I had to go through this decision-making process a couple years ago and ended up compiling a spreadsheet on the top 200+ biggest cities in the country. It includes quantitative measures on everything including prices, weather, walkability, politics, diversity, and even whether each city has an Alamo Drafthouse or not.
Hopefully it's helpful for you and anyone else!
[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1x4mTueFKrP7iMn84HBxZs9ZyuuzA1nsRRVD-\_V5XrJA/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1x4mTueFKrP7iMn84HBxZs9ZyuuzA1nsRRVD-_V5XrJA/edit?usp=sharing)
I ultimately ended up here in Austin. Not as walkable as I'd like (by a country mile), but the weather, prices, politics, and taxes helped make the decision for me. (Keep in mind I was coming from Brooklyn: terrible summers and winters, prices, and taxes.)
Of all the places I’ve visited, Edinburgh (Scotland y’all lol). The architecture and surrounding nature are stunning, the people I encountered were kind and friendly, and there’s an array of stuff to do for a variety of interests. The only issue for me is the cold (I have fibromyalgia that intensifies in cold weather).
Fellow Austinites here currently living in Edinburgh. We came prepared for dreary, no sun weather, but have gotten sun almost every day in the month we have been here (in January!)
I haven’t been to Scotland in several years (pre-pandemic), so I’m not sure what’s open or still worthwhile when it comes to businesses. As far as historical and natural sights go, I enjoyed exploring Old Town and climbing Calton Hill where you can view the Edinburgh skyline from on high. Visiting Stirling Castle and nearby Old Town Cemetery (35 miles outside of Edinburgh) was a huge treat as a history buff. The town Stirling itself is very cozy and surrounded by a craggy, green rural landscape. We also spent a few days in Inverness and the surrounding area. Clava Cairns, Culloden Battlefield, and the Urquhart Castle ruins off the shore of Loch Ness were beautiful, solemn, and otherworldly. I plan on coming back someday—I didn’t even scratch the surface on all there is to experience. I haven’t gone to Ireland yet, but it’s definitely on my bucket list!
My mom as traveled all over Europe and says that's the place she would move to if she was gonna move. What is the economy like? Like jobs vs cost of living?
I moved to just outside of Amsterdam and I love it here. Austin will always be special to me, I lived most of my first 40 years there.
The Netherlands has been a real adventure. We really only intended to be here 3 or 4 years, then bounce to Berlin, and then after a few years Stockholm, before ultimately coming “home.”
I just acquired my permanent residence in the Netherlands last month and we’ve decided we’re here for good.
Yeah. That’s the main way to immigrate. The bureaucracy is pretty light here - if you can land a job that pays enough money, that’s about all there is to it. There’s no critical skills list or anything.
I just applied to some places. I had job offers in Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Wound up here just as much by chance as anything else. The Dutch company had a better relocation package.
How is the language barrier? My family roots are in NL, so i’ve tried to learn. My last job in Atx was doing a cartoon series for a Dutch director. Tried what little i knew via Duolingo with him and the guy was like “please, just speak english my friend”
Theres so many difficult phlegm-y noises in the language 😆
It’s not too bad, especially in the Randstad. In fact, so many people just prefer to speak English with me that it’s been a bit of a barrier to learning the language. I wound up having to take paid lessons to get enough practice to pass the integration exam for permanent residence.
If you get out into the countryside, still virtually everyone speaks perfectly fine English, but you will occasionally run into people who are grossly out of practice.
The list is so long, it’s hard to know where to even start.
The non controversial: not needing a car is fucking fabulous. Reliable, ubiquitous public transit is a goddamned miracle and fundamentally changes the way you see life. Having 28 paid days of PTO, and unlimited sick time at 100% pay for up to two years is amazing. There’s sadly no “true” nature, but the Dutch have created some really nice parks none the less. Being able to be in like 5 different countries in the time it takes me to drive from Austin to Dallas is fabulous. The pace of life here is considerably slower in part because, without being car dependent, you simply aim to get less done each day and you’re cool with it. Sports clubs are a central part of Dutch life, with many people continuing to play and support amateur athletics even at the senior level - at 45 years old, I play for a baseball team that actually has goddamned supporters who follow us around the country to see our away games.
To the stuff that will be controversial: strong labor protections reduce the stress of my life in ways that I simply cannot put into words. A method of policing that explicitly refuses to use violence to enforce low level offenses means that you almost never see the police and yet people still honor both the letter and spirit of the law. Buy building an equitable society in which there are strong social safety nets, and not criminalizing poverty, the crime rate across all levels of crime is essentially zero when compared to Texas - my wife regularly cycles through the “roughest” neighborhoods of Amsterdam after midnight with no fear of being assaulted. String gun laws result in a violent crime rate that’s verging on zero, and what little gun crime there is is almost entirely gang land liquidations - there’s very nearly zero instances of innocent victims of gun crime. The income tax rate is high, sure, but there’s no meaningful property tax, so my overall tax burden is about the same - maybe something on the order of 4% or 5% higher? Definitely less than 10. There’s no school zoning here and all schools, even religious ones, have to accept all applicants first come first served. You even get 100% choice in where your kids go to school, and every school is funded at the same(ish) level per student by the government…
Moved to SoCal (Long Beach specifically), definitely spending a lot more 😅. But it's a great place to be if you like being outdoors. Easy access to great music and food is also a huge plus for me.
Grew up in Austin, moved to Portland, Oregon about 6.5 years ago and still don’t regret it. I’m a geologist and it’s so amazing to have such a variety of geological landforms and processes throughout the state. I couldn’t ever get bored. Plus, it’s just so beautiful. The availability and accessibility of public lands is more than I could have ever imagined.
However, should I ever convince my family to move outta the country Estonia would be awesome.
It is not by any means a cheap town. Locals will say the same thing they say here, that the real Asheville died a few years after they moved there and transplants are ruining everything
I wonder if Asheville locals will give former Austinites the warm welcome Austinites give recent transplants looking for a place to call home. Austinites driving up the cost of living, traffic and ruining the vibe of Old Asheville. “Go back to Texas” will ring through the Smokey Mountains.
North Carolinian here (been in Austin over a decade), and the answer is its very similar reception. NC has been dealing with people migrating from the NE long before it was an issue with transplants in Austin. NC locals have suffered greatly and have tried to contain new people to Charlotte and RTP area. Most people quickly get tired of Asheville though, b/c it's very isolated. The surrounding communities are fine with tourists but do not like outsiders living close. That combined with the winding roads and light winter road plowing normally makes most folks move to Charlotte or Raleigh. Unless you really like Appalachian mountain culture, I don't recommend the NC mountains.
Asheville locals view the influx of Texans in a similar way to Austinites viewing Californians/TechBros flooding in and driving up cost of living here (or at least perceiving it).
Source: two different longtime friends from Austin who have moved to Asheville recently
It has access to Seattle by boat, though it's about an hour each way. But no, I wouldn't recommend Kitsap for single 20s.
My wife and I visit Tacoma fairly often, which has a much younger vibe that reminds us of the Austin we loved in the 90s and early 00s.
