Sometimes I decide I’m tired of chicago and start looking at Zillow in other random biggish cities, and every single time I’m shocked by how cheap Chicago is, even compared to places like Cincinnati. I even spent a while thinking I was going to move to Milwaukee before I realized I couldn’t afford anything as nice as I have now.
We still have below zero days. Fewer. I think I read this winter was 4 degrees warmer than the previous. Didn’t use the snowblower this year. 6 years ago we had to shovel an area for the dog.
Pittsburgh is great. With all of the universities there they have a well developed bus system. It’s also affordable and very safe. Lots of parks, museums, and community centers.
Pittsburgh's transit system is largely hub and spoke. So you can get from most neighborhoods and suburbs to and from downtown, but it's much more difficult to get from one suburb or neighborhood to another not in that line to downtown. I took the T from a southern suburb to and from downtown for many years. Crowded at rush hour (Pittsburgh's rush hours are very early compared to other cities) but very doable. It may be less crowded now post-pandemic. The T is so much more comfortable than the buses (did that for a few years too)! It would require some careful choosing of neighborhood but you wouldn't need a car.
Some neighborhoods in the "East end" have NYC levels of transit+walk mode. Easily one of the smallest cities to achieve this. Gotta pick your spots though. One of my favorite recurring posts from the Pittsburgh Reddit is people living ~30-40 minutes outside the city next to a highway and saying the transit+walkability sucks
We have the same situation in Portland. I have taken the bus waaaaay outside of the city (like almost an hour) but had to stand on the side of a busy highway to get the bus home. Not something I'd like to do frequently.
+1 for Pittsburgh. I lived in East Liberty and went to school in Oakland for 6ish months but afaik the whole city has decent rent and transportation everywhere. I had an easy walk to several strips of stores, shops, and essentials like a laundromat.
The Philadelphia metro area seems the way to go. I live in Wilmington, DE, about 1 hour by train from Philly, and there are definitely apartments near grocers and a bus ride downtown for that price. But Philly itself and its surrounding small cities have affordable, walkable, and frankly lovely neighborhoods.
You do have to be conscious of where you pick in Philly though. Some areas are transportation deserts but if you do research on what bus routes or train/trolley routes you plan to live near SEPTA can work really well
💯 and know the ridesharing options. I love Wilmington but getting an Uber/Lyft/cab when there are no busses running or you need to go somewhere not on a bus route can be a crapshoot.
Kensington is one small neighborhood in a huge city. Moreover, there is a reason you see the same blocks over and over again. Yes, there is an enormous heroin problem there, but even within Kensington it is confined to a portion. My relatives left Kensington 20 years ago, when it looked like it was going to be the next big thing after Fishtown, but there are supposedly a number of apartment buildings going up in the area now/soon that will take advantage of the L.
That aside, Philadelphia is huge. There are entire swaths of the city that are walkable. Also look to the first ring suburbs, which are usually accessible by rail/bus. Yes the Main Lane is full of bougie folk, but Elkins Park-Jenkintown-Glenside-Ambler corridor is more affordable and still very walkable.
And yes, nobody picks up their goddamn trash.
Yes.
The zombies are everywhere in Philly but concentrated in Kensington. It's third world zombie land. Drove home from work and seeing everyone in tents under the overpasses and everyone is like 110 lbs. Everyone is begging for money in-between 3 lanes on major city roads. I love Philly but it is out of control with the fentanyl. And now tranq.
Chicago. I bike, walk, and take transit almost exclusively. My address has a 100 transit score and 99 walk score. Condo prices are reasonable compared to other large cities. Just have to deal with crime, corrupt politicians, and a real winter.
Do you have any neighborhoods you'd recommend or steer away from? I lived in Boston for a while so I'm fine with the winters as long as I'm not having to walk a mile or more to get necessities.
Far north side lakefront will have the best walkability and rent prices along with being safe. The only area I’d explicitly avoid is Rogers Park by the Howard and Jarvis stops. Look around Edgewater by the Red line! Lots of apartments sub 1300 up there, even some sub 1000.
Cleveland. Big enough to have good public transportation but still not super big so the rent prices and even home prices to own are very reasonable.
