Would You Move To Another State If You Could?

ByKen J. Last Update
97 Comments

I asked this same question 7 years ago (here). I had asked which state you were currently in, and which state you would like to consider moving to, if you could.

Maybe some of you were around back then, and maybe even participated in the poll.

Of those who responded, the three states that most people wanted to leave were California, New York, and Illinois.

The states that most respondents would like to move to were Texas, Washington, and Tennessee.

Bear in mind, this was 7 years ago. Dynamics change. Politics change. Perceptions change. Certainly A LOT has changed recently, and the past year!!

People up and move for various reasons. A job/career may be among the top reasons that people move.

Pulling up roots and moving to another state (or anywhere further away) is not easy. Family, friends, relationships are all affected. Some of them won’t be too happy about it. However it is your life, right? You are the boss of you.

Mrs.J and I have made several major moves throughout our life. From one side of the country to the other. Then over a decade later – back again to search for our rural homestead location. After a few more years we ended up here in northern New Hampshire.

The reason for the first major move was because of a job/career. The most recent major move was out of a motivation to live in a small rural community, slower calmer lifestyle, and try our luck at a bit of homesteading.

For various reasons, I wanted to stay in the northeast. Priorities for me included the politics (freedoms and liberties) of a given state, enough land that I could afford (I wanted privacy), and I wanted to live in a mountainous region if I could. There were many additional criteria, but those were on top.

After a long search, the door opened to our present location. We instantly knew it was the right place for us. More than 6 years later, we’re still here.

Would I consider moving to another state? Well I’ll tell you what… the biggest eye-opener here was (is) the long winters. Tack on a few more months from what I was used to. I don’t like that. But that’s the only thing. Politics here are still favorable to freedom and liberty, thanks to our present Governor (Chris Sununu). Although southern NH is essentially becoming Massachusetts North, the governor is doing a good job maintaining our “Live Free” motto to the extent that he can.

In a perfect world, I would live here from May through October. Then (in a perfect world) move south (somewhere warmer) for November through April, to a state that is still holding the line against tyranny and authoritarianism. Where exactly? I don’t know… Florida? Texas? Somewhere else? Maybe some day I’ll get to research that.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to ask this question again. Would you move to another state if you could? Where and why?


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97 Comments

  1. If Texas secedes, I may be persuaded to head that way…it’s a shame, I really do love my home state, but we are being over run by blue state refugees that leave their demonrat run shit holes, then vote the same crap in here.

    1. KevinH, you had better make the move real quick, us boy’s are waiting for the boarder to close and see people trying to go around the gates. Will probably have a “free fire zone” around the boarder.

  2. If I could move, i would.
    For one it would be nice to live around like minded folks,
    I would love to be able to jump in the truck and head off to another state to take classes or attend events, trade and craft related stuff, we just dont have that here. To be able to go to a range regularly and hang out with other old farts poking holes in paper 600m away just for fun. To be able to actually buy simple stuff like freakin Barge Cement, cant even get the stuff shipped here, hazmat BS, its freakin glue….
    cost of stuff would be better affordable too, everything here costs wayyyyy more.
    Pine trees! I want to live in the pine trees somewhere, i want actual seasons, rather than tourist season. 😳

      1. Mrs U
        its expensive here, going to get much more so, just registering my truck costs me 700+ a year now, our electric bill runs over 300/ month and thats just basics, water in the 200+ range,
        a trip to Costco is typically 600$
        I just am thinking down the road, but honestly may not even make it too far down the road as the left wants to kill us off

        1. Nailbender,
          Well, there are still places in Colorado that are remote enough to live a decent life without politicians calling all the shots. Heck, if you found a pace in SW Colorado, you could trip on down and harass NRP on a regular basis, in person! ( and that might be worth the move in and of itself).

        2. Minerjim:
          JIM!!!!
          Why the heck do I get stuck with him??
          LOLOLOL

        3. Whoa!

          You could come here to the edge of the wilderness in Minnesota for a fraction of your cost if you like the snow, isolation, pine trees, fishing, 4-wheelin, clean water, loons and wildlife. Oh for heavens sake, you’d have to be wealthy to be a homeless person there!

