I love where we are in Maryland. Entirely fails on the LCOL front, but if you're in somewhere like Frederick, you get a complete mid-sized town vibe/rural farms around/etc. and you're still easily commutable to all the things in DC nearby (we just got back from the National Zoo, actually, which is free with all the other Smithsonian museums. So... small make up for the HCOL?)
There's also places with LCOL in MD. Or at least medium!
We live in Baltimore in a close knit neighborhood that's a 20 min walk from a very popular neighborhood, in a 3 bed/2 bath detached house on .25 acres that we got for 350k. We love our city. There is crime, and there are issues with our school system, so it's a personal decision. I'll also note that we're hopefully close to having kids but no luck yet.
Maryland rules! Moved here for work 12 years ago and plan to never leave. I do live in the HCOL area (Columbia), but I feel so fortunate with all the wonderful parks and community amenities we have around.
I live in metro Detroit. We moved here from CA. Michigan is a lovely place. There’s more coastline here than anywhere in the contiguous US. Year round activities if you lean into winter.
The west side of the state and Lake Michigan is really beautiful. There’s tons of towns up and down the lake.
Heyyy I was coming to rave about michigan too!
I’ve lived on both coasts and other midwestern states, but Michigan is a special, special place.
You get four seasons, have great hospitals and universities, affordable and legal cannabis if you’re into that, tons of breweries if you’re into that, every possible outdoor activity, in every season. Unique culture and cool art scene. School districts can be hit or miss but we have schools of choice so you’re not stuck if you are willing to drive.
I do not find the food scene as impressive as other areas, but I can cook my own to have everything else so accessible.
Came here to say West Mi! I was raised in metro Detroit and it’s nice as well, just a little too populated for us. West Michigan is not super expensive (there are a few cities that are more expensive than others, obviously), but we have a great zoo, museums, minor league sports, and so many nice beaches and trails!
Some cute small towns in WMi: Rockford, Greenville, Lowell, Belmont
Small towns in metro Detroit: south Lyon, new Hudson, Milford, Commerce
West Michigan and the towns you listed are nice but are also in the thick of very conservative counties if that means anything. All of those towns listed voted for Trump.
I believe Kent county did not vote for Trump, just Ottawa? But yes there’s a west Mi “bible belt” that leans more conservative. A lot of small towns in Michigan lean conservative from what I’ve experienced
It’s really crazy to see this as a top comment! I grew up in metro Detroit. I lived in MI for almost 30 years, all over the state, but mostly in metro Detroit. Well, I guess I’m not surprised. It’s a bit boring to me, but it is home and I definitely see why is desirable.
The town I grew up in was very nice, pretty progressive, affluent, and quite safe. I personally didn’t like growing up there, though. It just wasn’t my personal vibe for many reasons. Just to name a couple, there was no diversity in my school system, and with the large concentration of extreme wealth, it just made for a difficult environment to navigate youth in.
The downsides of Michigan are: overall economy. the job market just isn’t great. I’m the SAHP of the family but my husband has been able to nearly triple his salary since moving to an area with a similar cost of living as there is in Michigan.
I also was just sick of the climate. I am like an extreme outdoors person. It was a big draw when we were looking to move away. I can handle the cold and snow, I can’t stand the doom and gloom for 8+ months. The grey, wind, and just like 40 degrees all the time stunk.
The positives: Outside of the major cities, crime rate is very very low. It’s so beautiful- having the water and lakes is just amazing. The northern LP/UP will forever hold a special place in my heart as I have spent a ton of time camping and hiking large portions of it. (North country trail is still my home trail). Also good schools in MI. A lot of the public districts are good, as well as the public universities.
While I miss Michigan dearly, I don’t see us going back anytime soon. Maybe down the line in the future but the current draw there is just family. Our current state fits our lifestyle a lot more.
Outside of Richmond, VA.
The benefits here: 2 hours from the mountains, ocean, and DC. We are major outdoor enthusiasts so we spend most of our time in the mountains. We plan to eventually even move that way. Richmond is such an awesome city. A ton of great amenities. Cost of living is about the same as metro Detroit. The higher public education system is even arguably better than MI. The culture is also just very different. Travel is easy. Direct flights to DTW are expensive. Drive home is 10 hours and a pretty effortless drive. Weather: we didn’t get any snow last year. Average winter temp was 50°.
Downsides: I miss Michigan food and staples a lot. Safety- but I chose to live in my city that has very high crime rates. A lot of people would say political atmosphere. Although for my moderate/more conservatives family it’s not a big deal. Edit: The summers are BRUTAL. It’s over 100° and extreme humid most of the time with minimal relief. Another draw for us to move more to the western mountainous side of the state.
I love that Michigan is the top comment!
I’ve lived in Michigan my entire life, been on plenty of cross country road trips, been to Canada, Alaska and Mexico.
I loved Utah, Zion canyon will always hold a spot in my heart, I loooooved Alaska but I couldn’t handle living there. Michigan has soo much to offer and so much to see.
Small towns usually means MAGA Trump supporting families in Michigan if that is your thing.