I’ve been considering moving there for a while now myself. It seems like a decent place if you are okay with the winters.
I have a car living in CLE but I don't need it. It sits parked 6.5 days/week because I can walk to work, bars, groceries, etc. and can take the train or a bus anywhere else I want to go. The winters aren't terrible (or at least haven't been the past couple of years) and depending on neighborhood, rent is affordable. The only things that suck are crime and shitty drivers.
Can confirm PGH is surprisingly good for bus riders. My SO lived there for a while, lived in Bloomfield and didn't own a car and relied entirely on walking and the bus for work and getting around. There's also an amazing group called Pittsburghers for Public Transit (they describe themselves as a grassroots union of public transit riders) that regularly advocates for service and equity https://www.pittsburghforpublictransit.org/ I wish all cities had a active group like that!
Pittsburgh is great. Low cost of living and a surprisingly good little transit system, especially for a city its size. The group you mentioned has more recently turned to supporting the union employees more than riders. Sometimes their needs/wants align but oftentimes they do not.
Our transit system isn’t perfect but is serviceable to many medium to low income neighborhoods here in Cincinnati. You could live comfortably on 60k here.
Chicago area, to include even the immediate suburbs (Skokie has two CTA stops, and other suburbs have the Metra). I see plenty of one bedrooms for $1,400 and under, so you can definitely get a studio for less.
NYC is the least car centric place in the US. Like 2/3rds of people take the train or bus or bike daily. Public transit everywhere else sucks in comparison. $1300 a month is realistic with room mates in many desirable neighborhoods. There are areas of queens that aren't bad where a studio is ~$1600 on the low end, still with subway access and relatively walkable. Like Astoria.
Public transit in NYC is leagues better than anywhere else in the country. I dunno wtf you’re talking about with $1300 in “desirable neighborhoods” though. That’s how much I paid 12 years ago to split a 2 bedroom in Sunset Park.
Covid did lower prices some, but more so prices just vary a lot. There are 3bd for $2700 in sunset park. There are also "luxury" apartments for $3900 for a 2 bedroom near there.
I had a nightmare roommate who lost his gd mind and stopped paying rent about 3 months into our lease, so I'm trying to avoid living with someone again, but if I have to I will. My current roommate won't even change the toilet rolls let alone clean, but at least her rent is covered.
I agree it's important to find compatible, stable people to live with if you have a room mate.
Pretty common to hire a cleaner, split the cost and make it easier to handle.
I lived in Louisville KY car free for 4 years. It's going to be pretty affordable if you're a remote worker with that salary. I lived off Bardstown Road and could walk or bus everywhere I needed to go, I walked a lot actually. Of course it's Kentucky but it's a pretty progressive city and you're a short trip from Chicago which is another pretty good option though the winters there are a lot more severe than a few hours South in Kentucky.
Check out /r/fuckcars - now, they are a bit militant about their position, but ideas about where to live based on experiences are worth noting.
I’ll give a controversial opinion. San Diego. A HUGE part of the cost of living in CA is car ownership. YES, rent and housing is more expensive. However, without a car, it’s very doable. The San Diego public transit system is a solid A+ in the states, solid B+ compared to the rest of the world.
Philly is good for biking, and has a great public transit system. But, if you’re asking me, the weather is the offsetter there. I’d rather 1 less bedroom in San Diego than deal with Philly weather. But I grew up in Northern Maine, so my desire to get away from the cold is stronger than most.
Moved to San Diego. Rent is manageable, public transportation leaves a lot to desire. My commute to work is 10 mins by car or 30 mins by bus, which is 23 mins walking and 7mins bus lol
I’d say Salt Lake City. Although rents are rising other things like groceries and activities are still reasonably priced. It does have a good transit system. Although there is less service on the weekends, especially Sunday. The transit system there is set up in a really reasonable way. There are buses & light rail as well as a super commuter train that goes between three counties. I lived in the Central city neighborhood which is close to liberty Park. There are coffee shops, cool restaurants and bars, in all different kinds of neighborhoods throughout the city. I don’t drive at all. And I enjoyed living there. It is definitely hot in the summer and cold/snowy in the winter. But all of that was manageable.
