How did you decide where to live?
Posted by wakanda_banana@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 136 comments
I’m currently in the mountains but housing is crazy expensive here. I’m looking at options to move somewhere more affordable to eventually have a home that’s off the grid (solar, well, etc). The options I’m looking at are north carolina and texas. Most of my family live in TX but NC seems to be a solid option for growing crops, affordable housing, etc. Also if an ‘energy crisis’ ever causes the grid to collapse, the TX heat would be miserable. Which place are you choosing to live? How did you make this decision?
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
Even though this map is over two years old, with few exceptions, this still proves to be accurate.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
For those interested in the Worst places as well.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
LMAO, no frickin way... Shitlanta isn't marked in GA but S. GA counties with fewer than 20K people in the whole county are, yeah frickin right! If I didn't know LEO in 4 of those counties that train with us and regularly hear their stories about how it's a big deal to occasionally deal with more than a domestic dispute I might believe that, but still probably not.
Alfalfa-Boring@reddit
The map is about climate change risk homie…
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Oh ok, thought it was something real. ManBearPig doesn't concern me in the slightest. But curious is it the 1970's Spock "by 1990 cities up north will be uninhabitable due to the new ice age" "climate change" or is it the "global warming will make growing food impossible by 2010" climate change, or is it the "you won't be able to go outside without SPF 1000 on by the year 2000" nonsense indoctrinated kids in HS did skits about in the early 90's (they are still made fun of for that at reunions LOL) or just the standard Al Gore ManBearPig climate change?
Either of them, I file them behind U-FO/ A lien invasion in things to concern myself with.
Alfalfa-Boring@reddit
You do you.
I do know I live in Iowa and we've had more storms and flooding the past decade than we've ever had here in my lifetime, and we get almost no snow now. Used to have at least two, most years more than that where we'd get a couple feet in one storm. The past 4 Christmases have been bare ground. Never happened before.
We get way less rain, but the storms we do get are way more intense. Just because Spock predicted something doesn't make something else un-true.
But again, you do you and I'll do me. That's the beauty of life...you don't have to care about me and I don't have to care about you. :)
JRHLowdown3@reddit
So what's your plan then? If this is actually concerning to you, what are you doing to prepare for that? Serious question.
To often we focus on the problem, albeit how believable it is, and not focus on the solution. What is the solution for you there?
Been a lot time since I lived up there but I lived in that area of the country for a while, I remember the winters, they sucked... Quad cities area.
Weather patterns do change over time, historical fact from long before it could be blamed on internal combustion engines- although there was probably some well meaning person trying to keep the cows from farting 100 of years ago also.
So past INDIVIDUAL level preparations, you do realize when the gubmint gets involved in stuff like this it rarely ever goes well. Look at some of the BS that's being done out West- not "allowed" to catch the rain that falls on your property, OR pushing to ban hunting and fishing... The "results" of these gubmint intrusions NEVER result in more freedom, ALWAYS less.
Alfalfa-Boring@reddit
I can't control the government, I can only react to it.
As far as preparing for climate change, it isn't going to be some thing where all of a sudden in the next 10 years there's going to be flooding and storms destroying my whole area. It's a deal where storms and flooding get more frequent and more severe. Two years ago we had a flood like has never happened here in my lifetime, and ended up with 2' of water in our basement and no drinkable water for a week and a half. I had enough water for that period of time. Didn't have to use it because we stayed with friends, but I had it if needed.
I have enough food for a couple weeks easily. Plenty of frozen meat and multiple ways to cook it without power. Plenty of canned goods after that to get me through in the absolute worst scenario (which has a one in millions chance of ever happening). I have gas heaters in the winter with good ventilation. If a tornado or derecho hit and we needed to leave town I have a duffel and backpack with enough clothes, tools, and supplies to last my girlfriend and I 3-4 days no problem at all. We can grab those 2 bags at any time and leave at a moment's notice to go find friends or family or drive wherever we need to. Chances of that happening are ridiculously tiny, but it's cheap and easy insurance.
I prepare what's most likely to happen. What's most likely to happen isn't societal collapse or a nuclear war or a nationwide grid outage.
What's most likely to happen where I live is a flood or storm that knocks power out for a period of time or wrecks something on my house making it not liveable. So I'm very prepared for that. I can stay in my house unaided for probably a month straight, or I can leave town and support 2 people within minutes.
Also...you wrecked your own argument when you said this:
Lol...does it really matter why weather patterns are changing (climate change) as long as they are changing? You just wanna be mad at the people saying it's from burning fossil fuel. Whether it's from that or not, it's definitely happening and I'm prepared for the most likely things that will affect me from it.
Last thing in my preparedness...I lift weights 3 times a week and run 15 miles a week. Statistically I'm going to FAR out last you in an apocalypse no matter how many guns you have. Get yourself in shape first, Jack. In all of your posts about prepping you've never once mentioned the most important prep of all...physical fitness. If you get tired behind me on your apocalypse walk don't expect us to stop and carry you.