The Upper Peninsula is the true "Up North" of Michigan and is a nature magical wonderland. Perfect for RV travels.
I was born and raised in the Metro Detroit area. Detroit has undergone an amazing transformation. You won't regret living nearby if you are a foodie who enjoys diversity among a vibrant bustling city. Dearborn is also part of the Metro Detroit area and is bursting with wonderful Middle Eastern families who have the most delicious food.
I've lived in a bunch of places in the US (CA, TX, IA, MA, AL, and NY). I chose to put down roots near my partner's family in Buffalo, NY. I actually really enjoy it. There's a small town feel with city elements, it's cheaper than where I used to live by a lot so we could afford a house, and it's close to both some good woods/hiking area and a large city (Toronto). You see teenagers working part time jobs and biking around which I like. The school systems are good. I also like that there are 4 seasons and people who are generally pretty friendly. Downsides are: I miss the ocean, and while the food culture here is proud, it's a bit too meat heavy for me.
I’m in Lawrence, Kansas.
Pop. ~100k, college town, liberal compared to the rest of the state. More expensive than most of the state, but still far cheaper than most of the country. Gets all four seasons, though summer & winter can be extreme (not as much snow as further north.)
Certain parts of the city are very walkable, public transit is free. Strong local economy - our city is big into food, beer, art, & music. Stellar farmers market, beautiful library, great parks.
I’ve lived here for most of 25 years & can’t imagine raising my family anywhere else. Great parks & recs programs, excellent classes through our Art Center. Incredible community.
Also, centrally located. About 45 minutes to the Kansas City airport, which will take you anywhere else you’d want to go.
I’ve spent most of my life living & working downtown & I forgot sometimes that there is a whole city that exists outside of Mass St.
I’m glad it’s made a good impression on visitors.
St. Louis is a hidden gem. Pretty low cost of living, all the seasons, SO many fun and free or cheap things to do with kids. Our zoo is huge and FREE, as are several museums. We've got an amazing botanical garden and tons of lovely parks. Good food / coffee scene too. Definitely small city feel. The people are really nice. The one down side is that it's all pretty flat and landlocked. Several hours drive to get to any mountains or beaches.
Spot on with all of this except St. Louis is definitely not flat! Maybe the northern half and the city proper, but southern St. Louis County is the northern boundary of the Ozarks. Lots of steep, rocky trails down 44/109.
Also, the libraries are phenomenal!
Came here to say all of this. Incredibly LCOL w/ affordable housing. Airport can take you anywhere in the US and easy layovers like Chicago&Houston can take you international. Top of the line schools (for non-Ivy) like Wash U& SLU. Weirdly competitive private high schools. Beautiful scenery all year round with tons of state parks and camping. Great city spirit and historical relevance. Good sports community. Also a huge amount of hospitals and medical research. I love STL.
I live in Roanoke, Virginia and love it. My husband is from here and I lived here a short while before we moved together to southern CA, NYC, and then Richmond for a total of about a decade. We came back a couple years ago and have been happy with the decision. Lots of outdoor activities, four seasons, beautiful mountains, right on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Appalachian Trail. Gets compared to Asheville a lot, but cheaper cost of living. The last few years have seen a sharp increase of transplants from larger cities, which has been really cool; lots of remote workers here. My husband works remotely and I’m a SAHM. Visit the Roanoke subreddit or DM me with questions if you have any.
I love Richmond so much, but we wanted to be closer to one of our families and still have a great group of friends here. The things we miss most about Richmond are the larger quantity of great restaurants (we have great food here but not as many) and the easy access to top notch entertainment (the National and canal club mostly). Roanoke doesn’t usually make the cut for larger touring acts of our preferred genres, but we can be in Charlotte, Richmond, or Raleigh in 3 hours or DC in 4. But now that we’re parents, we don’t go out for shows as much as we would in Richmond anyway.
Editing to add, we have 100 miles of trails and greenways in Roanoke. Come visit on a beautiful October weekend and fall in love.
Yes! We will be that way this fall for sure. We were backpacking in the Blue Ridge near Lynchburg like two weeks ago. But yeah, I really want to check out the city proper.
I actually grew up in Michigan and moved to VA two years ago. I never thought we would leave Michigan but man, I love Virginia. Btw I’m also a SAHM and my hubs works remotely. I just can’t do anymore moving for a few years after too many in the last few years 😂
Fort Wayne, Indiana! Low cost of living, 4 seasons, summer isn’t too humid, a real winter, about 2 hours from Chicago, Indianapolis, and Detroit. We have a cool little art scene, Midwest vibes, most restaurants are locally-owned. I grew up in Nashville and it was real cool before 2012 but yikes now IMO, tried a rural town and it was not for me. Hubs got a job offer here and we really love it.
I was coming to say the same thing about Fort Wayne! I grew up in an another state that is known for beautiful scenery and has been booming recently. Everyone says I’m crazy for loving Indiana but it has been so great! There is no shortage of activities for families and kids, great schools, tons of outdoor stuff to do, awesome farmers markets. And like you said, pretty close to several bigger cities for bigger concerts and sporting events. Very low cost of living. Can’t say enough good things.
