Help me find a new city

[austinN4]

Austin has gotten too big and to Kalifornia for me. It is time to leave.

I am looking for suggestions of cities to investigate and will post this same thread in the SW subforum also. Work is not a consideration - I have my own business and can do it from anywhere.

I am looking for a city in the range of between 50,000 to 100,000 population - big enough to have a wide variety of services but not too big. Austin is now the sixteenth largest city in the US and has the traffic to go with it. Yikes!

I am also looking for higher elevations - say 5,000 to 8,000 feet, or thereabout.

A school town would be a plus to add a little culture.

Gun-friendly goes without saying. As long as I am being picky, a city with a majority of women over men would also be nice as I am single.

I am near retirement and this no doubt will be my last move ever until they plant me.

I look forward to whatever suggestions you might have. Thanks in advance!

Edited to clarify: I am looking for suggestions of cities that meet my critera.

[MookNW]

I lived in Reno NV for 4 or 5 years, sound right up your alley. Only 4600 elev. Though. Cheap property there too.

[jklaughrey]

Come up here to Eastern WA/North Idaho area for a visit. Hunting, fishing gun friendly area to live No smog, no traffic to speak of. Property is cheap and people are friendly, mostly. I have been here over 10 years and I am still referred to as "The Californian".

[austinN4]

Thanks, guys. Yes, I have thought about the Reno area, but Reno is too big and too busy for me. Carson City may be a better fit.

Working with a map and Wiki, the cities that more or less seem to meet my criteria are:

Arizona Flagstaff
Arizona Prescott

Colorado Boulder (probably too expensive and too political)
Colorado Grand Junction
Colorado Longmont
Colorado Loveland
Colorado Pueblo

Idaho Idaho Falls
Idaho Pocatello

Montana Billings
Montana Great Falls
Montana Missoula

Nevada Carson City

New Mexico Santa Fe (probably too expensive)

Oregon Bend

S Dakota Rapid City

Wyoming Casper
Wyoming Chyenne

Additional comments are very wlecome. Most important to me is a high quality of life; although, I realize that is very subjective.

When I get the list refined and narrowed I am going to start making visits to the short list cities.

[reiswigt]

I grew up in Bend, it's a wonderful place to live. Especially if you make your living elsewhere.

You should check out Walla Walla Washington. The elevation is only 1,000 +/-. Three colleges. 100 plus wineries. Spring and fall are wonderful. Lots to do in close proximity.

Best of luck in your new home hunting!

[ronbuick]

Id. falls and Pocatello, nice but windy, Bend is nice as is Carson City, how about the Boise area but only about 2500 ft. or so, but not far to drive to the higher elevations 1/2 or so wonderful scenic drive to get you to the higher elev. and of course we do have the 2nd amendment out here unlike Kali or other lib. states out here, wamr in the summer with very low humidity, around 15% or so, average yearly rainfall is about 12", Phoenix by comparison is about 9" yearly, so alot of sunshine, traffic sucks in the city but takes a very short drive to get away from it, lots of outdoor ranges as well as the desert, check it out as well, thanks

Ron

[operator81]

Missoula, Bozeman, Helena or Kalispell, MT. Can't go wrong with any of those.

[ronbuick]

Have you decided on a place yet??

Ron

[austinN4]

Have you decided on a place yet??

Thanks for asking, Ron, but no I haven't.

I at least have the states mostly narrowed down to Arizona (Flag or Prescott), Montana (Missoula), S. Dakota (Rapid).

But I haven't had a chance to do any city visits yet.

[ronbuick]

when I lived in AZ. both of those cities and surrounding areas are nice, Flag has a lots of snow and the altitude is is very high, about 7200 ft. if memory serves me right or higher, but Prescott to me would be the better choice, kinda in the middle of Phx. and Flag and nice weather and pretty terrain and it is ust a nice place, the other places I can not speak for but we are talking the West side of the country and it is just better than the right side of the country, IMHO, again just my opinion from someone who grew up in Mich., thanks

Ron