Eyes-On-L@reddit
Not sure what JRH is going on about regarding “gubmint”, I’m not under the impression anyone in this sub thinks .gov intervention is going to solve any of this for us plebs. You seem like you’ve got a measured and reasonable approach.
We can all argue the merit of contemporary conversations surrounding climate change’s root causes until we’re blue in the face, and all walk away none the wiser for it. I think a foundational philosophy of preps addressing the most essential needs is largely personal-views-agnostic:
Personal fitness, community building/cultivating, food/water/shelter, self/collective defense, energy production, communication systems, etc.
Past that, having a critically analytical and (important here) self-reflective, non-biased and non-ego based approach to flexibility in how we’re looking at said prepping is a major key. If someone is so dead set in their ways that they won’t entertain the concept of being flawed in their thinking, that’s largely dead weight to the community. Something something, survival of the most adaptable.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
So government interference in things like this doesn't affect you? Is that what your saying? People lobbying the gubmint for various restrictions on things due to this "climate change crisis" doesn't affect you or your preps?
Certain politicians aren't lobbying the government to do certain restrictive things in order to "save the planet?" That hasn't happened??
Are you not seeing where some of these things do NOT line up with preparedness like I mentioned re: certain red western states not "allowing" or even FINING people for catching rainwater, trying to outlaw hunting, various restrictions on what you can do on property you own, etc?
If individuals see climate change as a threat, by all means prepare for it- and I'm personally interested in what people are doing in that regard, certainly more than "2 weeks" of supplies is necessary or this wouldn't be such a "crisis". But don't support politicians that are USING this "crisis" to cause more restrictions on your freedom, liberty and security- that's stupid.
Eyes-On-L@reddit
No one in this thread has said anything about supporting politicians that push these policies. We’re all largely on the same side brother.
The point I’m making is that by and large, we aren’t rolling back these policies anytime soon. Only dedicated, long term political activism can even hope to approach that.
And in that interim period, until .gov starts completely outlawing storage of shelf stable foods, non-rain sourced water, solar panels, etc the point remains that regardless of where an individual lives they can absolutely still plan and effectively prepare for their most likely disaster scenarios. The Pareto Principle applies here as much as ever.
Where I live in Central Texas, I’m lucky to have relatively lax local mandates regarding rain harvesting, storage of ammunition/firearms, solar panel use, etc.
However, I have a ton of friends and family in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington that don’t have those same luxuries (great state parks and cities, unfortunate political leadership).
I’ve helped them all pull 180’s from thinking that prepping is for the proverbial tinfoil hat wearer in the woods, to having 2-4+ months of supplies on hand, the means to defend and transport them, and establishing local emergency response teams that all help and push each other.
Some of their preps are different from mine. Some can’t harvest rainwater, so they’ve stored water using different means. Some can’t hunt, so they lean more heavily on long term shelf stable foods. Some have greater restrictions on what self defense implements they can own/store/carry, so they’ve adjusted accordingly.
It would behoove our entire community to remain open-minded and welcoming to those that come from different backgrounds, political/religious affiliations, schools of thought etc. rather than fall for the growing mindless tribalism that’s balkanizing the rest of our countrymen.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Wow, well you started off OK then crashed out big time...
Guess you missed the MANY references to doing The Murph challenge and doing combatives 3X a week "Jack" :) So I'm guessing when you went to the publix edumacation system you spent more time learning of this "global disaster" that is ManBearPig that has been going to happen for 5+ decades now and not on Reading Comprehension :) When I looked at my other posts here I did have to go back all of about 6 posts to see reference to doing The Murph, so obviously your correct on the "never once mentioned" LMAO Woowzers. Who needs reading comprehension when climate change is going to kill you soon?
Alfalfa-Boring@reddit
Lol. There you go moving the goalposts saying I think that climate change is going to kill me. Classic strawman. What I did say if you had any "reading comprehension," was that climate change has made things like flooding and storms more severe so I've gotten things ready for that. But I guess you don't have the stones to admit that you said yourself that climate does change over time. Where did I say that climate change was going to kill me, and where did I say anything about why it changes, and where did I say anything about government, which you apparently can't spell?
I'll wait, lol...
JRHLowdown3@reddit
You crashed out hard and are side stepping it. It's cool "homie" leave it be. You won, does that help?
theextraolive@reddit
Well...fuck
CrimsonxAce@reddit
Well damn...was looking for a house in north Florida and was wondering why they were significantly cheaper compared to the rest of the state. Seems crimes (assault/battery, robberies, homicides) are more frequent up there despite the amount of land available.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Avoid Duval county. Nassau isn't bad but nothing like it was 20 years ago. Moved out of St. Johns in the late 90's, all the idjits from NY and NJ were moving there and ruining the place.