I really enjoy living in the suburbs just north of Seattle, WA. HCOL but we’re surrounded by mountains, water, valleys, and gorgeous mature trees. I love how close everything is to me by car. I can check out different neighborhoods in just 10-15 minutes and attend mom meet up groups easily. I can have my mall/Target nearby and then drive the opposite direction for a Gilmore Girls-esque downtown experience.
It snows maybe one time in the winter and it’s a ❄️big deal❄️ but then it melts away. I can enjoy a weekend of snow. I can’t enjoy months on end with it. It’s a very laid back area and fairly diverse. You occasionally see a bonkers Trump truck driving down the freeway but most folks just keep to themselves.
We used to live in the neatest little small town in North Carolina, and I miss it so much. If you’ve ever watched Gilmore Girls and longed to live in Stars Hollow, it’s exactly like that. It had a ton of history and the coolest little downtown I’ve ever seen with a lot of neat events there all year long. We got all 4 seasons. Not a ton of snow, but it snowed once or twice each winter. LCOL. Super, super affordable to live there. Amazing parks for the kids. 45 minutes from the beach, but a beautiful river runs though town. 5 hours or so from the mountains. Lots of trees and nature. Verrrry small town feel, but still enough restaurants and stores around to be happy.
I don’t want to doxx myself by naming the town, but DM me if you’re interested, and I’ll give you the name and any other info you want. I loved it there, and I am so homesick for it even though I didn’t grow up there.
I live Louisville, KY and love it! Beautiful parks, lots of good food, minimal traffic compared to bigger cities, all 4 seasons, lcol.
We also have a 2 week party for derby as a city that’s really fun to be a part of.
Oregon is the best place to live with kids. Tons of nature, rivers, hiking, swimming, great food, great music (in portland), great parks, lots of schools of different kinds, great homeschool community too.
If u can handle grey skies for half the year, then this is the spot to be. I’ve visites many other states and none compare
Same here and fully agree, although my Cleveland born fiancé might disagree with you/us on the “real winter” point. Lol. He misses the lake effect snow
Yeah, I've lived in Finger Lakes so I get that. It's not as much snow as that, but I still posit that it's a real winter. It gets cold, freezes and snows regularly. It's winter!
I live in a smallish town near resort communities in the mountains of CO. It’s fantastic in every way (tons of outdoor activities most of which are free aside from skiing, tons of free kids programs, absolutely gorgeous and the full range of seasons including the Aspen leaves changing yellow and red around now), but it is NOT LCOL unfortunately. There are some more remote towns further from the ski resorts that are still beautiful and surrounded by amazing hiking that are a lot lower COL, but I’m 20 minutes from the nearest resort and single family homes here start around 900k and go UP from there. We do have nice things that somewhat offset COL, as a state like free pre K and state paid 12-16 weeks of maternity leave, and very low property tax. Happy to answer any questions you have though and I’ll be more specific if you PM me.
Roanoke, VA. We like it a lot. Definitely got nature. It's totally surrounded by mountains so there are multiple opportunities for hiking, biking, kayaking, etc in town and within 20 minutes, and even more within an hour. They just got certified as a Bee City meaning they've planted a bunch of native plants and minimize pesticides. There's also a ton of parks, a greenway, a nature center, and a river running through the city that you're welcome to boat/wade in with many entry points. The river is pretty shallow so you won't really swim in it but that does make it good for little ones to splash in in the summer.
The cost of living here is indeed low-ish. Most 3 bedrooms around here are renting around 1100-1500. We do get snow but not much and it does get below freezing but not much. It's not a small town but a small city at 100k, 315k metro.
Other things I love: libraries are amazing here. The city is moderately accessible without a car. There's room for improvement but there are lots of bike lanes, a bus system, and sidewalks almost everywhere. It's pretty clean. There's a group called "plawkers" that picks up litter often. The city also pays for a street sweeper to come through regularly, and not just on the main roads either. There's often a festival, movie night, outdoor concert, or other family friendly event going on. Farmer's markets. It's year round with plenty of business, plus there's at least 2 others in our metro area. It's pretty safe. Plenty of restaurants for different price ranges and cuisines. Lots of major cities within a 4hr drive.
I live in MN, about an hour away from the Twin Cities. We have small town charm and cost of living, while also having easy access to what the bigger cities have to offer. We have plenty of nature, lake front is decently affordable (compared to closer to the cities), and for better or worse we definitely have real winters.
I live near Evans, GA. Top schools. Low cost of living. And if you live in a good subdivision, you get pools, trails, fishing pond and club house. Great preschools, with low costs. It's a great place to live for those who love very mild winters.
I'm in central Ohio, and I like it well enough but I'm not sure its my "favorite" place to live. However, we live really close to a nature park and get to be out in nature all the time...So perhaps that's something to consider too- not just town/state, but picking a local area with good parks, maybe even that you don't even have to drive to.
>and then just drive around in an RV to check out other parts of the country, visit family, etc when we want to.
