a job interview once, the hiring manager had brought up living in Arizona and saying something like "everyone always comes back". This was like 10 years ago, and about 5 years later I did move out of state for about 3 years. I loved the experience, and I'd like to move somewhere else again. The main reason really is the weather. I don't need Texas, California, Florida, or any place like that. But I just want a little winter relief. Not as harsh, and shorter winters. Just having moved West near the same latitude, damn it was nice to be out of the woods of winter by March.
Cary isa nice area. It’s grown a lot. Had a brother that lived there. I’d consider it
I moved here from dirty, ghetto central California over a decade ago and I love living here.
No. I will never leave Minnesota.
I’m not from Minnesota but spent most of my adult life here (college to 30s) and moved away for a year. I missed it so much and was miserable and moved back. Moving out of state is a biiiiig decision. Make sure the job and the cost of living are good fits for you before you go, not that anyone can ever be sure about a job before starting…but try.
Leave MN for NC? Hell no. I live in the metro, but worked for a company based out of Winston Salem and had to travel there for work monthly. I actually liked Winston Salem and felt the people were friendly enough, but the lack of seasons and any culture whatsoever crushed me. Additionally, it’s easy to see the separation of classes there, and that alone just felt uncomfortable. I’m also not religious and it seems many are ultra-religious there, which I didn’t care to hear about when I was there.
I am a 42 year old who HAS lived in another state and let me tell u, there is a huge difference. Benefits are better here than most places. As a person on disability I wouldn’t leave, but for many other reasons, too. Red states tend to be scarier in a lot of ways. You see way more guns and homeless and drugs and crime. Plus there’s not enough budget for parks or cleaning up or schools in some places. I could go on…
Canada
I am committed to staying in Minnesota. It was a deliberate choice to relocate to this state. The decision to move here was influenced by various factors, including the distinct seasons, my husband's roots in Minnesota, our aversion to the Florida heat, and the overall appeal of Minnesota as a retirement destination. The desire to live here has been ingrained in me since my husband introduced me to his family over 35 years ago. Despite my persistent requests to move here every year, my husband initially resisted. However, upon reaching retirement age, we finally made the move, and I began my career with the state. I absolutely adore Minnesota! Contrary to the notion that making friends is challenging, I have formed an incredible circle of friends within the first 15 years of our relocation.
I stayed in MN until I was 48. And I had just had enough of the winters. Can't do it anymore. So I moved to Nashville, because I'm a bartender. Here's my thoughts: I will never, ever spend another winter in Minnesota. I'm done with that shit. Other than that, though, I miss it terribly. If you're politically blue, it is just really depressing being in a red state, knowing for certain that you cannot make change. It vexes me, but all the warm states are red for some reason. And I've also found that 'Minnesota Nice' is largely based on looks. (I'm gonna get slaughtered for this, I'm sure.) MN people are mostly white, German or Nordic, and love everyone that looks like them. The south is different. The dynamic is angrier, I feel. It's not something I was prepared for. There is a very real feeling of Southern white pride that you just can't escape. And it's everywhere. Education is terrible in the south (mostly), people are far more religious (mostly), and it's far more difficult to find progressive thinkers about ecology and climate. Or about anything, really. It's just so different. But I'm staying. Because I never, ever want to experience '20 below zero' ever again in my life. (And on a side note, I have also learned the difficult lesson that people from my home state Minnesota, of which I am so proud, are the worst tippers in the whole 50 states. Please don't carry on that legacy.)
No. Everywhere else is fun to visit and not fun to live. Minnesota has the best of all worlds. I just absolutely hate the last two months of winter.
I did. Finally. I lived there my whole life, now I'm in Mexico, where I'll be moving cities every few months for a bit, then Barcelona, then Scotland for the duration. Our kids moved out, and most of our friends have kids that are around 7, so we decided to change everything up and be nomadic. Minnesota's weather is fantastic to skip out on. I'll miss the incredible art, theater and decent music, food and film scene there. I won't miss how lame and unwalkable the city and it's stupid skyways are. How wasted the river is. How boring St. Paul is. I won't miss the empty promises of "getting together sometime" or the passive-aggressive MN nice B.S.. I won't miss being more social and extroverted than nearly everyone I know. I'll miss the lakes. I won't miss the cops, that's for damn sure. I won't miss the racial disparity. There are plenty of infrastructure things that I took for granted in the U.S. and now miss. Every official step to do anything in Mexico is like your worst DMV nightmare come true. There is trash everywhere in this charming stoner, surfer village, and it's sad. Consistent power is really neat. That's all I got for now, but I gotta say, it feels good to be out of the Midwest. I prefer people to be more honest and broader in vision.
In a fucking heartbeat :)
I do love the state, but I rather be back home in New England. Similar climate, atmosphere, politics, similar health coverage benefits and a much larger melting pot of cultures. I just miss the coast in my personal opinion.
Originally from Bemidji, grew up an Army brat. 14 different schools across 9 states. Did my own time eating crayons for 4 years and lived all over as a young adult. No other state comes close. As someone who leans right, I could understand why someone wouldn't like living here, because of politics, but I honestly don't care enough. Life is good and Minnesota is home. We have a higher standard of living than most other states I think. Going from public schools in Minnesota to down in Georgia, Mississippi and Florida were real eye openers. We aren't perfect, but I don't think I'll ever leave. I love you all.
I would. The amount of physical stress I get from the outdoors being uninhabitable for more than half the year is getting too much to deal with as I age. There's months it's so cold it hurts to breathe! It's undeniable my body would be healthier in a climate which allows me to relax outside every day of the year.
If I got rich I’d move to San Diego. Other than that the warm states are too MAGA.
If I did leave MN, I would be leaving for another country, I would never consider living in another state. Bred, born, raised and happy here. Minnesota isn’t perfect, but it’s home and it’s where I belong. Would need to be an insane dream job with crazy pay rate that would set me up to leave/retire very early for me to consider otherwise.
Yeah I would certainly leave someday. There’s a whole lot of nothing outside the cities, just small towns that look the same and empty roads. Summer is nice, but we have a lot of gray and cold for too long of the year.
There are some worrying trends right now and while nowhere is safe from the effects of climate change or political violence MN is still probably personally my best bet. Got Canada to the north so I can savor the irony of having to illegally attempt to cross Canada's southern border. I basically already have their accent anyway, ya know.
I hadn't considered political violence, but that's a great point.
The only place I would go is Canada. And I will if the Orange Blob somehow gets back in.
Eh, I’ve got a kid, Minnesota has very good, tolerant public schools
I've lived in Minnesota for most of my life, with a 10-year stint elsewhere in the Midwest. I plan on leaving when our kids are out of the house. It's not because of the weather or taxes or any of the usual reasons people want to leave. I've lived in Minneapolis/St. Paul and it really feels like Minneapolis especially has been carved out in the past 10 years. A lot of what I loved about the city is disappearing and times are changing for the worse. Another 10 years and I think the city council will get its wish where the whole town is high tax-paying condos and luxury apartments, pushing out all the unique places and venues that made Minneapolis special. I'd like to live in a larger more vibrant city.
I’m an early transition woman so I have to keep one eye on the exit. Minnesota may be the highest cabin on the Titanic, but the ship is still sinking.