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That post was golden!
I moved here to Oklahoma simply because I was looking for a low cost of living place to retire. When I say I've never lived anywhere I liked more, I'm completely serious. I honestly can't believe how much I like it here. I liked Idaho, too. But it's a much friendlier atmosphere here...southern thing, I guess. The one downside is, like Texas, there isn't much public land like there is in CO and many of the western/Rocky Mtn states. I know that's huge for a lot of people. But there are many, many under-utilized state parks all over. That hasn't been a big issue for me...even though I liked that about Colorado.
It's inexpensive, housing is still cheap, taxes are very low, roads are great with very little traffic, low population density, people are friendly, gun laws are great. I started out in the very SW corner. I'm in the process of moving to the south-central part of the state, near Ada. We got a very nice little property for $200k...1330 sq ft house is only 4 years old, 900 sq ft steel shop, tractor shed, two nice chicken coops on 18.5 fenced acres. Tons of pecan, peach, oak and cedar trees. 1 neighbor. Very private.
I know people shake their heads when someone brings up Oklahoma, but a guy could do a lot worse.
On the other hand, the fewer people move here, the better.
Oh...and I just read an article out of OKC. Latest voter registration shows republicans gained about 114,000 new voters in the state. Democrats lost 42,000. Not a single county voted blue in 2020...not even in the bigger cities. So there's that...
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We mostly have dirt with high levels of clay. Yes I have tested it, it is around 20% clay. I have amended the soil a lot in the pastures to grow grass, but with the decades of drought, it stays mostly dirt still.
I think these pictures do show the grass is greener over there.
If WA floats your boat, go for it. Myself. Never gave Wa a 2nd glance, after all their politics. I've run in to people down here, who moved from there, saying it was just as bad, as the Ca they left years before that.
With that said. If this is a place to retire, you should consider travel time to hospitals, along with general medical services.
Washington state legislature passed a 10 round magazine limit.
https://www.nraila.org/articles/2022...-of-the-senate
"Senate Bill 5078, bans the manufacture, possession, sale, transfer, importation, etc., of magazines that "are capable of holding," or hold more than, 10 rounds of ammunition. This includes conversion kits or parts from which any such magazine may be assembled. "
A lots depends on what you are looking for. Eastern WA is nice. Typical 4 seasons. Wenatchee is a nice area. I grow-up outside Spokane. The areas north of Spokane are nice. Wooded.
Eastern Oregon is nice too everything from trees, mountains and plains. Bend is nice. Nice summer weather. Cold in winter. I have relatives in West Stayton. Detroit Lakes area was nice. Hit hard by last year fires.
I?m in AZ. You cannot beat the weather, if you are tired of the snow and cold. Summers are hot and can get humid with monsoon. We received 11 inches in 10 weeks. We plan on getting out of here for 6-8 weeks this summer.
In each case there is the question of the political environment. Wa and OR is run by the democrats capturing just a hand full of counties. The large urban areas dominate the state. The east side of both states are conservative. They would like to secede just as parts of CO would like to do.
AZ is still conservative although we have 2 Democratic senators. The state could turn purple one day. That does not make me happy given we came here to be amongst conservatives. My beef is taxes, regulation and the 2A.
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One thought is check out a drought map. Water is a huge issue now and its not getting better in the near future.
My wife's father lives in Wenatchee, and according to her, we will not live anywhere close. She has backed off of moving up to the northwest. We are going to Florida in two months, so we will check it out down there. It sounds like she wants to travel some and check out places, so that will broaden locations. She does still want to be near the coast. I figure we can do a couple trips a year for the next three years, which should help us decide where to look more into. Hurricanes still concern me, but we may look at a mountain cabin the the Carolinas or somewhere in there.