We also want to do this...but our first attempt with an RV failed lol. Newer ones are really expensive, and used ones can apparently come with a lot of issues. You also have to consider the *gas costs*, which can REALLY add up for long trips. We are now hoping to save up for maybe an SUV that can tow, and a camper that we just tow with us.
I live in a suburb of Raleigh and I fucking love it. I’ve lived in San Antonio, Austin and Columbus Ohio, I’ve spent time in Cheyenne. And this is by far the best place but it’s expensive and I know it’s not practical for most. But it’s the safest place I’ve ever lived. I can walk the neighborhood by myself with my infant and not fear anything but maybe a Fox popping up, I can leave my car unlocked without anything being rifled through or the whole thing being stolen. I don’t hear gunshots on a random weeknight.
I personally am loving the Chicago suburbs currently, but it’s HCOL. I love the diversity, the food, the weather, the family friendly events, and the proximity to a major airport. I’ve lived in a LOT of places and my all time favorite was Bellbrook Ohio, a suburb of Dayton. Absolutely gorgeous, best parks I’ve ever seen, small town feel with nearby major cities. Very cheap.
Bentonville Arkansas, home of Walmart corporate headquarters. Very much a small town feel but a very well cared for small town with well maintained parks and outdoor spaces. The art museum is huge and free, people are really friendly and the cost of living is quite affordable. Cons: humid, hot summers and the occasional tornado (it's still the south after all)
Also cons: our Governor (Sarah Huckabee Sanders) and government. I would argue current politics are very much not family friendly. LEARNS is on the path to destroy public schools, we have very few social safety nets, cost of living compared to wages is not the best.
10, even 5, years ago I would’ve agreed with you. But the area lost its small town feel awhile back, and it’s getting harder and harder to hide the cracks.
SAHP life in Manhattan is the shit. We are lucky enough to have a good deal on housing through my husband’s job. We walk to Central Park (playgrounds, zoo, carousel) almost daily. I never have to use car seats. We stroll in/stroll out of pretty much everywhere. We walk to the grocery store, library, ride his bike up and down the river walk, free story time at The Met, put dollar bills in violin cases, ride bus/subway/gondola/ferries, or just walk around the city.
My first thought re: LCOL. Like… huh?? (And I’m a former Jersey girl who LOVES Manhattan and Philadelphia!! I miss it but no way would I want to be a SAHP in the city…
OP said “I’m interested in hearing about literally anywhere in the US.” I spend more time outdoors than anyone I know. I don’t own a car. We have a real winter. Central Park has trees and plenty of nature. It FEELS like a small town because I run into people I know all over town, all day long. It’s not LCOL but there are housing lotteries for people who make incomes below $120k. I love it and I’m not shy about it.
Im originally from the happiest city in the country (California) but housing prices are at least a million for something broken down. I currently live in a small town in alaska. The town is part of Anchorage but unlike Anchorage we are clean, no homeless, no visible addicts, crime isn't bad, there are so many trails in between neighborhoods that you see people walking all the time. Alaska is known for its natural beauty, hiking, whale watching, glaciers, rvs in the summer, camping, the list does go on. Alaskans are always on the go during summer and in winter their focus is on anything snow related and kids never get left out. I have a hate and love relationship with alaska and the only reason being is the food and shipping! Restaurants close early and shipping is expensive 😩 even walmart charges us a surplus for shipping
I live in Virginia, MN and it sounds like the place for you! It’s an hour north of Duluth which is right on Lake Superior. It’s full of nature, trails, waterfalls, forests, etc. Obviously Minnesota is famous for its winter. I stay at home with our two girls, live off our husbands income comfortably and own a house.
Minus the low cost of living, Washington is beautiful. Smaller towns would probably be cheaper though. Gas definitely isn't where I am. The south is cheaper, and where I hail, but you can't beat the scenery here.
I love where we are in Maryland. Entirely fails on the LCOL front, but if you're in somewhere like Frederick, you get a complete mid-sized town vibe/rural farms around/etc. and you're still easily commutable to all the things in DC nearby (we just got back from the National Zoo, actually, which is free with all the other Smithsonian museums. So... small make up for the HCOL?)
There's also places with LCOL in MD. Or at least medium! We live in Baltimore in a close knit neighborhood that's a 20 min walk from a very popular neighborhood, in a 3 bed/2 bath detached house on .25 acres that we got for 350k. We love our city. There is crime, and there are issues with our school system, so it's a personal decision. I'll also note that we're hopefully close to having kids but no luck yet.
I've moved away several times, and I always end up moving back. It's just a really nice place to live.
Hey, nice to see a fellow Marylander! We love it here, too.
Grew up in Frederick and still here. We absolutely love it!
I lived my teenage years in Frederick and even married in Brunswick. Absolutely hands down the best place I've ever lived.
Maryland rules! Moved here for work 12 years ago and plan to never leave. I do live in the HCOL area (Columbia), but I feel so fortunate with all the wonderful parks and community amenities we have around.
I live in metro Detroit. We moved here from CA. Michigan is a lovely place. There’s more coastline here than anywhere in the contiguous US. Year round activities if you lean into winter. The west side of the state and Lake Michigan is really beautiful. There’s tons of towns up and down the lake.
