Moving from Canada to the US. Opinions/tips on where to go?

[1980Mooney]

On 4/29/2025 at 3:04 PM, khedrei said:

What I am hoping to gain from this post is simply an opinion of where we can set up roots.  Priorities are as follows:

1. A nice clean, low crime, awesome state/town/city that is NOT WOKE.

Can you please define "WOKE" since it is your #1 priority (and the only one in all caps.).  And can you kindly explain what a "woke" state or "woke" town or "woke" city is in order to help us differentiate candidates for you?  I don't think I know what that is.  How do you measure it?

[0TreeLemur]

On 4/29/2025 at 6:55 PM, dkkim73 said:

Why CO but not WY or MT?

Beg to differ on Wyoming.  I thought that once.  Raised in CO, bounced around east of the Mississippi for over 10 years then moved to WY.   Wyoming climate is closer to Siberia than CO.   The southwest 2/3 of the state is at or above 7000'.  Cheyenne is 6000'   THE WIND!  Up in north central WY its not so bad, but the winters are FRIGID COLD.  When the wind stops blowing the cold air from the top of the mountains flows down and fills up the basins.  Some places in CO west of the continental divide are similarly cold, but the front range is a warmer micro-climate.   Don't know much about MT.

[DCarlton]

4 hours ago, GeeBee said:

In all seriousness to the OP's desires he should look for a Southern town where there is still a town square. Preferably where the cars still park into the curb. Where the square has a soldier statue in the center showing they honor their ancestors. I.e. no woke stuff. The buildings can be old but look for signs of new and local restaurants rehabilitating the store fronts to create a vibrant lunch and weekend night life. Make sure there is good medical care, some states are having trouble with tort reform which may make good specialists like GYNs rare. Look at house prices and make sure they are at least stable if not growing modestly. Be wary of boom town pricing as it means the place is soon to be strip mall city and not a town. 

Where the waitresses still call you hon(ey)?

[GeeBee]

8 hours ago, 1980Mooney said:

Can you please define "WOKE" since it is your #1 priority (and the only one in all caps.).  And can you kindly explain what a "woke" state or "woke" town or "woke" city is in order to help us differentiate candidates for you?  I don't think I know what that is.  How do you measure it?

That is easy. Read Ibrm Kendi' book and writings, if you believe he has a point and those suggestions therein should be implemented, it is woke ideology. Don't want to get into a discussion beyond within the confines of this board because this is my "sane place". We will call this a "self education opportunity".

[khedrei]

On 4/30/2025 at 2:12 AM, Hank said:

My response above ignores any reason why the OP wants to move. I simply pointed out how the area meets his desired quality of life, low cost of living, urban access and airports (both commercial and general aviation).

That's as non-political of a post as can be made regarding where a pilot may want to live that has not already occurred in their own private thoughts. I've moved a bunch,  now in Town #22, but only my third town since I began flying anything other than a seat way back in the giant aluminum tube.

Why an individual wants to move is that individual's own concern. He asked for advice about the areas we live / lived in, and how they may suit his flying and non-flying activities. If the reason for moving is disclosed, and you're offended, ignore the rest of the thread and move on. Or answer the non-offending questions, whatever floats your boat. But there's no reason to bash anyone just because you disagree with an expressed opinion. Or should we tear up the entire 1st Amendment, not just the "free speech" part, so that no one is offended by hearing something on the news or by someone else's religion?

I have yet to see any records in our founding documents that even insinuate that any person has the right to not be offended. (See free speech above.) That's a good thing, too, because that thought offends me!

Back to the discussion of good places for pilots to live!

Thanks for this @Hank, as well as your previous post that contained exactly what I was looking to gain from this post.  I have actually visted Guntersville AL right up the road from Huntsville and the people at the airport as well as a few in town at local shops were lovely.  I'm not saying I expected otherwise, but of all places in the US that I would expect to feel like a fish out of water, AL is one of them.  

