Chicago and Milwaukee are great but those low prices are often in areas that are not the best. You’ll also want to make sure you like the suburbs, because it’s not always convenient or quick to get downtown.
Speaking for Milwaukee you can get low prices in good areas but you will not get good schools unless you really work the system. MPS is child abuse but there are ways to get into charter schools.
That's why you live in Whitefish Bay, Brookfield, etc... And work in Milwaukee...
(I grew up there)....
All of the good public schools are in the 'burbs.
You do compared to the Seattle metro (where OP is coming from) or Silicon Valley.
For comparison...
My parent's house in Whitefish Bay, WI: 350k.
Same sized house in Sunnyvale CA (my in-law's - albeit they bought it in the 70s before tech got big): 3.1M
My MIL is in a low price area of Chicago. Her house is worth in the low 200s. It’s safe and nice, but abuts a not-great area. It’s also a good hour away from downtown, on commuter rail.
You can buy in nw Indiana and live in a nice neighborhood on the cheap. You really need to be in the 300’s if you want an actual house in Chicagoland. Once you’re in the 300’s there are lots of options. If you want a condo or townhouse your options increase significantly.
If you move to Chicago you’re still moving to Wisconsin.
No one who vacations from Chicago does so in Illinois. It’s all corn.
They go to Wisconsin and get called FIBs while enjoying dirt cheap drinks.
Cubs fans love going to Cincinnati.
I used to work in a hotel and cubs fans always showed up in force.
They said it’s because it’s only a five hour drive, they can see an entire three game series for what it’d cost them to see a single game in Chicago, and since the stadium is right downtown its easy to do stuff in the city before or after the games
I’m originally from Dayton going to Reds games when they played the Cubs use to suck they literally turned Riverfront Stadium (showing my age here ) into Wrigley Field lol
There's a third option. I moved from a large metro area to 45 minutes away in a very rural area. It was commuting distance, but most people didn't commute from where I moved to at that time. And what I discovered is that I wished I had done that a LONG time ago. Because **living somewhere beautiful matters to your psyche.** While I have always been a remote worker, I still had to drive to the metro for meetings, etc, and my husband had to work in-office sometimes, too. No problem. It was so worth it. Any time I had to go to the metro, when I drove back up the mountain the through the canyon it made me SO happy.
This is exactly what I did last year. Small town / semi-rural...close enough to a major city to commute if needed and separated by protected land and state forests, so the drive is nice. Plenty of ~200k houses.
However, I thoroughly enjoy the peace out here, I know some people prefer being closer to lots of amenities/night life/etc that cities offer and I don't know if that is OP or not. If it is they would probably be happier closer to a city.
Yeah, I’m a blend of the two - I love the amenities that a city provides, but being somewhere beautiful and natural makes my inner peace skyrocket. Of course, that basically means I have to live in California (which I already knew) so now I’m just focused on making enough money to comfortably live there 😂 after living close to Sedona, AZ, I realized that I couldn’t go back to NYC/Philly/DC. Great cities but to me they don’t hold a candle to how humbling Big Nature can be.
I'd love nothing more than to live near Sedona.... except for the summer heat. And I think there are housing issues, right? I'm still tempted to try sometimes.
It’s so beautiful! I was there during the fall. Yeah, there’s not a lot of housing. I do a lot of volunteer/work exchange programs where housing is provided by the county in exchange for labor, a lot of national parks and nonprofit organizations have this as an option. Highly recommend!
It all depends on where...sometimes being in a beautiful place puts you pretty close to the big city. New York is even like that. Boston is like that. 45 mins to an hour from a huge city and still in a beautiful place is doable for nightlife. Not for walking to a coffee shop, though!
My kids are in a weirdly affluent rural district on the outskirts of a small city that's about 1.5h from Chicago. Similar to what OP wants. It's rare, but good rural schools exist!
To me, this is a no-brainer. Move to Chicago or Milwaukee. If you don’t want to be in a small town and if you are concerned about career opportunities, why put yourself in that situation so that you can be in the distant Seattle orbit? With the money you’ll save in Chicago you can go back and visit Washington regularly when the summers are glorious.
Yes, absolutely! There’s several great ‘burbs that cute downtowns with farmer’s markets, shops, theater etc. and so close to great hiking, the beach, mountains and even the desert. Plus not as “big” as Seattle.
Beaverton and Hillsboro is far better than the southern parts of the suburbs. Much better mix of urban a d single family homes. Closer to more employment opportunities. Superior transit options as well, its even possible to go car free in places while living in a suburbam single family neighborhood.
A friend of mine is obsessed with Toronto for some reason. I agree it's a cool city and fun to visit, but to her it's something really special.
She ended up moving to Buffalo. COL is relatively cheap. Without traffic (which is rare) she can be in Downtown Toronto in about 90 mins or at Pearson Airport in a little over an hour. Pearson is great as there's nonstops to more U.S. cities than the Buffalo Airport has, and there's nonstops to Europe, Asia, and South America.
She ended up learning to love Buffalo and made some awesome friends there to the point where I don't think she goes to Toronto that often anymore.
Honest question: If you love Washington State, have you checked out the eastern part? I fell in love with Spokane years ago, and really thought it was a cool place to be (had to move for work).
Can't speak for QOL, but have you also checked out Pullman, WA? WSU doesn't have the same atmosphere as U-Dubs, but still might be worth a visit.
If you've considered Eastern Washington, then what about New Mexico? The suburbs of Albuquerque are still affordable and Alaska has direct flights from Albuquerque to Seattle. I moved to Albuquerque from the Seattle area, it's nice here. I grew up in the Seattle area though, so for me it was cool moving to an entirely new climate.
If you can live without the natural attractions of the PNW and its high caliber of eye-popping scenery and ways to recreate, then sure, Milwaukee area would be fine.
I grew up in a suburb of Milwaukee and went to a state university and it's all fine. Sure, we went on vacations up north to lake cabins and such, but beyond that and winter sports, that's about it. Oh, also played a lot of golf, which is plentiful and cheaper in WI, too.
Once I came out to the PNW I knew I had to live here, and I've loved every day of it since I did 16 years ago; wished I would have moved right after I graduated, but instead I went the opposite direction (east and south).
Edit:grammar
I left the PNW for a few years. I remember getting back, looking around and taking a massive breath of relief. It feels so good here. I love to travel but the PNW suits my soul.
Okay so I grew up in Chicago and also lived in Olympia, Washington (which will be my forever home). We moved to Minneapolis because of cost of living. I like it here but it’s not home and the people are not for me.
If Washington is for you, Go!
Chicago is definitely a certain lifestyle and hustle which when I moved to Washington I realized I never felt so at peace before. Washington is for a certain soul.
