If you think about it for a minute, you’re likely to come up with a bunch of good reasons to move to another state – to find a better job, to continue your education, to enjoy a better climate, or to follow your loved one.
Besides these common reasons people move to another state, you can surely add a few good motives of your own to pack up your bags and relocate to a place where the grass seems greener than the place you are right now.
But here’s the thing: moving away is never that simple. In reality, you’ll need to see the signs clearly that the time has come for you to move to a different state altogether.
Here are the top 10 signs that it’s time for you to move to another state.
1. You feel pretty much stuck in your current job
The feeling is unmistakable – you’ve begun to feel fairly unappreciated at your work and when you really think about it – grossly underpaid as well. You have a friend who moved to a different state roughly six months ago and he makes much more money than you at a similar position.
It’s not easy to admit it to yourself that you’re stuck at work and your career is heading in the wrong direction. It can be really disheartening to realize that your skills are being wasted at your current work with no signs of improvement in sight.
And frankly, you’re sick and tired of being bossed around by your superiors while most of your colleagues are trying desperately to prove that they are better human beings than you could ever be.
It’s the sign you’ve been waiting for – it’s time to pack up your boxes and relocate to another state where your professional skills will be adequately appreciated.
2. Your disposable income is gone before you know it
It’s not a secret that the cost of living in some states is much higher than that of others. Nowadays, it’s not hard at all to compare the cost of living of various states along the country to get a better idea of just HOW expensive is the area you live in. But still, general statistics can be quite irrelevant because all that matters is your disposable income and whether or not your budget is enough to get you comfortably to the next month’s paycheck.
So, if you’re struggling financially due to the high living costs in your current state, maybe it’s time to research housing, utilities, food, healthcare, education, and transportation in other states too. Moving to a cheaper state could resolve your financial difficulties but mainly the resolution should come when you manage to find a well-paid job.
Remember to check the unemployment rates in other states too before you make your final decision.
3. Your home is too small for your needs
If you feel like you’ve been living in a LEGO house, then you should consider moving to a new state in order to upsize your home.
A growing family can make a house or an apartment too small too fast simply because as your children grow up, their needs will grow too. And when your two kids can no longer share a room peacefully, then that’s a sure sign that the home you’re living in at the moment has become too small for your needs as a family.
Again, you may not be able to afford a larger home in the same state but since some states are more affordable than others, you may be able to upsize your home only if you move to a different state.
The best thing about it is that your options are on the table so all you need to do is choose the right one. That’s not always easy, of course, but as long as you’re seeing the signs right in front of you, you should be able to do what’s best for the entire family.
Moving to a new state can be tough but the extra living space you’ll gain as a result may be worth all the stress and effort in the end.
4. Your children don’t receive the education they deserve
Without a doubt, education is one of the most important things in life. And that’s why as a parent, you should do all in your power so that your children receive the best education possible.
You know that good education equals a good start in life for your kids, so if you’re not happy with the level of education they get in your city and maybe even in your state, then that’s a clear sign that you need to move to a different state. It’s even possible that it’s your children who are not content with the level of education they’re getting at their current school.
Of course, schools differ not only city by city but within one city alone, so you may not really have to change the state to guarantee better education for your kids. And yet, a little research on your part can reveal which state and which schools offer the high-quality education you’re looking for as a demanding parent.
5. You hate the constant coldness in your state
It’s not fun to live in a state with a climate you’ve come to hate over the years. And sooner or later, everyone has a breaking point when they decide they can’t take it anymore and decide to relocate to a state with climatic conditions that are more to their liking.
You don’t even have to live in Alaska to come to hate the 6-month winters that seem to last forever. If you happen to live in North Dakota, Maine, Minnesota, Wyoming, Montana, Vermont, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Idaho, or Michigan, then the chances are that you’ve used up too many snow shovels and that’s the surest sign that maybe it’s time to move to a warmer state.
Moving to a state with a warmer climate will mean no more shoveling driveways, no more driving on ice-covered streets, and no more walking in raging blizzards either.