Just across the state line you'll find plenty of small towns with very little issues- stay away from the coast and the big cities and you'll be fine.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
Yeah, you couldn't pay me to live there. In 20-40 years it will be almost uninhabitable.
Spectres_N7@reddit
2040 to 2060? Well, we've got some time then.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
Do we? Insurance and Mortgage Companies don't think so. Which is why they are either leaving or jacking up the rates in those places.
Spectres_N7@reddit
Insurance goes to where they know they won't lose lots of money. They keep track of climate to keep track of their financial portfolios. Hurricane Andrew, iirc, almost broke them in the 1990s. They learned real quick.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
And they leave the areas that cost money. It's just business.
Distinguishedflyer@reddit
I don't see that map taking account of wetbulb events from high heat and no air conditioning. I sure as hell wouldn't wanna live in the middle of Iowa right now.
Colorado has a huge wildfire risk this summer… Etc.
masturbathon@reddit
Wildfires just mean that the native vegetation can’t handle climate change. That’s just the environment transitioning to something more stable in the long run (probably scrub brush).
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
Remember this is the top and bottom 10% in the country. So those locations might be in the greater than 10% range and not be highlighted.
Bored_Acolyte_44@reddit
The pacific northwest inttoduced us to atmospheric rivers a recenty.
This is just climate I-ching
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
The whole "system" of the Earth has been completely screwed up the last few years and has only been getting worse. I am personally concerned with this Summer if El Nino gets out of hand.
Bored_Acolyte_44@reddit
Every season we move forward I see more and more abnormalities in the way the plants I am growing for food react. I wish more people were paying attention to the quiet voices that are speaking all around us.
This year we barely had a winter. We didn't even have a spring. We opened with temps that are not normally seen for months yet.
I legitimately do not know how anywhere is going to be unaffected by this. The whole system is connected.
relianceschool@reddit
It looks like that map uses data from Estimating economic damage from climate change in the United States, which came out in 2017. Not a direct estimate of risk, but more the impacts to municipalities and communities. (Unless I'm mistaken, in which case feel free to link the correct data!)
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
And yet it is the the Map that Insurance Companies are using.
relianceschool@reddit
I've mapped home insurance premiums and nonrenewals, and while there's some general overlap it's not a 1:1 correlation. Insurance is looking at a much shorter timescale than mid/end-of-century, and state insurance regulations + property values skew that data away from representing direct climate risk.
smsff2@reddit
Nice work.
relianceschool@reddit
Thanks! I'm not sure why u/TheSensiblePrepper blocked me after this exchange, it seemed respectful on both sides.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
I never blocked you.
relianceschool@reddit
Weird, your profile + posts disappeared after that exchange but they're back up now. For what it's worth I wasn't downvoting you either, not sure why you caught those but Reddit is touchy.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
I have had that little "glitch" before on the Android App where it updates but you're using Reddit at the time and it "has issues" until you completely close it. Not sure if that is what happened but it might have been a similar issue.
It is what it is. People don't like things they don't agree with. I might not upvote a comment but it takes A LOT for me to downvote a comment. You're welcome to your opinion just like I am welcome to mine.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
Good for you.
Hobby_Homebrew@reddit
I noticed that the green areas seemed to be low population. I asked Gemini AI to overlay a population map. The reds and yellows are higher population. None of the green areas have any of the red or very much of the yellow which indicate heavily populated areas. So if you believe the data the more people there are the more dangerous it is going to be Kinda knew that.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
It is actually a coincidence that is the case to a certain point.
The PBS Terra Weathered talks a lot about this. That is actually where that image you provided came from. The episode that uses that image talks about how people are moving to and living in the areas that are going to be uninhabitable in the near future.
wishinforfishin@reddit
How does this measure safety? Crime, weather, resource availability?
Seems safety may be measured differently depending what you're after - Tuesday safety vs doomsday safety. This would be a good starting point to research what's important to you as an individual.
Like, looking at my state, I feel safer now where I'm at, because I'm less likely to be hit by bad weather, but it's definitely higher crime than the green areas. In the case of extended power outages or massive civil unrest, I'd be heading to my hunting land which is in a conveniently green area on the map.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
It's based on the expected potential impacts, by county, from Climate Change.
NotAnotherRedditAcc2@reddit
I guess it doesn't take into account "there's no water to drink, anymore," and "fire season now lasts from March to December." (There used to not even BE "fire season.")
Skimmington16@reddit
I would have expected more around the Great Lakes for access to fresh water?
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
Well here it is by region. Lighter is better. So that should answer your question.
Livid_Village4044@reddit
The Rocky Mountains have already been hit with vast crown fires, with more to come starting this year.
Even those PNW counties will in time be hit with vast crown fires. Over one-third of California's forests have already been destroyed.