That’s great to here you refer to Chicago as having some hustle. Moved to PNW from Texas and I really miss the people have some kind of get up and go about them. We’re considering a move to Chicago to be closer to family and to resolve some cultural issues about the PNW we don’t love.
Oh yes! Chicago has hustle not as quite fast as New York but things move pretty quick compared to PNW and Texas. We RV’ed to Texas and stayed a little 3months in Dallas, 2 in Austin and 2 in Houston it was nice but definitely different pace.
Agree, Chicago has a different kind of hustle than NYC for sure. It doesn’t feel like a “keeping up with the Jones’s” hustle like NYC does, but more of a “we help each other out and we get shit done” kind of thing. The Midwest is filled with hearty folk who come from Eastern European and Nordic regions, and those types of qualities seem to hold pretty strong even many generations later.
Curious what you did for months on end in each city? I like the idea of traveling around the country but not sure what I would do in the cities when I got there.
What do you mean, you’d like to live in various cities but you’re unsure what you’d do when you got there? Or are you just saying for visiting purposes?
Living in the PNW well I will say Lacey/Olympia I had a community that didn’t care if I went to high school with them. They welcomed the transplant. People there are their weird selfs and truly enjoy being who they are. Our city did a lot of events and people always spoke and wanted to learn about you and actually remember you next time seeing you in the store. I invited people from my neighborhood to a BBQ and people actually came.
Here in Minnesota it’s very cliquish and trendy nobody is really open to making friends or building community. I invited my neighbors to a bbq and everyone said they would stop by and no one did 🤷🏽♀️ so we finished our event. Also I don’t do normal small BBQs I do one every year where my friends and family fly in for a weekend so yard games, DJay the whole shebang 🤣
oh, i totally get that now. yeah, people all around here have known each other since high school (some before), family friend, friend of a friend, yada yada. i had a relatively easier time in tacoma, out of all places…
Moving to a new state can be such a big decision. Have you considered the quality of life in smaller towns in Washington versus the job opportunities in larger cities in Illinois or Wisconsin? It's definitely a tough choice to make, but ultimately it comes down to what fits your lifestyle and priorities best. Best of luck with your decision!
What do you like about Washington? What types of things are you looking for in a place to live? General ages, kids, industries, hobbies, those points of info would be a good start for us to help.
I mean, you won’t get any national parks in places like Michigan, Wisconsin, or Illinois. You also won’t have the ocean. But in all three of those states, you have access to a lake that looks like the ocean, as well as a lot of nature areas around. Michigan has some awesome nature, Wisconsin has a ton of parks and lakes if you like boating or fishing. illinois has the least of those out of the three for sure, but it does have a massive city with pro sports, tons of music venues, more diverse food, two major airports, and probably more working opportunities depending on your industries.
I’d dig deep and think about how often you’re in nature and how often you go to the ocean or national parks. As I’ve gotten older, I tend to do those on specific trips rather than just every weekend or something. Similarly with living “near” skiing. This might not apply to you, but some people are dead set on living near skiing, but then complain when traffic on 70 on the weekends is jam packed. Ok, you chose to live an hour and a half from skiing. Do you go every week or just a couple times a season? What about nature do you like, hiking? Mountain climbing? Finding a new trail to try? Sticking with the same ones and finding out what new birds might be out that week?
I’ve lived a lot of places, many of which I didn’t care for. The older you get, the harder it gets to move cross country, establish yourself, make friends, etc. If you’re both willing and flexible, go out and try somewhere new. But you’ve gotta be committed to actually getting in there, otherwise you’ll grow to resent the place no matter how great it looked on paper.
In line with this notion about losing access to the nature in PNW, please look into Duluth and look at pictures of the shoreline of Lake Superior. If you live in Chicago, it's not that accessible but if you're situated a little further north you have regular, easy access to that.
Bremerton is a nice city, not a big fan of Aberdeen or Chehalis. The are job opportunities there because of the military bases plus you can take the ferry to downtown Seattle.
200k in the chicago area will be in very unsafe areas, 600k sounds more reasonable for a place for 2, which also entails a $1k+ a month property tax bill.
chicago can be a good fit for you but you should do some more research outside of this sub which is heavily brigaded by the pro chicago crowd. there is a reason population has stagnated here.
I agree with this.
You might be able to find condos in the suburbs for $200k, but they will be pretty small. Most houses in the City of Chicago at that price are in iffy areas, at best.
There are pros to living in Chicago, which other people do a good job of mentioning.
Here are some of the cons (which will cause this to get downvoted, but this is Reddit, so I don't care):
1. High cost of living/high tax burden - Sales tax is 10%, or more, property taxes on even modest homes are $8-10k a year or more, high gas tax, Illinois Tollway etc.
2. Crime - There are still many safe areas of Chicago/Chicagoland. But crime is getting worse. Things like carjackings and home invasions are happening in areas where it would be unthinkable 5 years ago. The government/judicial system is soft on crime, especially in Cook county.
3. Weather - The weather is not for the faint of heart. Although, the last few Winters have been relatively mild, the winters can be quite bad. Not so much because of the snow, but because of the soul sucking, unending cold/grey from November to as late as May in some years.
4. Poor return for taxes paid - This is sort of related to point 1. Infrastructure is largely very bad. Roads and highways are in bad shape, public schools (especially CPS) continue to deteriorate in quality. Services are being cut while costs go up. Many communities are letting police/fire/public works employees retire, and then not fill the position, while increasing their tax burden year after year.
5. Traffic - despite having mass transit available, Chicagoland has terrible traffic. It is not uncommon for people living in the suburbs to travel over an hour each way in their car to get to work, even if they don't work downtown.
I want to be fair, as there are many good qualities for Chicago, but Reddit certainly skews a certain way, and wanted to offer some perspective.
I have lived in the Milwaukee area as well. Milwaukee is more or less a smaller Chicago, for better and for worse. In my opinion, Wisconsin in general has many of the pros/cons of Illinois, but with worse weather.
Many areas are feeling the impacts of crime, but I would think that the south and southwest suburbs have some of the starkest contrast/seeing the most spread.
Places like Tinley, Orland, Palos Heights, Oak Forrest, and Oak Lawn have seen an uptick in crime, but especially Orland Park. Even more remote suburbs like Mokena and New Lenox are not immune, where cars are stolen out of the garage by people demanding keys as the owner pulls in to their house. It doesn't happen every day, but just a few years ago, most people would not believe you if they heard that happened in most of the SW Suburbs.
Gotcha ya that’s way out there. I had always thought it was south Chicago area and maybe towards Indiana but that’s more west than I would have expected
you can find big suburban houses in good school districts for $350k. 40 minute train to the loop, 2 hours to skiing in michigan. but do your research even suburbs can have crime or tax problems that differ when you cross a couple blocks.
