Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

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stoptothink
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by stoptothink »

JD2775 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:45 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:31 pm
8301 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:24 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:17 pm
index245 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 12:27 pm
Absolutely. I'm a LA native, but I notice that some "out-of-staters" I've spoken with have misconceptions or even strong opinions about the area without actually spending time here.

This is a great place to live if you enjoy year round outdoor activities.

I'm partial to all of the west coast states though. Enjoyed time hiking in Washington and Utah too.
There are quite a few California natives who share that opinion too...

No way around it, California is very polarizing and rapidly becoming increasingly so. OP likely knows whether California is for them or not.
Polarizing? Those who choose California for hiking and those not?
I lived in LA from birth to age 24. California in and of itself - not speaking to hiking - is extremely polarizing. I could see how it could be great for someone who enjoys year round activities, but the hiking where I live (Utah) is flat out better and WAY more accessible...and pretty much everything (IMO) is better too. But, like everyone else here, that's just my opinion.

Everyone knows California may have the best year round weather in the world, I don't see how OP could ask this question being unaware of that. Regardless of the hiking, OP probably should have known that California would be the obvious first suggestion and whether it is an option for them before starting the thread.
But that 5% max ABV beer though.....brutal.
If you drink, it's probably not the place to be - although several of my family members who moved from California to this area are HEAVY drinkers, and they love it.

I live ~1/2 mile from one of the state liquor stores. That's about as close to alcohol as I prefer to get.
JD2775
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by JD2775 »

stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:56 pm
JD2775 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:45 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:31 pm
8301 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:24 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:17 pm

There are quite a few California natives who share that opinion too...

No way around it, California is very polarizing and rapidly becoming increasingly so. OP likely knows whether California is for them or not.
Polarizing? Those who choose California for hiking and those not?
I lived in LA from birth to age 24. California in and of itself - not speaking to hiking - is extremely polarizing. I could see how it could be great for someone who enjoys year round activities, but the hiking where I live (Utah) is flat out better and WAY more accessible...and pretty much everything (IMO) is better too. But, like everyone else here, that's just my opinion.

Everyone knows California may have the best year round weather in the world, I don't see how OP could ask this question being unaware of that. Regardless of the hiking, OP probably should have known that California would be the obvious first suggestion and whether it is an option for them before starting the thread.
But that 5% max ABV beer though.....brutal.
If you drink, it's probably not the place to be - although several of my family members who moved from California to this area are HEAVY drinkers, and they love it.

I live ~1/2 mile from one of the state liquor stores. That's about as close to alcohol as I prefer to get.
I was just teasing. Utah is beautiful. Every time I am there I am shocked at how much cleaner it is than CA. Every place has its pros and cons obviously.
smitcat
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by smitcat »

stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 11:40 am
smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 7:30 am
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 6:20 am Utah ticks the boxes for us, but we like all 4 seasons. I have half a dozen hiking trails within walking distance of my front door.

California is probably the only answer if "good year round weather" to you is limited cold and snow, but there are definitely other considerations that make it a no-go for us (as California natives).
"Utah ticks the boxes for us, but we like all 4 seasons"
My brother has been there for 2 years now - do you not have issues with air quality at times?
The air quality isn't fantastic, but it doesn't necessarily bother us; we hike and snowshoe several hundred miles a year.

This topic is incredibly subjective.
He has some respiratory issues and when they have had the alerts there for air quality during inversions it was problematic.
He is only there half of the year but has been looking for an alternative.
Not really that subjective as it is rated based on specific metrics...
https://health.utah.gov/utahair/AQI/#gsc.tab=0
Some folks affected during poor ratings...
https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-new ... -pollution
hudson
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by hudson »

Pinotage wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:54 pm These these threads come up pretty often, and feel like a “what do you daydream of” litmus test.

I wonder if anyone has ever made an actionable decision on relocating based on info gleaned here, or at least starting with info from these discussions.

OP - if you digest all of the responses, identify one of the suggestions as the place you and your family will move to, and actually move to that place - PM your new address and I will mail you a fruitcake as a housewarming gift.
You are probably right.
It's a valuable discussion for me. I've learned new stuff about good hiking cities!
I'm not moving anywhere, but I might go to one of these places for a hiking trip.
Last edited by hudson on Wed May 17, 2023 3:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
index245
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by index245 »

stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:17 pm
index245 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 12:27 pm
8301 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:00 pm
index245 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 9:39 pm Don't laugh...but Los Angeles.

Hiking is a really popular weekend activity here.

Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, Rancho Palos Verdes

Leave early on a Saturday and traffic isn't an issue.

If you are willing to drive further, fun desert areas too (ie Palm Springs)
Who can laugh? I have fond memories of hiking Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabrial Mountains, and other nearby mountains when I was a graduate student. There were many fossils in the Santa Monica Mountains. I also remember seeing the remnant of streetcar tracks near the top, but don't remember which one.
Absolutely. I'm a LA native, but I notice that some "out-of-staters" I've spoken with have misconceptions or even strong opinions about the area without actually spending time here.

This is a great place to live if you enjoy year round outdoor activities.

I'm partial to all of the west coast states though. Enjoyed time hiking in Washington and Utah too.
There are quite a few California natives who share that opinion too...

No way around it, California is very polarizing and rapidly becoming increasingly so. OP likely knows whether California is for them or not.
I wasn't mainly referring to politics or social issues, although those certainly can be polarizing.

Many people don't realize how accessible local hiking and outdoor activities are in the area. Even someone earlier in the thread mentioned "real mountains." There are many "real" mountains in Socal and they are easily accessible.

I enjoy living here. I understand that some don't.
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fitawrari
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by fitawrari »

Please let's stay clear of politics. It will get this thread locked 🔐. Thank you!!
ThankYouJack
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by ThankYouJack »

fitawrari wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 10:10 am
quantAndHold wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 9:42 am OP, are you still here? Do you have any opinions?
Yes. I am reading every post carefully and googling about each place as I read. Santa Fe was mentioned several times and I was looking at properties on the market, hiking trails, etc when I saw your post. I have been to SF a while back and it was one of the most unique places I visited inside the US. It is definitely on top of our list. We will probably visit a few times before we make a decision. Thankfully we have time.

I am not very thrilled about some of the places mentioned in CA, e.g. Bay Area, though I have a hard time explaining why. We visited some of those a few times and they were not places we saw moving in permanently, possibly except near the Santa Monica mountains. But then, that area is cost prohibitive as it is super expensive for us.

We also like the idea of Asheville area (Carolinas, TN and North Georgia) because of the familiarity to where we currently live (Midwest) and proximity to family (most live east of the Mississippi river). But like some mentioned, it can be hot and humid which we want to avoid.

I am truly enjoying reading the various comments, so please continue sharing your thoughts on this topic. As you know there is no one right answer because of the various conflicting requirements but some form of consensus from the group will help us coming up with a short list. Thank you!!
Since California is out, I'd probably stay East and be closer to family. Some people can't stand humidity but I find if I'm in good shape it doesn't bother me that much.

I've driven through New Mexico and stayed in Albuquerque but didn't like how brown everything was. Doesn't make for interesting hiking IMHO.
Maybe Santa Fe is more lush? But even if it is a hidden gem, there doesn't appear to be much around it.
stoptothink
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by stoptothink »

smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 3:02 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 11:40 am
smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 7:30 am
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 6:20 am Utah ticks the boxes for us, but we like all 4 seasons. I have half a dozen hiking trails within walking distance of my front door.

California is probably the only answer if "good year round weather" to you is limited cold and snow, but there are definitely other considerations that make it a no-go for us (as California natives).
"Utah ticks the boxes for us, but we like all 4 seasons"
My brother has been there for 2 years now - do you not have issues with air quality at times?
The air quality isn't fantastic, but it doesn't necessarily bother us; we hike and snowshoe several hundred miles a year.