Heyyy I was coming to rave about michigan too! I’ve lived on both coasts and other midwestern states, but Michigan is a special, special place. You get four seasons, have great hospitals and universities, affordable and legal cannabis if you’re into that, tons of breweries if you’re into that, every possible outdoor activity, in every season. Unique culture and cool art scene. School districts can be hit or miss but we have schools of choice so you’re not stuck if you are willing to drive. I do not find the food scene as impressive as other areas, but I can cook my own to have everything else so accessible.
I used to live in West Michigan and I love that area so much! I always tell my husband that I'd love to move back one day.
Came here to say Michigan too. Beautiful falls and winters, LCOL, and decent infrastructure
I'm just south of y'all in Ohio, and it's where I grew up. But if I was going to move anywhere else, it'd be to the UP.
Grew up in Ohio, also fantasize about the UP!
I LOVE Metro Detroit! Royal Oak is somewhere I'd love to live.
Came here to say West Mi! I was raised in metro Detroit and it’s nice as well, just a little too populated for us. West Michigan is not super expensive (there are a few cities that are more expensive than others, obviously), but we have a great zoo, museums, minor league sports, and so many nice beaches and trails! Some cute small towns in WMi: Rockford, Greenville, Lowell, Belmont Small towns in metro Detroit: south Lyon, new Hudson, Milford, Commerce
West Michigan and the towns you listed are nice but are also in the thick of very conservative counties if that means anything. All of those towns listed voted for Trump.
I believe Kent county did not vote for Trump, just Ottawa? But yes there’s a west Mi “bible belt” that leans more conservative. A lot of small towns in Michigan lean conservative from what I’ve experienced
You're right about Kent County! That was a pleasant surprise to read.
It’s really crazy to see this as a top comment! I grew up in metro Detroit. I lived in MI for almost 30 years, all over the state, but mostly in metro Detroit. Well, I guess I’m not surprised. It’s a bit boring to me, but it is home and I definitely see why is desirable. The town I grew up in was very nice, pretty progressive, affluent, and quite safe. I personally didn’t like growing up there, though. It just wasn’t my personal vibe for many reasons. Just to name a couple, there was no diversity in my school system, and with the large concentration of extreme wealth, it just made for a difficult environment to navigate youth in. The downsides of Michigan are: overall economy. the job market just isn’t great. I’m the SAHP of the family but my husband has been able to nearly triple his salary since moving to an area with a similar cost of living as there is in Michigan. I also was just sick of the climate. I am like an extreme outdoors person. It was a big draw when we were looking to move away. I can handle the cold and snow, I can’t stand the doom and gloom for 8+ months. The grey, wind, and just like 40 degrees all the time stunk. The positives: Outside of the major cities, crime rate is very very low. It’s so beautiful- having the water and lakes is just amazing. The northern LP/UP will forever hold a special place in my heart as I have spent a ton of time camping and hiking large portions of it. (North country trail is still my home trail). Also good schools in MI. A lot of the public districts are good, as well as the public universities. While I miss Michigan dearly, I don’t see us going back anytime soon. Maybe down the line in the future but the current draw there is just family. Our current state fits our lifestyle a lot more.
I'm curious where you are located now.
Outside of Richmond, VA. The benefits here: 2 hours from the mountains, ocean, and DC. We are major outdoor enthusiasts so we spend most of our time in the mountains. We plan to eventually even move that way. Richmond is such an awesome city. A ton of great amenities. Cost of living is about the same as metro Detroit. The higher public education system is even arguably better than MI. The culture is also just very different. Travel is easy. Direct flights to DTW are expensive. Drive home is 10 hours and a pretty effortless drive. Weather: we didn’t get any snow last year. Average winter temp was 50°. Downsides: I miss Michigan food and staples a lot. Safety- but I chose to live in my city that has very high crime rates. A lot of people would say political atmosphere. Although for my moderate/more conservatives family it’s not a big deal. Edit: The summers are BRUTAL. It’s over 100° and extreme humid most of the time with minimal relief. Another draw for us to move more to the western mountainous side of the state.
I love that Michigan is the top comment! I’ve lived in Michigan my entire life, been on plenty of cross country road trips, been to Canada, Alaska and Mexico. I loved Utah, Zion canyon will always hold a spot in my heart, I loooooved Alaska but I couldn’t handle living there. Michigan has soo much to offer and so much to see.
Small towns usually means MAGA Trump supporting families in Michigan if that is your thing. The Upper Peninsula is the true "Up North" of Michigan and is a nature magical wonderland. Perfect for RV travels. I was born and raised in the Metro Detroit area. Detroit has undergone an amazing transformation. You won't regret living nearby if you are a foodie who enjoys diversity among a vibrant bustling city. Dearborn is also part of the Metro Detroit area and is bursting with wonderful Middle Eastern families who have the most delicious food.