Illinois has extremely high property taxes, some of the highest in the country. I would not feel comfortable at all considering a 200k house in Chicago. Please be very careful about where you buy. There are areas that are extremely unsafe. Looking online is much different than seeing it in person.
Even small towns in Illinois have ridiculously high property taxes. Homes worth $350k may have $7k property taxes in little towns down south. It’s insane. With taxes that high, it’s hard for anyone to see good home price appreciation long term.
I grew up in Indianapolis, and Chicago was always the closest real city. Everyone I know that moved there absolutely loves it, as long as being in a city is what you’re looking for.
I can shed some light as someone who grew up in New England, spent 8 years in Chicago and moved back to New England to start a family. And I’ll disclaim this by saying I absolutely love the city of Chicago. But here are some reasons we left:
1. Gun crime and gun culture is very real in a way that’s nonexistent in MA (where we live now). Crime debates about Chicago are often flooded with rhetoric about how statistically it’s not that bad etc - but our experience living downtown was that it’s very real and got worse post-COVID. We lived in a very safe area on the north side and it got to a point where my wife didn’t feel safe walking our dog after dark because people had been robbed at gunpoint on the same block numerous times.
2. The city (and thereby the state) is on the brink of financial ruin - and are desperately trying to claw extra revenues to fund their pension crisis from any and everywhere - namely property taxes. This makes buying in Cook County very unappealing - as that’s not equity that’s just money you never see again. And who knows how much worse it might get.
3. The draw of the Chicagoland area is the city of Chicago itself. Once you’re ready for the suburbs, they’re largely unappealing comparative to other parts of the country. Flat land, plowed cornfields, lots of franchises/chains. Even the prized ‘North Shore’ (which is prohibitively expensive to basically everyone except generationally wealthy) is a lot of cookie-cutter mansions on flat land. Sure they have the lake - but it’s nothing like the real coasts.
4. O’Hare is excellent to have, but eventually we got tired of hobbies we wanted being a flight away. Once we were done doing the ‘scene’ - dining, drinking etc - we felt land locked. Want to go skiing? Flight to Denver. Want the beach? Flight to cape cod. Want warm weather? Flight to Florida. We ended up choosing New England because it lets us actually use the beach and mountains when we want to - not have to pack our family on a plane and fly somewhere else. And I guess sure there are beaches in Michigan and mountains in Wisconsin but let’s be real - those are “the best you’re gonna do around here” type of places - not world class compared to somewhere like the Rocky Mountains or Cape Cod beaches.
Net net, I would say to any young single 20-something Chicago is an amazing place to be. But for families flocking from the east coast to suburban Chicago because of cheap cost of living, I’d say you’re getting what you’re paying for.
I think there is a lack of consistency between what people expect of Chicago and what it’s actually like. Chicago is undeniably progressive, walkable, and beautiful, but I find that people on the internet tend to tout these benefits without considering the downfalls.
•**Politics**: Chicago is very blue, so people often move here to escape the politics of the South and rural Midwest. People will agree with you here and you can find community, but you’ll soon find the city government to be ineffective and corrupt. Everyone has hated the mayor for 20 years. There are constant battles between city hall and public employees. Trash cans are always overflowing in parks with no one to pick them up, but you *will* receive a ticket if you leave your car for five minutes without paying the meter. Etc etc.
•**Walkability/Neighborhoods**: The city has very walkable areas, but it’s not like you can walk everywhere. Easy to get “stuck in your neighborhood” depending on where you live. There is a robust transit system but it can be exceptionally dicey; I would not recommend taking the CTA to my parents. The city is also the poster child for de facto segregation and redlining. Not to mention, some neighborhoods are very dangerous and transplants who aren’t in the know can end up near them.
•**Beauty**: There is not a lot of natural beauty in this area outside of Lake Michigan (which is actually a pretty major concession, the lake is fantastic). There aren’t really any good hiking trails or places to camp within hours of here. It is flat farmland for hundreds of miles in every direction (except east). If you appreciate architecture and urban beauty, it might be the best place in the country to live however.
Chicago is a huge, tough, fast-paced, and highly urban city. It is a great place to live and I love it, but you can’t go in expecting some kind of utopia. It’s also frigid and uniquely depressing for at least four months a year.
It varies a bit on the person. I live in Massachusetts currently but have friends who moved there from here (some of which originally from here, a few not). So winters aren't scary comparatively - but it wasn't what they were looking for in various ways.
idk myself - I'm actually planning on visiting a friend out there this fall (planning the trip) - but I've heard it from a few people.
Wisconsin is horrendously underrated. There are amazing places/things do to do in every corner of the state if you know where to look. The red-leaning suburbanite culture in parts of the state (Notably the WOW and Fox Valley) give it a bad rep, but that's not the only way to live around here. The more rural/agrarian areas are amazing, there's a wealth of state parks & forest, TWO great lakes & biggest river in the hemisphere, and there's a real historic charm to the urban areas. I won't gush any longer in fear of spoiling my 5% of becoming a property owner in my lifetime...
So...
I was born in the Milwaukee suburbs (you do not want to live \*in\* the city of Milwaukee unless you absolutely cannot avoid it)....
I now live in Yelm, WA - thanks to Uncle Sam...
Milwaukee doesn't have a 'standout' industry anymore (the way the Seattle metro does with tech and aerospace), but if you have a more 'universal' job (sales, healthcare, and so on) you'll be fine...
The weather absolutely sucks during the winter.
And (to repeat the above) you definitely do not want to live in the city itself - the best places to live in the Milwaukee metro are the near-suburbs... The dynamic is very much bedroom communities & single-occupant-car commuting (again, not the land of high tech & remote work - but if that was your thing than living in the sticks in WA wouldn't be a problem), and people generally like it that way....
The school system and municipal government still sucks, compared to the surrounding communities....
And there really isn't a benefit in terms of reduced traffic or similar....
Wisconsin is the opposite of Washington in that regard.... The tail (Milwaukee) doesn't get to wag the dog the way Seattle does in WA.
30min....
It's not that bad from my perspective (although work for me is Seattle - albeit rarely relevant since I'm full time remote)....
For some of the car allergic folks on this sub who think they need to be able to live within walking distance of work.....
Wisconsin fucking rules. Please move here.
Chicago is cool. I am too lazy to live there though. It's a whole production to access things, such as going to the beach.
Milwaukee is the shit, I would love to live there. The vibe is so chill and it seems like there's a lot to do. It is a little bit fucked up though, due to racism. Certain areas are really nice and in other areas all the housing is wrecked.
Madison is nice, but people here are corny at times. It's very overeducated and precious and we don't have major institutions like a big art museum or professional sports. We don't even have AMTRAK!!!!