This topic is incredibly subjective.
He has some respiratory issues and when they have had the alerts there for air quality during inversions it was problematic.
He is only there half of the year but has been looking for an alternative.
Not really that subjective as it is rated based on specific metrics...
https://health.utah.gov/utahair/AQI/#gsc.tab=0
Some folks affected during poor ratings...
https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-new ... -pollution
Well, some of us don't have respiratory issues. It's never been a concern of ours and we are extremely active. If it is for you, Utah isn't your place. It's not the place for a lot of people and I actually moved here expecting to hate it, but we like it.
Last edited by stoptothink on Wed May 17, 2023 4:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
stoptothink
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by stoptothink »

JD2775 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:59 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:56 pm
JD2775 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:45 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:31 pm
8301 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:24 pm
Polarizing? Those who choose California for hiking and those not?
I lived in LA from birth to age 24. California in and of itself - not speaking to hiking - is extremely polarizing. I could see how it could be great for someone who enjoys year round activities, but the hiking where I live (Utah) is flat out better and WAY more accessible...and pretty much everything (IMO) is better too. But, like everyone else here, that's just my opinion.

Everyone knows California may have the best year round weather in the world, I don't see how OP could ask this question being unaware of that. Regardless of the hiking, OP probably should have known that California would be the obvious first suggestion and whether it is an option for them before starting the thread.
But that 5% max ABV beer though.....brutal.
If you drink, it's probably not the place to be - although several of my family members who moved from California to this area are HEAVY drinkers, and they love it.

I live ~1/2 mile from one of the state liquor stores. That's about as close to alcohol as I prefer to get.
I was just teasing. Utah is beautiful. Every time I am there I am shocked at how much cleaner it is than CA. Every place has its pros and cons obviously.
:sharebeer I'm autistic, but my sarcasm meter usually works pretty well (and it did this time).

Threads like these are pointless as we all have different likes/dislikes, and values.
Colorado14
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by Colorado14 »

Since the discussion has turned to Utah, I wonder if St. George is an option for you? It's certainly not California, but there is plenty of hiking nearby. It's also not far to mountains and national and state parks galore.

I have been astounded at the growth there and would be concerned about water availability. It's a dry climate with very hot summers and mild winters. It wouldn't be my top choice (too hot for me), but might be worth considering.
srt7
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by srt7 »

OP, do you both have the option to work remotely? If not it's best to start narrowing down to cities that offer job opportunities in your field of work.

When it comes to picking a city in USA, I've always said that one has 3 choices - hot, cold or expensive. We don't mind the cold so picked Denver, CO and are loving every minute of it. Yes, it does snow but unlike the mid-west/north-east regions the sunshine is ever present and melts the snow away the next day. I barely use my snow plower twice a year (if that!) and the shovel about 5 times a year. When people think Denver, they think Colorado and of course snowy mountains which is not true at all. The front range cities are very different than those in the heart of the mountains.

Beware though, Colorado isn't a secret anymore and that means it's gotten expensive, especially so in the last 5-7 years. COL wise I'd say Boulder > Denver (metro) > Fort Collins > Colorado Springs. All of those cities offer trails and are about an hour max from the foothills. Vail/Aspen etc. are up in the mountains and about 3 to 4 hours away.
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quantAndHold
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by quantAndHold »

srt7 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 4:59 pm OP, do you both have the option to work remotely? If not it's best to start narrowing down to cities that offer job opportunities in your field of work.

When it comes to picking a city in USA, I've always said that one has 3 choices - hot, cold or expensive. We don't mind the cold so picked Denver, CO and are loving every minute of it. Yes, it does snow but unlike the mid-west/north-east regions the sunshine is ever present and melts the snow away the next day. I barely use my snow plower twice a year (if that!) and the shovel about 5 times a year. When people think Denver, they think Colorado and of course snowy mountains which is not true at all. The front range cities are very different than those in the heart of the mountains.

Beware though, Colorado isn't a secret anymore and that means it's gotten expensive, especially so in the last 5-7 years. COL wise I'd say Boulder > Denver (metro) > Fort Collins > Colorado Springs. All of those cities offer trails and are about an hour max from the foothills. Vail/Aspen etc. are up in the mountains and about 3 to 4 hours away.
I love Denver (I grew up there), but with Denver, you’re getting hot, cold, *and* expensive, all at the same time.
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by srt7 »

quantAndHold wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 5:10 pm
srt7 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 4:59 pm OP, do you both have the option to work remotely? If not it's best to start narrowing down to cities that offer job opportunities in your field of work.

When it comes to picking a city in USA, I've always said that one has 3 choices - hot, cold or expensive. We don't mind the cold so picked Denver, CO and are loving every minute of it. Yes, it does snow but unlike the mid-west/north-east regions the sunshine is ever present and melts the snow away the next day. I barely use my snow plower twice a year (if that!) and the shovel about 5 times a year. When people think Denver, they think Colorado and of course snowy mountains which is not true at all. The front range cities are very different than those in the heart of the mountains.

Beware though, Colorado isn't a secret anymore and that means it's gotten expensive, especially so in the last 5-7 years. COL wise I'd say Boulder > Denver (metro) > Fort Collins > Colorado Springs. All of those cities offer trails and are about an hour max from the foothills. Vail/Aspen etc. are up in the mountains and about 3 to 4 hours away.
I love Denver (I grew up there), but with Denver, you’re getting hot, cold, *and* expensive, all at the same time.
Ha! True but all in moderation in comparison to cities with extremes of each of them.
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SurferLife
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by SurferLife »

Some great hiking can be found on the islands of Kauai and Big Island, Hawaii. Great weather year-round, though Big Island has a lot more variety when it comes to geographical zones which you'd probably enjoy for the variety.
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22twain
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Re: Asheville

Post by 22twain »

zeep wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 1:22 pm Hendersonville, Brevard and Greenville each have a very different vibe than Asheville.
However, note that Greenville (SC) is at a significantly lower elevation, which makes it warmer in winter and hotter in summer. There's usually a 5 to 10 degree difference. I can definitely feel the change when driving up or down the "mountain" between Greenville and Hendersonville.
Last edited by 22twain on Wed May 17, 2023 6:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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rule of law guy
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by rule of law guy »

this goes way back, admittedly, but I visited a college friend living in Tucson Az, and we were hiking in the surrounding mountains a short car ride away. similar situation in Pasadena area when I visited my son going to college in Claremont Ca.. also, Flagstaff Az is close to great hiking. alas, I ended up living in NYC
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smitcat
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by smitcat »

stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 4:33 pm
smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 3:02 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 11:40 am
smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 7:30 am
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 6:20 am Utah ticks the boxes for us, but we like all 4 seasons. I have half a dozen hiking trails within walking distance of my front door.

California is probably the only answer if "good year round weather" to you is limited cold and snow, but there are definitely other considerations that make it a no-go for us (as California natives).
"Utah ticks the boxes for us, but we like all 4 seasons"
My brother has been there for 2 years now - do you not have issues with air quality at times?
The air quality isn't fantastic, but it doesn't necessarily bother us; we hike and snowshoe several hundred miles a year.

This topic is incredibly subjective.
He has some respiratory issues and when they have had the alerts there for air quality during inversions it was problematic.
He is only there half of the year but has been looking for an alternative.
Not really that subjective as it is rated based on specific metrics...
https://health.utah.gov/utahair/AQI/#gsc.tab=0
Some folks affected during poor ratings...
https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-new ... -pollution
Well, some of us don't have respiratory issues. It's never been a concern of ours and we are extremely active. If it is for you, Utah isn't your place. It's not the place for a lot of people and I actually moved here expecting to hate it, but we like it.
My brother never had any issues until later in life - he did hike many areas including months in Nepal, Thailand, and Japan. One good thing to check on when you are considering where to live is air quality.
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by Wanderingwheelz »

Fiddle-Bow wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 9:28 pm A few years ago Asheville was a really cool place and fun to visit. It’s about a 40 minute drive for me. It has boomed in growth and so many people have moved there that it’s just not the same. The surrounding counties are getting the attention now.
I’m in and around the Bristol and Johnson City, TN area weekly and that’s where I would be moving to.
I agree completely. I wouldn’t ignore Boone, either, which isn’t too far from Johnson City- the only drawback to Boone being no White Duck (at least for now).
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epilnk
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by epilnk »

There's a lot that would work in the west, and a lot more to California than LA and the Bay Area. The whole state is a lot more diverse - geographically, politically, economically - than the stereotypes give it credit for.