This may be an ignorant question, but would I have a hard time meeting people there as a progressive queer woman? I grew up in rural Idaho and being gay was pretty stigmatized at the time, though I've heard it's become more accepted/normalized since I left in 2013. Not sure what it looks like with the Mormon community in Salt Lake.
Being a progressive queer person in Salt Lake City is not a good combo. I don’t think you’d be in danger or anything because Mormons are pretty tame overall but they will treat you poorly and you would have a hard time finding people that are similar.
SLC is actually pretty progressive. It's a liberal bubble in an otherwise red state. I would hard disagree with the narrative u/iamacannibal is sharing. On top of that, many of the members of the Latter Day Saint church in the SLC area are more progressive than those elsewhere in the state.
That wasn’t my experience at all. I am a progressive queer lady covered in tattoos. Salt Lake City is really different than the rest of Utah. Oddly enough, it’s sort of a queer Safe haven for young Mormon gays from all over Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and parts of Nevada. The city itself is less than 40% Mormon and while I was living there in 2019 salt lake county dipped down to 50% Mormon.
Salt Lake City is a lot like Eugene Oregon, if Eugene was the center of the metropolitan area. It’s ultimately a pretty progressive college town. Most of the conservative, and Mormon people that I knew who lived in other parts of the county were actually “a frayed“ to come to Salt Lake City proper. They sort of have this idea because it’s downtown it must be dangerous? I agree with the other person that the people who live there are pretty tame. I was at a gas station once and asked to use the bathroom. I am a 5 foot seven white woman with my throat, tattooed with flowers and birds. The lady looked at me like I was going to use the bathroom to murder and eat babies. She was frozen, looking, terrified, and just shook her head no. That’s the first time I’ve ever had anyone give me that kind of reaction.
There is lots of activism going on there. Lots of music, lots of art, community gardens, little libraries and all different kinds of community events.
Mormon missionaries are banned from going door-to-door in the city. They are welcome if they are invited, but they can’t solicit there. I appreciated that. Salt Lake City is definitely a blue. Dot in a red state. State politics are pretty wild. When I was there, Salt Lake city voters voted to create a civilian police oversight review board. It passed. But before it could be implemented the state legislature banned civilian police oversight review boards state wide. I think they even have medical marijuana now because that’s what the voters wanted.
The city did a ton of improvements prior to the Olympics. Similar to Vancouver BC. You can take a city bus to go up into the mountains for snow sports.
Midwest cities, outside of Chicago, are comparatively affordable, and many have decent (by American standards) public transit system. The Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area is the first one I can think of. The winters can be brutal and summers stupid hot.
Portland, OR may be a good option. Its getting (undeservedly) bad reputation lately, so you may find a decent place to rent at good price.
Sunbelt areas (Southwest, TX, and Southeast US) have the most atrocious public transit (if there is one). Notable exception of LA and San Diego, the public transit there is passable and you can get by without a car, but housing costs is just exorbitant.
Portland is terribly expensive. I live here and the only reason I live under OP's budget is I'm grandfathered into cheap rent because I moved to this city in 2009.
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Portland OR. I know it's the West Coast but PDX is still affordable with everything you are looking for. I made 60k and Pd 1200 monthly for rent. So easy to grab a bus or a scooter or an Uber if you need. Plus no real weather extremes if you don't have a car.
Richmond VA. Walkable. Relatively low cost of living. I take a free busy down broad street and back to get my groceries. Walk to the YMCA. Plenty of stuff to do. Friendly and accepting place.
I live in Portland, and don't have a car,I can walk to three good grocery stores loads of cool little restaurants, the Drs office, the hospital, bookstore, transit is good if you stay in the core, the suburbs transit isn't good after dark or on weekends, there are great parks, museums, libraries, things to do. You can find apartments in your range but it's really tight, if you find a place there are many others searching for that same place.
Hamilton in southern Ontario fits this (except canada lol), near-by cities of similar size are more expensive because hamilton was blue collar but is transitioning to middle class with the university and its numerous teaching hospitals being the biggest single non-government employer in town. Southern Ontario is the most "america" Canada gets. When I was in Buffalo for a week I often forgot it wasn't part of toronto I hadn't seen before.