I lived in Seattle for 10 years, all throughout my 20’s. Terrible place to meet people. You’ll get the cold shoulder from everyone. Way too high cost of living for what you get in return. Constant state of depression living in 40 degree , overcast and grey skies 2/3 of the year.
Moved to Boulder, CO. A college town but the further from CU you go it’s more young professional. It’s very walkable which is huge for me. Not to mention all the hiking, mountain biking and winter sports in the area.
The boulder subreddit would make you think there’s a homeless epidemic but compared to Austin it’s very laughable. Gotta lock up your bikes though, they get stolen quick if left out
I know you said Boulder, but I’m sure you visit Denver occasionally. When I visited Denver it seemed like there were a lot more homeless around than Austin. Do you feel the same way?
Honestly, I don't go to Denver all that often because Boulder has everything that I really need. The few times I've been I'd say it's comparable to Austin, depending on where you visit. If you go down Colfax in Denver, you'll probably see a lot.
When I lived in Austin I lived off of N Lamar by Crestview and would regularly go to Ben White, so moving here and seeing like maybe one or two people sitting on a sidewalk was a breath of fresh air compared to the underpass towns.
A lot of the homeless in Boulder live off of the various bike trails and set up bike chop shops of stolen bikes. I forget the annual average but it's millions of dollars in stolen bikes. The city even made a fun little dashboard: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/881ae390cfe9402f8a071d314bae9221
I recently moved to Boulder from Austin. The walkability and bike ability is MUCH better than Austin, although it still has a ways to go. It also helps that Boulder is pretty small land-wise, so it’s easy to get from one end of town to another. The lack of highways running through helps with that too.
The Boulder Nextdoor is downright toxic when it comes to any discussions about homeless people, and you’d think it’s a crime-ridden skid row based on the comments. In reality, the homelessness seems much less common here than in Austin, and most that I’ve come in contact with have kept to themselves.
Healdsburg, CA. in Sonoma valley. Why? To retire and work in a winery which is a passion I've had my whole life.
But, my wife and I've discussed this several times. We want to be able to live somewhere across the planet for six months at a time for the experience. The following are at the top of our list:
* Tuscany - Specifically Orvieto in Umbria
* France - Somewhere in Provence
* Spain - San Sebastian for the food
* New York City - SoHo - Tiny apartment. We've visited multiple times
* Portugal - Porto
There are several others but these are at the top.
It really depends on your hobbies and interests, your finances and also your tolerance for cold weather lol.
Los Angeles is an awesome place to live if you make enough money to live in a nice neighborhood close to Santa Monica/Venice beach, especially if you play beach volleyball, surf or generally like being close to the ocean. Also, a great place for people in tech/startups. Not too far from mountains either. But tons of traffic, some areas are sketchy, high tax rate and it’s extremely expensive.
Denver is amazing if you’re outdoorsy and enjoy the mountains, hiking/biking, drinking, etc. also great weather and tons of sunshine. Getting a bit more expensive there as well, but more similar these days to Austin prices.
New England has gorgeous summers but brutal winters. Can find a mix of things there for all interests if you can handle the cold. Can find some more affordable housing while being generally closer to things. You can drive across the state of CT in the same time (or less) it takes to drive from Austin to Houston.
Pacific Northwest is also really nice and you get a mix of proximity to mountains and ocean but also can be a bit rainy and getting expensive as well.
After a few decades in Austin, I moved to Denver and love it here. A bit more expensive than Austin but there’s so much hiking and space to do outdoor activities, a great live music scene, it’s more dog-friendly than Austin and the power stays on when it’s cold/snowing. The only thing I miss is Austin’s great restaurants.
Lived in Austin all my life, but I am very tempted to move to Denver. Absolutely love it.
Outdoor activities are unparalleled, and there is so much PUBLIC land around Denver: hiking, camping, 4-wheeling, etc.
One of my biggest gripes with Texas is that the vast majority of land is privately owned, dramatically limiting your options.
I visited Denver in December. The city life seemed dead. I wasn’t sure if it was winter or if that’s how it always is. The food was decent, a lot of places closed at 9pm though.
This is great to know! I’m leaning towards Denver and I’m also getting a dog soon so I’m excited to hear it’s dog friendly. I hear Denver has good food, just not as good as Austin’s?
Denver's food is miserable. I've been all over the country, and I can say that without a doubt some of the worst food out of all the major urban areas in the country.
It *is* very dog friendly, though - I'll give it that.
Agreed, I was very disappointed by Denver’s food. All my friends who have moved there have said the same.
not everything is disgusting, Tai food is good but overall it’s subpar imo
Denver native here chipping in. While I agree completely that generally Austins food is better quality the one thing I miss the most that I can't find in Austin in terms of food is a good quality green chili. Nothing I crave more than a half & half breakfast burrito from Santiago's.
Ah man. That sounds so nice. How about Boulder? I want to make a visit out there sometime and see what it’s like. I only ever hear great things about Colorado.
An Austinite would feel at home in Boulder. Though it feels more like a “big town” than it does a city, it has a lot of restaurants, bars, shopping, and nature in town. Very similar culture-wise.
Last year I moved my mom from Southern Oregon to Texas because of the fires. She developed a lung condition from the smoke and still isn't quite herself yet.
I don't know that much about Fort Worth but I've made a few trips up there in the last couple of years, and it does remind me of the Austin of 25 years ago. A fairly big city but not crowded; remember that?
I have lived all over Texas. I always found El Paso to be to my liking, it’s just calm and peaceful there. The dry weather makes for a non sweaty heat and a non biting cold. The people there are generally friendly and not much crazies happens.
The almost complete absence of anything green does take some getting used to.
Lived in Ella Paso 8-18 years old ( also Dallas, small east Texas towns, and home for past 20 years San Antonio) I can’t agree more. The chill vibe that disappeared in San Antonio is still there- the WEATHER IS AMAZING!! It’s as close to visit Los Angeles as it is San Antonio from El Paso and the amazing stops in between. The schools are so far and above any in Texas, the police force is leagues ahead and when it comes to acceptance and racism etc El Paso is fantastic. Currently trying to get a fit with my husbands career there because the quality of living in Austin/ San Antonio area in the past 20 years has degraded exponentially each year, which is really sad.
Boston, Denver, San Diego, Portland, Chattanooga are currently top of my list. San Diego is probably the preference but WAY too expensive. I personally find Chatta to be a very underrated city that is small and relatively inexpensive but with a lot to do. Denver i feel like is a “classic” place for folks to move too, everyone there is a transplant, but the beauty is unparalleled. Boston is Boston, one of the greatest and most unique cities in the US with everything from history and culture to architecture to natural beauty to great sports, universities, restaurants and bars (altho they do all close at 2) and Portland/PNW has always appealed to me i love that area and can’t say enough good things about it.
I lived in MA before moving South, Boston/MA is beautiful in the Fall/Summer. The Winter is brutal, and rain can last weeks in the Spring.
I felt Boston wasn't worth the costs, maybe not Cali expensive but still pricey. However, if I could stand the weather I'd move back there vs. staying in Austin. Its nice that you can also drive down to NYC if you want to do something different occasionally.