For the most part, cost and climate go hand in hand out here - the better the climate the higher the cost. So you reduce costs by making tradeoffs based on what is most important to you. The central coast has a lot of what OP is looking for - Santa Cruz, Monterey, SLO, Santa Barbara. The foothills of the Sierras are another possibility - go uphill to get cooler, downhill to get warmer. For me Sacramento is the sweet spot, but I love the summer heat even though it can be more than a bit brutal at times. (Fire season, though, is never fun.) OP might like the region between Sac and Tahoe - Auburn, Placerville, etc. My heat averse son doesn't mind the rain and loves Portland, which I also like though it's not quite sunny enough for my tastes. Seattle, Spokane, and Boise are also worth exploring. All have tradeoffs but all have pretty mild weather with good access to outdoor activities.
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by Pdxnative »

I’m wondering if you are excluding cold and snow because you’re in the upper Midwest or New England?

You should know that winter is a different experience in many of the mountain west and PNW cities that get snow. It’s generally a brighter, warmer, more pleasant experience.

I’d suggest visiting places like Ft. Collins, Boulder, Boise, Bend OR, SLC/Utah in the summer and if you like them maybe go back for a weekend in the winter. It might be different than you imagine, and snowshoeing might appeal to you in the winter.

Or pretty much any city along I-5 from Eugene to Canada would have access to great hiking and summer weather if you don’t mind some rain in the winter. The north cascades are stunning.

Are you looking for a major city? There are a lot of great outdoorsy towns in CA that aren’t Bay Area or LA.
ClassySDLivin
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by ClassySDLivin »

Another vote for San Diego. North of downtown and staying within the cooler coastal areas (stretching inland approx. 10 miles depending on local geography) provides the desired temperature and hiking.
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by somekevinguy »

Watty wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 12:29 pm
adamthesmythe wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 12:21 pm
somekevinguy wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:58 am The Bay Area certainly ticks those boxes but of course cost of living is pretty high…
Great weather, close to many recreational options- almost all of which involve spending time in a car in traffic. Just so you know.
The OP wanted to be within 30 minutes of trailheads. That would be at best limited in the Bay Area. You might be able to go up to Yosemite or Lake Tahoe after work on Friday but you might not get there until midnight.
While Yosemite and Tahoe are obviously great, there are a ton of local options for hiking that don’t require much of a drive and minimal traffic. Santa Cruz mountains, redwoods, the coast etc. examples include castle rock, Henry Cowell, uvas canyon, rancho San Antonio, point lobos (a bit further) etc
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White Coat Investor
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by White Coat Investor »

NorCalHiker wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 11:47 am
White Coat Investor wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:59 am So you want mountains but no snow and "good weather year round" (which presumably excludes deserts. Good luck. Hope you like the "mountains" on the coast of California.
Well, SoCal's mountains are in fact real mountains and don't have be "quoted". :happy. I can think of at least 8 mountains in SoCal that are greater than 10K (most within an hour drive of LA/OC county) and San Gorgonio is 11.5K. Not to mention the entire Sierras which are 3-4 hours away.
It snows in the Sierras. Probably does on all those 10K peaks too.
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White Coat Investor
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by White Coat Investor »

Cruise wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 4:29 am
White Coat Investor wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:59 am
fitawrari wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:34 am My family and I are in our current city because of my work. I have been living here for over 15 years and I don't particularly like it. (I don't hate it either but we may need to change in the next few years.) My wife has been living shorter than that and feels the same.

We discussed moving but we couldn't find a city that checks the few must haves.

1/ We like to live near hiking trails (30 minutes or shorter drive to trailheads). We don't do extraneous hiking but like a wide variety of 5 hours or less hiking trails. Hiking is pretty much the only hobby we have, so this is on top of the list. Hiking is often associated with mountains, so we are looking for cities near a mountain.

2/ We like to live in a city that has a good year round weather. We dislike heavy snow in the winter and humidity in the summer.

3/ We like to live near family or friends.

These three requirements lead us to an empty set. So we relaxed our requirements to only the first two -- outdoor/hiking and weather.

Question: what cities have good outdoors/hiking activities and good year round weather?

Asheville NC seems to come near the top of many google searches I did. Cities near the Rockies have lots of snow and can get hot, though with low humidity.

Thank you!
So you want mountains but no snow and "good weather year round" (which presumably excludes deserts. Good luck. Hope you like the "mountains" on the coast of California.
Hawaii checks all the boxes, depending on where family and friends are located.
Oooh, good call. Hadn't thought of that.
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Minderbinder
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by Minderbinder »

Personally don't think it gets any better than San Diego.

More than enough local trails to create/explore with a Gaia GPS membership and give you a workout in the evenings... The "big" mountains (San Jacinto and San Bernardino) mountains are 2 hours away for summer backpacking and winter skiing, and the "bigger" mountains of the eastern Sierra are another 2 or 3 hours further.

Distance to legit hikes is tempered by having beaches within 10 minutes and 50-65 degrees for 10 months out of the year. Amenities of a major city without the worst drawbacks of the LA sprawl/traffic or Bay Area cost.
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by 8301 »

Minderbinder wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 10:05 pm Personally don't think it gets any better than San Diego.

Amenities of a major city without the worst drawbacks of the LA sprawl/traffic or Bay Area cost.
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by BernardShakey »

I'm probably repeating what others have said. Best locations for your requirements are in California.

There are reasons people pay a bunch to live there. San Diego, LA area (within reach of Santa Monica Mtns, San Gabriels, etc.), Central Coast, and areas just north of the SF Bay are great. Just depends if you're in a position to afford it.

Other parts of CA are more rural and more affordable. It's really a diverse state, more so than the man on the street might be inclined to believe.

Outside of CA, I also like Roanoke, VA and areas in western NC for hiking and outdoor sports. The weather isn't as nice but they are very outdoorsy places, cheaper, and the humidity is tempered a bit by the modest elevation.

Roanoke is very affordable and I've heard some call the area the "hiking capital of the East Coast" --- Right on Appalachian Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway, Mill Mountain right in town, and Shenandoah NP just a couple hours drive away, Smokies not too far either, etc.

Coastal California though is unbeatable if good all-season weather is a primary factor.
An important key to investing is having a well-calibrated sense of your future regret.
Derelict
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2007 6:16 pm

Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by Derelict »

1 Malibu - tons of hiking trails in Santa Monica Mountains and very good weather most of the year.
2. South Orange County, CA - A ton of hiking trails inland in mountains or along the coast for the summer when it is too hot inland.. There are lots of organized hikes put on by docents in the Ietsgooutside.com
3. Central California - I would love to have a second home in Los Osos, CA and be able to go to Montana de Oros State Park as a regular spot but there are a lot of other trails and mountains near that area.
4. Somewhere like Aptos, CA. Lots of hikes in Forrest of Nissene Marks and other state parks in the area and nice beaches that don't get that crowded.
halfnine
Posts: 2405
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2010 12:48 pm

Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by halfnine »

White Coat Investor wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 9:59 pm
NorCalHiker wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 11:47 am
White Coat Investor wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:59 am So you want mountains but no snow and "good weather year round" (which presumably excludes deserts. Good luck. Hope you like the "mountains" on the coast of California.
Well, SoCal's mountains are in fact real mountains and don't have be "quoted". :happy. I can think of at least 8 mountains in SoCal that are greater than 10K (most within an hour drive of LA/OC county) and San Gorgonio is 11.5K. Not to mention the entire Sierras which are 3-4 hours away.
It snows in the Sierras. Probably does on all those 10K peaks too.
Well, while the truly "coastal mountains" in California aren't all that big they are still quite mountainous in regards to a majority of the lower 48. So, in fairness to the OP, one could consider them largely snow-free mountains available for hiking that are still located in a good year round climate.
stoptothink
Posts: 15368
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:53 am

Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by stoptothink »

smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 6:15 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 4:33 pm
smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 3:02 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 11:40 am
smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 7:30 am

"Utah ticks the boxes for us, but we like all 4 seasons"
My brother has been there for 2 years now - do you not have issues with air quality at times?
The air quality isn't fantastic, but it doesn't necessarily bother us; we hike and snowshoe several hundred miles a year.

