re: Best Place in the US/LA to raise a family?

Woodlands, TX

quote:

---

Transit....in Folsom? Folsom schools are ranked 6-8 and the average home cost is roughly 400K with an annual property tax of at least 1.75 percent of purchase price. I am currently considering a move to Sac but again....not the epitome of culture. Its just another suburb in California which is over priced.

---

I've spent quite a bit of time in Sac (IT consulting gigs for state gov) and only a little bit of time in Folsom. I have some friends there so it was obligatory.

I really like Sac and don't get the hate. Granted, I have never lived there or had to deal with housing prices but I consider it to be an upgrade from Baton Rouge, for sure. There's actually a lot of different cultures there, so in some ways it reminded me of Houston. The weather is kind of interesting as well, there's almost seasons and there's moisture every now and then. Fewer bugs, and I enjoyed floating down the American river.

The transit I speak of is when I took the light rail from Sac to Folsom. I've also taken the commuter train from Sac to Oakland to watch the Pels play the Warriors. I had to take a bus from there to get to San Fran though, but it wasn't bad. I'd like to go to Tahoe next time.

In terms of the $400k home price, the people in my field are making $20k to $80k more than what they make here and in Texas. Depending on where you are in that range, post tax income can be enough to pay a significantly higher mortgage note. Gas is more expensive too but almost everything else is the same price. I found groceries to be cheaper actually.

Ive been trying to get one our sales team to drum up business with the state of Idaho or Albertsons so I can go visit Boise.

I like Temecula and Murrieta for the money, but there's no real big job centers right there. I'm not doing the one hour commute thing.

I wouldn't mind checking out Chico, too. Two of our execs are from Eureka and we still have some techs that live there and they claim its a really nice place.

I spent my early childhood in Northern Virginia then later childhood on the Northshore (graduated HS in '92) and I thought both were fantastic. I had woods and water right out my back door and was a stone's throw from horses.

ETA:

Large custom-built homes and public school education that got me multiple scholarship offers to private schools out of state.

"Beaches" about an hour away both places (lake beaches in VA, beaches where you don't go in the water on the Gulf coast)... Real beaches within 3 hours.