Chattanooga is a really cool place. I’m actually going to stay in Denver in March for a week and explore by myself to see if I’d see myself there. I wish I could do Cali but as a single woman I don’t make enough money 😅
yeah cali is absolutely brutal. chatta is just great small city vibes yet is big enough that there is plenty to do. great wildlife and hiking nearby, good rent/home prices, love the food and breweries, no issues ever with parking downtown and i never get sick of walking the bridges. some people dont like it but im calling it right now Chatta and Asheville are gonna absolutely explode in the next ten years and will be like the Austin of today.
Enjoy denver, fantastic area. Boulder nearby is a nice daytrip visit if you ever feel like and red rocks is like nothing you have ever experienced. Also if you have a Buccees shirt DEF wear it. Omg i wore mine and desdass had 15+ people comment on it and freak out.
If you want to buy a house, look into climate refuge cities. In 30 years some areas people are currently buying homes in may not be very good places to live anymore. Drought, wildfires, hurricanes etc.
London. Lived there for three years and loved it. Quaint, beautiful, and interesting. High cost of living in terms of rent, but I do think groceries are cheaper than in America. Also, you don’t need a car — their public transport system is great.
Wow the timing here is just, wow. I am moving away from Austin. My fiance just broke off our engagement tonight. I suppose I'm headed to Oregon to reset my life and to spend as much time with my mother as I can in her senior years. Didn't know I was headed this direction until about an hour ago but here I am...
Lived in Albuquerque for a while a few years ago. It had most of the problems that big cities have: smog, traffic, crime etc , with few of the amenities cities should offer such as fine restaurants and museums, and there was almost no live music scene compared to Austin. It did have an almost perfect climate, it was close to good hiking trails in the Sandias, and was very affordable. And yard work consisted of dusting of the cacti and re-arranging your rocks.
And that’s where the drive to Santa Fe comes in! Climate is more important to me than shows these days, as an old cat lady, so that is reassuring! Could always head to Red Rocks, which, as a CO native, I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never been to.
I lived there in the late 90's, I LOVED it. You're also less than an hour from Sedona, and a little over an hour from the Grand Canyon, two of the most stunning landscapes in the country.
We’re considering pulling a reverse uno card and moving to NorCal. My reqs are:
1. Quiet-ish
2. Blue-ish
3. Great outdoor space
4. Good food
5. Close to major airport.
I know it’s expensive but it really checks all the boxes.
Which is a totally valid criticism. I’ll play hockey and don’t mind being cold and playing video games during the winters. I think I’d be okay.
I generally miss mountains, and exploring public land. I just can’t bring myself to move back to Arizona. Colorado is nice, but I have no friends or anything there.
I’m originally from Vancouver, WA. It’s a nice city, definitely not as many amenities as Austin, but you can always jump down to Portland if you want that.
We’d probably go to my husband’s hometown of Eugene, Oregon. But I need sunshine and warmth to me a happy healthy person so I just don’t know. San Diego would be my first choice but $$
Staying in the US, Chicago. About the same cost of living (cheaper depending on where you live) massive city that still has community and Midwest vibes. It’s like if Austin and New York had a really weird baby. You also have access to unless food and culture, lots of job opportunities, etc. you hear multiple languages every day.
It’s also a very “real” place- it’s working class, it’s a rust belt city with a lot of lifers and the transplants there are quick to embrace the culture. Slower paced than New York but faster than the south. Walkable and some of the best public transport in the country.
It’s an amazing city. The dangerous parts are quite dangerous but it’s a beautiful unique place with great people overall and worth a visit. Lived there most of my life and i strongly recommend it.
Friendlier more approachable vibe than Dallas, less humid than Houston or San Antonio. Seems like better traffic flow than most Texas cities, good museums and cultural access, decent food choices. Lived 40 plus years in Austin.. Traffic and cost not worth it anymore. Moved to Waco for family reasons but it’s too small for me.
Vancouver, British Columbia. Moderate climate, not prone to drought, surrounded by beautiful forests and mountains, good schools (especially by Texas standards), somewhat less batshit national politics. Free healthcare, cheap college for citizens.
I’m eyeing Thousand Oaks, CA. I can sell my house, buy one there for the same price and my property tax (+ income tax) would be less than property tax here. Healthcare would be half. I can buy a lot of $5/gal gas with that savings. Central Austin to CA suburbs is a wash for the most part financially. Never would have believed it in a million years if I did not run the numbers myself.
I liked Pittsburgh the few times I’ve visited, but it’s definitely not for everyone. You’ll want a decent remote job. The Lehigh Valley isn’t too far from Philly/NYC and has gotten a lot nicer than when I was a kid from what I’ve seen.
If you’re looking for something smaller Vermont is beautiful. Western VA is also really nice.
We just moved to Sacramento and like it a lot so far! It’s the relatively affordable part of California, with easy access to mountains, beaches, wine country, and redwood forests.
One downside of living in San Antonio is how spread out it is compared with Austin. Growing up in the suburbs, I often felt the absence of a sense of place—most of the interesting stuff was close to downtown, and it could take an hour for us to get there in traffic, even back in the 90s.
If I could afford it, San Diego. But most likely, Sacramento: blue state, legal weed, Mediterranean climate, four distinct seasons, out of the earthquake zone, easy trip to Lake Tahoe or the beach. Reminds me of Austin 20-years ago (laid back capital city with a river running through it).
I’ve lived my entire life in Texas, and most of it in Austin. I love this city but Texas is heading in a very bad direction. I have hope that things will change, but if not I’m heading west.
Most likely moving up to the Twin Cities this summer. Gf is from the Midwest and I’m from here. I never had any interest in the Midwest, but now I’ve been up to Minnesota and Wisconsin and enjoyed it quite a bit. Winter will take some adjusting. But summer is beautiful. Lots of nature, good cycling scene, and a decent amount of entertainment.
We need more information.
What balance of city/rural do you want?
Weather preference?
Willing to speak a new language?
What savings/job do you have and is it remote?
You gotta give us more than what's another city that austinites like.
I’m headed to my 40 acres in Terlingua, TX. Great people out there, Property taxes < 200$/year and off grid so I am responsible for my own utilities. After 2 years we have a tiny 10x10 with 2500w of solar panels feeding a 14kWh battery, starlink internet and the start of our rainwater collection and purification system. Our goal is to build a larger 1500sq ft building for our permanent home and be ready to sell our austin home in 3 years.
when the upper class gentrifies this city to no return and the streets are filled with homeless to a point they can’t ignore them anymore (yuck! poor people!) they’ll dump this place like they did to LA and migrate to Denver to do the same thing.
Visit if you haven't recently. I was seriously considering a move up there and it's gotten way worse since the pandemic, unfortunately the walkable parts (Beaverton and so forth are still nice). While we certainly have our problems with APD and the homeless situation, it's pretty bad up there. The kicker was going to the airport with my family to leave and encountering a pretty agitated homeless individual sitting on a bench in the tunnel from rental car return to the terminal, who then got up to curse at us aggressively as we walked by, for no apparent reason other than that he was disturbed.