 @Mark942 I find your response quite ironic to be honest.  Thinking I should not be allowed to voice my opinions here and trying to stifle free speech is one of the reasons I want to come to the US.  I would prefer to be in a place where the right and left alike don't try to force their opinions on others or stop them from expressing theirs.  I specifically said I am not looking for a political debate.  I am happy to hear opinions of how the country and certain areas are doing though...  who wouldn't?  I also find it interesting that you think you know where I stand politically.  I would bet $100k that you have no clue where I stand politally, how I voted in my last 5 elections or how I would have voted in your last 5 elections had I been in the US.  I posted a request to find a nice place where I can work as a PILOT, and where I can buy a hangar to keep my MOONEY.  I also happen to have some other requirements (which I would think anyone would) so I don't think thats crazy, nor a reach to call it aviation or Mooney related.  I figured I would be open about my situation and give a bit of background to save some time for the people who would come on here and suggest I settle in Cathetral City and keep my plane at KUDD.  Yes, it would be totally awesome to have a hangar attached to my house which opens right up on the taxiway to a decent airport within an hour flight to awesome places and beautiful mountains.  I think California is one of the most beautiful states I have visted, but I still can't do it.

@DXB  Thank you for these suggestions.  I will be putting them on my list.

@dkkim73 In response to the geography questions/comments...  I like lakes, forests, and green.  I currently have a cabin on 2 acres on the water about 1.5 flight north of me right now that I like to get away to.  It is deadly quiet but still only 20 minutes from a small town.  I would love to be able to find some sort of similar arrangement in the US where I can get in the plane in the city and fly to a more remote area to relax for a week at a time between my rotations.  I know the green/lakes eliminates some of my choices in the west, but that isn't a hard no as the west has its own beauty and charm.  There is also another person involved in this decision so I am simply looking for suggestions on places to visit so we can both go have a look.

@1980Mooney I figured that everyone knew what "woke" meant but I will take you at your word and give you my definition, or at least tell you what I am not looking for.  I want to avoid places that have government policy that encourages crime, drug use, and prints and hands out money for doing nothing destroying the economy and local neighborhoods.  Policies that try to force agendas and things to go a certain predetermined way.  DEI is a perfect example.  The term "woke" applies because the reasons for doing these things is in the name of kindness and social justice but is at the detriment of others but more importantly, it's a detriment to the people is claims to support.  If you are offended by the term "woke", give me another term for policies that support having taxpayers fund supplying homeless people with drugs, guns and other things to set up in local parks and shoot heroin in the middle of the street while you walk by with your children.  I'm not trying to be a smartass, nor am I trying to get into a political discussion.  I answered your question because you asked.  I wanted to show that I am genuine in my post and I am looking for places to visit, and hopefully one day settle down in and build a new life.

Locations, airports, towns, cities.  Keep em coming.  I'm not moving tomrorow, I have time to visit dozens in the next couple years.

Edited Thursday at 01:53 PM by khedrei

[AndreiC]

16 hours ago, EricJ said:

I'd discourage religious conversation here as well, but that doesn't seem to be a problem at the moment.   I do like that this thread has been pretty civil, but I wouldn't tempt the beast.

I find this hilarious. Aren't we all discussing the Church of Mooney in these forums... Deeply religious 

[khedrei]

To add another quick note...  If I came in here and said I am moving to the US and want to know of good places to live, work, and keep my airplane but it has to be in xxx, yyy, zzz and nothing else, I think it would be quite unproductive.  I would get all kinds of questions about why here and why not there.  Or I would get a whole bunch of suggestions I would have to just ignore.  Fair enough I guess.  I have my reasons, and my preferences.  I'm putting them out there.  If you don't agree with them, or think they are nonsense, dont try to convince me that I shouldn't have them, simply don't respond.

What I am absolutely more open to is to try and convince me that a certain place is not what I (or the media) thinks it is and might be a good option for me.  Here is the opportunity for all the CA advocates to tell me how low the taxes and great the crime policies are.

[N201MKTurbo]

I have found that there is always a divide between what the news indicates about a place and how it actually is. The vast majority of California is very conservative, but they don't get to make the rules and the news rarely talks about those parts of the state. You can't always judge a book by its cover. I spent 8 years living in a city that that is considered a liberal meca. I met some of the most racist people I have ever met there. It was appalling.

[1980Mooney]

1 hour ago, khedrei said:

@1980Mooney I figured that everyone knew what "woke" meant but I will take you at your word and give you my definition, or at least tell you what I am not looking for.  I want to avoid places that have government policy that encourages crime, drug use, and prints and hands out money for doing nothing destroying the economy and local neighborhoods.  The term "woke" applies because the reasons for doing these things is in the name of kindness and social justice but is at the detriment of others but more importantly, it's a detriment to the people is claims to support.  If you are offended by the term "woke", give me another term for policies that support having taxpayers fund supplying homeless people with drugs, guns and other things to set up in local parks and shoot heroin in the middle of the street while you walk by with your children.  I'm not trying to be a smartass, nor am I trying to get into a political discussion.  I answered your question because you asked.  I wanted to show that I am genuine in my post and I am looking for places to visit, and hopefully one day settle down in and build a new life.