My county in southwest Virginia is on that map. But in 1989, it was hit pretty bad by a hurricane. Lots of insurance claims. But the county right next to here to the south was barely hit.
relianceschool@reddit
What's the data source for that map? Is it based on extreme weather, natural disasters, social vulnerability, community resilience?
Previous-Pomelo-7721@reddit
I took a job in ND for this reason. It’s not gorgeous or exciting… but it’s safe I guess. It’s actually quite a monotonous boring place to be
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
Housing is an issue.
3Dchaos777@reddit
Washington and Oregon coast is past due for a huge earthquake. This map is wrong.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
This map doesn't take that into consideration. Earthquakes are not affected by Climate Change.
3Dchaos777@reddit
In combination with rising sea levels, it should
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
Well feel free to mention that to the Environmental Scientist that makes these maps.
Top_Independent_3548@reddit
As a new englander, I approve.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
Even when you take Blizzards and Hurricanes into consideration, it is still pretty good.
Top_Independent_3548@reddit
So true. I'm in Maine and even the bad winters are fairly mild. I've also lived in NH and VT and something I value in all of the northern New England area is the sense of community. Neighbors who know how to do shit and will (generally) have each other's backs.
Nearby_Impact_8911@reddit
Wow glad NJ made the cut
PoorDamnChoices@reddit
I live in that chunk of Maryland. Its alright.
The amount of unintentional car accidents I've almost got in due to cow-related issues in my lifetime is higher than I could have ever imagined, but thats the trade off I guess?
Routine_Mortgage_499@reddit
Climate, off grid friendly, natural resources. I'm surrounded by ocean and jungle. no heat or AC needed. rainwater catchment (10,000 gallons). bordering good hunting grounds and lots of fish. if I drop anything on the ground here it takes root!
demonslayercorpp@reddit
I moved to asheville north carolina because it was supposed to be resistant to climate change
Imagine my surprise when the creek behind my house rose 19 feet and took my neighbors house with it.
eddiesclearence@reddit
There's a game ...where white crayons..want all the green .
Beertruck85@reddit
I could not believe after visiting Asheville how badly the Hurricane affected you.
I was also sad to see the amount of homeless there.
Ill stay in my beach community in Florida lol
witchintheholler@reddit
Yes Florida never gets hit by hurricanes lol we lost our home in Gulfport to Helene, then Micheal was a week after that..
Beertruck85@reddit
It certainly does, my point was theres no sense in moving since even Asheville got hit. Ill just suffer the Hurricanes in Florida.
witchintheholler@reddit
Ahh i see yes thst is true my friend. We are talking about just getting a junker boat so we can sail away when it’s coming haha buying property again in FL would be too traumatizing
Beertruck85@reddit
Youre not wrong about property!!! The panhandle is a good spot and ofcourse lower Alabama in certain areas can be an excellent find as far as property values.
demonslayercorpp@reddit
To be able to afford a one bedroom apartment in this area, you must make $24.
Most jobs here pay $16
Livid_Village4044@reddit
Asheville is probably the most expensive place you could find to live in Appalachia.
3Dchaos777@reddit
North Carolina is a hurricane target. Not climate resilient at all.
PopOk1068@reddit
There is a really cool video on youtube called reading the forest landscape by New England forests where they explain that with a short hike into the woods you can tell how big of storms come through the area, which direction they go in, and approximately how long ago the last one was. As well as other useful information about if the land was previously farmed or logged etc.
relianceschool@reddit
If you're interested, I wrote an article on Asheville and climate resilience after the fallout from Hurricane Helene. It really makes me angry how many outlets ran with the "Asheville is a climate haven" story (based mostly on anecdotal evidence), only to turn around and proclaim that "nowhere is safe" following the floods. A lot of sensationalizing, very little data, and very real consequences for the folks living there.
Livid_Village4044@reddit
The topography of my land in southwest Virginia makes it immune to flooding. I was aware of flooding before Helene, and before I bought land.
The vast crown fires where I had to leave take out EVERYTHING. Topography doesn't matter.
mac_attack_zach@reddit
Climate change is inherently unpredictable. You should instead live where wind pattern maps dictate your safest from nuclear fallout, but those can change marginally too.
relianceschool@reddit
There are limits to climate projection, and that mainly comes down to the fact that we don't know if emissions will fall, or continue to rise over the coming decades. We also have limitations when predicting threats on a granular/street-level scale. That said, we can absolutely say with confidence that certain regions are safer than others. To quote Alex Steffen:
Ryan_e3p@reddit
In no particular order, family, job, history, local culture.
Make sure that were you go, the state allows for complete off-grid systems without any utility hookups. And not just the state, but the town/municipality as well. Some jurisdictions don't allow for complete off-grid electric production/storage with no utilities hookup, don't allow for rainwater harvesting, or septic systems for full-time permanent domiciles.
