You’ve had it with shoveling snow, long commutes to work, paying too much in real estate taxes. The grandkids moved to another state. Your elderly parents need your help across the country. One or more of these can trigger questions about relocation as we cross the threshold into the second half of life. As we age, we become a nation in search of the ‘best place’ to live. Suppose you find, as we do, the usual list of location must have’s inadequate. You know, the lists that assume you’ve hung up your spurs as regards making a living: affordable housing; plentiful leisure activities; cultural options; sunny weather; good health care access.
All good, but suppose you want or need an income. Suppose you want to live near your grandchildren or elderly parents in an environment that is business-friendly. While it is true that technology has enabled many of us to work remotely, what if your dream is to become a minister, or open a dog grooming business or launch a practice as a professional organizer, to name three on our Top Ten? Through this lens, we took a look at information that is available for the asking on the web and here are our best picks. Who knows? When you start researching your personal best place, you may find that your own hometown has more going for it than you realized.
- Fine snapshot of the whole country in the Census Bureau Quick Facts: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html
- Where the jobs are and will be, by state and city.
State Occupational Projections: http://www.projectionscentral.com/
Bureau of Labor Statistics, DOL http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco20024.htm
City Ratings:http://www.cityrating.com/joboutlook.asp
- Good general overview in Best Places for Businesses and Careers: http://money.aol.com/forbes/realestate/bestbusinessplaces
- Best places to locate your small business (from Entrepreneur magazine) http://smallbusiness.aol.com/start/startup/article/_a/how-to-find-the-best-location-for-your/20051213184609990009