This topic is incredibly subjective.
He has some respiratory issues and when they have had the alerts there for air quality during inversions it was problematic.
He is only there half of the year but has been looking for an alternative.
Not really that subjective as it is rated based on specific metrics...
https://health.utah.gov/utahair/AQI/#gsc.tab=0
Some folks affected during poor ratings...
https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-new ... -pollution
Well, some of us don't have respiratory issues. It's never been a concern of ours and we are extremely active. If it is for you, Utah isn't your place. It's not the place for a lot of people and I actually moved here expecting to hate it, but we like it.
My brother never had any issues until later in life - he did hike many areas including months in Nepal, Thailand, and Japan. One good thing to check on when you are considering where to live is air quality.
OK. Based on that article Utah overall is 10th worst for ozone and 19th worst for particle pollution (out of 50 states). Not ideal, but certainly not bad enough to where it would be a consideration for us. I've lived here for close to half of my life now, my 60yr old parents live here, my wife's 95yr old grandparents have lived here their entire lives - no issues whatsoever with it. There are a lot of reasons someone may not like Utah (and there are pros and cons to every place), while we are aware that the air quality here isn't the best, this is one reason I have never hear is a significant factor.
smitcat
Posts: 13227
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 9:51 am

Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by smitcat »

stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 6:19 am
smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 6:15 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 4:33 pm
smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 3:02 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 11:40 am

The air quality isn't fantastic, but it doesn't necessarily bother us; we hike and snowshoe several hundred miles a year.

This topic is incredibly subjective.
He has some respiratory issues and when they have had the alerts there for air quality during inversions it was problematic.
He is only there half of the year but has been looking for an alternative.
Not really that subjective as it is rated based on specific metrics...
https://health.utah.gov/utahair/AQI/#gsc.tab=0
Some folks affected during poor ratings...
https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-new ... -pollution
Well, some of us don't have respiratory issues. It's never been a concern of ours and we are extremely active. If it is for you, Utah isn't your place. It's not the place for a lot of people and I actually moved here expecting to hate it, but we like it.
My brother never had any issues until later in life - he did hike many areas including months in Nepal, Thailand, and Japan. One good thing to check on when you are considering where to live is air quality.
OK. Based on that article Utah overall is 10th worst for ozone and 19th worst for particle pollution (out of 50 states). Not ideal, but certainly not bad enough to where it would be a consideration for us. I've lived here for close to half of my life now, my 60yr old parents live here, my wife's 95yr old grandparents have lived here their entire lives - no issues whatsoever with it. There are a lot of reasons someone may not like Utah (and there are pros and cons to every place), while we are aware that the air quality here isn't the best, this is one reason I have never hear is a significant factor.
That article is a very small and limited view of a very large topic. It is not so important what 'rating' Utah has in total versus other areas but what rating the area have where people tend to live in higher populations. Problems which include reoccurring air safety issues due to inversions are rising in frequency in the populated areas.
Similarly, the fact that folks may not be affected now (or not know) will not prevent them from being affected in the future for two reasons. The first is that as kids and/or adults age they can move from being unaffected to affected. The second is that being within an environment such as these can accelerate or cause some of these conditions.
Last I heard there were more than 35 million people in the US which would/could be greatly affected by air quality, that number has been rising.
stoptothink
Posts: 15368
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:53 am

Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by stoptothink »

smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 7:27 am
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 6:19 am
smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 6:15 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 4:33 pm
smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 3:02 pm

He has some respiratory issues and when they have had the alerts there for air quality during inversions it was problematic.
He is only there half of the year but has been looking for an alternative.
Not really that subjective as it is rated based on specific metrics...
https://health.utah.gov/utahair/AQI/#gsc.tab=0
Some folks affected during poor ratings...
https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-new ... -pollution
Well, some of us don't have respiratory issues. It's never been a concern of ours and we are extremely active. If it is for you, Utah isn't your place. It's not the place for a lot of people and I actually moved here expecting to hate it, but we like it.
My brother never had any issues until later in life - he did hike many areas including months in Nepal, Thailand, and Japan. One good thing to check on when you are considering where to live is air quality.
OK. Based on that article Utah overall is 10th worst for ozone and 19th worst for particle pollution (out of 50 states). Not ideal, but certainly not bad enough to where it would be a consideration for us. I've lived here for close to half of my life now, my 60yr old parents live here, my wife's 95yr old grandparents have lived here their entire lives - no issues whatsoever with it. There are a lot of reasons someone may not like Utah (and there are pros and cons to every place), while we are aware that the air quality here isn't the best, this is one reason I have never hear is a significant factor.
That article is a very small and limited view of a very large topic. It is not so important what 'rating' Utah has in total versus other areas but what rating the area have where people tend to live in higher populations. Problems which include reoccurring air safety issues due to inversions are rising in frequency in the populated areas.
Similarly, the fact that folks may not be affected now (or not know) will not prevent them from being affected in the future for two reasons. The first is that as kids and/or adults age they can move from being unaffected to affected. The second is that being within an environment such as these can accelerate or cause some of these conditions.
Last I heard there were more than 35 million people in the US which would/could be greatly affected by air quality, that number has been rising.
You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live. That's your prerogative, but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant.

We live in Utah, the air quality here is objectively below average nationally, but that has never been an issue for us and it is not something OP mentioned (not that I am saying they should consider Utah - I think California, if it is their style, is the obvious answer)....The end.
smitcat
Posts: 13227
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 9:51 am

Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by smitcat »

stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 11:16 am
smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 7:27 am
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 6:19 am
smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 6:15 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 4:33 pm

Well, some of us don't have respiratory issues. It's never been a concern of ours and we are extremely active. If it is for you, Utah isn't your place. It's not the place for a lot of people and I actually moved here expecting to hate it, but we like it.
My brother never had any issues until later in life - he did hike many areas including months in Nepal, Thailand, and Japan. One good thing to check on when you are considering where to live is air quality.
OK. Based on that article Utah overall is 10th worst for ozone and 19th worst for particle pollution (out of 50 states). Not ideal, but certainly not bad enough to where it would be a consideration for us. I've lived here for close to half of my life now, my 60yr old parents live here, my wife's 95yr old grandparents have lived here their entire lives - no issues whatsoever with it. There are a lot of reasons someone may not like Utah (and there are pros and cons to every place), while we are aware that the air quality here isn't the best, this is one reason I have never hear is a significant factor.
That article is a very small and limited view of a very large topic. It is not so important what 'rating' Utah has in total versus other areas but what rating the area have where people tend to live in higher populations. Problems which include reoccurring air safety issues due to inversions are rising in frequency in the populated areas.
Similarly, the fact that folks may not be affected now (or not know) will not prevent them from being affected in the future for two reasons. The first is that as kids and/or adults age they can move from being unaffected to affected. The second is that being within an environment such as these can accelerate or cause some of these conditions.
Last I heard there were more than 35 million people in the US which would/could be greatly affected by air quality, that number has been rising.
You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live. That's your prerogative, but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant.

We live in Utah, the air quality here is objectively below average nationally, but that has never been an issue for us and it is not something OP mentioned (not that I am saying they should consider Utah - I think California, if it is their style, is the obvious answer)....The end.
"but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant."
That is exactly the purpose of threads like these - to discover something new that you have not thought about. Learning about something new is never a bad thing.