Pros and Cons of Moving to a Warmer State
6. You can’t stand the oppressing heat in your state
The sun may be setting now but tomorrow is going to be another scorching day.
Another sign that it’s time to move to a different state is when the heat in your current one proves to be too much for you.
From the moment the sun shows up on the horizon, you just know what to expect until it sets in the evening – heat, heat, and more heat. And there are those days when even the AC working non-stop to cool down your home doesn’t seem to have any effect.
And yes, everyone has their melting point and you may have reached yours when you find it hard to even think straight with all that oppressing heat around you, you’re fed up with all those constantly buzzing insects around you, and your outdoor allergies are getting worse by the day.
If you happen to live in any of the hot Southern States such as Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, or California, then you may decide that it’s time to head up north to take advantage of all the benefits of living in a cold state.
Pros and Cons of Moving to a Cold State
7. You don’t like how people think in your state
Another sign that you need to move to another state is when you notice that a lot of the people around you think rather differently from you on many matters and you definitely don’t share their viewpoints.
Now, it’s not right to generalize since every person is a different entity but it’s not uncommon for people from one state to show similar opinions about certain matters that can be hard to understand or even unacceptable to people from another state.
Generally speaking, people from some states seem to be more conservative than other more liberal individuals, and sometimes that can be an issue that’s fairly easy to resolve.
So, if you’ve come to despise the way most people think in your state and their opinions and viewpoints really annoy and even anger you, then that’s definitely a sign that you’ll need to relocate to a new state. Instead of trying to change their minds, you’d be better off just packing up your things and moving to a state where most of the people there will think similarly to you.
8. You’ve felt depressed for too long for no particular reason
There are many reasons why you may be feeling depressed… but when a state of depression lasts for too long without an apparent cause, then one possible cure can be to introduce a drastic change in your life.
And what’s a more drastic change than to relocate to a different state to live and work there?
You may not realize it but sometimes the climate is to blame for unexplainable depressions that go on for too long. And if this is the case, then move to a state with quite different climatic conditions could solve the problem for you.
Regardless of the cause of your depression, a change of scenery is almost guaranteed to do you good – seeing new places and meeting new people are likely to make you feel alive again, helping you find what’s been missing in your life until that moment.
9. There’s nothing your state can offer you anymore
Once you know your state inside out, maybe it’s time for a new adventure.
One of the most obvious signs that you should move to a different state is when you realize that your current one has nothing more to offer you.
It’s unlikely that you’ll know every city, town, and village in the state – more often, it’s a nagging feeling that you should move on, and the only way to really move on is to move to a different state altogether.
In a way, it does make sense – with 50 states in the country, why should you restrict yourself to living in only one when clearly you’re not feeling happy in it? It could be a classic case of the grass being greener in another state, but you won’t really know for sure until you move to that other state and see for yourself, right?
Finding the right place for you can be deeply satisfying, so you shouldn’t put up with being miserable in one state – just make up your mind and move to a different state in search of your share of happiness.
10. You wish to run away, far away from where you are
You may be able to spot a few signs telling you it’s time to move out of your state but one of the strongest motives for you to do so is to get the feeling that you just have to run away from where you are at the moment.
You may be able to understand the exact reasons why you wish to move far away or you may not know exactly why but still have the urge to move to another place where you will feel better. Either way, the urge to move out of state can be too strong and there’s no use fighting it – if you know deep inside that you just have to move, then you have to move. Period.
Depending on your move parameters, moving to another state can range from being fairly straightforward to complete to being extremely difficult to pull off. Basic criteria such as whether you’re moving on your own or with your whole family, or whether you’re moving only with a few select items or with a household’s worth of possessions will determine the level of difficulty of your out-of-state move.
To make things easier to handle, using the high-quality services of an interstate moving company is always a big bonus. Click here to get free quotes from one of the best out-of-state movers near you.
Moving is no easy task, regardless of distance, but crossing state lines can be particularly challenging.