        4. Same here in northern Wisconsin, you can get a house in a small town for under 30K.

        5. Bummin, Stardust,
          never been to either state, im sure lots of really nice country there, it was on my bucket list to do a drive around with truck and RV trailer and go all over the country, i just think that would be fun, actually be a great way to figure out a place to land. We watch those shows like mountain living and the like and there are a lot of really sweet areas all over. Would have a hell of a time talking the other half into a permanent move though, but i suppose if money wasnt an issue she may be amenable to it.
          Ah well, its nice to dream, and if i dont factor in politics etc, where i am is a pretty big blessing really. 😎🤙🏻
          The Lord takes care of me even though im a difficult cuss…
          count the blessings all around me rather than seeking things that may not be mine.

        6. Is it really worth moving to Minn when you have that liberal communist governor in charge ?

    3. Tommyboy:
      Wellll. It ain’t going to happen just dreaming about it.
      And don’t give me that “welllll it would be hard” CRAP.
      BTW I do 600M out the back door. IF I had not lost everything in the boating accident on Navajo Lake

        1. Minerjim:
          Jim, that was not a cow pie, and Blue was the launcher… 💩💩 LOLOL

      2. Oh the hard part i dont care, its the lack o money part that is going to keep me planted firmly here, at least i have a roof over my head, for now anyway,
        but if i ever have the chance and the $ im outta here!

  3. I did just that last year. It was a big undertaking, one I don’t wish to repeat anytime soon, but I still know it was the right thing to do. Moved from WI to a location in the Redoubt. All of the hassle of moving aside, we love our new neighbors and appreciate being able to be our Christian, conservative selves right out in the open.

    1. I have everything on my rural acreage that I would want, A home I built with my own hands only 15 yrs ago, deer to hunt gardens etc, 4 seasons, 30 degrees today inch of snow. But If my wife wasn’t in. early dementia I always thought Montana or Wyoming would be nice. Way less people than where we are now.I’ve spent all 66years of my life within 25 miles of where we live now, but it is too late to move now!

  4. Moving to a different state at this stage of our lives probably will not happen. We are pretty much in place with most of our needs in order.
    The state of Washington is controlled by the socialist leadership in the Seattle-Olympia area. If we did move , Idaho would be the state of choice and it may not completely out of the picture yet. The Idaho air has a little more freedom in it.
    Interesting times of turmoil we are in.

  5. Recently I was diagnosed with Follicular Lymphoma and being in north Texas has its benefits with the medical facilities that is at our fingertips. I am a Texan through and through BUT, I have seen more foreign license plates from California, New York, Connecticut, Washington, Pennsylvania etc, that is making me feel really uncomfortable about what’s next. I understand Governor Abbott wanting to bring business here for the economy which also brings the workers political views, Texas is turning violet as I type. That said, after I kick lymphomas ass me and my beautiful wife of 33 years will eventually retreat to the middle of nowhere Arkansas to the land we have in the mountains with our own water source and electricity from nature to live a simpler life closer to God and His magnificent creations. I have a motto that I have used for years and it has never been more true than for what is happening today, “ Do not draw attention to yourself “, I have removed my NRA and back the Blue decals from my vehicle and I wear just plain old button up shirts with pockets, I’m as grey as grey can be!!

    God Bless everyone,
    Bluecatmatt

    1. i have removed all exterior notices EXCEPT my thin blue line flag flying daily. I REFUSE to NOT back law enforcement…I am , several of our children are, and we will ALWAYS back that community. I DO understand why folks go grey….not putting you down at all.

  6. I live in a small town in western KY. I have kids and grandkids that live in nearby towns. I do not want to move away from my family. I have a house and garage on a city lot. I would like to have a place out in the country with a few acres but I have no mortgage. I am an 52 years old and have had 2 back surguries. I don’t know if I will be able to work long enough to pay off a mortgage. I am looking forward to retiring in 10 years if there is any social security left. I don’t want to have to work another 20 years to pay the mortgage.

  7. Not really. I’d like to move to a less densely populated area, though, in this region, if the opportunity arose. It’s good to have dreams!
    Blessings!

  8. I don’t know about the state, but I would certainly move more rural. If this thing continues, no state or country is going to be safe long term.