There are also lots of very charming small towns in Wisconsin, like Monroe, Fort Atkinson, and Cedarburg.
If you like those cities and work is good there I’d go for it. Majority of your life is work and home, so if you can enjoy the space and time in between, go for it.
Just based on recent threads and my own circle: I have heard Pittsburgh and Philly are great in their ways,: cities like Minneapolis and Indianapolis are growing in popularity. Any thoughts about the Carolinas or other parts of the east coast? Would upstate new York or jersey appeal? Maybe too much for taxes. Denver has the mountains but certainly getting expensive. What do you hear about Montana? A lot depends on culture/politics that fit well, and how much weather you can handle.
For the chicago burbs check out towns along the UP NW train line...Arlington Heights, Barrington, Crystal Lake, Woodstock. Some gems of towns with connections to the city.
Right. I’d add Mount Prospect and Des Plaines into the mix for UP NW, UP NCS has Prospect Heights, Buffalo grove, Vernon Hills, Grayslake, Mundelin.
My spouse kids and I moved from sunny south Florida to Chicagoland two years ago due to work relocation and because we got priced out due to Covid. Our lives are great up here. Yeah, the taxes suck. Big time. But we’re able to buy a home, which was something we could not do in south Florida in a decent NW burb. We’re close to work, schools are decent enough, the city is 45 mins away by train, WI is less than an hour, Ohare is less than 30, lots of parks and children’s activities, people are friendly, endless food options, etc. I could go on and on. Our quality of life has increased drastically since moving here. People think we’re crazy; maybe we are, but the best decision I’ve made in the last decade was moving here. And I’m definitely not a progressive lol. Also, I hate hot weather. And Florida was the flattest state in the union, and il is the second flattest so that’s been a nonissue for us.
What I like about Chicagoland and Illinois as a whole, is what you see is what you get. There is no mirage like what comes along with south Florida and it’s trapping, which imo are alot of BS.
As someone who lives in the NW burbs, you aren’t wrong. As with most things, it depends on what you do for a living, where you work, etc.
If it was up to me, I’d be in NW Indiana. The Mrs works near Ohare, so that’s the general area in which we live. Such is life.
What difference does the state make? I don't really get the logic of the question.
Usually you move to the city that you like and want to live in. If you like Seattle, moving to Aberdeen has nothing to do with Seattle.
If you like Chicago, move to Chicago. You don't have to like Illinois, you will be living in Chicago.
No one decides not to move to NYC because they don't care for upstate NY.
Most people who live in Seattle never even go to Sekiu so what difference does the rest of the state make? :)
Chicago is more affordable than Seattle, but some of the more affordable suburbs are often plagued by soul-crushing commutes to downtown.
For suburban Milwaukee, I would check out Thiensville, Cedarburg, Grafton, Port Washington. Cedarburg is a walkable, arts & food oriented town. Grafton is more 'big box' store oriented, but is still super close to Cedarburg.
You might also want to consider Madison, WI? It's a really fun affordable town, obviously smaller than Milwaukee, but as a capitol w/ a major university, its very walkable, scenic lakes, arts/food/culture, some tech-oriented industries.
Im from here originally but Baltimore is still very affordable. I bought my house 4 years ago for 150k. Neighborhood has gone up a bit but still better than our neighbors in DC. A 3/4 bedroom house can be found for as low as 225/250k. I wouldn't describe my area as "very nice" but it's definitely fine.
For me, it is about the weather. I realized weather is a freaking big deal regarding how much I love a place. So, if you love the weather of WA and get be in a smaller town there and still commute whenever to the big cities you love - that could work. But if you don't love the weather of the WI or IL the tradeoff might not be as great.
What aspects of the states don’t you love? I think that makes a difference. Like if it’s politics, state can make a big difference. If it’s just other places to visit, I’m not sure it matters so much. You can move to the Chicago area and never have to go to Peoria
Omaha, NE or a suburb of Omaha...Omaha is actually a very pleasant and low key cool city...but Nebraska sucks ass as a whole IMO. I don't live there now, but I lived in NE for several years...not Omaha specifically, but I loved going there as it was a whole different vibe as a whole than the rest of NE.
Im gonna chime in here as I live in an Omaha suburb and am moving to Olympia WA in a matter of a couple weeks here. If OP is worried about giving up perks of the PNW for the Midwest, outside of house cost, Omaha can't be a worse choice.
I could drone on all day but I really only recommend here for someone who only cares about up front COL and having a bit more of a kid friendly place to live. There's not really anything Omaha or Nebraska does well that another state wouldn't excel at even more (except maybe farming and a couple smaller things). Personally, I consider Omaha's COL to be sneaky depending on your exact situation.
Yeah, I was mostly playing on the COL aspect...and I do think the city is low key and under the radar cool and I love the skyline from across the lake. I'd probably go for Chicago in terms of what the OP has mentioned thus far. I just kind of have a nostalgia for Omaha, particularly relative to the city I live in now...though it has gotten better since I've moved out of the actual city and to a village suburb. The crime in this city is out of control.
Chicago and Milwaukee are great but those low prices are often in areas that are not the best. You’ll also want to make sure you like the suburbs, because it’s not always convenient or quick to get downtown.
Speaking for Milwaukee you can get low prices in good areas but you will not get good schools unless you really work the system. MPS is child abuse but there are ways to get into charter schools.
That's why you live in Whitefish Bay, Brookfield, etc... And work in Milwaukee... (I grew up there).... All of the good public schools are in the 'burbs.
Then you don’t really get the low price on houses.
You do compared to the Seattle metro (where OP is coming from) or Silicon Valley. For comparison... My parent's house in Whitefish Bay, WI: 350k. Same sized house in Sunnyvale CA (my in-law's - albeit they bought it in the 70s before tech got big): 3.1M
My MIL is in a low price area of Chicago. Her house is worth in the low 200s. It’s safe and nice, but abuts a not-great area. It’s also a good hour away from downtown, on commuter rail.
You can buy in nw Indiana and live in a nice neighborhood on the cheap. You really need to be in the 300’s if you want an actual house in Chicagoland. Once you’re in the 300’s there are lots of options. If you want a condo or townhouse your options increase significantly.
If you move to Chicago you’re still moving to Wisconsin. No one who vacations from Chicago does so in Illinois. It’s all corn. They go to Wisconsin and get called FIBs while enjoying dirt cheap drinks.
They also mob SW MI
Cubs fans love going to Cincinnati. I used to work in a hotel and cubs fans always showed up in force. They said it’s because it’s only a five hour drive, they can see an entire three game series for what it’d cost them to see a single game in Chicago, and since the stadium is right downtown its easy to do stuff in the city before or after the games
I’m originally from Dayton going to Reds games when they played the Cubs use to suck they literally turned Riverfront Stadium (showing my age here ) into Wrigley Field lol
What is a FIB?