Also, make sure the place has or can have a wood stove. Even in TX. Wood stove over fireplace any day of the week, even if the wood stove is a fireplace insert, it'll keep you warm much more efficiently than a fireplace and let you cook food in a more controlled manner.
BatemansChainsaw@reddit
One thing I've noticed is that while some places may require a hookup, no one is obligated to use it or have an account with the power/utility company.
Bored_Acolyte_44@reddit
Where I am hookup is mandatory and you are charged for it monthly.
RedSquirrelFtw@reddit
I was born here, but it's a small town, so have no intention of moving. However my goal is to live off grid eventually due to rising costs of living and feeling like I'm just not getting anywhere having to work full time only for bills to keep going up each year. So I do plan to move off grid into an unorganized township further from town, already bought the land.
I want to actually be able to retire at a decent age and have land I can enjoy instead of just working non stop only to watch my disposable income reduce each year.
wakanda_banana@reddit (OP)
Nice, sounds like you're on your way to living the dream!
AutisticMuffin97@reddit
I’m moving to West Virginia because it’s in the mountains and a lot cheaper than where I live currently (in Florida) I’m gonna be making my way up there in the next couple of months.
shmoopie313@reddit
Weather, opportunity, remoteness, a little bit of gut feeling? I spent 35 years of my life in the deep south. Heat, politics, hurricanes, and insurance costs drove me away I found home in coastal northern California. Actual northern CA, 5 hours north of SF. It's a climate refuge, at least for now and likely for my lifetime. Fog and rain and redwoods keep wildfires away. Rivers flow with fresh water and fish. Local agriculture is thriving. Our grid can island itself from PG&E when needed to avoid shut offs. Lots of people live in the hills partially or completely off grid. My community has been cut off from the outside world for weeks at a time due to landslides on major highways and been just fine.
Cons: California is expensive. Especially here. I'm privileged to be able to afford it and mostly appreciate what my state/gas taxes are paying for. I also live a few miles from a major fault system that is going to blow eventually. We got a preview a few years ago and it was terrifying. But I'm willing to bet on my odds and the preps I've made and take that over everything I left behind. If a big quake is going to take me out there's not much else I can do to stop it or see it coming and every place on the planet has it's own potential disaster looming. I'll take the quakes over what other places have to offer.
Vivid_Huckleberry814@reddit
I bought what I could afford, which is why it sucks. Everywhere good is too expensive.
The_Krystal_Knight@reddit
Funny you ask. I chose a career at a State facility in Ca that has employee housing. I got a very good deal due to the fact that i am on call and that the housing is pretty old. The housing was appraised after i moved in…3 years ago. As of 2026 the State Controllers Office decided i and many others owe the difference between the two. Resulting in a major tax extortion. The lesson is watch your ass and dont trust the CA government!
fenuxjde@reddit
Texas power is the laughing stock of the country. I wouldn't rely on that for one second. Both heat waves and cold snaps kill people in texas, because their power grid is so bad.
Most people live near where they work.
Academic_1989@reddit
And it's going to get worse here in Texas with all of the large data centers being built...
theextraolive@reddit
My children are 8th gen Texan...and I am soooo fucking glad that we left!
You could not pay me to move back.
Eeyor-90@reddit
The Panhandle and parts of west Texas are on a different grid. We were not impacted during the big freeze.
-Thizza-@reddit
Affordability. The ability to buy a good plot of land with a house and a proper deep well for 1/30th of the price in my own country, I decided on Spain. No mortgage, proper solar input year round and a great country to live in with a rich culture and cuisine. Love it here.
wakanda_banana@reddit (OP)
Would love to live there, visas seem complex though
-Thizza-@reddit
Yeah EU freedom of movement makes it easy but emigrating is never simple. Lots of things to figure out, a new language, taxes etc. Very worth it though imo. If I were in the Americas I'd pick Uruguay, a very progressive, rich culture, and a beautiful stable country.
JustMammoth7281@reddit
I have a friend who lives in nc, she hates it so much. Soooo many people have to deal with lime disease.
JustMammoth7281@reddit
Have you ever considered Oklahoma? So much good farmland for cheap
TheAngrySkipper@reddit
I chose my location based on radiation plumes from spent fuel rod pools, population centers, climate change, stream, acreage, size of house, in that order.
$800 for a pallet of panels (used) $1,000 for a 5kw battery $2,500 for an EG4 12kw hybrid inverter $1,200 for a 15kw military diesel generator. $2,500 for a freeze dryer.
2wt4u@reddit
A: Assville NC is NOT a good choice. There are multiple reasons and many of them have already been gone over. Another problem with that town is that there is only one grocery store, Ingles. There's like 30 fucking locations, but just Ingles. There is a Walmart (if you're desperate enough to shop there) and an Aldi's. They have a local store called Hopey's which I always started at.
