So, what's YOUR idea of the perfect place to live?

   / So, what's YOUR idea of the perfect place to live? #1  

The Suburban Farmer

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Location
Northern Virginia
Tractor
Deere 2320
I'm not a prepper by any stretch of the imagination -- my kids couldn't survive without FIOS and my wife and I couldn't make it without easy access to the local Costco -- but my wife and I were recently talking about where we'd like to ultimately settle down and IF we ever decided to call it quits on the rat-race and try to become more self-sufficient, just WHERE would we want to do it?

This idea piqued my interest, and in doing some poking around on the interwebs, I came across the writings of a guy named Joel Skousen who wrote a book called "Strategic Relocation" where he ranks the various states according to their relative attractiveness in a "TEOTWAWKI" kind of situation. I certainly didn't buy the book (partly because I'm not a crazy person obsessed with the impending collapse of civilization, but mostly because I'm just really cheap) but from what I can tell he basically has evaluated various places in the US based upon:

  • Climate
  • Population density
  • Cost of living index
  • Food Production
  • Health environment
  • Traffic
  • Politics
  • Taxes
  • Corruption and Crime
  • Gun Liberty
  • Homeschooling Liberty
  • Military Targets & Nuclear Power Plants

Based upon his analysis of these criteria, and some "secret algorithm" for ranking places, in his opinion, the best places to be are:
  1. Utah
  2. Idaho
  3. Montana
  4. Washington
  5. Colorado

The worst are:
  1. Hawaii
  2. Florida
  3. Rhode Island
  4. Massachusetts
  5. New Jersey

Personally, I've never seen Hawaii on the list of "worst" ANYTHING, so I am already highly skeptical of his secret algorithms. :)

So, I did my own thinking on the topic, and actually think that (with the possible exceptions of the urban-sprawl areas near DC and the military-industrial-complex coastline) my current state of Virginia is probably my choice. I love it here, but the "basics" are pretty compelling, too:

  • A full 4 seasons, but none of them are too extreme
  • Good schools (some of the better ones in the nation, according to surveys)
  • Logical gun laws, along with open-carry
  • Good water access -- both rain levels and the ease of drilling a usable well
  • Good soil
  • Enough "commerce infrastructure" that even if you live outside a major city, you still can have relatively easy access to just about anything you need
  • Enough lakes and rivers that I can always find a place to put my bass boat
  • Good access to healthcare
  • Not-too-red and not-too-blue when it comes to politics (again, except around the DC area)
  • Logical real estate tax structure that allows for substantial Agricultural and Wilderness exemptions

I'm sure there is a giant target painted on us on some map in Russia or North Korea, but if that ever happens, I'm not sure living next to a missile silo in Idaho is really any better. I'll take my chances.

So, I've just about talked myself into staying put for the long haul. So, what are your thoughts on this? Ever think about the "perfect place" for you, if you could just pick up and move anywhere? If you've found the perfect spot already, why do you love your location?
 
   / So, what's YOUR idea of the perfect place to live? #2  
This idea piqued my interest, and in doing some poking around on the interwebs, I came across the writings of a guy named Joel Skousen who wrote a book called "Strategic Relocation" where he ranks the various states according to their relative attractiveness in a "TEOTWAWKI" kind of situation. I certainly didn't buy the book (partly because I'm not a crazy person obsessed with the impending collapse of civilization, but mostly because I'm just really cheap) but from what I can tell he basically has evaluated various places in the US based upon:

Climate
Population density
*Cost of living index
Food Production
*Health environment
*Traffic
*Politics
?Taxes
*Corruption and Crime
*Gun Liberty
*Homeschooling Liberty
Military Targets & Nuclear Power Plants

I don't think his criteria make a lot of sense in a TEOTWAWKI scenario.

The items I marked with an asterisk will be ephemeral in a climate of civil breakdown. Taxes may persist but who is going process, and who is going to buy, a foreclosed property in a time of mayhem? Presumably the remaining law enforcement ability will have better things to do than carry out evictions.
 
   / So, what's YOUR idea of the perfect place to live?
  • Thread Starter
#3  
I had the same thought. For a guy that publishes all kinds of SHTF and TEOTWAWKI articles, he sure seems concerned about a lot of items that only matter in a steady, well-functioning, centrally-controlled society.

The only * point I might disagree with you on is the "Crime" point. An area of high crime will probably get even worse, and will get worse a lot quicker -- think St. Louis -- if there is even a short breakdown in the societal structure.


So, how do you like Maine? I've only been there a couple of times, but I loved it up there, and think that parts of it probably match up pretty well on my personal "must have" list. Does Industry get tons of snow?
 
   / So, what's YOUR idea of the perfect place to live? #4  
Most here on TBN love their 4 seasons. Being native Southern Californian my criteria is only 1 season.

When we found our retirement home we looked in Arizona and California between 3,500 ft (above sea level) to 4,000 ft. We ended up at 3,600. Perfect.

But most the other stuff is a compromise... we are fairly rural, but Costco is 1/2 hour away. Same for medical and emergency services, about 1/2 hour away. Not perfect as we grow older, but we couldn't stand to be in a population center.
 