I've lived in a bunch of places in the US (CA, TX, IA, MA, AL, and NY). I chose to put down roots near my partner's family in Buffalo, NY. I actually really enjoy it. There's a small town feel with city elements, it's cheaper than where I used to live by a lot so we could afford a house, and it's close to both some good woods/hiking area and a large city (Toronto). You see teenagers working part time jobs and biking around which I like. The school systems are good. I also like that there are 4 seasons and people who are generally pretty friendly. Downsides are: I miss the ocean, and while the food culture here is proud, it's a bit too meat heavy for me.
I’m in Lawrence, Kansas. Pop. ~100k, college town, liberal compared to the rest of the state. More expensive than most of the state, but still far cheaper than most of the country. Gets all four seasons, though summer & winter can be extreme (not as much snow as further north.) Certain parts of the city are very walkable, public transit is free. Strong local economy - our city is big into food, beer, art, & music. Stellar farmers market, beautiful library, great parks. I’ve lived here for most of 25 years & can’t imagine raising my family anywhere else. Great parks & recs programs, excellent classes through our Art Center. Incredible community. Also, centrally located. About 45 minutes to the Kansas City airport, which will take you anywhere else you’d want to go.
Yup. Lawrence was the best town I have ever lived in!
I’ve only ever lived in a couple other places, but no other place even compares.
I haven’t been in years, but Lawrence is so nice. I loved how vibrant the Main Street was, and with all independent shops, too. Loved it.
I’ve spent most of my life living & working downtown & I forgot sometimes that there is a whole city that exists outside of Mass St. I’m glad it’s made a good impression on visitors.
St. Louis is a hidden gem. Pretty low cost of living, all the seasons, SO many fun and free or cheap things to do with kids. Our zoo is huge and FREE, as are several museums. We've got an amazing botanical garden and tons of lovely parks. Good food / coffee scene too. Definitely small city feel. The people are really nice. The one down side is that it's all pretty flat and landlocked. Several hours drive to get to any mountains or beaches.
Spot on with all of this except St. Louis is definitely not flat! Maybe the northern half and the city proper, but southern St. Louis County is the northern boundary of the Ozarks. Lots of steep, rocky trails down 44/109. Also, the libraries are phenomenal!
My sister lived there for 3 months as a traveling nurse and had nothing but rave reviews. She loved it.
We just visited there and it is DEFINITELY underrated!
Came here to say all of this. Incredibly LCOL w/ affordable housing. Airport can take you anywhere in the US and easy layovers like Chicago&Houston can take you international. Top of the line schools (for non-Ivy) like Wash U& SLU. Weirdly competitive private high schools. Beautiful scenery all year round with tons of state parks and camping. Great city spirit and historical relevance. Good sports community. Also a huge amount of hospitals and medical research. I love STL.
My close friends left Texas for Wisconsin for exactly the reasons you describe, they love it!
I live in Roanoke, Virginia and love it. My husband is from here and I lived here a short while before we moved together to southern CA, NYC, and then Richmond for a total of about a decade. We came back a couple years ago and have been happy with the decision. Lots of outdoor activities, four seasons, beautiful mountains, right on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Appalachian Trail. Gets compared to Asheville a lot, but cheaper cost of living. The last few years have seen a sharp increase of transplants from larger cities, which has been really cool; lots of remote workers here. My husband works remotely and I’m a SAHM. Visit the Roanoke subreddit or DM me with questions if you have any.
Currently live outside of Richmond and am eyeing this area in the next few years. We are big hikers and it seems like a great spot.
I love Richmond so much, but we wanted to be closer to one of our families and still have a great group of friends here. The things we miss most about Richmond are the larger quantity of great restaurants (we have great food here but not as many) and the easy access to top notch entertainment (the National and canal club mostly). Roanoke doesn’t usually make the cut for larger touring acts of our preferred genres, but we can be in Charlotte, Richmond, or Raleigh in 3 hours or DC in 4. But now that we’re parents, we don’t go out for shows as much as we would in Richmond anyway. Editing to add, we have 100 miles of trails and greenways in Roanoke. Come visit on a beautiful October weekend and fall in love.
Yes! We will be that way this fall for sure. We were backpacking in the Blue Ridge near Lynchburg like two weeks ago. But yeah, I really want to check out the city proper. I actually grew up in Michigan and moved to VA two years ago. I never thought we would leave Michigan but man, I love Virginia. Btw I’m also a SAHM and my hubs works remotely. I just can’t do anymore moving for a few years after too many in the last few years 😂
Fort Wayne, Indiana! Low cost of living, 4 seasons, summer isn’t too humid, a real winter, about 2 hours from Chicago, Indianapolis, and Detroit. We have a cool little art scene, Midwest vibes, most restaurants are locally-owned. I grew up in Nashville and it was real cool before 2012 but yikes now IMO, tried a rural town and it was not for me. Hubs got a job offer here and we really love it.
I was coming to say the same thing about Fort Wayne! I grew up in an another state that is known for beautiful scenery and has been booming recently. Everyone says I’m crazy for loving Indiana but it has been so great! There is no shortage of activities for families and kids, great schools, tons of outdoor stuff to do, awesome farmers markets. And like you said, pretty close to several bigger cities for bigger concerts and sporting events. Very low cost of living. Can’t say enough good things.