Make no mistake, there are a shitton of homeless people and the city does nothing to help them. Also, their libraries are absolutely useless. Ultimately, there are zero resources there.
From things I've heard (while I was there) is that the state government is worse.
B: Imho, find a decent location on the east coast. With what's coming you DO NOT want to be on (or near) the west coast. Don't ask me to explain because I won't get into that on this platform.
C: For far too many reasons, fuck Texas. Dallas was a great place to be 30 years ago. I will not be going back though.
D: Florida, between DoucheSantis and the "Russian" mafia, that state has been completely destroyed. I used to live in Daytona and it was nice 20 years ago but I went back a few years back and it all sucks now.
My personal opinion is to head east (option B).
mikeegg1@reddit
There's a hospital near by.
Many-Health-1673@reddit
I like to live where there are not a lot of people.
Most of the population in the U.S. is East of the Mississippi, with another large portion on the west coast, which makes the middle of the country sound pretty good to me.
Snow is okay, but only for a week or two. I can handle the heat, but a lot of humidity in the summer is no fun.
Mid-south USA for me. Cost of living is reasonable. Has good soil, plenty of sun and rain, with moderate winters.
BelleMakaiHawaii@reddit
Made a couple business trips to the island, decided this is where we wanted to live, bought land, he got a good remote job offer here, so we moved
wakanda_banana@reddit (OP)
How much would you say you need to live in paradise?
BelleMakaiHawaii@reddit
We own our homestead outright, so no rent/mortgage, we are off grid so no basic utilities, our vehicle is paid off, so no car payments, we have a 12 month sustenance garden to help with food costs, and we eat mostly vegetarian
I’m not sure how much it costs to live here if you have to pay all that, but I know it’s a lot
fakele55@reddit
Consider Portugal. It could be a joke, could be not. Moved here almost 5 years ago (not from the States)
NYCEnglish@reddit
I'm in the same boat, but to be honest, nowhere is perfect, there will always be compromises.
You could take a look this site which has free climate risk reports for over 3,000 locations and a few case studies. They use the middle of the road IPCC SSP2-4.5 scenario framework:
https://www.propertyclimaterisk.com/locations
Full disclosure, I work for them, but I do know they use the latest models for what that's worth.
Miserable_Ask3975@reddit
My fiancé decided she wanted her PHD, we live in a neighborhood we can afford. That’s how I got here.
ThisIsAbuse@reddit
I am from the great lakes and moved to an area within the great lakes with many companies that would hire me (job security). Also resistant to climate change (except heavy rains at times) and endless fresh water.
Eredani@reddit
Many people just live near wherever they grew up. Most move for work. Some move for a romantic relationship.
It seems rare, even for preppers, to treat living location as a prep. By rare, I mean probably 1 in 10. It's completely impractical or unaffordable for most people to really decide where to live primarily as part of prepping.
Unique-Sock3366@reddit
We traveled the US in our RV for two years looking for home. Thought we’d land in Wyoming until an early snowstorm hit during our last visit, in August!
We’re very happily settled in a small township in rural North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We have a small homestead, mostly wooded.
It’s heavenly. Best decision we ever made.
ilaughalot37@reddit
We went to App state and have fond memories of Boone. May I ask where about you are in relation to that? We'd love to live a short distance to a river and want a few acres as well.
Unique-Sock3366@reddit
We’re up near the Virginia border 😊
Technical-Tear5841@reddit
Lucked into it, live in Florida in a rural area. Not ideal, large metropolitan areas within 50 miles in three directions but only one near neighbor 200 yds away. Ready for small disruptions with 5 acres and large solar system. Not ready for TEOTWAWKI.
Apprehensive_Pie_897@reddit
The Great Plains has cheap property for sale. Good growing season. Make sure you’re at least 35 miles away from interstate or rail road tracks.
Build a “greenhouse-in-the-snow” which can grow personal food right thru freezing winters.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Location that was within 4 hours of where I lived at the time- so I could basically leave Friday afternoon and head up to work on the house till Sunday then be back in time for work Monday.
Few nuke targets, low population density, agricultural based area, good demographics. Had at the time some family in the area as well, so was able to store some of our bulk supplies with them till I was able to get on site storage set up. Stayed with them while I was up working so saved on hotel rooms, etc. but could have easily just camped every time and/or focused on building a shed first to live in on the weekends while work on the house was happening.
sassysassysarah@reddit
I looked at a lot of climate maps and maps like this one: https://geographyofprosperity.com/gop/home
I then compared it to my short list of places I was interested in living. It's not cheap here, but it sure beats living in nc and tx (I moved out of TX in part due to climate change)
Long_World_8421@reddit
Live in NC for years. Even the mountains and Piedmont areas are affected by hurricanes, tornados, general flooding. The water table in some areas are incredibly high, so high it rains and your yard turns into a river. Good side is that getting a well installed is incredibly easy. We had great success with gardening, especially tomatoes, corn, beans, squash. In the 7 years we were there, the first 3 we never saw the temperature increase past 90, but the last 3 years we hit triple digits every summer in addition to below freezing winters and record snow fall and had constant issues with frozen pipes. Just some things to take into consideration. Overall I would suggest it as a place to live. Do note if you're a person of color it may not be the best place to live. This was the first place I've experienced racism that shook me to my core. We decided it was not a place we would want our children to grow up for that reason.