"Shoot heroin in the middle of the street"?  That sounds like something out of the Reagan era.  Why would anyone do that when Fentanyl, much of which comes in from Canada, laced into opiates is so much cheaper, plentiful, available and easy to consume?  The US leads the world in drug use, illegal and prescribed/legal drug abuse, for a reason.  Americans of all walks of life are willing to pay for illegal drugs and drug abuse.  Just because it may go on in suburbia or small town rural America, much of it white and affluent funded by "mom and dad's" wealth, doesn't negate the fact that it is destroying the economy, youth and local neighborhoods.

And if you don't like people with guns in local parks, then you will not like anywhere in the US.  They are more plentiful and easier to come by than drugs.

Not trying to be a smartass, but it sounds like you are looking for the "Hallmark Movie" version of America.  @Steve Dawson may be right.

Edited Thursday at 03:07 PM by 1980Mooney

[GeeBee]

I have been on a tour of the Southeast with my grand-daughter in the Mooney. We have been touring colleges. She wants to go to an SEC school so we have been to most of them. College towns are always a little bit different but I will say this about the University of Alabama. One, Tuscaloosa is a great town but the University of Alabama had the nicest campus, the best facilities and the most polished presentation of any school. I also notice that men were gentlemen and women were ladies on the campus. They had the correct focus on how they wanted their graduates to enter life. I was impressed and that is saying something because both my daughters went to the University of Georgia which is one of the most difficult schools in the SEC to get into.  About Huntsville I will add is it has the most Phds per capita of any town in the US.

As to "woke" I am from the SF Bay Area. I remember when you walked Union Square on a Sunday in a coat and tie. A quick tour now will show you where "woke" gets you. Exactly what the OP describes he does not want.  You can't walk around Union Square now without dodging needles and poop.  It is one of the reasons why I moved to north Georgia.

[DCarlton]

1 hour ago, AndreiC said:

I find this hilarious. Aren't we all discussing the Church of Mooney in these forums... Deeply religious 

Yeah I thought everyone thanked God when they landed and prayed before they took off... 

[Bolter]

Thinking of just places to live... I would throw in that Arizona, Florida, and Texas seem to have the most fly-in communities, and meet the other metrics.  Many are close enough to suburbs and cities, as well.  Check out aviation real estate websites like https://www.aviationrealestate.com/  

-dan

[N201MKTurbo]

1 hour ago, GeeBee said:

I have been on a tour of the Southeast with my grand-daughter in the Mooney. We have been touring colleges. She wants to go to an SEC school so we have been to most of them. College towns are always a little bit different but I will say this about the University of Alabama. One, Tuscaloosa is a great town but the University of Alabama had the nicest campus, the best facilities and the most polished presentation of any school. I also notice that men were gentlemen and women were ladies on the campus. They had the correct focus on how they wanted their graduates to enter life. I was impressed and that is saying something because both my daughters went to the University of Georgia which is one of the most difficult schools in the SEC to get into.  About Huntsville I will add is it has the most Phds per capita of any town in the US.

As to "woke" I am from the SF Bay Area. I remember when you walked Union Square on a Sunday in a coat and tie. A quick tour now will show you where "woke" gets you. Exactly what the OP describes he does not want.  You can't walk around Union Square now without dodging needles and poop.  It is one of the reasons why I moved to north Georgia.

Los Alamos beats Huntsville by a fair margin. I have spent time in both places.

here is a page that touches both.
https://triangle.general.narkive.com/amwiOnce/most-phd-s-per-capita-ul

There are a lot of lists out there. Most don’t even mention Los Alamos or Huntsville. Most just list College towns. Of course these lists count PHDs in liberal arts and such, not just science and engineering.

[GeeBee]

I have cites that say Palo Alto, I have cites that say Los Alamos, I have cites that say it used to be Huntsville, I have cites that say Huntsville is number one in STEM degrees so let's just say, it's a lot!

[N201MKTurbo]

3 minutes ago, GeeBee said:

I have cites that say Palo Alto, I have cites that say Los Alamos, I have cites that say it used to be Huntsville, I have cites that say Huntsville is number one in STEM degrees so let's just say, it's a lot!

Let’s just say there are a lot of nerds in all those places. 

[Hank]

48 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Let’s just say there are a lot of nerds in all those places. 