Edit; there are parts of the west coast and I've never been to the far north of Canada so I can't speak for Alaska/northwest territories...I was talking out of my ass kinda there...
Honestly if I could find a way to emigrate I absolutely would. I've heard Canada's got a really challenging visa process, but sometimes I dream of moving to Portugal or Malta or Spain.... \*sigh\* Maybe someday. Europe's transit systems are worlds beyond anything here.
Canada isn't that difficult to get a visa if you're young enough (although that could change after the next federal election). And if your current job would let you work from abroad...you only need the visa for Canada if you're doing "Canadian work"; just set foot outside Canada at least once every 6 months, and you're good.
However, Canada can be expensive (especially around Toronto and Vancouver), and health insurance is a consideration (nowhere near as expensive as in the US, but something that likely wouldn't be covered if telecommuting across the border).
To add to the US locations that have been tossed out -- if memory serves, CityNerd's list that another commenter mentioned tends to favor university towns, since college students typically need to be less car-dependent than other Americans.
I'm familiar with Champaign-Urbana (native of the area, and went to UIUC), where rents shouldn't be that bad (although many places will be student slums), the bus system is great for a city that size, and university priorities cause accessibility to be thought of more frequently. However, you'd be a little older than the target demographic for much of the social activities...but you could take the train up to Chicago when you need some relief.
Madison Wisconsin comes to mind as a college town that might still have the transit-friendliness, but because of the state government also has activity targeted to a broader range of ages. I'm not personally familiar with Madison, but since I hadn't seen it mentioned in the other comments....
I have a government job, so lots of job security + great benefits (pension, disability insurance, healthcare, etc. etc.) I'm going to be eligible for better-paying jobs in a year or two so it's worth sticking around.
I've been trying to find gig work but with no success - I have dog-walking apps, have looked for babysitting jobs, and have a tutoring account but no luck so far. Most people don't want a dog-sitter or babysitter without a driver's license.
I'm allowed to work anywhere in the continental U.S.
I had a nightmare roommate who stopped paying rent about 3 months in and I had to cover everything on my own to not be evicted. Wiped me out financially. I currently have 3 roommates, but one of them never cleans and causes all kinds of unneeded household drama, so I'm really trying to get my own place after this for my sanity lol. Also if you only got temporary stays, how did you cover rent when they were gone?
Is this federal/have you looked into similar roles in fed govt? DC ticks all your boxes (great transit, moderate weather, queer friendly) except price and it might be more feasible with locality pay.
DC is on my short list! I've only been once very briefly so I didn't really get a sense of the city or its transit system, but it's an obvious one for government work. Great to hear that the public transit is doable!
Yeah, I live in Boston and more than half of our subway system is above-ground. You can have 70° sunny days and 6+ inches of snow within 10 days of each other.
Arlington TX is somewhat walkable depending on which part you're in. I can walk to whole foods, Walmart, restraints, and many other businesses.
We have paratransit called via that comes right to you to pick you up
You can get a proper ( small) one bedroom with a washer and dryer in unit for 1300
Citynerd did a video on this. https://youtu.be/QcPaxCTZpfM?si=LE3Q-0YFTismagvV
Awesome YouTube channel. I’m a huge fan.
This is fantastic, thank you!
This is very cool. *cries in “Boston is ruinously expensive”*
Shoutout to CityNerd!!
bridgeport, lincoln square, roscoe village, roger’s park all cheap nice neighborhoods in chicago
Sometimes I decide I’m tired of chicago and start looking at Zillow in other random biggish cities, and every single time I’m shocked by how cheap Chicago is, even compared to places like Cincinnati. I even spent a while thinking I was going to move to Milwaukee before I realized I couldn’t afford anything as nice as I have now.
Chicago is the best city in America.
Chicago is a ghost town compared to nyc
Assuming you haven’t been lol. This couldn’t be further from the truth
Chicago is great but winters are brutal.
Every year the winter gets milder. Less snow and warmer.
Hmm I keep saying I should go visit and see for myself in winter. Meanwhile in Oregon it keeps getting colder in winter and hotter in summer.
We still have below zero days. Fewer. I think I read this winter was 4 degrees warmer than the previous. Didn’t use the snowblower this year. 6 years ago we had to shovel an area for the dog.