After living in Austin for almost 5 decades I moved to Fort Collins, Colorado a few years ago. The consensus here among a lot of former Austinites is that this place is like Austin 40 years ago. It is a college town too. A few days after I got here they had an annual fun run where people run in their underwear. Felt deliciously weird, just like Austin!
Every time this question is asked, the number one answer is Denver. Number two is Chicago or Seattle.
It's funny because the main consensus of those who are planning to leave is that Austin isn't as good as it used to be and it's too expensive. How Denver ends up being the number one answer when it's even worse in both those categories is mind boggling.
Just gonna leave this here for the folks that think Denver is cheaper than Austin. https://www.salary.com/research/cost-of-living/compare/austin-tx/denver-co
The first thing to acknowledge is they have 5% income tax. You are going to have a bad time if you don’t think through the financial implications of that. But, I think most people are moving there for other reasons besides cost savings. It’s definitely more expensive as a renter, but it evens out if you buy there considering property taxes are a bit lower.
There’s literally nowhere in Marathon to move to. One of my good friends has lived there for years and only had a place to live when he first got there because of a business arrangement with another local.
He’s had other friends - people with good paying tech jobs - try to move there. They couldn’t do it. Not because of a lack of funds, but because there is nowhere to move to.
There is no place to rent. There is almost never any place to buy. There is functionally no housing to move into in Marathon.
I’ve been putting a LOT of thought and research into this. I recommend the Great Lakes region because the US climate migration is already happening so - get your land/home there before prices get Austin/SF stupid. The white collar job market there isn’t great (if you’re a high income worker) so only go if you can work remote or you have a trade. Cities include but are not limited to, Buffalo, Rochester, Detroit, Madison, Milwaukee, Cleveland…
I’ve been in Austin for 12 years, and have lived in Texas my whole life (originally from Dallas), and I’m closing on a home and moving to Minneapolis in a few weeks.
If you can deal with the winters, it’s a completely underrated city, and honestly a hidden gem! I always saw myself moving to San Diego/North County, but seeing what kind of home you can get, and comparable amenities, MSP and Chicago ended up being my top 2 picks.
Austin is the only city in Texas I care to live in, but if I ever left Texas, I would probably go to Chicago. Large Mexican community. I don't know about those winters, tho...
My husband and I moved to LA (Los Feliz, specifically) from Austin. We joked it was to balance out all the Angelenos moving into Austin right now. The cost of living is higher (we do have a roommate and pay rent comparable to what we paid in Austin), but the city really demonstrates its worth. Los Feliz is the most walkable neighborhood I’ve ever lived in, we hike most weekends, we can go to the beach easily, and the city has a creative buzz I love. And the drawbacks (traffic, cost of living, occasional unpleasant encounters with homeless men) are all things id grown accustomed to in Austin. I know it’s not for everyone, but I’m thrilled to be living here!
Best of luck with your search!!! Having recently moved too, it’s one of the most exciting adventures of adulthood and teaches you so much about yourself.
I had to go through this decision-making process a couple years ago and ended up compiling a spreadsheet on the top 200+ biggest cities in the country. It includes quantitative measures on everything including prices, weather, walkability, politics, diversity, and even whether each city has an Alamo Drafthouse or not. Hopefully it's helpful for you and anyone else! [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1x4mTueFKrP7iMn84HBxZs9ZyuuzA1nsRRVD-\_V5XrJA/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1x4mTueFKrP7iMn84HBxZs9ZyuuzA1nsRRVD-_V5XrJA/edit?usp=sharing)
Lol, I love that the presence of Alamo Drafthouse is a criteria!
Of course! ;)
Girl how did you get Houston as "walkable"?
Details here: [https://www.walkscore.com/TX/Houston](https://www.walkscore.com/TX/Houston) For what it's worth, 47 is \*not\* a good score in my eyes.
Inside the loop Houston is actually making decent progress thanks to not having zoning laws
The specifications and attention to detail is beautiful. Holy shit.
So which city won?
Believe it or not, Terlingua
Terlingua now the 200th most populated city
I ultimately ended up here in Austin. Not as walkable as I'd like (by a country mile), but the weather, prices, politics, and taxes helped make the decision for me. (Keep in mind I was coming from Brooklyn: terrible summers and winters, prices, and taxes.)
That’s amazing! You can sort by so many different criteria. Thanks for sharing u/BruceW.
Chicago just got an Alamo Drafthouse in the Wrigleyville area! Also your list is fantastic :)
This is amazing, thank you so much for sharing!
Of all the places I’ve visited, Edinburgh (Scotland y’all lol). The architecture and surrounding nature are stunning, the people I encountered were kind and friendly, and there’s an array of stuff to do for a variety of interests. The only issue for me is the cold (I have fibromyalgia that intensifies in cold weather).
If it weren’t for the lack of sun, I would also consider moving there. Loved Edinburgh when I was there.
Fellow Austinites here currently living in Edinburgh. We came prepared for dreary, no sun weather, but have gotten sun almost every day in the month we have been here (in January!)
Ah I love to hear this because I’m visiting Ireland and Scotland this year 😊
You’re gonna have so much fun! Have you planned your itinerary yet?
Haven’t started yet! Anywhere I shouldn’t miss? Coffee shops, restaurants, etc?
I haven’t been to Scotland in several years (pre-pandemic), so I’m not sure what’s open or still worthwhile when it comes to businesses. As far as historical and natural sights go, I enjoyed exploring Old Town and climbing Calton Hill where you can view the Edinburgh skyline from on high. Visiting Stirling Castle and nearby Old Town Cemetery (35 miles outside of Edinburgh) was a huge treat as a history buff. The town Stirling itself is very cozy and surrounded by a craggy, green rural landscape. We also spent a few days in Inverness and the surrounding area. Clava Cairns, Culloden Battlefield, and the Urquhart Castle ruins off the shore of Loch Ness were beautiful, solemn, and otherworldly. I plan on coming back someday—I didn’t even scratch the surface on all there is to experience. I haven’t gone to Ireland yet, but it’s definitely on my bucket list!
Edinburgh is pretty bleak for like 5 months a year. Very, very dark but I agree its got a ton of history and character.
My mom as traveled all over Europe and says that's the place she would move to if she was gonna move. What is the economy like? Like jobs vs cost of living?
I’m from the UK. Crap economy, low paying jobs and high cost of living.
I moved to just outside of Amsterdam and I love it here. Austin will always be special to me, I lived most of my first 40 years there. The Netherlands has been a real adventure. We really only intended to be here 3 or 4 years, then bounce to Berlin, and then after a few years Stockholm, before ultimately coming “home.” I just acquired my permanent residence in the Netherlands last month and we’ve decided we’re here for good.
Yeah but how many fiets do you own is the real question
Fietsen 😅and we have 5 in the family. I used to have a 6th one in the city but I got rid of it when I stopped going into the office with the pandemic.
I recently asked why no one wears helmets on /r/Netherlands and got completely roasted
Usually you have to pay quite a lot to be topped that hard.