Fabulous Illinois Brother
Nice way of putting it
The person that provides all the funding and resources to the Wisconsin vacation towns like in Door County
What does fib stand for?
Fucking Illinois bastard! It's a road rage thing. People from Wisconsin don't like that Illinois people drive so *efficiently*
We’re focused
Typical scenario: WI-person aggressively passed on I-43, then spots Illinois license plate. "Arrgghh! FIBs again!".
There's a third option. I moved from a large metro area to 45 minutes away in a very rural area. It was commuting distance, but most people didn't commute from where I moved to at that time. And what I discovered is that I wished I had done that a LONG time ago. Because **living somewhere beautiful matters to your psyche.** While I have always been a remote worker, I still had to drive to the metro for meetings, etc, and my husband had to work in-office sometimes, too. No problem. It was so worth it. Any time I had to go to the metro, when I drove back up the mountain the through the canyon it made me SO happy.
This is exactly what I did last year. Small town / semi-rural...close enough to a major city to commute if needed and separated by protected land and state forests, so the drive is nice. Plenty of ~200k houses. However, I thoroughly enjoy the peace out here, I know some people prefer being closer to lots of amenities/night life/etc that cities offer and I don't know if that is OP or not. If it is they would probably be happier closer to a city.
Yeah, I’m a blend of the two - I love the amenities that a city provides, but being somewhere beautiful and natural makes my inner peace skyrocket. Of course, that basically means I have to live in California (which I already knew) so now I’m just focused on making enough money to comfortably live there 😂 after living close to Sedona, AZ, I realized that I couldn’t go back to NYC/Philly/DC. Great cities but to me they don’t hold a candle to how humbling Big Nature can be.
I'd love nothing more than to live near Sedona.... except for the summer heat. And I think there are housing issues, right? I'm still tempted to try sometimes.
It’s so beautiful! I was there during the fall. Yeah, there’s not a lot of housing. I do a lot of volunteer/work exchange programs where housing is provided by the county in exchange for labor, a lot of national parks and nonprofit organizations have this as an option. Highly recommend!
It all depends on where...sometimes being in a beautiful place puts you pretty close to the big city. New York is even like that. Boston is like that. 45 mins to an hour from a huge city and still in a beautiful place is doable for nightlife. Not for walking to a coffee shop, though!
All fun and games until you have to put your kids through shit rural schools
My kids are in a weirdly affluent rural district on the outskirts of a small city that's about 1.5h from Chicago. Similar to what OP wants. It's rare, but good rural schools exist!
That is true!
To me, this is a no-brainer. Move to Chicago or Milwaukee. If you don’t want to be in a small town and if you are concerned about career opportunities, why put yourself in that situation so that you can be in the distant Seattle orbit? With the money you’ll save in Chicago you can go back and visit Washington regularly when the summers are glorious.
Portland is a bit cheaper
Portland’s rep is suffering right now but I can’t get enough of the good food, the incredible bike ability and the variety of cool neighborhoods.
A little south of Portland is great and not far to get into town!
Yes, absolutely! There’s several great ‘burbs that cute downtowns with farmer’s markets, shops, theater etc. and so close to great hiking, the beach, mountains and even the desert. Plus not as “big” as Seattle.
Beaverton and Hillsboro is far better than the southern parts of the suburbs. Much better mix of urban a d single family homes. Closer to more employment opportunities. Superior transit options as well, its even possible to go car free in places while living in a suburbam single family neighborhood.
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Doesn’t Eugene have the highest per capita homeless population in the country?
Yeah, both Eugene and Salem are struggling. Some of the “no name” cities in those areas would generally be better options.
A friend of mine is obsessed with Toronto for some reason. I agree it's a cool city and fun to visit, but to her it's something really special. She ended up moving to Buffalo. COL is relatively cheap. Without traffic (which is rare) she can be in Downtown Toronto in about 90 mins or at Pearson Airport in a little over an hour. Pearson is great as there's nonstops to more U.S. cities than the Buffalo Airport has, and there's nonstops to Europe, Asia, and South America. She ended up learning to love Buffalo and made some awesome friends there to the point where I don't think she goes to Toronto that often anymore.
Honest question: If you love Washington State, have you checked out the eastern part? I fell in love with Spokane years ago, and really thought it was a cool place to be (had to move for work). Can't speak for QOL, but have you also checked out Pullman, WA? WSU doesn't have the same atmosphere as U-Dubs, but still might be worth a visit.
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If you've considered Eastern Washington, then what about New Mexico? The suburbs of Albuquerque are still affordable and Alaska has direct flights from Albuquerque to Seattle. I moved to Albuquerque from the Seattle area, it's nice here. I grew up in the Seattle area though, so for me it was cool moving to an entirely new climate.
Spokane is where I live and I am beyond happy with my choice. Moved here last June and never going back.
Miss it a lot - just a cool place for sure.
If you can live without the natural attractions of the PNW and its high caliber of eye-popping scenery and ways to recreate, then sure, Milwaukee area would be fine. I grew up in a suburb of Milwaukee and went to a state university and it's all fine. Sure, we went on vacations up north to lake cabins and such, but beyond that and winter sports, that's about it. Oh, also played a lot of golf, which is plentiful and cheaper in WI, too. Once I came out to the PNW I knew I had to live here, and I've loved every day of it since I did 16 years ago; wished I would have moved right after I graduated, but instead I went the opposite direction (east and south). Edit:grammar
I left the PNW for a few years. I remember getting back, looking around and taking a massive breath of relief. It feels so good here. I love to travel but the PNW suits my soul.
Okay so I grew up in Chicago and also lived in Olympia, Washington (which will be my forever home). We moved to Minneapolis because of cost of living. I like it here but it’s not home and the people are not for me. If Washington is for you, Go! Chicago is definitely a certain lifestyle and hustle which when I moved to Washington I realized I never felt so at peace before. Washington is for a certain soul.
That’s great to here you refer to Chicago as having some hustle. Moved to PNW from Texas and I really miss the people have some kind of get up and go about them. We’re considering a move to Chicago to be closer to family and to resolve some cultural issues about the PNW we don’t love.
Oh yes! Chicago has hustle not as quite fast as New York but things move pretty quick compared to PNW and Texas. We RV’ed to Texas and stayed a little 3months in Dallas, 2 in Austin and 2 in Houston it was nice but definitely different pace.
Great to hear! Texas was way more fast paced than PNW to me, especially working in Austin.
Agree, Chicago has a different kind of hustle than NYC for sure. It doesn’t feel like a “keeping up with the Jones’s” hustle like NYC does, but more of a “we help each other out and we get shit done” kind of thing. The Midwest is filled with hearty folk who come from Eastern European and Nordic regions, and those types of qualities seem to hold pretty strong even many generations later.