"You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live."
Would you consider the quality of air to be a low priority in general?
stoptothink
Posts: 15368
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:53 am

Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by stoptothink »

smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 12:07 pm
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 11:16 am
smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 7:27 am
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 6:19 am
smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 6:15 pm

My brother never had any issues until later in life - he did hike many areas including months in Nepal, Thailand, and Japan. One good thing to check on when you are considering where to live is air quality.
OK. Based on that article Utah overall is 10th worst for ozone and 19th worst for particle pollution (out of 50 states). Not ideal, but certainly not bad enough to where it would be a consideration for us. I've lived here for close to half of my life now, my 60yr old parents live here, my wife's 95yr old grandparents have lived here their entire lives - no issues whatsoever with it. There are a lot of reasons someone may not like Utah (and there are pros and cons to every place), while we are aware that the air quality here isn't the best, this is one reason I have never hear is a significant factor.
That article is a very small and limited view of a very large topic. It is not so important what 'rating' Utah has in total versus other areas but what rating the area have where people tend to live in higher populations. Problems which include reoccurring air safety issues due to inversions are rising in frequency in the populated areas.
Similarly, the fact that folks may not be affected now (or not know) will not prevent them from being affected in the future for two reasons. The first is that as kids and/or adults age they can move from being unaffected to affected. The second is that being within an environment such as these can accelerate or cause some of these conditions.
Last I heard there were more than 35 million people in the US which would/could be greatly affected by air quality, that number has been rising.
You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live. That's your prerogative, but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant.

We live in Utah, the air quality here is objectively below average nationally, but that has never been an issue for us and it is not something OP mentioned (not that I am saying they should consider Utah - I think California, if it is their style, is the obvious answer)....The end.
"but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant."
That is exactly the purpose of threads like these - to discover something new that you have not thought about. Learning about something new is never a bad thing.

"You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live."
Would you consider the quality of air to be a low priority in general?
While I would certainly prefer better air quality over worse air quality, I do not believe it has an actual impact on my daily life. I've spent all but 5yrs of my life in states ranked #1, #2, and #3 for worst overall air quality in the country (California, Arizona, and Utah) and it has never been a consideration. I have never really noticed that it is an issue and I am significantly more physically active than the average person. I grew up in LA, which has among the worst air quality of any metro area in the country (far worse than my current area); nonetheless ~12M people choose to live in the LA metro area and it has been brought up multiple times in this thread as an option.

This shouldn't come as a shock, but one of the factors in air quality is population density. Air quality tends to be the worst where people want to live the most. Interestingly, some of the best hiking in the country also happens to be in areas rated poorly for overall air quality. I respect that it is a significant factor for you, but based on population trends it does not appear to be for a lot of other people in the U.S.. If this was a discussion about moving to China or India, that may be different.

OP, if air quality is one of your primary concerns, I'd cross California, Arizona, D.C. area, Utah, Nevada, Illinois, Colorado, etc. off your list. https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/ai ... -by-state/
Last edited by stoptothink on Thu May 18, 2023 2:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
smitcat
Posts: 13227
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 9:51 am

Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by smitcat »

stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 2:30 pm
smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 12:07 pm
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 11:16 am
smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 7:27 am
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 6:19 am

OK. Based on that article Utah overall is 10th worst for ozone and 19th worst for particle pollution (out of 50 states). Not ideal, but certainly not bad enough to where it would be a consideration for us. I've lived here for close to half of my life now, my 60yr old parents live here, my wife's 95yr old grandparents have lived here their entire lives - no issues whatsoever with it. There are a lot of reasons someone may not like Utah (and there are pros and cons to every place), while we are aware that the air quality here isn't the best, this is one reason I have never hear is a significant factor.
That article is a very small and limited view of a very large topic. It is not so important what 'rating' Utah has in total versus other areas but what rating the area have where people tend to live in higher populations. Problems which include reoccurring air safety issues due to inversions are rising in frequency in the populated areas.
Similarly, the fact that folks may not be affected now (or not know) will not prevent them from being affected in the future for two reasons. The first is that as kids and/or adults age they can move from being unaffected to affected. The second is that being within an environment such as these can accelerate or cause some of these conditions.
Last I heard there were more than 35 million people in the US which would/could be greatly affected by air quality, that number has been rising.
You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live. That's your prerogative, but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant.

We live in Utah, the air quality here is objectively below average nationally, but that has never been an issue for us and it is not something OP mentioned (not that I am saying they should consider Utah - I think California, if it is their style, is the obvious answer)....The end.
"but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant."
That is exactly the purpose of threads like these - to discover something new that you have not thought about. Learning about something new is never a bad thing.

"You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live."
Would you consider the quality of air to be a low priority in general?
Do I think it has an actual impact on my daily life? No. I've spent all but 5yrs of my life in states which are ranked #1, #2, and #3 for worst overall air quality in the country (California, Arizona, and Utah) and it has never been a consideration nor have I ever really noticed that it is an issue, and I am significantly more physically active than the average person. I grew up in LA, which has among the worst air quality of any metro area in the country (far worse than my current area); nonetheless ~12M people choose to live in the LA metro area and it has been brought up multiple times in this thread as an option.

This shouldn't come as a shock, but one of the factors in air quality is population density. Air quality tends to be the worst where people want to live the most. I respect that it is a significant factor for you, but it does not appear to be for a lot of other people in the U.S.. If this was a discussion about moving to China or India, that may be different.

OP, if air quality is one of your primary concerns, I'd cross California, Arizona, D.C. area, Utah, Nevada, Illinois, Colorado, etc. off your list. https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/ai ... -by-state/
Many articles on this subject - here is a simple summary of one...

"Overall Health Effects
Even healthy people can experience health impacts from polluted air including respiratory irritation or breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities. Your actual risk of adverse effects depends on your current health status, the pollutant type and concentration, and the length of your exposure to the polluted air.
High air pollution levels can cause immediate health problems including:
Aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illness
Added stress to heart and lungs, which must work harder to supply the body with oxygen
Damaged cells in the respiratory system
Long-term exposure to polluted air can have permanent health effects such as:
Accelerated aging of the lungs
Loss of lung capacity and decreased lung function
Development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer
Shortened life span
Those most susceptible to severe health problems from air pollution are:
Individuals with heart disease, coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure
Individuals with lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Pregnant women
Outdoor workers
Older adults and the elderly
Children under age 14
Athletes who exercise vigorously outdoors
People in these groups may experience health impacts at lower air pollution exposure levels, or their health effects may be of greater intensity."

Here is the link...
https://www.sparetheair.com/health.cfm
stoptothink
Posts: 15368
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:53 am

Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by stoptothink »

smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 2:36 pm
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 2:30 pm
smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 12:07 pm
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 11:16 am
smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 7:27 am

That article is a very small and limited view of a very large topic. It is not so important what 'rating' Utah has in total versus other areas but what rating the area have where people tend to live in higher populations. Problems which include reoccurring air safety issues due to inversions are rising in frequency in the populated areas.
Similarly, the fact that folks may not be affected now (or not know) will not prevent them from being affected in the future for two reasons. The first is that as kids and/or adults age they can move from being unaffected to affected. The second is that being within an environment such as these can accelerate or cause some of these conditions.
Last I heard there were more than 35 million people in the US which would/could be greatly affected by air quality, that number has been rising.
You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live. That's your prerogative, but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant.

We live in Utah, the air quality here is objectively below average nationally, but that has never been an issue for us and it is not something OP mentioned (not that I am saying they should consider Utah - I think California, if it is their style, is the obvious answer)....The end.
"but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant."
That is exactly the purpose of threads like these - to discover something new that you have not thought about. Learning about something new is never a bad thing.

"You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live."
Would you consider the quality of air to be a low priority in general?
Do I think it has an actual impact on my daily life? No. I've spent all but 5yrs of my life in states which are ranked #1, #2, and #3 for worst overall air quality in the country (California, Arizona, and Utah) and it has never been a consideration nor have I ever really noticed that it is an issue, and I am significantly more physically active than the average person. I grew up in LA, which has among the worst air quality of any metro area in the country (far worse than my current area); nonetheless ~12M people choose to live in the LA metro area and it has been brought up multiple times in this thread as an option.