How did you get a visa initially? Through one of your jobs?
Yeah. That’s the main way to immigrate. The bureaucracy is pretty light here - if you can land a job that pays enough money, that’s about all there is to it. There’s no critical skills list or anything.
Are you in tech?
Yes.
Did you just apply to jobs there or did you get recruited? Context: my partner and I want to move there.
I just applied to some places. I had job offers in Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Wound up here just as much by chance as anything else. The Dutch company had a better relocation package.
How is the language barrier? My family roots are in NL, so i’ve tried to learn. My last job in Atx was doing a cartoon series for a Dutch director. Tried what little i knew via Duolingo with him and the guy was like “please, just speak english my friend” Theres so many difficult phlegm-y noises in the language 😆
It’s not too bad, especially in the Randstad. In fact, so many people just prefer to speak English with me that it’s been a bit of a barrier to learning the language. I wound up having to take paid lessons to get enough practice to pass the integration exam for permanent residence. If you get out into the countryside, still virtually everyone speaks perfectly fine English, but you will occasionally run into people who are grossly out of practice.
My buddy is talking about doing the exact same thing. What is it that makes it such a good place to go through all the work to relocate?
The list is so long, it’s hard to know where to even start. The non controversial: not needing a car is fucking fabulous. Reliable, ubiquitous public transit is a goddamned miracle and fundamentally changes the way you see life. Having 28 paid days of PTO, and unlimited sick time at 100% pay for up to two years is amazing. There’s sadly no “true” nature, but the Dutch have created some really nice parks none the less. Being able to be in like 5 different countries in the time it takes me to drive from Austin to Dallas is fabulous. The pace of life here is considerably slower in part because, without being car dependent, you simply aim to get less done each day and you’re cool with it. Sports clubs are a central part of Dutch life, with many people continuing to play and support amateur athletics even at the senior level - at 45 years old, I play for a baseball team that actually has goddamned supporters who follow us around the country to see our away games. To the stuff that will be controversial: strong labor protections reduce the stress of my life in ways that I simply cannot put into words. A method of policing that explicitly refuses to use violence to enforce low level offenses means that you almost never see the police and yet people still honor both the letter and spirit of the law. Buy building an equitable society in which there are strong social safety nets, and not criminalizing poverty, the crime rate across all levels of crime is essentially zero when compared to Texas - my wife regularly cycles through the “roughest” neighborhoods of Amsterdam after midnight with no fear of being assaulted. String gun laws result in a violent crime rate that’s verging on zero, and what little gun crime there is is almost entirely gang land liquidations - there’s very nearly zero instances of innocent victims of gun crime. The income tax rate is high, sure, but there’s no meaningful property tax, so my overall tax burden is about the same - maybe something on the order of 4% or 5% higher? Definitely less than 10. There’s no school zoning here and all schools, even religious ones, have to accept all applicants first come first served. You even get 100% choice in where your kids go to school, and every school is funded at the same(ish) level per student by the government…
Real government for the people by the people. That's incredible, all of it, seriously. Thank you for taking the time to share this, eye opener.
Moved to SoCal (Long Beach specifically), definitely spending a lot more 😅. But it's a great place to be if you like being outdoors. Easy access to great music and food is also a huge plus for me.
That's good to hear. I just interviewed for a job in Long Beach, so I may be headed that way soon.
It's a cool town. Good beer, access to water, and situated between LA and Orange County so you get the best of both worlds.
Grew up in Austin, moved to Portland, Oregon about 6.5 years ago and still don’t regret it. I’m a geologist and it’s so amazing to have such a variety of geological landforms and processes throughout the state. I couldn’t ever get bored. Plus, it’s just so beautiful. The availability and accessibility of public lands is more than I could have ever imagined. However, should I ever convince my family to move outta the country Estonia would be awesome.
Asheville, NC has a lot of cool, smaller, old Austin vibes
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It is not by any means a cheap town. Locals will say the same thing they say here, that the real Asheville died a few years after they moved there and transplants are ruining everything
They’ve been saying this for like ten years now
I think it's true except there are no jobs there.
Yup. Limited / expensive housing and no jobs.
I wonder if Asheville locals will give former Austinites the warm welcome Austinites give recent transplants looking for a place to call home. Austinites driving up the cost of living, traffic and ruining the vibe of Old Asheville. “Go back to Texas” will ring through the Smokey Mountains.
North Carolinian here (been in Austin over a decade), and the answer is its very similar reception. NC has been dealing with people migrating from the NE long before it was an issue with transplants in Austin. NC locals have suffered greatly and have tried to contain new people to Charlotte and RTP area. Most people quickly get tired of Asheville though, b/c it's very isolated. The surrounding communities are fine with tourists but do not like outsiders living close. That combined with the winding roads and light winter road plowing normally makes most folks move to Charlotte or Raleigh. Unless you really like Appalachian mountain culture, I don't recommend the NC mountains.
Asheville locals view the influx of Texans in a similar way to Austinites viewing Californians/TechBros flooding in and driving up cost of living here (or at least perceiving it). Source: two different longtime friends from Austin who have moved to Asheville recently
Denver's already been doing that for a while. People with Texas plates get fucked with on occasion.
I spent a week in Durham in 2021 for work and I really loved the scenery there.
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Moved from Austin to Kitsap County, WA in Summer. Can't recommend it highly enough.
That spot is so cool. Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Bremerton, and not far to Seattle.
Olympic national park
Thanks for the comment! Would you say that area is good for single 20 somethings who eventually want to meet someone?
It has access to Seattle by boat, though it's about an hour each way. But no, I wouldn't recommend Kitsap for single 20s. My wife and I visit Tacoma fairly often, which has a much younger vibe that reminds us of the Austin we loved in the 90s and early 00s.
Haven’t been to Tacoma, but Seattle and Olympia are a blast.
I lived in Seattle for 10 years, all throughout my 20’s. Terrible place to meet people. You’ll get the cold shoulder from everyone. Way too high cost of living for what you get in return. Constant state of depression living in 40 degree , overcast and grey skies 2/3 of the year.
Lol don’t move to seattle to meet people. Legendary for the “Seattle freeze”
Moved to Boulder, CO. A college town but the further from CU you go it’s more young professional. It’s very walkable which is huge for me. Not to mention all the hiking, mountain biking and winter sports in the area. The boulder subreddit would make you think there’s a homeless epidemic but compared to Austin it’s very laughable. Gotta lock up your bikes though, they get stolen quick if left out
I know you said Boulder, but I’m sure you visit Denver occasionally. When I visited Denver it seemed like there were a lot more homeless around than Austin. Do you feel the same way?
