Where Should I Live? How To Decide Where To Reside

One of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life is where to live. This decision can impact everything from your job to the school your children attend to your quality of life.

For some people, deciding where to live is largely centered around children and family. What’s the best school district? What’s the safest neighborhood for our children to play in? For others, the decision may be based on proximity to certain things, such as work, entertainment, loved ones and more.

Everyone’s priorities when choosing a home are different. But no matter your situation, this guide can help you evaluate your options and determine the best place to live.

How To Decide Where To Live

When you’re deciding where to live, whether that means buying a house or renting an apartment, there are a few key factors to consider before making your decision.

1. Find An Affordable Price Range

One of the most important factors that can help you decide where to live is affordability. It’s important to choose an area where you can afford a comfortable life with your family’s income. As a starting point, it can be helpful to calculate how much house you can afford, then determine if the areas you’re considering can accommodate that budget.

Cost Of Living

An area’s cost of living includes all your day-to-day living expenses, including housing, food, health care, education and more. Before deciding to move to an area, it’s important to learn about its cost of living, especially compared to where you currently live.

Some states are simply more expensive than others, but pricier states may also offer amenities that are important to you. It’s important to weigh the benefits of each location and its cost of living to decide whether it fits your needs.

If you aren’t sure what an area’s cost of living is, consider using an online cost of living calculator, which can help you compare the cost of living in two places.

Public Transportation

No matter where you live, it’s important to have an affordable and accessible way to get around. In more walkable areas, you can get to most of the places you need to go on foot or bike. In other cases, you may need to rely on public transportation or your own vehicle.

First, research the public transportation options in the area you’re considering. Is there a reliable subway system? What about accessible buses or other forms of public transportation?

It’s also important to weigh the cost and benefits of using public transportation compared to owning and maintaining your own vehicle. In small towns and more rural areas, owning a vehicle may be your only option. However, there are plenty of big cities where public transportation may be more affordable and practical.

Real Estate Investment

If you’re considering investing in real estate, whether by purchasing your own home or buying an investment property to rent out, you’ll have to decide the best place to do it.

Generally, cities with high job growth rates and growing populations have a lucrative rental market, but properties may also be more expensive. On the other hand, places with more affordable homes may not have as strong of a rental market.

Consider your goals in buying a property and evaluate where you can best accomplish them within your budget.

2. Pick A Location That Works For You

Choosing the right place to settle down involves more than just affordability. While saving money is a huge benefit, the cheapest area isn’t necessarily the best choice. Instead, there are other location-specific factors to consider, such as:

• Climate: What’s the weather like in the area you’re considering? It’s important to find a location that fits your lifestyle. For example, if you enjoy being outside year-round, you may not want to choose a place that gets very hot or cold.
• Schools: If you have (or plan to have) school-age children, it’s important to consider the local schools. The right district can significantly impact your child’s education and your family’s quality of life.
• Jobs: Job opportunities are among the most important factors people consider when moving. Though a remote job may allow you to live anywhere, most people work a job that requires them to be in a specific location.
• Demographics: Depending on your situation, you may want to consider the demographics of the area you’re living in. For example, someone getting ready to retire may want to live around other seniors, while a family with kids may want to be around many other families.
• Health care: No matter where you live, you’ll eventually need to access the local health care system. Unfortunately, this need often arises when you least expect it. Research the quality of health care in the area to determine if you’ll be able to get the care you need.
• Crime rates: Crime is an unfortunate fact of life, and some areas have higher crime rates than others. Research the crime rate in the neighborhood you’re considering, as well as the type of crime that’s most common. For example, one neighborhood may have more property crime, while another may have more violent crime.
• Travel: How easy is it to travel in and out of the area you’re moving to? Consider what the local traffic is like, as well as how accessible an airport, train station or other long-distance travel option is.

3. Consider Social Factors

A final set of factors to consider when deciding where to live is social factors. When choosing where to live, many people consider the distance from friends and family. While some people are okay with living a plane ride away from their loved ones, others may want them within comfortable driving distance.

It’s also important to consider the culture of the area you’re thinking of moving to. For example, is it more urban or rural? Does it have a strong nightlife, or do the local businesses close early? Are there strong religious or ethnic communities that are important to you?

Getting Ready To Move To A New Area

When you’re getting ready to move to a new area, there are several important steps you should take to make sure the area is right for you. It’s also important to consider which neighborhood in your new area will best fit your needs before you settle down. These steps come long before you’re actually ready to move.

Talk To Locals

Talking to locals can help you learn a lot about an area. If you don’t know anyone who lives there, you can learn from locals on Nextdoor, social media posts, in Facebook groups and more. Whether you’re talking to someone one-on-one or through posts you find online, there’s plenty to learn.

List Your Must-Haves And Deal-Breakers

Before moving to a new area, have a list of your must-haves and your deal-breakers. Consider what you absolutely want from your new home, whether that be a thriving food scene, good schools, a strong job network or something else. On the other hand, know your deal-breakers. If you hate cold weather, a place that has many months of winter likely isn’t the right fit.

While you’re making a list of your must-haves and deal-breakers for a city, do the same for your potential house. Having a house wish list in mind before you move can make finding your new home quicker and easier.

Visit The Area

Some people move to areas they’ve never visited in person, but that may not be right for everyone. If you have the opportunity, consider visiting the area you’re moving to so that you can ensure it’s a good fit. While you’re there, you can visit local neighborhoods, patronize local businesses and get a feel for the local culture. Another tip: Test-drive your commute to get an idea of what you’re in for each day.

The Bottom Line: Choosing Where To Live Takes Time

There’s no doubt that the place you live impacts nearly every part of your life; it’s one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. There are so many different locations to consider, from small, rural towns to large, urban cities. Each person’s needs and wants are different, so it’s up to you to research possible locations, weigh the costs and benefits and ultimately choose the place that will bring you the best quality of life.

Once you’re ready to start planning your move, connect with a real estate agent to learn more about your future home, get to know the local neighborhoods and start house hunting.