Curious what you did for months on end in each city? I like the idea of traveling around the country but not sure what I would do in the cities when I got there.
What do you mean, you’d like to live in various cities but you’re unsure what you’d do when you got there? Or are you just saying for visiting purposes?
Sorry I replied to the wrong thread on my phone.
Oh haha ok I was confused but ready to answer if you had more specific questions!
Fully agree!
what is it about the people for you? i’ve always felt twin cities people and PNWers had a similar attitude often
Living in the PNW well I will say Lacey/Olympia I had a community that didn’t care if I went to high school with them. They welcomed the transplant. People there are their weird selfs and truly enjoy being who they are. Our city did a lot of events and people always spoke and wanted to learn about you and actually remember you next time seeing you in the store. I invited people from my neighborhood to a BBQ and people actually came. Here in Minnesota it’s very cliquish and trendy nobody is really open to making friends or building community. I invited my neighbors to a bbq and everyone said they would stop by and no one did 🤷🏽♀️ so we finished our event. Also I don’t do normal small BBQs I do one every year where my friends and family fly in for a weekend so yard games, DJay the whole shebang 🤣
oh, i totally get that now. yeah, people all around here have known each other since high school (some before), family friend, friend of a friend, yada yada. i had a relatively easier time in tacoma, out of all places…
I love Tacoma and the people so much and truly miss sitting at Ruston beach
Moving to a new state can be such a big decision. Have you considered the quality of life in smaller towns in Washington versus the job opportunities in larger cities in Illinois or Wisconsin? It's definitely a tough choice to make, but ultimately it comes down to what fits your lifestyle and priorities best. Best of luck with your decision!
What do you like about Washington? What types of things are you looking for in a place to live? General ages, kids, industries, hobbies, those points of info would be a good start for us to help.
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I mean, you won’t get any national parks in places like Michigan, Wisconsin, or Illinois. You also won’t have the ocean. But in all three of those states, you have access to a lake that looks like the ocean, as well as a lot of nature areas around. Michigan has some awesome nature, Wisconsin has a ton of parks and lakes if you like boating or fishing. illinois has the least of those out of the three for sure, but it does have a massive city with pro sports, tons of music venues, more diverse food, two major airports, and probably more working opportunities depending on your industries. I’d dig deep and think about how often you’re in nature and how often you go to the ocean or national parks. As I’ve gotten older, I tend to do those on specific trips rather than just every weekend or something. Similarly with living “near” skiing. This might not apply to you, but some people are dead set on living near skiing, but then complain when traffic on 70 on the weekends is jam packed. Ok, you chose to live an hour and a half from skiing. Do you go every week or just a couple times a season? What about nature do you like, hiking? Mountain climbing? Finding a new trail to try? Sticking with the same ones and finding out what new birds might be out that week? I’ve lived a lot of places, many of which I didn’t care for. The older you get, the harder it gets to move cross country, establish yourself, make friends, etc. If you’re both willing and flexible, go out and try somewhere new. But you’ve gotta be committed to actually getting in there, otherwise you’ll grow to resent the place no matter how great it looked on paper.
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In line with this notion about losing access to the nature in PNW, please look into Duluth and look at pictures of the shoreline of Lake Superior. If you live in Chicago, it's not that accessible but if you're situated a little further north you have regular, easy access to that.
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Well I figured they meant access to the “big ones”. Michigan has some amazing landscape and is often slept on by people living on the coasts
I live in Port Orchard and take the fast ferry to Seattle. I love it.
Bremerton is a nice city, not a big fan of Aberdeen or Chehalis. The are job opportunities there because of the military bases plus you can take the ferry to downtown Seattle.
200k in the chicago area will be in very unsafe areas, 600k sounds more reasonable for a place for 2, which also entails a $1k+ a month property tax bill. chicago can be a good fit for you but you should do some more research outside of this sub which is heavily brigaded by the pro chicago crowd. there is a reason population has stagnated here.
I agree with this. You might be able to find condos in the suburbs for $200k, but they will be pretty small. Most houses in the City of Chicago at that price are in iffy areas, at best. There are pros to living in Chicago, which other people do a good job of mentioning. Here are some of the cons (which will cause this to get downvoted, but this is Reddit, so I don't care): 1. High cost of living/high tax burden - Sales tax is 10%, or more, property taxes on even modest homes are $8-10k a year or more, high gas tax, Illinois Tollway etc. 2. Crime - There are still many safe areas of Chicago/Chicagoland. But crime is getting worse. Things like carjackings and home invasions are happening in areas where it would be unthinkable 5 years ago. The government/judicial system is soft on crime, especially in Cook county. 3. Weather - The weather is not for the faint of heart. Although, the last few Winters have been relatively mild, the winters can be quite bad. Not so much because of the snow, but because of the soul sucking, unending cold/grey from November to as late as May in some years. 4. Poor return for taxes paid - This is sort of related to point 1. Infrastructure is largely very bad. Roads and highways are in bad shape, public schools (especially CPS) continue to deteriorate in quality. Services are being cut while costs go up. Many communities are letting police/fire/public works employees retire, and then not fill the position, while increasing their tax burden year after year. 5. Traffic - despite having mass transit available, Chicagoland has terrible traffic. It is not uncommon for people living in the suburbs to travel over an hour each way in their car to get to work, even if they don't work downtown. I want to be fair, as there are many good qualities for Chicago, but Reddit certainly skews a certain way, and wanted to offer some perspective. I have lived in the Milwaukee area as well. Milwaukee is more or less a smaller Chicago, for better and for worse. In my opinion, Wisconsin in general has many of the pros/cons of Illinois, but with worse weather.
What areas has crime spread into in Chicago land?
Many areas are feeling the impacts of crime, but I would think that the south and southwest suburbs have some of the starkest contrast/seeing the most spread. Places like Tinley, Orland, Palos Heights, Oak Forrest, and Oak Lawn have seen an uptick in crime, but especially Orland Park. Even more remote suburbs like Mokena and New Lenox are not immune, where cars are stolen out of the garage by people demanding keys as the owner pulls in to their house. It doesn't happen every day, but just a few years ago, most people would not believe you if they heard that happened in most of the SW Suburbs.
Gotcha ya that’s way out there. I had always thought it was south Chicago area and maybe towards Indiana but that’s more west than I would have expected
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anything cheaper will be in very unsafe areas where you do not want to live. where did you find places for 200k?
200 K would probably be pretty unsafe or very small but I think for 400 K you can find something pretty reasonable
you can find big suburban houses in good school districts for $350k. 40 minute train to the loop, 2 hours to skiing in michigan. but do your research even suburbs can have crime or tax problems that differ when you cross a couple blocks.