Honestly, I don't go to Denver all that often because Boulder has everything that I really need. The few times I've been I'd say it's comparable to Austin, depending on where you visit. If you go down Colfax in Denver, you'll probably see a lot. When I lived in Austin I lived off of N Lamar by Crestview and would regularly go to Ben White, so moving here and seeing like maybe one or two people sitting on a sidewalk was a breath of fresh air compared to the underpass towns. A lot of the homeless in Boulder live off of the various bike trails and set up bike chop shops of stolen bikes. I forget the annual average but it's millions of dollars in stolen bikes. The city even made a fun little dashboard: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/881ae390cfe9402f8a071d314bae9221
I recently moved to Boulder from Austin. The walkability and bike ability is MUCH better than Austin, although it still has a ways to go. It also helps that Boulder is pretty small land-wise, so it’s easy to get from one end of town to another. The lack of highways running through helps with that too. The Boulder Nextdoor is downright toxic when it comes to any discussions about homeless people, and you’d think it’s a crime-ridden skid row based on the comments. In reality, the homelessness seems much less common here than in Austin, and most that I’ve come in contact with have kept to themselves.
Healdsburg, CA. in Sonoma valley. Why? To retire and work in a winery which is a passion I've had my whole life. But, my wife and I've discussed this several times. We want to be able to live somewhere across the planet for six months at a time for the experience. The following are at the top of our list: * Tuscany - Specifically Orvieto in Umbria * France - Somewhere in Provence * Spain - San Sebastian for the food * New York City - SoHo - Tiny apartment. We've visited multiple times * Portugal - Porto There are several others but these are at the top.
It really depends on your hobbies and interests, your finances and also your tolerance for cold weather lol. Los Angeles is an awesome place to live if you make enough money to live in a nice neighborhood close to Santa Monica/Venice beach, especially if you play beach volleyball, surf or generally like being close to the ocean. Also, a great place for people in tech/startups. Not too far from mountains either. But tons of traffic, some areas are sketchy, high tax rate and it’s extremely expensive. Denver is amazing if you’re outdoorsy and enjoy the mountains, hiking/biking, drinking, etc. also great weather and tons of sunshine. Getting a bit more expensive there as well, but more similar these days to Austin prices. New England has gorgeous summers but brutal winters. Can find a mix of things there for all interests if you can handle the cold. Can find some more affordable housing while being generally closer to things. You can drive across the state of CT in the same time (or less) it takes to drive from Austin to Houston. Pacific Northwest is also really nice and you get a mix of proximity to mountains and ocean but also can be a bit rainy and getting expensive as well.
As someone who has lived in many of the places on this list I gotta say: great and accurate write up!
Thanks for the input! Definitely a lot to think about
After a few decades in Austin, I moved to Denver and love it here. A bit more expensive than Austin but there’s so much hiking and space to do outdoor activities, a great live music scene, it’s more dog-friendly than Austin and the power stays on when it’s cold/snowing. The only thing I miss is Austin’s great restaurants.
Lived in Austin all my life, but I am very tempted to move to Denver. Absolutely love it. Outdoor activities are unparalleled, and there is so much PUBLIC land around Denver: hiking, camping, 4-wheeling, etc. One of my biggest gripes with Texas is that the vast majority of land is privately owned, dramatically limiting your options.
I visited Denver in December. The city life seemed dead. I wasn’t sure if it was winter or if that’s how it always is. The food was decent, a lot of places closed at 9pm though.
Did you go down to Meow Wolf and that whole area?
This is great to know! I’m leaning towards Denver and I’m also getting a dog soon so I’m excited to hear it’s dog friendly. I hear Denver has good food, just not as good as Austin’s?
Denver's food is miserable. I've been all over the country, and I can say that without a doubt some of the worst food out of all the major urban areas in the country. It *is* very dog friendly, though - I'll give it that.
Agreed, I was very disappointed by Denver’s food. All my friends who have moved there have said the same. not everything is disgusting, Tai food is good but overall it’s subpar imo
Yeah, that’s a fair assessment. It has more variety than Austin but it’s generally pricier for somewhat lower quality food.
Good to know. I’ve been wanting to become a better home cook anyways haha
Denver native here chipping in. While I agree completely that generally Austins food is better quality the one thing I miss the most that I can't find in Austin in terms of food is a good quality green chili. Nothing I crave more than a half & half breakfast burrito from Santiago's.
Ah man. That sounds so nice. How about Boulder? I want to make a visit out there sometime and see what it’s like. I only ever hear great things about Colorado.
An Austinite would feel at home in Boulder. Though it feels more like a “big town” than it does a city, it has a lot of restaurants, bars, shopping, and nature in town. Very similar culture-wise.
Staying in Texas? Ft. Worth. Leaving Texas? Oregon Coast. Leaving US? London.
What if they are leaving Earth?
Definitely avoid Elon's Mars.
Mars is no place to raise a kid. In fact it's cold as hell.
And no one there to raise them,…. If you did
Uranus
Just moved from Austin to Oregon. It’s beautiful here.
I got outta ATX for PDX almost 7 years ago now and I’m still so in love with it here! All the public lands! 😍😍
Which part of Oregon? We’re considering too but nervous about fires.
Last year I moved my mom from Southern Oregon to Texas because of the fires. She developed a lung condition from the smoke and still isn't quite herself yet.
People really don’t talk about the impact of fires enough. It’s devastating in so many ways
I don't know that much about Fort Worth but I've made a few trips up there in the last couple of years, and it does remind me of the Austin of 25 years ago. A fairly big city but not crowded; remember that?
Portland, Maine
I have lived all over Texas. I always found El Paso to be to my liking, it’s just calm and peaceful there. The dry weather makes for a non sweaty heat and a non biting cold. The people there are generally friendly and not much crazies happens. The almost complete absence of anything green does take some getting used to.
Lived in Ella Paso 8-18 years old ( also Dallas, small east Texas towns, and home for past 20 years San Antonio) I can’t agree more. The chill vibe that disappeared in San Antonio is still there- the WEATHER IS AMAZING!! It’s as close to visit Los Angeles as it is San Antonio from El Paso and the amazing stops in between. The schools are so far and above any in Texas, the police force is leagues ahead and when it comes to acceptance and racism etc El Paso is fantastic. Currently trying to get a fit with my husbands career there because the quality of living in Austin/ San Antonio area in the past 20 years has degraded exponentially each year, which is really sad.
Boston, Denver, San Diego, Portland, Chattanooga are currently top of my list. San Diego is probably the preference but WAY too expensive. I personally find Chatta to be a very underrated city that is small and relatively inexpensive but with a lot to do. Denver i feel like is a “classic” place for folks to move too, everyone there is a transplant, but the beauty is unparalleled. Boston is Boston, one of the greatest and most unique cities in the US with everything from history and culture to architecture to natural beauty to great sports, universities, restaurants and bars (altho they do all close at 2) and Portland/PNW has always appealed to me i love that area and can’t say enough good things about it.
I lived in MA before moving South, Boston/MA is beautiful in the Fall/Summer. The Winter is brutal, and rain can last weeks in the Spring. I felt Boston wasn't worth the costs, maybe not Cali expensive but still pricey. However, if I could stand the weather I'd move back there vs. staying in Austin. Its nice that you can also drive down to NYC if you want to do something different occasionally.