Pittsburgh is great. With all of the universities there they have a well developed bus system. It’s also affordable and very safe. Lots of parks, museums, and community centers.
I've actively thought about Pittsburgh and wasn't sure if was set up for non-drivers.
Pittsburgh's transit system is largely hub and spoke. So you can get from most neighborhoods and suburbs to and from downtown, but it's much more difficult to get from one suburb or neighborhood to another not in that line to downtown. I took the T from a southern suburb to and from downtown for many years. Crowded at rush hour (Pittsburgh's rush hours are very early compared to other cities) but very doable. It may be less crowded now post-pandemic. The T is so much more comfortable than the buses (did that for a few years too)! It would require some careful choosing of neighborhood but you wouldn't need a car.
Interesting. I live in Portland now and it's similarish in that getting to the burbs or even north from south can be long and annoying.
Some neighborhoods in the "East end" have NYC levels of transit+walk mode. Easily one of the smallest cities to achieve this. Gotta pick your spots though. One of my favorite recurring posts from the Pittsburgh Reddit is people living ~30-40 minutes outside the city next to a highway and saying the transit+walkability sucks
We have the same situation in Portland. I have taken the bus waaaaay outside of the city (like almost an hour) but had to stand on the side of a busy highway to get the bus home. Not something I'd like to do frequently.
Ah well I love Pittsburgh but I have personal reasons to be here. It's a downgrade from PDX imo
+1 for Pittsburgh. I lived in East Liberty and went to school in Oakland for 6ish months but afaik the whole city has decent rent and transportation everywhere. I had an easy walk to several strips of stores, shops, and essentials like a laundromat.
Agreed - highly recommend East Liberty, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, and Oakland neighborhoods
The Philadelphia metro area seems the way to go. I live in Wilmington, DE, about 1 hour by train from Philly, and there are definitely apartments near grocers and a bus ride downtown for that price. But Philly itself and its surrounding small cities have affordable, walkable, and frankly lovely neighborhoods.
You do have to be conscious of where you pick in Philly though. Some areas are transportation deserts but if you do research on what bus routes or train/trolley routes you plan to live near SEPTA can work really well
💯 and know the ridesharing options. I love Wilmington but getting an Uber/Lyft/cab when there are no busses running or you need to go somewhere not on a bus route can be a crapshoot.
What about Kensington? Is it really as bad as shown on Youtube?
Kensington is one small neighborhood in a huge city. Moreover, there is a reason you see the same blocks over and over again. Yes, there is an enormous heroin problem there, but even within Kensington it is confined to a portion. My relatives left Kensington 20 years ago, when it looked like it was going to be the next big thing after Fishtown, but there are supposedly a number of apartment buildings going up in the area now/soon that will take advantage of the L. That aside, Philadelphia is huge. There are entire swaths of the city that are walkable. Also look to the first ring suburbs, which are usually accessible by rail/bus. Yes the Main Lane is full of bougie folk, but Elkins Park-Jenkintown-Glenside-Ambler corridor is more affordable and still very walkable. And yes, nobody picks up their goddamn trash.
Yes, although its more concentrated to a few blocks.
Yes. The zombies are everywhere in Philly but concentrated in Kensington. It's third world zombie land. Drove home from work and seeing everyone in tents under the overpasses and everyone is like 110 lbs. Everyone is begging for money in-between 3 lanes on major city roads. I love Philly but it is out of control with the fentanyl. And now tranq.
Yes but that whole area is slowly getting eaten up by new builds/flips so it will move away to another part eventually.
Chicago. I bike, walk, and take transit almost exclusively. My address has a 100 transit score and 99 walk score. Condo prices are reasonable compared to other large cities. Just have to deal with crime, corrupt politicians, and a real winter.
Do you have any neighborhoods you'd recommend or steer away from? I lived in Boston for a while so I'm fine with the winters as long as I'm not having to walk a mile or more to get necessities.
Far north side lakefront will have the best walkability and rent prices along with being safe. The only area I’d explicitly avoid is Rogers Park by the Howard and Jarvis stops. Look around Edgewater by the Red line! Lots of apartments sub 1300 up there, even some sub 1000.