Isn't that why most of us here would fit in nicely? 

BSME, MSE, but didn't pile anything high or deep enough for the next level.  

[Justin Schmidt]

3 hours ago, GeeBee said:

I have been on a tour of the Southeast with my grand-daughter in the Mooney. We have been touring colleges. She wants to go to an SEC school so we have been to most of them. College towns are always a little bit different but I will say this about the University of Alabama. One, Tuscaloosa is a great town but the University of Alabama had the nicest campus, the best facilities and the most polished presentation of any school. I also notice that men were gentlemen and women were ladies on the campus. They had the correct focus on how they wanted their graduates to enter life. I was impressed and that is saying something because both my daughters went to the University of Georgia which is one of the most difficult schools in the SEC to get into.  About Huntsville I will add is it has the most Phds per capita of any town in the US.

As to "woke" I am from the SF Bay Area. I remember when you walked Union Square on a Sunday in a coat and tie. A quick tour now will show you where "woke" gets you. Exactly what the OP describes he does not want.  You can't walk around Union Square now without dodging needles and poop.  It is one of the reasons why I moved to north Georgia.

Boooo SEC...Big Ten, Big Ten. Haha but don't mind me, I'm a boilermaker. I have to live vicariously through everyone else, athletics wise.

[GeeBee]

15 minutes ago, Justin Schmidt said:

Boooo SEC...Big Ten, Big Ten. Haha but don't mind me, I'm a boilermaker. I have to live vicariously through everyone else, athletics wise.

I actually like Purdue. It has a pretty good aviation program but in football they are always a wild card for Big 10 teams. Kind of like Kentucky in the SEC.

[CCAS]

On 4/29/2025 at 3:04 PM, khedrei said:

but I am happy to hear peoples opinions

This may not be on your radar but the Texas Hill Country may be an area that could appeal.  Specifically, since this is a Mooney forum, I'll mention Kerrville, TX because of its excellent city/county airport and local Mooney expertise (and I believe the airport is looking for people to build hangars onsite if that's something you want to look into).  Kerrville may not be able to compete with some of the eastern US college-towns but it might tick a few of your boxes.  Population is around 25K.  Less than an hour to San Antonio.  Agricultural surroundings; people are friendly and down to earth.  Weather is good about 9 months out of the year (but summer is hot and can be humid). Growth isn't huge (I think less than 1% population growth last year) but home prices are affordable.  I know there are a few MS'ers who live in Kerrville and might be able to provide their experience. There's also Fredericksburg TX nearby which I think is a really nice small town with a solid tourism base and a good county airport.  I think @LANCECASPER has mentioned a few nearby private airpark real estate opportunities recently as well.  Happy to answer PMs to provide addiitonal info.  Oh, and if you haven't stumbled upon it yet, the website datausa.io is a good resource to get a snapshot of towns/cities in the US. 

[cliffy]

Just to change the vector a little-

St George Utah   (way too much snow and cold up in Salt Lake City)

St George is 90 mins to Las Vegas NV if you want the glitz and glimmer    Big airport there with low airline prices

1 hr or less to world class skiing from here,  high mountain lakes and a huge off road driving community. Local lakes for water sports.

@100K population    Housing about $400K for new builds. Growing and with 2 Costcos (2nd by end of year) :-)

Wally World  etc

Weather is 10 degrees lower year round than Las Vegas average   High 90s summer and 3 weeks of teens at night winter,

NO DAMN SNOW TO SPEAK OF DOWN IN TOWN!  :-)   I don't do good with that white crap on the ground for months like Salt Lake City!

No humidity here- single digit numbers summer time, we can even use swamp coolers here if we want :-) 

Unlike ANYTHING east of the Texas/Dakotas line we don't have tornados, massive T storm fronts, flooding downpours, hail storms or nights of lightning storms   Once in a while we get a flash flood down washes but that's all. 

3 airlines operate  out of our main airport, KSGU, 2 other airports near (one municipal and one fly in community)

Predominantly a Mormon town religiously BUT they have been as a group, the nicest people we have ever met in all our travels and we've traveled the world.  Not part of their faith but nonetheless they have been very nice to us everywhere. 

I'd rather have Canadians move here than Californians!!!!    :-) :-)    and I grew up in Cali!

[DCarlton]

1 hour ago, cliffy said:

Just to change the vector a little-

St George Utah   (way too much snow and cold up in Salt Lake City)

St George is 90 mins to Las Vegas NV if you want the glitz and glimmer    Big airport there with low airline prices

1 hr or less to world class skiing from here,  high mountain lakes and a huge off road driving community. Local lakes for water sports.