  9. Left a purple state last year, and now closer to family in a strongly red county in a purple state. Have a long time friend that I finally convinced to move out of Commiefornia. She bought a place about 200 miles north of me in my state. She was so excited to get a fresh start in her county, which is also strongly red. Yesterday she had a massive heart attack, followed by cardiac arrest and the outcome as of today doesn’t look good. The people that were with her couldn’t do CPR, and it took over five minutes for EMT’s to arrive. For those of you here so inclined, prayers for her would be appreciated. Her name is Barbara.

  11. The vacuum of me leaving the Marxist run Cesspool where I live, will suck people and their vehicles back across the bridge as I cross it into freedom…..

  12. Not going to leave Colorado. Glad we moved OFF the mountain last year, but glader still that we moved to a red county, still rural, but closer in to medical and my work. Putting some energy into encouraging others to go red or at least NOT blue.

  13. Right now we don’t want to move because we are responsible for the care of multiple older relatives.

    But in the nearish future we are thinking of moving to Kentucky. We might buy land there prior to being able to move.

  14. We already moved away from a large metropolis area when our kids were little and have dug in here, ain’t going nowhere. Any reason to move would be a combination of factors; economic, good soil & climate, inland, conservative small town environment where nobody is going to bother us.
    I would never want to live in the city or in the country again. I probably wouldn’t move solely because of politics, but persecution is another thing.

  15. Been there, done that, glad that I did. My name says it all. No need to repeat why I left, it would sound like whining at this point.

  16. I would move out further than we are. Mr. won’t though. He has been here for awhile. The promise to me before we married, was we would get another house. Did not happen, won’t go into it here.
    I love Tennessee and there are some wonderful rural counties in the mountains. Always liked Greenville Tn. My momma is from there. Used to think East Texas would be good, not so sure now. Perhaps out of the country altogether. Some of the tropical lands with many ex pats. Problem is any country could take your land at anytime,,, oh wait that couldn’t happen here,, could it,, rose colored glasses.

  17. Did as God commanded 2.5 years ago getting out of WA for MT. Never regretted it for a moment. I’m in a much better position in every way and the fact that MT went hard red during the last election made it all the better.

  18. We live in a red county and have had our homestead since 1970 so there is a very small chance we would ever leave, however, we did look at other locations. It was mainly for a secondary refuge that had water. We looked at the Oroville, Washington area because of its water and agricultural possibilities. Wallace, Idaho was also an area of consideration. We ended up sinking a lot of money drilling through solid granite, but it paid off in crystal clear liquid gold. If the Powers That Be don’t outlaw ownership of private property, we’re staying put.

  19. I can imagine the conversation at the U-Haul rental: “Hey Moe, did you see what that guy had in the truck? 600 rolls of toilet paper!!”

  20. I’m in Florida. I would leave for two reasons: 1) It’s too hot. I’ve lived here since 1986 and it just wears me out by the end of summer. 2) There are too many liberals moving from northern states. They ruin their own states then when they’ve collapsed it they bring their garbage here. They keep trying to raise taxes here. So I’d move to a cooler, bluer state.

  21. lived in Connecticut ,too expensive too many people,moved to Florida ,too hot and humid, too much traffic, moved to the woods of New Hampshire, absolutely perfect

  22. If I had the money I would definitely move to a more conservative state. i am in the only conservative county in NM and I fear they will come after us someday. They have already removed all government services but we still have to pay taxes. I would move back to Alaska or ID, MT or WY. Maybe even SD. If I were real rich I might buy an island in AK or somewhere. But the living here is very inexpensive so here we are and in a beautiful place, I must say.

  24. Nope, I wouldn’t move out of state.
    This is my grandparents acreage. They made it work, my parents made it work. I’ll make it work.
    This has always been my home and hopefully for my son, who is pretty well set in his dad’s ways.
    I have nearby relatives, acres to walk, ponds to fish, wildlife to hunt and pine trees (kula).

    Politically it’s not great, but red rural sorrounding areas.

    It would take a hellofa lot to make me move.
    Maybe dumb on my part, but I’m not going to surrender or to be pushed out .. Winters seem to get rougher, as I age.

    We liked the horse farms in Kentucky, but was good to come back home.

