Which state/area should I move to...

[Nam Le]

Hello,

My family have been in the US for more than 2 years and we're living in New Jersey... and we've been discussing to get away from it as soon as next year. Reasons:
- Nation's top living cost and taxes
- Their stance against gun ownership
- Their stance to support illegal immigrant & criminal - following suit with whatever NY is doing
- Lacking of hunting ground, shooting ranges, etc...
- Cost over $1M for 10 acres of land

We want suburbs/town, not city. However I and my wife both work in IT so we need commuting distance to a sizable city, with population of at 400k - 500k or more. One or even both of us will need to find a new job after we moved.

We came from a country with 100 degree average in 9 months of a year, and we can no longer live with the heat. So, sadly, Texas and the similar (in term of weather) are out of the picture.

Other than that, we prefer 2A friendliness, balance or conservative mindset, lower cost of living, affordable land for hunting/training, and super low crime.

I initially looked at PA, but then realized Philadelphia is extreme liberal, while Pittsburgh is falling in term of jobs creation. Their governor is exactly the same type of NJ's governor and the living cost around PA is not much lesser than it is in NJ.

Then I looked at Raleigh NC where my sister lives, but following Roy Cooper's action recently without any resistance from the Legislature, I have a feeling that NC has already flipped blue. The rest of the NJ's problems will spread there soon.

Virgina is too close to DC.

Perhaps Florida is promising but I'm not sure about cost of living nor IT jobs.

Please, share with me what you think about the place you live or have been.

Very much appreciated.

 

[jmr40]

I live about 1/2 way between Atlanta and Chattanooga and our county borders Alabama. Taxes and property are dirt cheap in Alabama. Lots of people live there and commute to jobs in GA and TN. Atlanta can be liberal, but you don't have to go far to get into some pretty conservative pro gun areas. Cobb County (Marietta) an Atlanta suburb is one of the most conservative areas in the country. Kennesaw is in Cobb.

https://www.truthorfiction.com/theres-a-mandatory-gun-ownership-law-in-kennesaw-georgia/

My son lives here and commutes to the Atlanta area every day. Some drive even farther. Lots of tech jobs at good wages. Cost of living is pretty good here too. I know less about the Chattanooga area, but it is a good place to live too. Hunting/fishing is good with lots of public land. We are about 6 hours from the beaches in Savannah, about 8 hours to Florida beaches, and 3 hours from Smoky Mt NP.

Summers can be hot, but in the mountains of North Ga or southeast TN not as bad as south GA or FL. Winters are usually mild. We get a decent snow about every other year on average.

 

[GarySTL]

Missouri within 50 miles of either St. Louis or Kansas City is pretty good. I spent 44 years working in the Aerospace industry and live in Warren County which straddles the I-70 corridor.

There are banks, agri-chemical and government entities located in the St. Louis area. The National Geo-spatial Agency has a new campus under construction n North St. Louis. I know that they use the hell out of computers.

Missouri is still gun friendly. Permitless CCW, reasonable hunting regulations and a Castle Doctrine.

It does get somewhat hot and humid during the summer months though.

 

[J-Bar]

Check out the Ozarks; Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas. Gun friendly, lower cost of living, generally more conservative than liberal. Yes it’s hot in the summer but that’s why air conditioning was invented. Pay us a visit and see for yourself.

Edit: I see I was beaten to the draw!! Not the first time...

 

[labnoti]

Look farther west. Given your two careers in IT, look at Idaho (Boise area), Oregon (esp. central Oregon -- Portland might be too liberal, but look at Corvalis/Eugene), and Reno, NV. Realize that these are some of the more liberal areas of those states and the west -- I'm not intending to be political, but gun ownership and gun culture is substantially more thriving in the more rural parts of those states. It's just your desire to be near a city and near employment in IT makes eastern Oregon and rural Idaho and Nevada less practical. Northern Arizona (Flagstaff) is another possibility, but urban Arizona is mostly the Phoenix/Tuscon corridor which is pretty hot. Utah is about as far east as I'm familiar with. It's pro gun culture and Salt Lake City area has career opportunities in tech for sure. Utah has some things that turn me off, but the climate, employment, and gun culture aspects fit your criteria.

 

[redneck2]

I know nothing about IT prospects, but if I were looking strictly based on climate and 2A, I’d most likely look at the eastern Kentucky or Tennessee area. I’m sure parts of Georgia may do as well.

Anything south of the Ohio River not in the mountains gets hot and humid in the summer.

 

[TEKoken813]

If you don’t won’t a hot climate you won’t wanna come to Florida. It is brutally hot here most of the year.

 

[Nam Le]

Check out the Ozarks; Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas. Gun friendly, lower cost of living, generally more conservative than liberal. Yes it’s hot in the summer but that’s why air conditioning was invented. Pay us a visit and see for yourself.