WillMoonKnives@reddit
I live down in central NC, and have lived here pretty much my entire life. Before the ice age, NC was a big shallow ocean that dried up and became basically a swamp. Most of the soil in central NC is made of red clay, which isn't suitable for growing most crops. It's reasonably sandy, but by the time you get down to my area, there's not a ton of nutritional value to grow most food crops. Some kinds of plants grow easily, stuff like zucchini, squash, green beans, lima beans, water melon, pumpkin, cherries, pecans, walnuts and tomatoes. We've had good luck with all of those outside in typical NC weather with minimal effort. You can get corn to grow here if you amend the soil, and if you till a bit of black cow into the earth you can do pretty well with root vegetables.
When I was a kid my parents went big time prepper, built a greenhouse with an aquaculture setup, Tilapia in tanks that fed into a bacterial processing circuit that fed the water into tubs that had grow rafts in it. They had this all powered by a hundred or so solar panels they put on the back of their property and fed up into a Telco battery bank my dad rigged up, kinda like a proto-Tesla Powerwall. They wound up leaving NC because of local tax changes; it was really cheap to buy acreage and set up a very well prepared property in Chatham county, but because of population growth, Chatham county one year almost quadrupled their property taxes. At the time, my dad was between jobs and got smacked with a $40k property tax bill all of a sudden. I wouldn't recommend living here if you want to do homesteading, the taxes are now so high, the population is now so hopelessly domesticated... just not a place I'd want to be in a disaster. They wound up going to TN; that's probably a good move from a prepping perspective... but it cost them a lot to give up what they had here.
Scotty-OK@reddit
Air Force brought me to Oklahoma City in 2001. Then girlfriend (now wife of 22 years) convinced me to stay. Grew up in the Denver, Colorado area, and after a brief 1.5 month visit this year, I'm happy to stay in Oklahoma.
Designer_Head_3761@reddit
Virginia is filled up. Nowhere here to move to
vinean@reddit
Lol…was talking to the guy working on my house and we have some rich folks buying into our area for some reason. Small farm type setups…but dunno how that works because they don’t live near Virginia.
SheistyPenguin@reddit
I'm a fan of the blue ridge mountains, so I would be biased towards NC. If you aren't right on the coast, then you should be fairly insulated against most hurricanes. Honestly though, you could talk yourself out of any location if you go back far enough to find natural disasters.
On the growing crops bit: are you looking for agricultural properties specifically, or just a place with a lot of acreage that you can hopefully grow stuff on later? Mentioning because farming is an area where good intentions often clash with reality.
mdw2379@reddit
Grew up in TX. now live in NC. The weather is so much nicer. Though it will depend on the location in NC you move to, just like the Hill Country is different from Lubbock in TX. I would take into consideration what your job is and where you can find good available jobs. Living in the Blue Ridge area is great, but not if you can't find work in your field. Also the Western part has hurricane and sand issues. So you would have to be intentional.
nakedonmygoat@reddit
Coastal NC gets hurricanes too, of the direct hit variety, not always just the remnants moving in from FL and GA, which is a pretty regular thing in Western NC. The reason it usually gets little notice is because it causes little damage. But I track hurricanes every year and a hurricane that hits FL or GA is very likely to downgrade, curve up into Western NC and dump some rain.
That's what happened with Helene in 2024. It had by then been downgraded to a tropical storm, which was why it stalled. Active hurricanes tend not to stall because they're moving so fast. The Asheville area was already saturated when the downgraded Helene arrived, adding to the calamity. This can happen in any part of most east coast and gulf coast states. I remember one year, even VT got hit pretty bad by the downgraded remnants of a hurricane.
Coastal NC is #4 in the US for hits by hurricanes, btw.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/hurricanes-by-state
Sorry to be pedantic, but depending on where one lives, understanding these nuances is critical to prepping.
wakanda_banana@reddit (OP)
Thankfully I’m remote but if I needed to change jobs I’d be near raleigh ideally. Any hurricane issues near raleigh?
mdw2379@reddit
I think Raleigh normally just gets really heavy rains from Hurricanes, so expect some flooding issues. But I have been told there has been a few truly awful hurricanes that did reach that far and caused damage. Unfortunately anywhere will have issues- hurricanes, tornados, blizzards. No where is truly free from natural disasters.