This shouldn't come as a shock, but one of the factors in air quality is population density. Air quality tends to be the worst where people want to live the most. I respect that it is a significant factor for you, but it does not appear to be for a lot of other people in the U.S.. If this was a discussion about moving to China or India, that may be different.

OP, if air quality is one of your primary concerns, I'd cross California, Arizona, D.C. area, Utah, Nevada, Illinois, Colorado, etc. off your list. https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/ai ... -by-state/
Many articles on this subject - here is a simple summary of one...

"Overall Health Effects
Even healthy people can experience health impacts from polluted air including respiratory irritation or breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities. Your actual risk of adverse effects depends on your current health status, the pollutant type and concentration, and the length of your exposure to the polluted air.
High air pollution levels can cause immediate health problems including:
Aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illness
Added stress to heart and lungs, which must work harder to supply the body with oxygen
Damaged cells in the respiratory system
Long-term exposure to polluted air can have permanent health effects such as:
Accelerated aging of the lungs
Loss of lung capacity and decreased lung function
Development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer
Shortened life span
Those most susceptible to severe health problems from air pollution are:
Individuals with heart disease, coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure
Individuals with lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Pregnant women
Outdoor workers
Older adults and the elderly
Children under age 14
Athletes who exercise vigorously outdoors
People in these groups may experience health impacts at lower air pollution exposure levels, or their health effects may be of greater intensity."

Here is the link...
https://www.sparetheair.com/health.cfm
:oops: Considering what I do for a living, I'm pretty darn familiar with possible problems associated with poor air quality....and I could also make a similar list for about a hundred other environmental factors. California has the worst overall air quality in the country, it also is the most populated state and has been brought up the most as an option in this thread - I'm totally confused why you singled out Utah :confused I'm going to stop responding so you can stop taking this thread down a pointless rabbit-hole.
smitcat
Posts: 13227
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 9:51 am

Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by smitcat »

stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 2:39 pm
smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 2:36 pm
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 2:30 pm
smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 12:07 pm
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 11:16 am

You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live. That's your prerogative, but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant.

We live in Utah, the air quality here is objectively below average nationally, but that has never been an issue for us and it is not something OP mentioned (not that I am saying they should consider Utah - I think California, if it is their style, is the obvious answer)....The end.
"but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant."
That is exactly the purpose of threads like these - to discover something new that you have not thought about. Learning about something new is never a bad thing.

"You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live."
Would you consider the quality of air to be a low priority in general?
Do I think it has an actual impact on my daily life? No. I've spent all but 5yrs of my life in states which are ranked #1, #2, and #3 for worst overall air quality in the country (California, Arizona, and Utah) and it has never been a consideration nor have I ever really noticed that it is an issue, and I am significantly more physically active than the average person. I grew up in LA, which has among the worst air quality of any metro area in the country (far worse than my current area); nonetheless ~12M people choose to live in the LA metro area and it has been brought up multiple times in this thread as an option.

This shouldn't come as a shock, but one of the factors in air quality is population density. Air quality tends to be the worst where people want to live the most. I respect that it is a significant factor for you, but it does not appear to be for a lot of other people in the U.S.. If this was a discussion about moving to China or India, that may be different.

OP, if air quality is one of your primary concerns, I'd cross California, Arizona, D.C. area, Utah, Nevada, Illinois, Colorado, etc. off your list. https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/ai ... -by-state/
Many articles on this subject - here is a simple summary of one...

"Overall Health Effects
Even healthy people can experience health impacts from polluted air including respiratory irritation or breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities. Your actual risk of adverse effects depends on your current health status, the pollutant type and concentration, and the length of your exposure to the polluted air.
High air pollution levels can cause immediate health problems including:
Aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illness
Added stress to heart and lungs, which must work harder to supply the body with oxygen
Damaged cells in the respiratory system
Long-term exposure to polluted air can have permanent health effects such as:
Accelerated aging of the lungs
Loss of lung capacity and decreased lung function
Development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer
Shortened life span
Those most susceptible to severe health problems from air pollution are:
Individuals with heart disease, coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure
Individuals with lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Pregnant women
Outdoor workers
Older adults and the elderly
Children under age 14
Athletes who exercise vigorously outdoors
People in these groups may experience health impacts at lower air pollution exposure levels, or their health effects may be of greater intensity."

Here is the link...
https://www.sparetheair.com/health.cfm
:oops: Considering what I do for a living, I'm pretty darn familiar with possible problems associated with poor air quality. I'm going to stop responding so you can stop taking this thread down a pointless tangent
"I'm pretty darn familiar with possible problems associated with poor air quality."
The post will hopefully assist all people in their ability to choose a possible location. You had not mentioned any possible problems with health issues up to this point. For anyone who has had these issues in the past (or wants to avoid them) I can assure you it is not a tangent at all.
Wwwdotcom
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by Wwwdotcom »

I think the OP was very wise by focusing on cities instead of states.

Pollution seems to be very granular. Below is a heatmap for PM 2.5
https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/view ... dab3a6d38f
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Kagord
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by Kagord »

Agree with Marin County, Mill Valley is fantastic.
SpaghettiLegs
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by SpaghettiLegs »

Charlottesville, VA checks a lot of boxes although summertime heat and humidity have gotten worse the past 10 years, I guess like a lot of places. On the plus side it tends to be 10 degrees cooler up on the Blue Ridge, which is a 20 min drive away. Plenty of great hiking and biking here, flagship state university and academic tertiary care medical center, great restaurants, good music and theater scene for a town this size. We usually get about 2-3 measurable snow falls per winter but had none this year. On the flip side, by this time in the spring the heat and humidity have started to ratchet up but hasn’t done so to date. We are about 50/50 going to retire here, although I’d like to go back to California (central coast is high on my list) and wife is leaning toward Colorado but it really makes a lot of sense to stay here.
hudson
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by hudson »

fitawrari wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:34 am a city that checks the few must haves.

1/ We like to live near hiking trails (30 minutes or shorter drive to trailheads). We don't do extraneous hiking but like a wide variety of 5 hours or less hiking trails. Hiking is pretty much the only hobby we have, so this is on top of the list. Hiking is often associated with mountains, so we are looking for cities near a mountain.

Asheville NC seems to come near the top of many google searches I did.

Thank you!
30 minutes to good hiking trails...includes 5 hour hikes...city near a mountain
Waynesville NC to Waterrock Knob is 29 minutes. The Plott Balsams: https://www.peakbagger.com/range.aspx?rid=16443
Waynesville to Black Balsam Knob 26 miles and 45 minutes. The Great Balsam Mountains: https://www.peakbagger.com/range.aspx?rid=16444

One would also be in striking distance of the remainder of the Southern Appalachian 6000-foot Peaks: https://www.peakbagger.com/List.aspx?li ... &cid=42939

Bottom Line: Waynesville, a town among many nearby mountains.
A lifetime of magical hiking
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Random Musings
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by Random Musings »

Northern Flicker wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 5:19 pm
Van wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 3:32 pm
Northern Flicker wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 3:17 pm
Watty wrote: Hood River Oregon would also be worth checking out. There is also housing across the river from it in White Salmon Washington which would not have an income tax.
Does Washington just print their own dollars, or do they have other ways of collecting revenue?
Check out the sales tax in WA. That will answer your question.
Actually, it does not fully answer the question. WA has higher property tax rates, higher car licensing fees, ...

Tax loads by state:

https://taxfoundation.org/tax-burden-by-state-2022/

WA ranked #30, OR ranked #31. OR does not tax social security benefits, so OR taxes are slightly higher for working folks, and a little lower for retirees, on average.
30th and 31st means the 20th and 21st highest tax load. NY was ranked #50 for having the highest tax load. I'd give the tax foundation a D for clarity on their presentation.