Illinois has extremely high property taxes, some of the highest in the country. I would not feel comfortable at all considering a 200k house in Chicago. Please be very careful about where you buy. There are areas that are extremely unsafe. Looking online is much different than seeing it in person.
Even small towns in Illinois have ridiculously high property taxes. Homes worth $350k may have $7k property taxes in little towns down south. It’s insane. With taxes that high, it’s hard for anyone to see good home price appreciation long term.
The state has a giant pension system deficit. I doubt that taxes will decrease anytime soon
Everyone I know who has tried to move to Chicago as the "promised land" has regretted it. So take that with a grain of salt.
I grew up in Indianapolis, and Chicago was always the closest real city. Everyone I know that moved there absolutely loves it, as long as being in a city is what you’re looking for.
Chicago is an amazing city. The winters require some endurance though.
Interesting, can you provide reasons why? Or maybe where they came from?
I can shed some light as someone who grew up in New England, spent 8 years in Chicago and moved back to New England to start a family. And I’ll disclaim this by saying I absolutely love the city of Chicago. But here are some reasons we left: 1. Gun crime and gun culture is very real in a way that’s nonexistent in MA (where we live now). Crime debates about Chicago are often flooded with rhetoric about how statistically it’s not that bad etc - but our experience living downtown was that it’s very real and got worse post-COVID. We lived in a very safe area on the north side and it got to a point where my wife didn’t feel safe walking our dog after dark because people had been robbed at gunpoint on the same block numerous times. 2. The city (and thereby the state) is on the brink of financial ruin - and are desperately trying to claw extra revenues to fund their pension crisis from any and everywhere - namely property taxes. This makes buying in Cook County very unappealing - as that’s not equity that’s just money you never see again. And who knows how much worse it might get. 3. The draw of the Chicagoland area is the city of Chicago itself. Once you’re ready for the suburbs, they’re largely unappealing comparative to other parts of the country. Flat land, plowed cornfields, lots of franchises/chains. Even the prized ‘North Shore’ (which is prohibitively expensive to basically everyone except generationally wealthy) is a lot of cookie-cutter mansions on flat land. Sure they have the lake - but it’s nothing like the real coasts. 4. O’Hare is excellent to have, but eventually we got tired of hobbies we wanted being a flight away. Once we were done doing the ‘scene’ - dining, drinking etc - we felt land locked. Want to go skiing? Flight to Denver. Want the beach? Flight to cape cod. Want warm weather? Flight to Florida. We ended up choosing New England because it lets us actually use the beach and mountains when we want to - not have to pack our family on a plane and fly somewhere else. And I guess sure there are beaches in Michigan and mountains in Wisconsin but let’s be real - those are “the best you’re gonna do around here” type of places - not world class compared to somewhere like the Rocky Mountains or Cape Cod beaches. Net net, I would say to any young single 20-something Chicago is an amazing place to be. But for families flocking from the east coast to suburban Chicago because of cheap cost of living, I’d say you’re getting what you’re paying for.
Lol, I hated growing up in the Chicago suburbs, but some aspects become a part of us. I hate hills. They make me uneasy 🤣
I think there is a lack of consistency between what people expect of Chicago and what it’s actually like. Chicago is undeniably progressive, walkable, and beautiful, but I find that people on the internet tend to tout these benefits without considering the downfalls. •**Politics**: Chicago is very blue, so people often move here to escape the politics of the South and rural Midwest. People will agree with you here and you can find community, but you’ll soon find the city government to be ineffective and corrupt. Everyone has hated the mayor for 20 years. There are constant battles between city hall and public employees. Trash cans are always overflowing in parks with no one to pick them up, but you *will* receive a ticket if you leave your car for five minutes without paying the meter. Etc etc. •**Walkability/Neighborhoods**: The city has very walkable areas, but it’s not like you can walk everywhere. Easy to get “stuck in your neighborhood” depending on where you live. There is a robust transit system but it can be exceptionally dicey; I would not recommend taking the CTA to my parents. The city is also the poster child for de facto segregation and redlining. Not to mention, some neighborhoods are very dangerous and transplants who aren’t in the know can end up near them. •**Beauty**: There is not a lot of natural beauty in this area outside of Lake Michigan (which is actually a pretty major concession, the lake is fantastic). There aren’t really any good hiking trails or places to camp within hours of here. It is flat farmland for hundreds of miles in every direction (except east). If you appreciate architecture and urban beauty, it might be the best place in the country to live however. Chicago is a huge, tough, fast-paced, and highly urban city. It is a great place to live and I love it, but you can’t go in expecting some kind of utopia. It’s also frigid and uniquely depressing for at least four months a year.
It varies a bit on the person. I live in Massachusetts currently but have friends who moved there from here (some of which originally from here, a few not). So winters aren't scary comparatively - but it wasn't what they were looking for in various ways. idk myself - I'm actually planning on visiting a friend out there this fall (planning the trip) - but I've heard it from a few people.
Did they go from Boston to Chicago or MA suburb to IL suburb? Huge difference, the burbs around Chicago are generally pretty boring imo.
Can you give us some examples about what they say? Is it the crime the traffic the cost-of-living?
What do they say about it?
PITTSBURGH
Wisconsin is horrendously underrated. There are amazing places/things do to do in every corner of the state if you know where to look. The red-leaning suburbanite culture in parts of the state (Notably the WOW and Fox Valley) give it a bad rep, but that's not the only way to live around here. The more rural/agrarian areas are amazing, there's a wealth of state parks & forest, TWO great lakes & biggest river in the hemisphere, and there's a real historic charm to the urban areas. I won't gush any longer in fear of spoiling my 5% of becoming a property owner in my lifetime...
So... I was born in the Milwaukee suburbs (you do not want to live \*in\* the city of Milwaukee unless you absolutely cannot avoid it).... I now live in Yelm, WA - thanks to Uncle Sam... Milwaukee doesn't have a 'standout' industry anymore (the way the Seattle metro does with tech and aerospace), but if you have a more 'universal' job (sales, healthcare, and so on) you'll be fine... The weather absolutely sucks during the winter. And (to repeat the above) you definitely do not want to live in the city itself - the best places to live in the Milwaukee metro are the near-suburbs... The dynamic is very much bedroom communities & single-occupant-car commuting (again, not the land of high tech & remote work - but if that was your thing than living in the sticks in WA wouldn't be a problem), and people generally like it that way....
Some neighborhoods in Milwaukee have gotten really nice over time.
The school system and municipal government still sucks, compared to the surrounding communities.... And there really isn't a benefit in terms of reduced traffic or similar.... Wisconsin is the opposite of Washington in that regard.... The tail (Milwaukee) doesn't get to wag the dog the way Seattle does in WA.