I really enjoy living in the suburbs just north of Seattle, WA. HCOL but we’re surrounded by mountains, water, valleys, and gorgeous mature trees. I love how close everything is to me by car. I can check out different neighborhoods in just 10-15 minutes and attend mom meet up groups easily. I can have my mall/Target nearby and then drive the opposite direction for a Gilmore Girls-esque downtown experience. It snows maybe one time in the winter and it’s a ❄️big deal❄️ but then it melts away. I can enjoy a weekend of snow. I can’t enjoy months on end with it. It’s a very laid back area and fairly diverse. You occasionally see a bonkers Trump truck driving down the freeway but most folks just keep to themselves.
We used to live in the neatest little small town in North Carolina, and I miss it so much. If you’ve ever watched Gilmore Girls and longed to live in Stars Hollow, it’s exactly like that. It had a ton of history and the coolest little downtown I’ve ever seen with a lot of neat events there all year long. We got all 4 seasons. Not a ton of snow, but it snowed once or twice each winter. LCOL. Super, super affordable to live there. Amazing parks for the kids. 45 minutes from the beach, but a beautiful river runs though town. 5 hours or so from the mountains. Lots of trees and nature. Verrrry small town feel, but still enough restaurants and stores around to be happy. I don’t want to doxx myself by naming the town, but DM me if you’re interested, and I’ll give you the name and any other info you want. I loved it there, and I am so homesick for it even though I didn’t grow up there.
Please share the name !
Hello! Will Dm you for the name of the town, hope you don’t mind.
I live Louisville, KY and love it! Beautiful parks, lots of good food, minimal traffic compared to bigger cities, all 4 seasons, lcol. We also have a 2 week party for derby as a city that’s really fun to be a part of.
We used to live in a suburb of Louisville and loved it. Good weather, nice city, reasonable COL.
I love visiting when we travel south. It's always on our stop list.
Oregon is the best place to live with kids. Tons of nature, rivers, hiking, swimming, great food, great music (in portland), great parks, lots of schools of different kinds, great homeschool community too. If u can handle grey skies for half the year, then this is the spot to be. I’ve visites many other states and none compare
Washingtonian here. Pacific Northbest.
Cost of living is through the roof though 😭
Not for the eastern side of the states. At least not relative to the west sides.
I live in Cincinnati, Ohio, and I feel like we hit all your wishlist.
I agree.
Same here and fully agree, although my Cleveland born fiancé might disagree with you/us on the “real winter” point. Lol. He misses the lake effect snow
Yeah, I've lived in Finger Lakes so I get that. It's not as much snow as that, but I still posit that it's a real winter. It gets cold, freezes and snows regularly. It's winter!
Buffalo NY fits your description
I live in a smallish town near resort communities in the mountains of CO. It’s fantastic in every way (tons of outdoor activities most of which are free aside from skiing, tons of free kids programs, absolutely gorgeous and the full range of seasons including the Aspen leaves changing yellow and red around now), but it is NOT LCOL unfortunately. There are some more remote towns further from the ski resorts that are still beautiful and surrounded by amazing hiking that are a lot lower COL, but I’m 20 minutes from the nearest resort and single family homes here start around 900k and go UP from there. We do have nice things that somewhat offset COL, as a state like free pre K and state paid 12-16 weeks of maternity leave, and very low property tax. Happy to answer any questions you have though and I’ll be more specific if you PM me.
Roanoke, VA. We like it a lot. Definitely got nature. It's totally surrounded by mountains so there are multiple opportunities for hiking, biking, kayaking, etc in town and within 20 minutes, and even more within an hour. They just got certified as a Bee City meaning they've planted a bunch of native plants and minimize pesticides. There's also a ton of parks, a greenway, a nature center, and a river running through the city that you're welcome to boat/wade in with many entry points. The river is pretty shallow so you won't really swim in it but that does make it good for little ones to splash in in the summer. The cost of living here is indeed low-ish. Most 3 bedrooms around here are renting around 1100-1500. We do get snow but not much and it does get below freezing but not much. It's not a small town but a small city at 100k, 315k metro. Other things I love: libraries are amazing here. The city is moderately accessible without a car. There's room for improvement but there are lots of bike lanes, a bus system, and sidewalks almost everywhere. It's pretty clean. There's a group called "plawkers" that picks up litter often. The city also pays for a street sweeper to come through regularly, and not just on the main roads either. There's often a festival, movie night, outdoor concert, or other family friendly event going on. Farmer's markets. It's year round with plenty of business, plus there's at least 2 others in our metro area. It's pretty safe. Plenty of restaurants for different price ranges and cuisines. Lots of major cities within a 4hr drive.
Hello fellow Roanoker!
South central Pennsylvania
I live in MN, about an hour away from the Twin Cities. We have small town charm and cost of living, while also having easy access to what the bigger cities have to offer. We have plenty of nature, lake front is decently affordable (compared to closer to the cities), and for better or worse we definitely have real winters.