RM
I figure the odds be fifty-fifty I just might have something to say. FZ
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AllMostThere
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by AllMostThere »

Northern Flicker wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 5:19 pm Tax loads by state:

https://taxfoundation.org/tax-burden-by-state-2022/
I must say that I was rather surprised to see my Michigan as #5 Tax Burden. DW & I have been musing about relocation in next several years to TN, Nothern GA or SC. With the exception of TN, MI has lighter tax burden than GA & SC. They are close enough to MI in that the difference is more than likely just noise in the machine. Won't sway our research, but interesting none the less. :twisted:
It is not about how much you make; it is about how much you keep and how well you invest it. - Author Unknown | Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today. - Author James Dean
marcopolo
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by marcopolo »

fitawrari wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:34 am My family and I are in our current city because of my work. I have been living here for over 15 years and I don't particularly like it. (I don't hate it either but we may need to change in the next few years.) My wife has been living shorter than that and feels the same.

We discussed moving but we couldn't find a city that checks the few must haves.

1/ We like to live near hiking trails (30 minutes or shorter drive to trailheads). We don't do extraneous hiking but like a wide variety of 5 hours or less hiking trails. Hiking is pretty much the only hobby we have, so this is on top of the list. Hiking is often associated with mountains, so we are looking for cities near a mountain.

2/ We like to live in a city that has a good year round weather. We dislike heavy snow in the winter and humidity in the summer.

3/ We like to live near family or friends.

These three requirements lead us to an empty set. So we relaxed our requirements to only the first two -- outdoor/hiking and weather.

Question: what cities have good outdoors/hiking activities and good year round weather?

Asheville NC seems to come near the top of many google searches I did. Cities near the Rockies have lots of snow and can get hot, though with low humidity.

Thank you!
Anywhere in Hawaii.

Oahu, if being in/close to a big city is a requirement.
The Big Island, if variety of hikes is more important.

Some of the suggestions baffle me given the year round weather criteria in the OP.
Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.
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fitawrari
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by fitawrari »

marcopolo wrote: Fri May 19, 2023 12:36 am
fitawrari wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:34 am My family and I are in our current city because of my work. I have been living here for over 15 years and I don't particularly like it. (I don't hate it either but we may need to change in the next few years.) My wife has been living shorter than that and feels the same.

We discussed moving but we couldn't find a city that checks the few must haves.

1/ We like to live near hiking trails (30 minutes or shorter drive to trailheads). We don't do extraneous hiking but like a wide variety of 5 hours or less hiking trails. Hiking is pretty much the only hobby we have, so this is on top of the list. Hiking is often associated with mountains, so we are looking for cities near a mountain.

2/ We like to live in a city that has a good year round weather. We dislike heavy snow in the winter and humidity in the summer.

3/ We like to live near family or friends.

These three requirements lead us to an empty set. So we relaxed our requirements to only the first two -- outdoor/hiking and weather.

Question: what cities have good outdoors/hiking activities and good year round weather?

Asheville NC seems to come near the top of many google searches I did. Cities near the Rockies have lots of snow and can get hot, though with low humidity.

Thank you!
Anywhere in Hawaii.

Oahu, if being in/close to a big city is a requirement.
The Big Island, if variety of hikes is more important.

Some of the suggestions baffle me given the year round weather criteria in the OP.
Yes Hawaii was mentioned a few times but the last time I was there in June 2016 or 17, it was very humid. Was that a one time experience? In short, how is the humidity??
marcopolo
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by marcopolo »

stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 2:30 pm
smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 12:07 pm
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 11:16 am
smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 7:27 am
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 6:19 am

OK. Based on that article Utah overall is 10th worst for ozone and 19th worst for particle pollution (out of 50 states). Not ideal, but certainly not bad enough to where it would be a consideration for us. I've lived here for close to half of my life now, my 60yr old parents live here, my wife's 95yr old grandparents have lived here their entire lives - no issues whatsoever with it. There are a lot of reasons someone may not like Utah (and there are pros and cons to every place), while we are aware that the air quality here isn't the best, this is one reason I have never hear is a significant factor.
That article is a very small and limited view of a very large topic. It is not so important what 'rating' Utah has in total versus other areas but what rating the area have where people tend to live in higher populations. Problems which include reoccurring air safety issues due to inversions are rising in frequency in the populated areas.
Similarly, the fact that folks may not be affected now (or not know) will not prevent them from being affected in the future for two reasons. The first is that as kids and/or adults age they can move from being unaffected to affected. The second is that being within an environment such as these can accelerate or cause some of these conditions.
Last I heard there were more than 35 million people in the US which would/could be greatly affected by air quality, that number has been rising.
You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live. That's your prerogative, but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant.

We live in Utah, the air quality here is objectively below average nationally, but that has never been an issue for us and it is not something OP mentioned (not that I am saying they should consider Utah - I think California, if it is their style, is the obvious answer)....The end.
"but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant."
That is exactly the purpose of threads like these - to discover something new that you have not thought about. Learning about something new is never a bad thing.

"You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live."
Would you consider the quality of air to be a low priority in general?
While I would certainly prefer better air quality over worse air quality, I do not believe it has an actual impact on my daily life. I've spent all but 5yrs of my life in states ranked #1, #2, and #3 for worst overall air quality in the country (California, Arizona, and Utah) and it has never been a consideration. I have never really noticed that it is an issue and I am significantly more physically active than the average person. I grew up in LA, which has among the worst air quality of any metro area in the country (far worse than my current area); nonetheless ~12M people choose to live in the LA metro area and it has been brought up multiple times in this thread as an option.

This shouldn't come as a shock, but one of the factors in air quality is population density. Air quality tends to be the worst where people want to live the most. Interestingly, some of the best hiking in the country also happens to be in areas rated poorly for overall air quality. I respect that it is a significant factor for you, but based on population trends it does not appear to be for a lot of other people in the U.S.. If this was a discussion about moving to China or India, that may be different.

OP, if air quality is one of your primary concerns, I'd cross California, Arizona, D.C. area, Utah, Nevada, Illinois, Colorado, etc. off your list. https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/ai ... -by-state/

I don't have a strong opinion on this, but the highlighted statement caught my attention. If you have not lived long stretches in places with really good air quality, can you really assess if the poor quality where you have always lived is having an impact or not?
Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.
marcopolo
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by marcopolo »

fitawrari wrote: Fri May 19, 2023 12:45 am
marcopolo wrote: Fri May 19, 2023 12:36 am
fitawrari wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:34 am My family and I are in our current city because of my work. I have been living here for over 15 years and I don't particularly like it. (I don't hate it either but we may need to change in the next few years.) My wife has been living shorter than that and feels the same.

We discussed moving but we couldn't find a city that checks the few must haves.

1/ We like to live near hiking trails (30 minutes or shorter drive to trailheads). We don't do extraneous hiking but like a wide variety of 5 hours or less hiking trails. Hiking is pretty much the only hobby we have, so this is on top of the list. Hiking is often associated with mountains, so we are looking for cities near a mountain.

2/ We like to live in a city that has a good year round weather. We dislike heavy snow in the winter and humidity in the summer.

3/ We like to live near family or friends.

These three requirements lead us to an empty set. So we relaxed our requirements to only the first two -- outdoor/hiking and weather.

Question: what cities have good outdoors/hiking activities and good year round weather?

Asheville NC seems to come near the top of many google searches I did. Cities near the Rockies have lots of snow and can get hot, though with low humidity.

Thank you!
Anywhere in Hawaii.

Oahu, if being in/close to a big city is a requirement.
The Big Island, if variety of hikes is more important.

Some of the suggestions baffle me given the year round weather criteria in the OP.
Yes Hawaii was mentioned a few times but the last time I was there in June 2016 or 17, it was very humid. Was that a one time experience? In short, how is the humidity??

Each of the islands have their own micro-climates. They typically have a dry side and a wet side. The dry side is almost never humid. The wet side can get very humid. The dry side can get a bit hot along the coast at sea level when the trade winds stop at times. That is easily avoided by being up a little higher in altitude.