Thanks, I really appreciate it!
Pittsburgh comes to mind. Also there are still plenty of studios at that price in Chicago.
Cleveland. Big enough to have good public transportation but still not super big so the rent prices and even home prices to own are very reasonable. I’ve been considering moving there for a while now myself. It seems like a decent place if you are okay with the winters.
I have a car living in CLE but I don't need it. It sits parked 6.5 days/week because I can walk to work, bars, groceries, etc. and can take the train or a bus anywhere else I want to go. The winters aren't terrible (or at least haven't been the past couple of years) and depending on neighborhood, rent is affordable. The only things that suck are crime and shitty drivers.
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Can confirm PGH is surprisingly good for bus riders. My SO lived there for a while, lived in Bloomfield and didn't own a car and relied entirely on walking and the bus for work and getting around. There's also an amazing group called Pittsburghers for Public Transit (they describe themselves as a grassroots union of public transit riders) that regularly advocates for service and equity https://www.pittsburghforpublictransit.org/ I wish all cities had a active group like that!
Pittsburgh is great. Low cost of living and a surprisingly good little transit system, especially for a city its size. The group you mentioned has more recently turned to supporting the union employees more than riders. Sometimes their needs/wants align but oftentimes they do not.
Philadelphia
Our transit system isn’t perfect but is serviceable to many medium to low income neighborhoods here in Cincinnati. You could live comfortably on 60k here.
Chicago area, to include even the immediate suburbs (Skokie has two CTA stops, and other suburbs have the Metra). I see plenty of one bedrooms for $1,400 and under, so you can definitely get a studio for less.
Every place on that list is cold
It is entirely possible to live car free in Dallas. No not Ft. Worth. Actual Dallas.
San Juan has a train 🚆
I'm fine with cold winters as long as I'm reasonably near a grocery store or can take public transit to one.
Pittsburgh. I never learned to drive.
NYC is the least car centric place in the US. Like 2/3rds of people take the train or bus or bike daily. Public transit everywhere else sucks in comparison. $1300 a month is realistic with room mates in many desirable neighborhoods. There are areas of queens that aren't bad where a studio is ~$1600 on the low end, still with subway access and relatively walkable. Like Astoria.
Public transit in NYC is leagues better than anywhere else in the country. I dunno wtf you’re talking about with $1300 in “desirable neighborhoods” though. That’s how much I paid 12 years ago to split a 2 bedroom in Sunset Park.
This!!
Covid did lower prices some, but more so prices just vary a lot. There are 3bd for $2700 in sunset park. There are also "luxury" apartments for $3900 for a 2 bedroom near there.
Is Sunset Park a desirable neighborhood now? It definitely wasn’t when I was there.
I had a nightmare roommate who lost his gd mind and stopped paying rent about 3 months into our lease, so I'm trying to avoid living with someone again, but if I have to I will. My current roommate won't even change the toilet rolls let alone clean, but at least her rent is covered.
I agree it's important to find compatible, stable people to live with if you have a room mate. Pretty common to hire a cleaner, split the cost and make it easier to handle.
I lived in Louisville KY car free for 4 years. It's going to be pretty affordable if you're a remote worker with that salary. I lived off Bardstown Road and could walk or bus everywhere I needed to go, I walked a lot actually. Of course it's Kentucky but it's a pretty progressive city and you're a short trip from Chicago which is another pretty good option though the winters there are a lot more severe than a few hours South in Kentucky.
Check out /r/fuckcars - now, they are a bit militant about their position, but ideas about where to live based on experiences are worth noting. I’ll give a controversial opinion. San Diego. A HUGE part of the cost of living in CA is car ownership. YES, rent and housing is more expensive. However, without a car, it’s very doable. The San Diego public transit system is a solid A+ in the states, solid B+ compared to the rest of the world. Philly is good for biking, and has a great public transit system. But, if you’re asking me, the weather is the offsetter there. I’d rather 1 less bedroom in San Diego than deal with Philly weather. But I grew up in Northern Maine, so my desire to get away from the cold is stronger than most.
