Pick me a town!

[PineappleMama]

This may sound incredibly odd, but I had a thought... Can you sort at that (or another?) site to show you the lowest budgeted schools/districts? For those that don't have kids, kids already grown, homeschool families, etc. well if they aren't going to use the public school system then why not find an area where the taxes are as low as possible? You still have to pay them, kids or not, so you may as well pay as little as possible and then if you want to pitch in more you can help with fundraisers.

Hmm... an interesting thought... I'll have to do some more snooping on that one.

Edit... https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=399533
It's September for the love of heat how the devil do you Montana folks handle SNOW in September!??!?

*shivers* Boy oh boy, I'm really appreciating my Texas sun right about now.

And just for some Christmas Story giggles...

 

[thechickenchick]

Quote:

it has quit snowing, for now....

 

[nonseq]

Quote:
There is a site that lists that, too. I can't remember what it is. I'll look. You have a good point - retirees and homeschoolers might look at school test scores differently. Those may not be as important. I am mostly pleased to be living where I am. I cannot legally be forced to follow the CDCs vaccine schedule. I can legally choose to give birth at home. I live close enough to GOOD hospitals that I can use those in an emergency. I live in an area with enough homeschoolers and extracurricular activities that I can offer my children co-op classes and sports. There's 18 museums in my county. Most things are close by and low cost or free. Those things may not be as important to me as the rest of my kids finish elementary and high school.

I do pay a lot in taxes, and I have a most obnoxious neighbor, a man who tests my equanimity on a regular basis. Tradeoffs, right?

 

[PineappleMama]

Tradeoffs make the world go 'round.

Random info I find interesting.

5 states with lowest median real estate taxes:
Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia

9 states with no income tax:
Washington, Texas, Florida, Alaska, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming
New Hampshire and Tennessee tax dividends and interest

5 states with no sales tax:
Oregon, Montana, Alaska, New Hampshire, Delaware

According to our Chamber of Commerce Sales tax on goods in specifically Arlington, within Tarrant County, Texas is 8%... it varies by city down here (Within Arlington lies Pantego, over there it's 8.25% for instance) Daily mean (average) temperature is 66 degrees, average humidity is 56%, and annual rainfall is 33 inches.

Easy enough to find info like that once you know where you're looking... if you want to add some specifics... max high/low temps, average snow days, planting zone (any particular flowers, trees, veggies you just have to be able to grow?), local interests to match your interests (mall within 30 miles, or is 1000 too close, museums, lake, etc)... seems we can assume desert isn't your forte, which knocks out Arizona, Nevada, Utah for the most part... what about swamp? That's sorta like a forest, but the humidity can be a killer... something you don't care for... ohh what about beach? Do you like being near one or prefer not to or don't care either way?

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

trailers=low-class, and rural schools =poor education

For one trailers cost more than on site built homes. Forty by thirty site built home cost about $40K to build. Same size trailer installed is closer to $70K. Also you cant tell most trailers now a days from site built homes without climbing under them unless they are set up wrong. As for the ones that you can there usually very old. The people I know that live in them are usually pretty well off an just don't see the point of a new $400K home. Different priority's not income. Its also a mith that site built homes stand up better in tornado's. Rock houses do but wooden site built homes an trailers usually fair the same. The news likes to show trailers tho.


Education actually falls as population goes up. Smaller class sizes an more taxes coming in per student makes small town schools better over all.​

 

[mjdtexan]

Quote:
For one trailers cost more than on site built homes. Forty by thirty site built home cost about $40K to build. Same size trailer installed is closer to $70K. Also you cant tell most trailers now a days from site built homes without climbing under them unless they are set up wrong. As for the ones that you can there usually very old. The people I know that live in them are usually pretty well off an just don't see the point of a new $400K home. Different priority's not income. Its also a mith that site built homes stand up better in tornado's. Rock houses do but wooden site built homes an trailers usually fair the same. The news likes to show trailers tho.


Education actually falls as population goes up. Smaller class sizes an more taxes coming in per student makes small town schools better over all.

We need a thanks button to push when somebody post common sense things like this. Good job.

 

[tnchickenut]

Seriously? You are looking for the perfect place?
It's wherever you are.

You want warm, move down south... you want rural, look in the country. Compared to PA, most (not all) of the south will be exceptionally affordable to you... however, you will go through some culture shock and you will also want to be careful about researching your town/community. Some are more welcomeing to outsiders than others.

I don't mean to scare you off from the South, because not all areas are the same... Just around here, there are towns that you may like, and others that you would really not be welcome in. No offence, honestly...I don't know you at all, but there are still people around that don't like for "yankees" to buy up their land.

Just some words of experience. I wasn't born down here. I know first hand what I'm saying.

The house next to mine is for sale. Less than a acre... no building codes so coops are not a issue... in the county. 2 BRs, 1 Bath.... $59,000 owner can finance.

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
For one trailers cost more than on site built homes. Forty by thirty site built home cost about $40K to build. Same size trailer installed is closer to $70K. Also you cant tell most trailers now a days from site built homes without climbing under them unless they are set up wrong. As for the ones that you can there usually very old. The people I know that live in them are usually pretty well off an just don't see the point of a new $400K home. Different priority's not income. Its also a mith that site built homes stand up better in tornado's. Rock houses do but wooden site built homes an trailers usually fair the same. The news likes to show trailers tho.


Education actually falls as population goes up. Smaller class sizes an more taxes coming in per student makes small town schools better over all.

I know I can't afford a trailer. I had to buy this old rental home.

 

[thechickenchick]

Quote:
For one trailers cost more than on site built homes. Forty by thirty site built home cost about $40K to build. Same size trailer installed is closer to $70K. Also you cant tell most trailers now a days from site built homes without climbing under them unless they are set up wrong. As for the ones that you can there usually very old. The people I know that live in them are usually pretty well off an just don't see the point of a new $400K home. Different priority's not income. Its also a mith that site built homes stand up better in tornado's. Rock houses do but wooden site built homes an trailers usually fair the same. The news likes to show trailers tho.


Education actually falls as population goes up. Smaller class sizes an more taxes coming in per student makes small town schools better over all.

We need a thanks button to push when somebody post common sense things like this. Good job.

Agreed and thanks Rebel

( I am one of those low class citizens that send their children to a rural school for a poor education)

 

[PineappleMama]

Good points Rebel... even as a goofy teen I was able to notice some rather large differences between W'ford (pop 15k) and Arlington (400k or so)... for example in W'ford we did Watership Down in 5th grade (may have been 6th, but I think 5th)... moved to Arlington in the middle of 9th grade, first day of HONORS English, yup Watership Down... made it easy on me, since I'd already done it, but it was still weird.

Then there was Bio, still kept in touch with friends out there so we could compare. Arlington did the frog.... W'ford did worms, crayfish, frogs, fetal pigs... etc etc... they have more money to purchase those things/less kids to buy for. So that class gets a more thorough lesson.

I'm sure things have changed out in W'ford since we moved. I've only visited a few times but it's boomed out there. When I registered my sis and bro for school out there (Mom moved back) Bro went to the same Elem as me, but Sis had to go to the spanking new school... they're one year apart so it's the difference in elementary and Jr High... but at the Elementary school the staff still recognized me as one of their own... Principal, Librarian, Teachers... they remembered... seriously doubt the same could be said of schools in this district. They just process too many kids... in W'ford I was remembered by name, here you're looked up by number.

So yeah, some pretty big differences, but I think those are points in rural's favor.