   / So, what's YOUR idea of the perfect place to live?
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Medical and emergency services are a lot higher on my list these days. Up until just a while ago, I didn't think too much about that, and used to think that the farther away from cities I cold be, the better. But after my father had to be taken to a hospital via helicopter when he had a heart attack at their summer farm, and my son had his first SERIOUS asthma attack, I've put that much higher on my list. One of the things I like about Virginia is that we have a lot of university campuses spread around near the "rural" parts of the state -- Charlottesville, Blacksburg, Harrisonburg, etc. -- with good health and trauma units and exceptionally well-trained doctors. That makes "rural" safer from that angle.
 
   / So, what's YOUR idea of the perfect place to live? #6  
I'm in Harrisonburg/Rockingham county, taxes suck, schools suck, weather sucks. One day I think I will cut all ties and move back to the Philippines and live happly ever after sipping cold San Migal on a always warm beach by the South China Sea. Only draw back is those pesty Typhoons, earth quakes and vocanoes. Spent five years living in the Philippines and loved every day of it. The other draw back is all my inlaws live there and I don't want to be their ATM.

mark
 
   / So, what's YOUR idea of the perfect place to live? #7  
We bought 22+ acres to build our retirement home on just out side of a small town in Massachusetts. Very little crime, tax rate is good and gun laws are real tough so not to many can have guns unless they are criminals. This makes it better as far as I am concerned I have a permit to carry and have a safe full of amo and guns that very few will have if something should ever happen :). We hunt deer and eat only venison for meat have chickens for eggs heat our house from wood cut on our land. As far as health goes we have the South coast cancer clinic, walk in health clinic just two miles down the road. We can get in the car and be at restaurants, grocery store, hardware store in 5 minutes.

Most of the sates he listed I have been in to hunt or spend time in and I loved them all but as someone said at our age I like to be removed but close to civilization.
 
   / So, what's YOUR idea of the perfect place to live? #8  
I had the same thought. For a guy that publishes all kinds of SHTF and TEOTWAWKI articles, he sure seems concerned about a lot of items that only matter in a steady, well-functioning, centrally-controlled society.

The only * point I might disagree with you on is the "Crime" point. An area of high crime will probably get even worse, and will get worse a lot quicker -- think St. Louis -- if there is even a short breakdown in the societal structure.


So, how do you like Maine? I've only been there a couple of times, but I loved it up there, and think that parts of it probably match up pretty well on my personal "must have" list. Does Industry get tons of snow?

Crime and corruption would be rampant anywhere there are lots of people I suppose. In a total breakdown the existing order of politicians as elected leaders, police, prosecutors, functioning courts with judges, etc. would be greatly reduced leaving a power vacuum. People abhor a power vacuum just like nature abhors a vacuum. I would expect to see the rise of local warlords complete with militias. Similar to gangs virtually controlling some of our more lawless city regions and social strata now.

Maine is doable and we like it well enough. We live 10 miles from a 7,000 pop. county seat town that has a small university branch, decent hospital and enough stores for basic needs. It really helps if you enjoy winter activities, or at least don't mind long winters.

I don't think Maine would be one of the easiest places to subsist due to the long winters. We have 18-24 inches of snow on the ground now. Food foraging is difficult in deep snow when everything is dormant anyways. :laughing:

If depending on pasture for meat and dairy animals; there is no pasture to speak of from mid-November to mid-May. The growing season is 90-95 days, I usually don't plant seeds in the garden with more than an 85 day maturity.

Those obstacles are surmountable at a cost of the extra labor putting up enough to get through winter for both people and livestock. The risk is a bad growing season could make people desperate pretty quickly. It wasn't uncommon for people to lose their wheat and barley crops to fungus in a wet, cool summer.

Even with Maine's sparse population I think the wildlife food sources would be decimated pretty quickly. Deer and moose would become very rare. The rivers and lakes would get fished out. Without state hatchery stocking and enforcement of limits/rules they would be fished out now.

Plenty of water. Abundant wood for fuel but that's very labor intensive without modern tools. Apples for food, vinegar and hard cider are abundant. Sugar maple for sweetener. Various wild berries. Potatoes, carrots, peas and beans do well here. We usually manage to keep salad greens going most of the summer. Tomatoes, pumpkin, squash, onion, eggplant, cabbage, broccoli--all of those can be grown here--if a person had the seeds.

All in all, my guess is if the grocery store closes a person could work themselves to death just to survive here. I think you would have to really know what you are doing to make it and a lot of that skill and knowledge is gone.
 
   / So, what's YOUR idea of the perfect place to live? #9  
Southwest Virginia... Blue Ridge Mountains... We came here from a Charlotte, NC suburb.We settled right into our new 80 acres. Wonderful weather, great people, and cheap taxes. God made this area special. That's no lie...
 
   / So, what's YOUR idea of the perfect place to live? #10  
I know the older I get the more I despise cold weather. If I move it will be south!
 
 
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