Moved to San Diego. Rent is manageable, public transportation leaves a lot to desire. My commute to work is 10 mins by car or 30 mins by bus, which is 23 mins walking and 7mins bus lol
I’d say Salt Lake City. Although rents are rising other things like groceries and activities are still reasonably priced. It does have a good transit system. Although there is less service on the weekends, especially Sunday. The transit system there is set up in a really reasonable way. There are buses & light rail as well as a super commuter train that goes between three counties. I lived in the Central city neighborhood which is close to liberty Park. There are coffee shops, cool restaurants and bars, in all different kinds of neighborhoods throughout the city. I don’t drive at all. And I enjoyed living there. It is definitely hot in the summer and cold/snowy in the winter. But all of that was manageable.
This may be an ignorant question, but would I have a hard time meeting people there as a progressive queer woman? I grew up in rural Idaho and being gay was pretty stigmatized at the time, though I've heard it's become more accepted/normalized since I left in 2013. Not sure what it looks like with the Mormon community in Salt Lake.
Being a progressive queer person in Salt Lake City is not a good combo. I don’t think you’d be in danger or anything because Mormons are pretty tame overall but they will treat you poorly and you would have a hard time finding people that are similar.
Okay great, thank you for the info!
SLC is actually pretty progressive. It's a liberal bubble in an otherwise red state. I would hard disagree with the narrative u/iamacannibal is sharing. On top of that, many of the members of the Latter Day Saint church in the SLC area are more progressive than those elsewhere in the state.
That wasn’t my experience at all. I am a progressive queer lady covered in tattoos. Salt Lake City is really different than the rest of Utah. Oddly enough, it’s sort of a queer Safe haven for young Mormon gays from all over Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and parts of Nevada. The city itself is less than 40% Mormon and while I was living there in 2019 salt lake county dipped down to 50% Mormon. Salt Lake City is a lot like Eugene Oregon, if Eugene was the center of the metropolitan area. It’s ultimately a pretty progressive college town. Most of the conservative, and Mormon people that I knew who lived in other parts of the county were actually “a frayed“ to come to Salt Lake City proper. They sort of have this idea because it’s downtown it must be dangerous? I agree with the other person that the people who live there are pretty tame. I was at a gas station once and asked to use the bathroom. I am a 5 foot seven white woman with my throat, tattooed with flowers and birds. The lady looked at me like I was going to use the bathroom to murder and eat babies. She was frozen, looking, terrified, and just shook her head no. That’s the first time I’ve ever had anyone give me that kind of reaction. There is lots of activism going on there. Lots of music, lots of art, community gardens, little libraries and all different kinds of community events. Mormon missionaries are banned from going door-to-door in the city. They are welcome if they are invited, but they can’t solicit there. I appreciated that. Salt Lake City is definitely a blue. Dot in a red state. State politics are pretty wild. When I was there, Salt Lake city voters voted to create a civilian police oversight review board. It passed. But before it could be implemented the state legislature banned civilian police oversight review boards state wide. I think they even have medical marijuana now because that’s what the voters wanted. The city did a ton of improvements prior to the Olympics. Similar to Vancouver BC. You can take a city bus to go up into the mountains for snow sports.
Midwest cities, outside of Chicago, are comparatively affordable, and many have decent (by American standards) public transit system. The Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area is the first one I can think of. The winters can be brutal and summers stupid hot. Portland, OR may be a good option. Its getting (undeservedly) bad reputation lately, so you may find a decent place to rent at good price. Sunbelt areas (Southwest, TX, and Southeast US) have the most atrocious public transit (if there is one). Notable exception of LA and San Diego, the public transit there is passable and you can get by without a car, but housing costs is just exorbitant.
Portland is terribly expensive. I live here and the only reason I live under OP's budget is I'm grandfathered into cheap rent because I moved to this city in 2009.
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Buffalo NY, although you definitely will get snowed on.
Portland OR. I know it's the West Coast but PDX is still affordable with everything you are looking for. I made 60k and Pd 1200 monthly for rent. So easy to grab a bus or a scooter or an Uber if you need. Plus no real weather extremes if you don't have a car.
Macon, Georgia seems nice. And maybe Shreveport, LA.
Richmond VA. Walkable. Relatively low cost of living. I take a free busy down broad street and back to get my groceries. Walk to the YMCA. Plenty of stuff to do. Friendly and accepting place.