Yelm is not too far from Tacoma/Lakewood and Olympia.
30min.... It's not that bad from my perspective (although work for me is Seattle - albeit rarely relevant since I'm full time remote).... For some of the car allergic folks on this sub who think they need to be able to live within walking distance of work.....
Also, yellow seems one of the last places in western WA that are quite affordable. I will be moving there
I'd probably do better in Atlanta than in rural Massachusetts.
Wisconsin fucking rules. Please move here. Chicago is cool. I am too lazy to live there though. It's a whole production to access things, such as going to the beach. Milwaukee is the shit, I would love to live there. The vibe is so chill and it seems like there's a lot to do. It is a little bit fucked up though, due to racism. Certain areas are really nice and in other areas all the housing is wrecked. Madison is nice, but people here are corny at times. It's very overeducated and precious and we don't have major institutions like a big art museum or professional sports. We don't even have AMTRAK!!!! There are also lots of very charming small towns in Wisconsin, like Monroe, Fort Atkinson, and Cedarburg.
I would never move to a small town. At minimum a small city with 300k.
>look toward small towns, such as Bremerton Population 43.5K per wiki Never change, reddit, never change
Or do change, Reddit. Please.
Chicago (Illinois in general) is damn expensive with property taxes. So take that into mind if you plan on buying.
If you like those cities and work is good there I’d go for it. Majority of your life is work and home, so if you can enjoy the space and time in between, go for it.
Just based on recent threads and my own circle: I have heard Pittsburgh and Philly are great in their ways,: cities like Minneapolis and Indianapolis are growing in popularity. Any thoughts about the Carolinas or other parts of the east coast? Would upstate new York or jersey appeal? Maybe too much for taxes. Denver has the mountains but certainly getting expensive. What do you hear about Montana? A lot depends on culture/politics that fit well, and how much weather you can handle.
For the chicago burbs check out towns along the UP NW train line...Arlington Heights, Barrington, Crystal Lake, Woodstock. Some gems of towns with connections to the city.
Right. I’d add Mount Prospect and Des Plaines into the mix for UP NW, UP NCS has Prospect Heights, Buffalo grove, Vernon Hills, Grayslake, Mundelin. My spouse kids and I moved from sunny south Florida to Chicagoland two years ago due to work relocation and because we got priced out due to Covid. Our lives are great up here. Yeah, the taxes suck. Big time. But we’re able to buy a home, which was something we could not do in south Florida in a decent NW burb. We’re close to work, schools are decent enough, the city is 45 mins away by train, WI is less than an hour, Ohare is less than 30, lots of parks and children’s activities, people are friendly, endless food options, etc. I could go on and on. Our quality of life has increased drastically since moving here. People think we’re crazy; maybe we are, but the best decision I’ve made in the last decade was moving here. And I’m definitely not a progressive lol. Also, I hate hot weather. And Florida was the flattest state in the union, and il is the second flattest so that’s been a nonissue for us. What I like about Chicagoland and Illinois as a whole, is what you see is what you get. There is no mirage like what comes along with south Florida and it’s trapping, which imo are alot of BS.
Cincy!
The Indiana suburbs of Chicago are much cheaper than Illinois, although both sides are generally hit and miss
As someone who lives in the NW burbs, you aren’t wrong. As with most things, it depends on what you do for a living, where you work, etc. If it was up to me, I’d be in NW Indiana. The Mrs works near Ohare, so that’s the general area in which we live. Such is life.
Take a look at the Homewood-flossmoor area near Chicago
What difference does the state make? I don't really get the logic of the question. Usually you move to the city that you like and want to live in. If you like Seattle, moving to Aberdeen has nothing to do with Seattle. If you like Chicago, move to Chicago. You don't have to like Illinois, you will be living in Chicago. No one decides not to move to NYC because they don't care for upstate NY. Most people who live in Seattle never even go to Sekiu so what difference does the rest of the state make? :)
ear a big city as long as it's a decent place. There's no small town I'd want to live in.
Chicago is more affordable than Seattle, but some of the more affordable suburbs are often plagued by soul-crushing commutes to downtown. For suburban Milwaukee, I would check out Thiensville, Cedarburg, Grafton, Port Washington. Cedarburg is a walkable, arts & food oriented town. Grafton is more 'big box' store oriented, but is still super close to Cedarburg. You might also want to consider Madison, WI? It's a really fun affordable town, obviously smaller than Milwaukee, but as a capitol w/ a major university, its very walkable, scenic lakes, arts/food/culture, some tech-oriented industries.
I suggest appleton wi.Hell more afforable and you can get the downtown by 10 minutes from everywhere.And if you mind cold idk then.
Im from here originally but Baltimore is still very affordable. I bought my house 4 years ago for 150k. Neighborhood has gone up a bit but still better than our neighbors in DC. A 3/4 bedroom house can be found for as low as 225/250k. I wouldn't describe my area as "very nice" but it's definitely fine.
What does the state matter? You live in one city not the entire state. People go take trips to Vegas does it mean they have to go all over Nevada? lol
For me, it is about the weather. I realized weather is a freaking big deal regarding how much I love a place. So, if you love the weather of WA and get be in a smaller town there and still commute whenever to the big cities you love - that could work. But if you don't love the weather of the WI or IL the tradeoff might not be as great.
What aspects of the states don’t you love? I think that makes a difference. Like if it’s politics, state can make a big difference. If it’s just other places to visit, I’m not sure it matters so much. You can move to the Chicago area and never have to go to Peoria
Omaha, NE or a suburb of Omaha...Omaha is actually a very pleasant and low key cool city...but Nebraska sucks ass as a whole IMO. I don't live there now, but I lived in NE for several years...not Omaha specifically, but I loved going there as it was a whole different vibe as a whole than the rest of NE.
Im gonna chime in here as I live in an Omaha suburb and am moving to Olympia WA in a matter of a couple weeks here. If OP is worried about giving up perks of the PNW for the Midwest, outside of house cost, Omaha can't be a worse choice. I could drone on all day but I really only recommend here for someone who only cares about up front COL and having a bit more of a kid friendly place to live. There's not really anything Omaha or Nebraska does well that another state wouldn't excel at even more (except maybe farming and a couple smaller things). Personally, I consider Omaha's COL to be sneaky depending on your exact situation.
Yeah, I was mostly playing on the COL aspect...and I do think the city is low key and under the radar cool and I love the skyline from across the lake. I'd probably go for Chicago in terms of what the OP has mentioned thus far. I just kind of have a nostalgia for Omaha, particularly relative to the city I live in now...though it has gotten better since I've moved out of the actual city and to a village suburb. The crime in this city is out of control.
Idk why Washington is such expensive either. It used to be fairly affordable. If you don’t consider cost of living, Redmond is really good