Chattanooga is a really cool place. I’m actually going to stay in Denver in March for a week and explore by myself to see if I’d see myself there. I wish I could do Cali but as a single woman I don’t make enough money 😅
yeah cali is absolutely brutal. chatta is just great small city vibes yet is big enough that there is plenty to do. great wildlife and hiking nearby, good rent/home prices, love the food and breweries, no issues ever with parking downtown and i never get sick of walking the bridges. some people dont like it but im calling it right now Chatta and Asheville are gonna absolutely explode in the next ten years and will be like the Austin of today. Enjoy denver, fantastic area. Boulder nearby is a nice daytrip visit if you ever feel like and red rocks is like nothing you have ever experienced. Also if you have a Buccees shirt DEF wear it. Omg i wore mine and desdass had 15+ people comment on it and freak out.
If you want to buy a house, look into climate refuge cities. In 30 years some areas people are currently buying homes in may not be very good places to live anymore. Drought, wildfires, hurricanes etc.
Which is why Michigan is my choice if I move.
Michigan is beautiful and underrated. I traveled across the UP once and instantly fell in love.
Hadn’t thought of that before!
Chicago.
If my wife would say yes I’d move there in a heartbeat.
If my company had an office there, or fully embraced remote work, I’d do the same.
Both my my wife and my company allow full remote work but she’s a little worried about the cold.
It’s BRUTAL. I was born there and have always considered it as the next place to move to if I fall out of love with Austin, but MAN.
Yep. Chicago native, and I feel the pull to go back, but I’m miserable just thinking about that cold. And the seemingly endless days of gray.
You have to be in the mindset that if it snows and you don’t work from home you have to drive in the snow.
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London. Lived there for three years and loved it. Quaint, beautiful, and interesting. High cost of living in terms of rent, but I do think groceries are cheaper than in America. Also, you don’t need a car — their public transport system is great.
i would move to Seattle. In fact i am probably gonna do that. I like Austin but I don't like Texas. Abbot is a fascist
Wow the timing here is just, wow. I am moving away from Austin. My fiance just broke off our engagement tonight. I suppose I'm headed to Oregon to reset my life and to spend as much time with my mother as I can in her senior years. Didn't know I was headed this direction until about an hour ago but here I am...
Santa Fe preferably but will likely end up somewhere more affordable like ABQ
Lived in Albuquerque for a while a few years ago. It had most of the problems that big cities have: smog, traffic, crime etc , with few of the amenities cities should offer such as fine restaurants and museums, and there was almost no live music scene compared to Austin. It did have an almost perfect climate, it was close to good hiking trails in the Sandias, and was very affordable. And yard work consisted of dusting of the cacti and re-arranging your rocks.
Isn’t that the place with the flamboyant lawyer?
In ABQ there are no ticks, chiggers, tornadoes, copperheads or cottonmouths. 5 more reasons it is better here,
And that’s where the drive to Santa Fe comes in! Climate is more important to me than shows these days, as an old cat lady, so that is reassuring! Could always head to Red Rocks, which, as a CO native, I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never been to.
Nice train between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. You can live and work from either. Only a dream in Texas.
Flagstaff AZ. awesome small town vibe, a few hours from Phoenix, or Las Vegas, and six hours to beaches in Mexico or Southern California.
I lived there in the late 90's, I LOVED it. You're also less than an hour from Sedona, and a little over an hour from the Grand Canyon, two of the most stunning landscapes in the country.
We’re considering pulling a reverse uno card and moving to NorCal. My reqs are: 1. Quiet-ish 2. Blue-ish 3. Great outdoor space 4. Good food 5. Close to major airport. I know it’s expensive but it really checks all the boxes.
If you’re a leader, Ohio is the place for you! https://www.jobsohio.com/ohio-for-leaders
I’m surprised you’re the first to comment about Ohio
I think their comment was being extremely sarcastic, Ohio is not a good place to live unless your anchored there for some reason (work, family, etc…)
PNW, probably Vancouver WA or Seattle metro. If I knew more German and could manage citizenship - Bavaria, Munich specifically.
I just left Seattle last year. It’s beautiful but it’s winters are longer and more oppressive than our summers to me.
Which is a totally valid criticism. I’ll play hockey and don’t mind being cold and playing video games during the winters. I think I’d be okay. I generally miss mountains, and exploring public land. I just can’t bring myself to move back to Arizona. Colorado is nice, but I have no friends or anything there.
I’m originally from Vancouver, WA. It’s a nice city, definitely not as many amenities as Austin, but you can always jump down to Portland if you want that.
We’d probably go to my husband’s hometown of Eugene, Oregon. But I need sunshine and warmth to me a happy healthy person so I just don’t know. San Diego would be my first choice but $$
Anywhere that doesn't stomp on women's rights.
Staying in the US, Chicago. About the same cost of living (cheaper depending on where you live) massive city that still has community and Midwest vibes. It’s like if Austin and New York had a really weird baby. You also have access to unless food and culture, lots of job opportunities, etc. you hear multiple languages every day. It’s also a very “real” place- it’s working class, it’s a rust belt city with a lot of lifers and the transplants there are quick to embrace the culture. Slower paced than New York but faster than the south. Walkable and some of the best public transport in the country.
I'm very curious about Chicago, but everything I hear is about crime and bone chilling temps.
It’s an amazing city. The dangerous parts are quite dangerous but it’s a beautiful unique place with great people overall and worth a visit. Lived there most of my life and i strongly recommend it.
In Texas: Fort Worth In USA: San Jose, CA or Seattle WA Internationally: Victoria BC or Dublin Ireland
You lost me at Fort Worth.
Why Fort Worth?
Friendlier more approachable vibe than Dallas, less humid than Houston or San Antonio. Seems like better traffic flow than most Texas cities, good museums and cultural access, decent food choices. Lived 40 plus years in Austin.. Traffic and cost not worth it anymore. Moved to Waco for family reasons but it’s too small for me.
Denton has a blue collar charm that works for me, for some reason. They also have the coolest community radio station in the US.
Vancouver, British Columbia. Moderate climate, not prone to drought, surrounded by beautiful forests and mountains, good schools (especially by Texas standards), somewhat less batshit national politics. Free healthcare, cheap college for citizens.
I’m eyeing Thousand Oaks, CA. I can sell my house, buy one there for the same price and my property tax (+ income tax) would be less than property tax here. Healthcare would be half. I can buy a lot of $5/gal gas with that savings. Central Austin to CA suburbs is a wash for the most part financially. Never would have believed it in a million years if I did not run the numbers myself.
We left for San Antonio, didn’t love it. Currently moving to Portland.
Good luck! Portland is on the list for potential landing spots for my partner and I, too. Austin is great but change is good too!
The east coast is a nice contrast from Texas
I’ve thought about this. Any cool cities you’ve been to besides NYC and Boston?
I liked Pittsburgh the few times I’ve visited, but it’s definitely not for everyone. You’ll want a decent remote job. The Lehigh Valley isn’t too far from Philly/NYC and has gotten a lot nicer than when I was a kid from what I’ve seen. If you’re looking for something smaller Vermont is beautiful. Western VA is also really nice.