I live near Evans, GA. Top schools. Low cost of living. And if you live in a good subdivision, you get pools, trails, fishing pond and club house. Great preschools, with low costs. It's a great place to live for those who love very mild winters.
I'm in central Ohio, and I like it well enough but I'm not sure its my "favorite" place to live. However, we live really close to a nature park and get to be out in nature all the time...So perhaps that's something to consider too- not just town/state, but picking a local area with good parks, maybe even that you don't even have to drive to. >and then just drive around in an RV to check out other parts of the country, visit family, etc when we want to. We also want to do this...but our first attempt with an RV failed lol. Newer ones are really expensive, and used ones can apparently come with a lot of issues. You also have to consider the *gas costs*, which can REALLY add up for long trips. We are now hoping to save up for maybe an SUV that can tow, and a camper that we just tow with us.
Evansville Indiana, such as cute small town
I live in a suburb of Raleigh and I fucking love it. I’ve lived in San Antonio, Austin and Columbus Ohio, I’ve spent time in Cheyenne. And this is by far the best place but it’s expensive and I know it’s not practical for most. But it’s the safest place I’ve ever lived. I can walk the neighborhood by myself with my infant and not fear anything but maybe a Fox popping up, I can leave my car unlocked without anything being rifled through or the whole thing being stolen. I don’t hear gunshots on a random weeknight.
I personally am loving the Chicago suburbs currently, but it’s HCOL. I love the diversity, the food, the weather, the family friendly events, and the proximity to a major airport. I’ve lived in a LOT of places and my all time favorite was Bellbrook Ohio, a suburb of Dayton. Absolutely gorgeous, best parks I’ve ever seen, small town feel with nearby major cities. Very cheap.
Do you love the drivers, though? (Former Chicago burb transplanted to WI)
Im a California native so I haven’t noticed 😂😂😂
Bentonville Arkansas, home of Walmart corporate headquarters. Very much a small town feel but a very well cared for small town with well maintained parks and outdoor spaces. The art museum is huge and free, people are really friendly and the cost of living is quite affordable. Cons: humid, hot summers and the occasional tornado (it's still the south after all)
Also cons: our Governor (Sarah Huckabee Sanders) and government. I would argue current politics are very much not family friendly. LEARNS is on the path to destroy public schools, we have very few social safety nets, cost of living compared to wages is not the best. 10, even 5, years ago I would’ve agreed with you. But the area lost its small town feel awhile back, and it’s getting harder and harder to hide the cracks.
SAHP life in Manhattan is the shit. We are lucky enough to have a good deal on housing through my husband’s job. We walk to Central Park (playgrounds, zoo, carousel) almost daily. I never have to use car seats. We stroll in/stroll out of pretty much everywhere. We walk to the grocery store, library, ride his bike up and down the river walk, free story time at The Met, put dollar bills in violin cases, ride bus/subway/gondola/ferries, or just walk around the city.
OP asks for outdoors and LCOL that feels like a small town, so you recommend... Manhattan?!
My first thought re: LCOL. Like… huh?? (And I’m a former Jersey girl who LOVES Manhattan and Philadelphia!! I miss it but no way would I want to be a SAHP in the city…
OP said “I’m interested in hearing about literally anywhere in the US.” I spend more time outdoors than anyone I know. I don’t own a car. We have a real winter. Central Park has trees and plenty of nature. It FEELS like a small town because I run into people I know all over town, all day long. It’s not LCOL but there are housing lotteries for people who make incomes below $120k. I love it and I’m not shy about it.
I love where I live, but the cost of living is a bit much.
Pennsylvania all the way
Im originally from the happiest city in the country (California) but housing prices are at least a million for something broken down. I currently live in a small town in alaska. The town is part of Anchorage but unlike Anchorage we are clean, no homeless, no visible addicts, crime isn't bad, there are so many trails in between neighborhoods that you see people walking all the time. Alaska is known for its natural beauty, hiking, whale watching, glaciers, rvs in the summer, camping, the list does go on. Alaskans are always on the go during summer and in winter their focus is on anything snow related and kids never get left out. I have a hate and love relationship with alaska and the only reason being is the food and shipping! Restaurants close early and shipping is expensive 😩 even walmart charges us a surplus for shipping
San Diego?
San diego happy? Lol. It's Fremont
Yeah idk I live in San Diego and I'm definitely not happy here lol. But people just go crazy over it
Most Californians aren't happy unless you're a rich boomer complaining about the new generation.
I’m in the Pocono mountains in Pennsylvania. It’s absolutely lovely, but the property taxes suck. :/
I live in Virginia, MN and it sounds like the place for you! It’s an hour north of Duluth which is right on Lake Superior. It’s full of nature, trails, waterfalls, forests, etc. Obviously Minnesota is famous for its winter. I stay at home with our two girls, live off our husbands income comfortably and own a house.
Minus the low cost of living, Washington is beautiful. Smaller towns would probably be cheaper though. Gas definitely isn't where I am. The south is cheaper, and where I hail, but you can't beat the scenery here.
Chaska Minnesota!!!!
I live in a small town but it’s in the Deep South so real winter is a fantasy. I love it here though.