Edit: I see I was beaten to the draw!! Not the first time...

Yeah ac is great but parking the car out under the sun it the main issue

 

[hso]

Since THR is a firearms forum we limit our discussion to that area of interest.

Here's the Guns & Ammo list from 2019 on gunowner friendly state rankings.
Top 5 - Best Gun-Friendly States
1. Arizona
2. Idaho
3. Alaska
4. Kansas
5. Oklahoma


Here's a different top 5.

The Best States for Gun Owners
From the ability to carry without a permit to allowing firearms in public places, these states are the very best for gun toters.

1. Arizona
Arizona has long been touted as one of the friendliest states for gun owners and is often credited as having some of the least-restrictive laws. Here, citizens over the age of 21 may carry a firearm openly or concealed weapon without a license.

More recently, a law was passed to prevent background checks for gun ownership. Furthermore, Phoenix is known across the nation for its competitive shooting culture.

Currently, illegal firearms are mostly restricted to automatic firearms and modified shotguns. A convicted felon whose crime involved violence is not permitted to possess a firearm, as well as anyone deemed a danger to himself or others and imprisoned individuals.

2. Kansas
Like Arizona, permits are not necessary to carry an open or concealed firearm. This contrasts sharply with many other states where concealed carry permits are necessary.

Recently, Kansas enacted a law allowing permitless carry in public buildings. Public employees may even have a firearm with them at work and university students over 21 can carry at college.

Further, Black Rifles and NFA items are not prohibited in Kansas.

3. Missouri
Missouri is one of a few states allowing open and concealed carry without a permit. In this state, those 19 and older are permitted to carry. Access is limited to felons or those deemed mentally unfit to handle weapons.

The Show-Me State also allows teachers to carry weapons at the discretion of their public schools.

4. Alaska
It may surprise some, but Alaskans are no foe to pro-gun legislation. Permits are not required for open or concealed guns and local authorities cannot regulate firearms.

In an effort to avoid issues with other states, The Last Frontier offers concealed carry permits to avoid any complications when citizens wander beyond state lines.

Residents are permitted to carry in state parks as well as in liquor stores.

5. Wyoming
Wyoming also allows permitless carry for residents. Further, it recognizes permits from all states that issue them.

Wyoming is one of only a few states that does not have a law requiring mental health records to be submitted to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The state also allows schools to decide if they want their teachers to carry firearms.

And yet another.

These are considered the best states for gun owners.

Alaska: Does not require a permit, purchase permit, or registration. There are no background checks on private fun sales, and open carry is allowed without a permit.

Arizona: No permit, purchase permit, or registration is required in this state. There are no background checks performed for private gun sales. Open carry is legal in Arizona. There are also no restrictions on magazine size in this state.

Idaho: In Idaho, residents of the state do not need a permit. However, non-residents are required to have a permit for concealed carry within Idaho’s cities. No purchase permits or registrations are required. Open carry is allowed, and there are no magazine size restrictions. Idaho also does not require a background check for private sales.

Kansas: There is no carry permit, purchase permit, or registration required in Kansas. Open carry is allowed without a permit. No background checks for private gun sales or magazine size restrictions apply in this state.

Maine: Maine does not require carry permits, purchase permits, or firearm registration. Open carry is permitted, while there is not a requirement to run a background check for a private sale. Magazine sizes are also not restricted.

Mississippi: No carry permit is required if a gun is carried in a holster, satchel, purse, handbag, or sheath. Mississippi does not require purchase permits, registration, or background checks on private sales. Open carry is legal, and there are no restrictions on magazine sizes.

Missouri: No carry permit is required although residents can obtain a permit to be exempted from laws passed by local authorities. Missouri does not require purchase permits or registration, and background checks do not have to be performed during a private sale. This state allows open carry and does not restrict magazine size.

New Hampshire: This state doesn’t require a carry permit, registration, or purchase permit. Open carry is allowed, but long guns located in vehicles can’t be loaded. A background check is not required for a private sale. Magazine size is not restricted.

Vermont: This state does not issue or require carry permits. It also does not require purchase permits or registration. Vermont does, however, require ales only through licensed dealers unless the sale is to a family member. Open carry is allowed in Vermont. Vermont does put restrictions on magazine size.

West Virginia: This state does not require carry permits, purchase permits, or registration. Open carry is allowed. There are no restrictions on magazine size. There are also no laws that require background checks on private sales.

Wyoming: Residents are not required to get a carry permit. However, non-residents must get a permit to conceal carry. The state does not limit the size of magazines, does not require background checks for private sales, and doesn’t require purchase permits or registration. Open carry is allowed in this state.


I'm sure you can find plenty of sites covering your other needs in their reviews.