How to Find the Perfect City to Live In

By eHow Personal Finance Editor

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So you're bored with your old hometown and you want to find the city that's just for you. Start by matching specific places with your lifestyle and personal preferences.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Things You’ll Need:

City Maps
Local Guidebooks
Local Newspapers
Internet Access
Computers
résumés

Step1

Find locations that offer job prospects in your chosen profession by researching employment opportunities and leading industries in different cities.

Step2

Consider the features of different cities that fit your personality, lifestyle and interests, such as cultural offerings, recreational and educational pursuits, climate, cost of living, shopping and transportation.

Step3

Compare the cost of living in different cities by using online salary calculators.

Step4

Check out Web sites of local newspapers and chambers of commerce in selected cities to obtain regional information.

Step5

Investigate city rankings in publications such as Money Magazine's "The Best Places to Live."

Step6

Visit prospective locations several times during different seasons.

Step7

Narrow your selection, based on your own criteria, and select a city that's right for you.

Tips & Warnings

Use the Internet to find valuable relocation information in your search for the perfect city to live in.
Don't pack up and move to a new city without investigating employment opportunities and cost-of-living factors.

Comments

LoddieDa said

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on 3/5/2008 Remeber To Think Of Where You Plan On Being In Your Life 5, 10 Even 15 Years From Now. Is It Important To You That You Raise Your Kids Around Museums? What About Easily Thought Over Laws & Regulations, Is It Important To You That You Can Own Any Dog Breed You Want? What About Vaccination Exemptions? (Some Places Make It Really Hard To Get Them) A Good Sized Religious Community? Do You Want To Live Some Where Religious? Liberal? Conservative? Also Look At The Medium Age Of Your New Towns General Population & Crime Rates. Look At Property Taxes & Values Have They Changed In The Past 5, 10, 20+ Years? How So? How Much Rain Do You Enjoy? Even Something Like Finding A Specialty Store In Your New Area Can Make Your Quality Of Life That Much Better.

Sites I Like:
http://www.bestplaces.net
http://www.neighborhoodscout.com
http://www.homefair.com/find_a_place/cityprofile/index.asp?cc=1

Rate-it-Girl said

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on 10/6/2006 Great tips! Visiting the prospect hometown makes a difference. You'll be surprise what little things you are use to and looking for in a hometown. I've thought I found the perfect place and after visiting I've been disappointed. Two sites that helps are 1) www.findyourspot.com and 2) www.greatschools.net Also, doing an internet search for the city's census gives you a glimpse of demographics for that town. If you have school age children you may also want to get in the city's school website. It will give useful information and you will find out about the programs provided. I hope this extra tips help. Good luck relocating!

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