New place to live

Hello folks. I am approaching retirement and am considering departing the state of Washington for lots of reasons. Some things I would be looking for in a new state are red politics, pro-gun culture, law and order, forest, cold enough to burn, free enough to burn, less people and traffic, more larger residential lots, agriculture, low crime, plenty of water, hills and mountains. Don't need a job but don't want a depressed area full of tweakers and thiefs.

Maybe that's asking too much. Do you like where you live? I'm about a year out from stopping work as a civil engineer for a 10k population city after almost 30 years in the profession.

Thanks

 

I've heard that MT is the most beautiful state in the country. If I ever move again, which is highly unlikely at this point but not ruled out, my criteria will include being a Red state and cold enough to burn wood at least some of the time.

 

Colorado has gone downhill rapidly in the last few years.

 

Not a lot of trees in Wyoming. Makes privacy, firewood, and lack of wind a bit tougher. Is there a particular part of Wyoming you'd recommend?

 

Sounds like mid to southern Ohio...well, as long as you stay away from Columbus and Cincinnati. Southeastern Ohio has terrain a lot like West Virginia, forested and very hilly...pretty cheap living too.

 

I had been poking around southern Missouri. The ozarks.

 

I've seriously considered that particular area myself. I really like the terrain and (outsider looking in) just about everything else you've mentioned. The only way I could do it is to retire there, as I wouldn't want to keep the financial obligations I have now and move to a state where I'd be making considerably less. I also don't hear too much about people fleeing their states and flocking there, which is a huge plus in my book. Florida and Texas come to mind in that category. The Ozarks of Missouri seem like a great place for someone in your position. I'm torn between there when I retire and living with nomadic goat herders in a yurt on the steppes in Kazakhstan You never know how things are going to look here in another 30 years

 

south central Indiana is the same. Watch Ohio sneaky taxes. Referendums everywhere and extra layers of government. Do t just look at house tax.

 

I like trees too. Eastern WY is barren in that regard. Once you get west and start into elevations, the lodge poles are ubiquitous.

I rather enjoyed most of what I saw driving through Arkansas a few years back. Reminded me of home a bit.

There are problems no matter where one chooses to reside. Some folks prefer to deal with people problems, I much prefer the problems that come with less people.

 

That's my preference.

 

This is prophetic and copied again because it is simple statement that is so Accurate

 

Southern Indiana has everything on your list but mountains.

 

Summers are pretty hot & humid there.

It is a very picturesque place. Southern MO & NW AR are pretty similar except extreme NW AR is very populated.

Believe it or not Eastern Oklahoma has a lot of trees & some smaller mountains or large hills.

But again all three have pretty hot humid summers.

You might look out around Green River, WY or extreme northern Utah around the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.

I always liked Lincoln, MT, no idea why but I always enjoyed going thru that area.

Happy hunting.

 

I wouldn't call Ohio red or blue. I think it's fairly moderate overall. But the cities are definitely blue and the rural areas are red. Also though not strict on gun control there's no rifle hunting allowed. Don't know why its not allowed in Southeast Ohio. Between the trees and hills a bullet isn't going very far

 

I also liked green river Wyoming but that was 30 years ago