  25. Moved here to the Four Corners Area right at 40 years ago. Not a state as much as a state of mind, this is home.
    Have moved 3 times in the area.and as I tell folks “I have one more house in me (to build)”.
    Honestly I’ve seen more political CARP and to be honest, I really don’t give a damb. JUST STOP SCREWING THE PEOPLE!!!! Piss in my soup and yar going to have a problem.
    But other than that. Tis a good place to be.
    How many people in your area actually wave (using ALL their fingers) when ya pass each other and stop in the middle of the road just to chat????
    Sure we have some problems but this sure as HELL ain’t Chicago 😁😁😁😁😁

  26. I like the area I live in, but maybe move 20 miles east of here in a cabin on one of the lakes where I can walk the shoreline, swim with the dogs, boat and fish without hauling it. Where I can have coffee on the dock as I watch the morning sunrise, to hear the loons and pee-wees chant their songs, and sit by the lakeside firepit while watching the moonrise through the clouds reflecting in the calm water on a warm late summer night.

    Minnesota is a blue state only because of the Twin City area, but northern Minnesota is mostly red. I have been to all but a few states although every time I saw pine, aspen or birch trees with fresh water lakes, I got homesick to come back here. Since my roots run deep in this sandy soil, I am bound to it heart and spirit.

    2. Went to a gun show last year ( SD ), and sold a ” 06 ” deer rifle to a guy, when he said he was from Minn, I then said give me back my rifle if you are from Minn. His answer was, he was from northern Minn and they can’t stand the S.O.B. governor either ( he used a few more choice words to describe Gov Walz , none were very nice ).

  27. I would and looks like I will in a few short months, spring by the looks of it. Moving from large metro area to rural WV. It’ll be adjustment for sure but I hated, or may be it’s too strong of a word, very much disliked my current life style and surroundings for a long while now.

    1. The only reason I would move around like that is to find my place. My feet are sunk deep into the soil and I’m just not happy if I’m not rooted.

    2. Bumming,
      I know a retired military couple that sold their house and bought a RV IN 2019. They are doing exactly that. Visiting friends and family literally all over the country. They are visiting parks and places of interest along their way. They are having the times of their lives and loving every minute of it.
      The folks that my son bought the farm from next door to us are doing the same thing. Traveling the country…

        1. alfie
          Find a trailer just the right size for the two of you & a pickup truck. Get out a map & take that puppy for a long ride around the block. Take the back roads when possible, see country you have always wanted to visit or look upon. No better way to see what is happening outside your A&O.

        2. If we were to do that I think it would be a club cab truck with a camper.

    4. Not full time, maybe a thought to escape the winter cold for a month down south. I would love to go to campgrounds right up the road and in my area if I had an RV in the summer. Many campsites are open on lakeside and they are spacious lots, have some facilities but they are non electric, and you can pull your boat on the beach in front of your site. Some are boat access only and free—if you want to go Lewis and Clark style, set up a tent and it is the freest way of living. I used to help manage many of those campgrounds in my former job.

  29. We moved from panhandle Florida over a year and a half ago to a rural area a few hours away where DH grew up. We liked Florida, but it was getting very crowded out by our little farm. The culture here is not attractive to liberals looking to escape their state, but it suits us. Our daughter and her family moved as well, and she and our niece are building houses within sight of us on the farm.

  31. I think I would move to Texas, North Dallas area, if I wan’t tied to the Northern Seattle ‘burbs due to a widowed Mother.

    I like the Sound, trees, and mountains, but it is increasingly not worth it due to the progressive politics of western WA. I am increasingly feeling like a stranger in a strange land..

  32. We are sorting and packing right now ,want out of Washington state ,back to Idaho, have home and holdings there not a big shock to go back,,,have place and family in Alaska but age and broken has cought up with me ,if Idaho don’t work out we are looking at going back to Costa Rica ,like the slower pace of life there ,,, but idaho has been home before , have family on the reservation,,,,,,,my country has left me,this is not my America
    Tea and chocolate

  33. Staying put to old and crippled up , moved here 22 years ago and never looked back , summer is bad with tourists but gas prices should change that and the locals will be happy . The entitled will have to stay down in their cess pool tsk tsk pity

  34. I guess you have to adapt and be happy with your conditions, thankfulness, appreciation. It might help to input some positiveness, like volunteering to your community to make it good.

  35. I moved out of California some time ago, my current state is turning crappy however where I live is in very good shape. If things “go south” out here I can always move about 50 miles to the east into a very conservative state.