I can't swear on it though as I live more near Charlotte.
KiritoIsAlwaysRight_@reddit
I live in Texas because that's where my parents decided to pop me out, and I haven't been able to escape yet. Moving is a difficult prospect when I already have a job based around fairly localized knowledge, and would be leaving behind a lot of contacts and resources. If I had the ability, I would leave. I would not recommend moving here. The summers are getting worse, the water is running out, the infrastructure is falling apart, and our government is doing nothing to even look at these problems. If you're looking to prep for future catastrophe, don't move to a place it's likely to happen first.
Anonymo123@reddit
I am still trying to decide. I have a very large US map on my wall with places crossed out and circled to investigate. I am aiming for a decent growing season as I will have a small and robust greenhouse, water (prefer well) and acreage with trees and hopefully bordering some BLM\etc land. a few other "must have" are an hour from level 1 trauma center and something like a walmart\costco\sams for supplies\gas.
not sure which State that puts me in, TBD.
dittybopper_05H@reddit
Low property taxes, with “forever wild” property behind us.
Led_Zeppole_73@reddit
Grew up in lower MI, somewhat rural subdivision. In the mid-late 80’s I moved to the city and it was really convenient. I tired of city living and in the mid 90’s bought an 8 acre parcel half wooded with large pond, built a modest Cape Cod style ranch, heat mostly with oak and cherry in winter. Raised a family, retired fairly young. Really quiet out here and no nosey neighbors to deal with. Deer hunting off the back porch, turkeys galore. Not really any thoughts of going south, I have to have the 4 seasons, snow, ice fishing, snow machines, spring, fall etc. I can barely tolerate the heat here in summer as it is.
Subtotal9_guy@reddit
Work and family were the deciding factors. Add in good schools, walkable neighbourhood, access to services.
Plus I like being in a medium sized city because we get priority for repairs.
ProfDoomDoom@reddit
I looked at historical and projected climate data, where my favorite foods grow, and the historical and projected politics of different places that met my climate preferences. I wanted to live somewhere that had a good chance at being comfortable in temperature and water supply, without management if necessary. Plus the capacity for renewable energy production
wakanda_banana@reddit (OP)
That’s probably places that get 4 seasons but aren’t too far north if I had to imagine. Any recommendations from your research?
54317a@reddit
strategic relocation by joel sousken is a really good resource.
Dangerous-School2958@reddit
Ontario is nice
RisingPhoenix26@reddit
Yeah as if I had any say 😂😂😂😭😭 I was 12 years old when my parents yanked my siblings and I and migrated halfway around the planet and settled in the smackdab in the middle of one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the world and THE largest and most densely populated city in the country of Canada: Toronto.
7o7A1@reddit
i looked for natural edges, such as waterfront properties, those have the best biodiversity, soil fertility. i also wanted to be out of the way so to speak, like a cul-de-sac. i wanted nature, fresh air, all that, but also to have a city with good services. so i just looked at the city map, at the peripheral areas and noted all the green areas along a river bank. eventually i found a goldilock zone and went scouting.
ConferenceSudden1519@reddit
You’re going to have wayyyyy better time growing in NC than Texas. All together Texas is not great and the cost of living is growing faster than NC. In addition you can earn more money selling crops if it got to that point and you wanted too.
Any_Needleworker_273@reddit
We're in New England. I've lived in the Rockies, but the west is always on fire these days, and I have been there/done that, let alone the drought issues now. While we have tough winters, we're pretty insulated from the worst of summer heat and humidity with limited hurricane impact, like when I lived in the mid-Atlantic, and the summers are long enough to grow a decent amount of produce. Housing is not as affordable as it once was, but we bought a hard core fixer upper, so at least our mortgage is almost $500 less per month for a similar amount of space (2K sq. ft. not counting the basement) and more acreage. We can repair, update things over time, paying as we go, but keep our mortgage in a more manageable spot.
WaywardPeaks@reddit
Born and raised. Haven't thought about moving further afield. Make the most of what you have and learn all you can about your local area.
Pando5280@reddit
Rule 1: Don't advertise. Rule 2: Avoid crowds. That being said define your priorities and do a lot of research. Make some phone calls to local servce providers and double check your logistics. I moved 1500 miles away after selling dang near everything I owned and couldn't be in a better place for me. Also knew what I was getting into before I pulled the trigger and there were a lot of folks who thought I was crazy until they figured out how smart I really am. And most of those folks wouldnt like where I live and thats just fine with me.
Beertruck85@reddit
I chose the gulf coast, yes it will get hot without power but you wont freeze to death, and im by the water so moving super heavy objects by boat or barge is simple and theres loads of pelagic fish to feed families if the lights go out.
Build or buy a still and you can desalinate your water and have endless supply of salt as well.