@100K population    Housing about $400K for new builds. Growing and with 2 Costcos (2nd by end of year) :-)

Wally World  etc

Weather is 10 degrees lower year round than Las Vegas average   High 90s summer and 3 weeks of teens at night winter,

NO DAMN SNOW TO SPEAK OF DOWN IN TOWN!  :-)   I don't do good with that white crap on the ground for months like Salt Lake City!

No humidity here- single digit numbers summer time, we can even use swamp coolers here if we want :-) 

Unlike ANYTHING east of the Texas/Dakotas line we don't have tornados, massive T storm fronts, flooding downpours, hail storms or nights of lightning storms   Once in a while we get a flash flood down washes but that's all. 

3 airlines operate  out of our main airport, KSGU, 2 other airports near (one municipal and one fly in community)

Predominantly a Mormon town religiously BUT they have been as a group, the nicest people we have ever met in all our travels and we've traveled the world.  Not part of their faith but nonetheless they have been very nice to us everywhere. 

I'd rather have Canadians move here than Californians!!!!    :-) :-)    and I grew up in Cali!

We like the Inn on the Cliff.  Stayed there a couple of times.  I'm hoping to fly there this year and check off a landing in UT.  

[Hank]

3 hours ago, cliffy said:

Just to change the vector a little-

St George Utah   (way too much snow and cold up in Salt Lake City)

St George is 90 mins to Las Vegas NV if you want the glitz and glimmer    Big airport there with low airline prices

. . .

NO DAMN SNOW TO SPEAK OF DOWN IN TOWN!  :-) 

. . .

Predominantly a Mormon town religiously BUT they have been as a group, the nicest people we have ever met in all our travels and we've traveled the world.  Not part of their faith but nonetheless they have been very nice to us everywhere. 

Hmmm . . . A Mormon community near Sin City. I didn't realize where St. George is. The whole "no snow" thing is a big plus! But can you get a good cup of coffee in town? Just can't deal with no coffee for breakfast. 

On the other hand, I'm probably in my last home with independent living. Pond-side, with community pool and community boat ramp into the Big Lake; tiny towns nearby (1000-15,000 are all 8-20 miles away, three to choose from); city airport is 18 miles away, reasonable sublease rate in a box hangar; no traffic out here; university town 40 minutes away, complete with student traffic and a million small restaurants; state capital the same distance in a different direction.

Next stop, retirement community near a small airport. Fly the Mooney as long as possible before getting something welded down--may have to find an enclosed biplane for year-round fun (because being cold ruins all of the fun!).

[N201MKTurbo]

I was thinking of opening a liquor store and strip club just across the AZ border. I could make millions, unless the Mormon mafia took me out…

It would be only about 5 miles out of town by the airport.

[N201MKTurbo]

I have actually spent a fare amount of time in St. George. It is a beautiful town. A lot of house parties, because you cannot go out to the pub.

[Fritz1]

Being a transplant myself I can relate to what you are feeling, there comes a point where you have a subcutaneous sensation that you do not fit in any more, man, moment, machine.

I left Europe over 30 years ago, cold war was over, the Messerschmitt company (MBB) got acquired by Daimler Benz with the goal of downsizing the defense business, by boss who was the CEO got fired with pretty much the entire board, as chief of staff, fifth wheel on that wagon, I went with the ticket, party over, got on a plane the next week to the US and moved in with a friend whom I had sold an airplane 10 years earlier and started a US job search from there.

There are many places in the US where the small town America feeling still exists, a one mile airport runway connects to anywhere in the world.

In order for an aviator to fly he needs a place to come home to, that place better feel good, therefore:

1.) Find job, everything else will follow suit

2.) Find common denominators, especially for the wife, ways to build relationships around the home

The location is almost irrelevant, what counts is the people.

The older you get the more difficult it becomes to leave everything behind, family, friends from high school, military service, college, places where you worked.

Today my business is almost entirely run over the internet and via phone. My wife is from Virginia, her family is here, college friends, work acquaintances, doctors, car mechanics, builders, cobblers, yard guys... I typically work 6 six days a week, 60 hours and change, without my wife having her social infrastructure I could not keep going at that clip.

In a nutshell: There is an unlimited number of suitable locations, the $1 million question will be how well and how quickly you and your wife will be able to connect based on what you have in common with the people who live where you go.

Safe travels, I keep fingers crossed!