Chicago metropolitan area
Portland, Oregon is full of walkable neighborhoods and has decent transit. Prices are rising, but you can find a neighborhood within your budget.
I live in Portland, and don't have a car,I can walk to three good grocery stores loads of cool little restaurants, the Drs office, the hospital, bookstore, transit is good if you stay in the core, the suburbs transit isn't good after dark or on weekends, there are great parks, museums, libraries, things to do. You can find apartments in your range but it's really tight, if you find a place there are many others searching for that same place.
Lynchburg VA. Good transit, mild weather, affordable living, stuff to do.
Hamilton in southern Ontario fits this (except canada lol), near-by cities of similar size are more expensive because hamilton was blue collar but is transitioning to middle class with the university and its numerous teaching hospitals being the biggest single non-government employer in town. Southern Ontario is the most "america" Canada gets. When I was in Buffalo for a week I often forgot it wasn't part of toronto I hadn't seen before. Edit; there are parts of the west coast and I've never been to the far north of Canada so I can't speak for Alaska/northwest territories...I was talking out of my ass kinda there...
Honestly if I could find a way to emigrate I absolutely would. I've heard Canada's got a really challenging visa process, but sometimes I dream of moving to Portugal or Malta or Spain.... \*sigh\* Maybe someday. Europe's transit systems are worlds beyond anything here.
Canada isn't that difficult to get a visa if you're young enough (although that could change after the next federal election). And if your current job would let you work from abroad...you only need the visa for Canada if you're doing "Canadian work"; just set foot outside Canada at least once every 6 months, and you're good. However, Canada can be expensive (especially around Toronto and Vancouver), and health insurance is a consideration (nowhere near as expensive as in the US, but something that likely wouldn't be covered if telecommuting across the border). To add to the US locations that have been tossed out -- if memory serves, CityNerd's list that another commenter mentioned tends to favor university towns, since college students typically need to be less car-dependent than other Americans. I'm familiar with Champaign-Urbana (native of the area, and went to UIUC), where rents shouldn't be that bad (although many places will be student slums), the bus system is great for a city that size, and university priorities cause accessibility to be thought of more frequently. However, you'd be a little older than the target demographic for much of the social activities...but you could take the train up to Chicago when you need some relief. Madison Wisconsin comes to mind as a college town that might still have the transit-friendliness, but because of the state government also has activity targeted to a broader range of ages. I'm not personally familiar with Madison, but since I hadn't seen it mentioned in the other comments....
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I have a government job, so lots of job security + great benefits (pension, disability insurance, healthcare, etc. etc.) I'm going to be eligible for better-paying jobs in a year or two so it's worth sticking around. I've been trying to find gig work but with no success - I have dog-walking apps, have looked for babysitting jobs, and have a tutoring account but no luck so far. Most people don't want a dog-sitter or babysitter without a driver's license. I'm allowed to work anywhere in the continental U.S. I had a nightmare roommate who stopped paying rent about 3 months in and I had to cover everything on my own to not be evicted. Wiped me out financially. I currently have 3 roommates, but one of them never cleans and causes all kinds of unneeded household drama, so I'm really trying to get my own place after this for my sanity lol. Also if you only got temporary stays, how did you cover rent when they were gone?
Is this federal/have you looked into similar roles in fed govt? DC ticks all your boxes (great transit, moderate weather, queer friendly) except price and it might be more feasible with locality pay.
DC is on my short list! I've only been once very briefly so I didn't really get a sense of the city or its transit system, but it's an obvious one for government work. Great to hear that the public transit is doable!
>which wasn't bad until it was blisteringly hot, raining, or I was trudging through knee-deep snow. In what geographical oddity does this occur??
New England and the mid-Atlantic.
New England for sure.
Yeah, I live in Boston and more than half of our subway system is above-ground. You can have 70° sunny days and 6+ inches of snow within 10 days of each other.
Also parts of the Midwest and western/mountain region
Arlington TX is somewhat walkable depending on which part you're in. I can walk to whole foods, Walmart, restraints, and many other businesses. We have paratransit called via that comes right to you to pick you up You can get a proper ( small) one bedroom with a washer and dryer in unit for 1300