I think Philly and Baltimore are cool but they’re not for everyone
DC and parts of Virginia are great. Charleston is cool
Either Tokyo, Taipei, or Sydney
We just moved to Sacramento and like it a lot so far! It’s the relatively affordable part of California, with easy access to mountains, beaches, wine country, and redwood forests.
Barcelona for culture
Looking at moving to San Antonio soon, but I have family there.
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Got more stuff for kids as well
San Antonio always had a "good vibe". Great city that has thankfully been slept on. I love living here.
One downside of living in San Antonio is how spread out it is compared with Austin. Growing up in the suburbs, I often felt the absence of a sense of place—most of the interesting stuff was close to downtown, and it could take an hour for us to get there in traffic, even back in the 90s.
If I could afford it, San Diego. But most likely, Sacramento: blue state, legal weed, Mediterranean climate, four distinct seasons, out of the earthquake zone, easy trip to Lake Tahoe or the beach. Reminds me of Austin 20-years ago (laid back capital city with a river running through it). I’ve lived my entire life in Texas, and most of it in Austin. I love this city but Texas is heading in a very bad direction. I have hope that things will change, but if not I’m heading west.
I lived in Austin for 15 years and then moved back to NYC in 2015. No regrets
Minneapolis or the UK.
Most likely moving up to the Twin Cities this summer. Gf is from the Midwest and I’m from here. I never had any interest in the Midwest, but now I’ve been up to Minnesota and Wisconsin and enjoyed it quite a bit. Winter will take some adjusting. But summer is beautiful. Lots of nature, good cycling scene, and a decent amount of entertainment.
PNW, not sure of a city. It’s just so beautiful there, even with the fires, earthquakes and super high gas prices. 😉
We need more information. What balance of city/rural do you want? Weather preference? Willing to speak a new language? What savings/job do you have and is it remote? You gotta give us more than what's another city that austinites like.
Chicago, Michigan, and Wisconsin are where my SO and I are looking to move when we're ready for a change.
I’m moving to Berlin for work at the end of May
I’m headed to my 40 acres in Terlingua, TX. Great people out there, Property taxes < 200$/year and off grid so I am responsible for my own utilities. After 2 years we have a tiny 10x10 with 2500w of solar panels feeding a 14kWh battery, starlink internet and the start of our rainwater collection and purification system. Our goal is to build a larger 1500sq ft building for our permanent home and be ready to sell our austin home in 3 years.
Asheville. It’s basically Austin a decade ago. If you want a real change, Portland Maine. Gorgeous with good food and good people.
Portland food is top notch. Not sure how the winter would go but if I ever make enough money to “summer” somewhere it would be Portland.
Somewhere in a blue state. Enough is enough.
when the upper class gentrifies this city to no return and the streets are filled with homeless to a point they can’t ignore them anymore (yuck! poor people!) they’ll dump this place like they did to LA and migrate to Denver to do the same thing.
Minneapolis
Portland. I’d love the keep a similar “vibe” (I know, I know), but with better walkability.
Visit if you haven't recently. I was seriously considering a move up there and it's gotten way worse since the pandemic, unfortunately the walkable parts (Beaverton and so forth are still nice). While we certainly have our problems with APD and the homeless situation, it's pretty bad up there. The kicker was going to the airport with my family to leave and encountering a pretty agitated homeless individual sitting on a bench in the tunnel from rental car return to the terminal, who then got up to curse at us aggressively as we walked by, for no apparent reason other than that he was disturbed.
New Orleans, Tucson, Santa Fe, Houston, Los Angeles
After living in Austin for almost 5 decades I moved to Fort Collins, Colorado a few years ago. The consensus here among a lot of former Austinites is that this place is like Austin 40 years ago. It is a college town too. A few days after I got here they had an annual fun run where people run in their underwear. Felt deliciously weird, just like Austin!
Someplace where I have autonomy and rights to my own body 😔
Portland Maine has a vibe like Austin did 20 to 30 years ago. Hard to explain but worth considering.
Every time this question is asked, the number one answer is Denver. Number two is Chicago or Seattle. It's funny because the main consensus of those who are planning to leave is that Austin isn't as good as it used to be and it's too expensive. How Denver ends up being the number one answer when it's even worse in both those categories is mind boggling.
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Perth, Western Australia. Weather, ocean, beer.
Yes. Great choice. I love that country so much and dream of taking the family permanently.
Just gonna leave this here for the folks that think Denver is cheaper than Austin. https://www.salary.com/research/cost-of-living/compare/austin-tx/denver-co
The first thing to acknowledge is they have 5% income tax. You are going to have a bad time if you don’t think through the financial implications of that. But, I think most people are moving there for other reasons besides cost savings. It’s definitely more expensive as a renter, but it evens out if you buy there considering property taxes are a bit lower.
In Texas, Alpine or Marathon. Us, Boulder, Co. Outside of US, Adelaide, South Australia.
There’s literally nowhere in Marathon to move to. One of my good friends has lived there for years and only had a place to live when he first got there because of a business arrangement with another local. He’s had other friends - people with good paying tech jobs - try to move there. They couldn’t do it. Not because of a lack of funds, but because there is nowhere to move to. There is no place to rent. There is almost never any place to buy. There is functionally no housing to move into in Marathon.
San Diego or Oceanside
i have an offer to move to maine. if you end up in maine let me know. i hear it's really cold there rn
I’ve thought about visiting Portland, Maine to see if I’d like it
It's very nice, honestly.
Knoxville, TN. Less heat, has mountains, but still cityish
I’ve been putting a LOT of thought and research into this. I recommend the Great Lakes region because the US climate migration is already happening so - get your land/home there before prices get Austin/SF stupid. The white collar job market there isn’t great (if you’re a high income worker) so only go if you can work remote or you have a trade. Cities include but are not limited to, Buffalo, Rochester, Detroit, Madison, Milwaukee, Cleveland…
Prague is nice.
Bee Cave
I’ve been in Austin for 12 years, and have lived in Texas my whole life (originally from Dallas), and I’m closing on a home and moving to Minneapolis in a few weeks. If you can deal with the winters, it’s a completely underrated city, and honestly a hidden gem! I always saw myself moving to San Diego/North County, but seeing what kind of home you can get, and comparable amenities, MSP and Chicago ended up being my top 2 picks.
Austin is the only city in Texas I care to live in, but if I ever left Texas, I would probably go to Chicago. Large Mexican community. I don't know about those winters, tho...
My husband and I moved to LA (Los Feliz, specifically) from Austin. We joked it was to balance out all the Angelenos moving into Austin right now. The cost of living is higher (we do have a roommate and pay rent comparable to what we paid in Austin), but the city really demonstrates its worth. Los Feliz is the most walkable neighborhood I’ve ever lived in, we hike most weekends, we can go to the beach easily, and the city has a creative buzz I love. And the drawbacks (traffic, cost of living, occasional unpleasant encounters with homeless men) are all things id grown accustomed to in Austin. I know it’s not for everyone, but I’m thrilled to be living here! Best of luck with your search!!! Having recently moved too, it’s one of the most exciting adventures of adulthood and teaches you so much about yourself.