    1. 92-B,

      By the time things “go south”, it will be almost impossible to move. If you think you are called to do so, best do it now.

      1. Better yet, all you people who have lived, voted and supported commies in “blue states”, please STAY WHERE YOU ARE! Your very existance and acceptance of these socialist ideals made your current states what they are now.

        We do not want you in free states. All you’ll do is speed up the process in current free states

        Thanks!

  37. Hmm, been here 52 yrs ( 75 mi from where I was born ) the kids are here, I’m in my mid 70’s now. I do a two , three road trips a year. just killing time ( so to speak )until I can be with my wife again ( cancer, three and half yrs ago ).. Would I move again, maybe if I was younger and knew what I wanted. No, I don’t owe anybody for anything for any reason. I can go out to the barn and fart around, or take the .22 out and help the ground squirrels run faster ( especially in the garden ). No, it’s just me and pup and my wife’s damm cat now. I think I did start something at christmass time, I bought my grand daughter a discovery flight and now she has had two flight lessons ( guess who is paying for those ) so far )). No, my one son is a mile away, my son in law is 15 mile away and my youngest son is 9000 miles away ( don’t know if I’ll ever get to meet those two girls because of the political and health situation ). Sorry everyone, didn’t mean to ramble on and on . Oh, by the way, I live in SD

  40. I would move out of here, but too many anchors. Family, business, properties. I would much rather stay and change this State for the better..wishfull thinking… After a lifetime of watching other States I have been to change, I have no idea where is good anymore. I wish you all the best where ever you all are.

  41. I’m currently looking to purchase some additional acreage over in Louisiana. I’ll keep my farm here. Just wanting a good get away place for some duck hunting and fishing. The added bonus is if Texas keeps on the downward spiral, then I have a place to move. My family has lots of land in SW La but I prefer northern La on the flyways. I looked last year at a very nice mountain property in the Ouachitas but I passed on it. It was a great place and I do regret not buying it.

    1. Moved back to Ga. three years ago. We have everything set up pretty much as we want it (you are never through!). The advantage is that being South of Atlanta, we can garden year round. We do use some crop covers in Jan/Feb. Our road is all Red, with one exception. We are all second amendment all the way and have each others backs. I don’t like July/Aug. but there is no perfect place. There are places in N.C. I like but the prices are crazy. Would consider Southern Mo. where we lived for twenty some years. You almost have to know someone to recommend an area. Just saying a state is good or bad does not work. There are many good places in the country, many unknown to most, that are great places to live. Sorry about the election…our candidates were lousy. I would have voted for a chicken (and did) but there were lots of reasons for the outcome.

      1. You’re right about there is no perfect place. It doesn’t exist. Especially when we’re talking about huge area generalizations such as States. It always boils down to local. However State laws do regulate / impeded liberty and freedoms to the extent that they do in any particular state. In that regard, some States are more free than others :)

        1. Ken,
          I would point out that the farther you are from the state capital, the more lax some laws will be enforced. Case in point:Idaho in the 80s. Gambling and prostitution in the panhandle of the state but absolutely forbidden down in Boise. Hasn’t changed much today. I am on the other side of the state from our capital, number of laws openly not enforced. At least here in the western interior states.

        3. Minerjim,

          Good grief. I wasn’t specifically referring to the, um, ladies of the evening part, just the part about how localities decide for themselves how to deal with laws they don’t agree with. (I really need to read things more slowly, you know, take them in more fully when commenting.)

  44. We will be moving from this state soon… I’m currently in the People’s Republik of Kalifornia and between Newsom, COVID and taxes, I know I’m not alone! The other day I got a 1099 from the Franchise Tax Board, so I can claim my tax refund as income, so I can pay taxes on it!

    HOW IS THAT LEGAL????

    I’ve mentioned it before to the community, but DW and I bought 15 acres in northern ID a couple of years back. We finally have a retirement date (~ a year form now) and once we are done with our careers we are out of here!

    And before any of our future neighbors start getting worried about outsiders coming in and bringing their stupid politics with them rest assured we will never vote for Dem policies, higher taxes or school bonds!

  45. :-( yes in SW Washington, St lived here 60+ years, sorry to say moving would be great, Id, Mont etc or even Belize, but then I would not be able to complain about Dictator Inslee and his gestapo. “Hmm I hope I do not get a visit for that comment!!”

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