We live on the dry side of the big island at about 1200 ft elevation, just a couple miles island from the water. We pretty much never have any high heat or humidity. We built a custom home here a few years ago. We did not bother to install any HVAC system at all. Most neighbors don't have them either. It is very comfortable year round.

We go on hikes at least a couple times a week. Anything from a flat coastal trail to thousands of feet of vertical. All with amazing views.
Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.
FunnelCakeBob
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by FunnelCakeBob »

marcopolo wrote: Fri May 19, 2023 12:57 am Each of the islands have their own micro-climates. They typically have a dry side and a wet side. The dry side is almost never humid. The wet side can get very humid. The dry side can get a bit hot along the coast at sea level when the trade winds stop at times. That is easily avoided by being up a little higher in altitude.

We live on the dry side of the big island at about 1200 ft elevation, just a couple miles island from the water. We pretty much never have any high heat or humidity. We built a custom home here a few years ago. We did not bother to install any HVAC system at all. Most neighbors don't have them either. It is very comfortable year round.

We go on hikes at least a couple times a week. Anything from a flat coastal trail to thousands of feet of vertical. All with amazing views.
Hawaii would be an amazing choice if cost isn't a consideration. Another consideration especially with the Big Island would be the vog if the volcanoes are spewing and the wind direction is just right.
stoptothink
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by stoptothink »

marcopolo wrote: Fri May 19, 2023 12:47 am
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 2:30 pm
smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 12:07 pm
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 11:16 am
smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 7:27 am

That article is a very small and limited view of a very large topic. It is not so important what 'rating' Utah has in total versus other areas but what rating the area have where people tend to live in higher populations. Problems which include reoccurring air safety issues due to inversions are rising in frequency in the populated areas.
Similarly, the fact that folks may not be affected now (or not know) will not prevent them from being affected in the future for two reasons. The first is that as kids and/or adults age they can move from being unaffected to affected. The second is that being within an environment such as these can accelerate or cause some of these conditions.
Last I heard there were more than 35 million people in the US which would/could be greatly affected by air quality, that number has been rising.
You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live. That's your prerogative, but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant.

We live in Utah, the air quality here is objectively below average nationally, but that has never been an issue for us and it is not something OP mentioned (not that I am saying they should consider Utah - I think California, if it is their style, is the obvious answer)....The end.
"but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant."
That is exactly the purpose of threads like these - to discover something new that you have not thought about. Learning about something new is never a bad thing.

"You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live."
Would you consider the quality of air to be a low priority in general?
While I would certainly prefer better air quality over worse air quality, I do not believe it has an actual impact on my daily life. I've spent all but 5yrs of my life in states ranked #1, #2, and #3 for worst overall air quality in the country (California, Arizona, and Utah) and it has never been a consideration. I have never really noticed that it is an issue and I am significantly more physically active than the average person. I grew up in LA, which has among the worst air quality of any metro area in the country (far worse than my current area); nonetheless ~12M people choose to live in the LA metro area and it has been brought up multiple times in this thread as an option.

This shouldn't come as a shock, but one of the factors in air quality is population density. Air quality tends to be the worst where people want to live the most. Interestingly, some of the best hiking in the country also happens to be in areas rated poorly for overall air quality. I respect that it is a significant factor for you, but based on population trends it does not appear to be for a lot of other people in the U.S.. If this was a discussion about moving to China or India, that may be different.

OP, if air quality is one of your primary concerns, I'd cross California, Arizona, D.C. area, Utah, Nevada, Illinois, Colorado, etc. off your list. https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/ai ... -by-state/

I don't have a strong opinion on this, but the highlighted statement caught my attention. If you have not lived long stretches in places with really good air quality, can you really assess if the poor quality where you have always lived is having an impact or not?
I lived in Texas (Houston and Austin) for 5yrs and it (better air quality) wasn't something I ever noticed. I've also been to almost every other state and visited over a dozen countries, and while there were certainly times where I could tell air quality was good (in very rural areas; shocking, I know), it didn't really change what I was able to do. Granted, I've never been to India or China, where air quality is a serious problem. I am fully aware of the possible health complications associated with long-term exposure to poor air quality, but that is a highly nuanced discussion (which can not take place on this board) and we could easily have the exact same discussion regarding many other environmental factors (water quality, air pollution, waste disposal issues, allergens, rodents and bugs, etc.).

While I respect that some people prioritize it, based on population data and the responses in this thread, most people in the U.S. don't have air quality among their top few priorities when deciding where to live and OP never mentioned it. No idea why Smitcat singled out Utah and me, when areas with similarly poor air quality (California, Colorado) have been mentioned more often. And again, I don't think Utah is a good option for OP, I simply noted that it checked those boxes for us.
smitcat
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by smitcat »

stoptothink wrote: Fri May 19, 2023 6:01 am
marcopolo wrote: Fri May 19, 2023 12:47 am
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 2:30 pm
smitcat wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 12:07 pm
stoptothink wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 11:16 am

You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live. That's your prerogative, but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant.

We live in Utah, the air quality here is objectively below average nationally, but that has never been an issue for us and it is not something OP mentioned (not that I am saying they should consider Utah - I think California, if it is their style, is the obvious answer)....The end.
"but looking at this thread, it doesn't appear as if it is primary consideration for OP or others responding. Therefore, I fail to see how your point about air quality and Utah is relevant."
That is exactly the purpose of threads like these - to discover something new that you have not thought about. Learning about something new is never a bad thing.

"You seem to have air quality way up on your list of priorities when deciding where to live."
Would you consider the quality of air to be a low priority in general?
While I would certainly prefer better air quality over worse air quality, I do not believe it has an actual impact on my daily life. I've spent all but 5yrs of my life in states ranked #1, #2, and #3 for worst overall air quality in the country (California, Arizona, and Utah) and it has never been a consideration. I have never really noticed that it is an issue and I am significantly more physically active than the average person. I grew up in LA, which has among the worst air quality of any metro area in the country (far worse than my current area); nonetheless ~12M people choose to live in the LA metro area and it has been brought up multiple times in this thread as an option.

This shouldn't come as a shock, but one of the factors in air quality is population density. Air quality tends to be the worst where people want to live the most. Interestingly, some of the best hiking in the country also happens to be in areas rated poorly for overall air quality. I respect that it is a significant factor for you, but based on population trends it does not appear to be for a lot of other people in the U.S.. If this was a discussion about moving to China or India, that may be different.

OP, if air quality is one of your primary concerns, I'd cross California, Arizona, D.C. area, Utah, Nevada, Illinois, Colorado, etc. off your list. https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/ai ... -by-state/

I don't have a strong opinion on this, but the highlighted statement caught my attention. If you have not lived long stretches in places with really good air quality, can you really assess if the poor quality where you have always lived is having an impact or not?
I lived in Texas (Houston and Austin) for 5yrs and it (better air quality) wasn't something I ever noticed. I've also been to almost every other state and visited over a dozen countries, and while there were certainly times where I could tell air quality was good (in very rural areas; shocking, I know), it didn't really change what I was able to do. Granted, I've never been to India or China, where air quality is a serious problem. I am fully aware of the possible health complications associated with long-term exposure to poor air quality, but that is a highly nuanced discussion (which can not take place on this board) and we could easily have the exact same discussion regarding many other environmental factors (water quality, air pollution, waste disposal issues, allergens, rodents and bugs, etc.).

While I respect that some people prioritize it, based on population data and the responses in this thread, most people in the U.S. don't have air quality among their top few priorities when deciding where to live and OP never mentioned it. No idea why Smitcat singled out Utah and me, when areas with similarly poor air quality (California, Colorado) have been mentioned more often. And again, I don't think Utah is a good option for OP, I simply noted that it checked those boxes for us.
"No idea why Smitcat singled out Utah and me, when areas with similarly poor air quality (California, Colorado) have been mentioned more often."
Neither you nor Utah was singled out, this was the original post here responding to where my brother is currently...
"Utah ticks the boxes for us, but we like all 4 seasons"
My brother has been there for 2 years now - do you not have issues with air quality at times?
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