Relocation with shooting in mind...

[Galil5.56]

I retired early and am 52, just me, and want to move to a place where I can ideally again have a range behind my home, privacy, and peace & quiet. Currently live in NW PA, and am open to areas pretty much other than really hot and humid summers, crazy AZ type heat, dreary winters, crazy high taxes/real estate/rent costs, and insular, unwelcoming folks. I'm live and let live, and don't try to change the culture where I move to.

I lived in Utah for a few years in the early 90's and liked the climate/gun culture pretty well, so perhaps "Out West" is calling me again, but it seems home/rent prices are crazy high as ever. I also see firearm laws/regulations have changed a lot, esp in CO, WA, NV and OR... PA is a downright paradise from some of what I am seeing.

So how about it; what leads and suggestions can you give me to help me start my quest? I know what I ask might seem vague or disjointed - Just the same I appreciate the help, and will answer any specifics here or via PM. Thank you very much.

 

[2ndtimer]

Am also retired, considering fleeing Washington State and seeking asylum in a free state. Trying to convince my wife that Idaho or Wyoming would be preferable. I love Montana, but they aren't exactly friendly to retirees, tax-wise. South Dakota also is appealing. The downside to these locations is the nasty cold winters, but ironically, that is what probably keeps the "snowflakes" away.

 

[adcoch1]

Am also retired, considering fleeing Washington State and seeking asylum in a free state. Trying to convince my wife that Idaho or Wyoming would be preferable. I love Montana, but they aren't exactly friendly to retirees, tax-wise. South Dakota also is appealing. The downside to these locations is the nasty cold winters, but ironically, that is what probably keeps the "snowflakes" away.

Pretty much what I was going to say. Leaving Washington when we get the chance with sights set on Idaho or Montana. I have decades before I will be retired, so the tax thing in Montana is not too much of an issue for us. Wyoming and the Dakotas would be great too if you like COLD winters...

 

[Texas10mm]

I can tell you what my wife and I did.

We had lived in Portland OR since 1989. In 2012 my health required that I no longer work. We knew that we wanted to get the hell out of the Pacific NW. Cost of living is crazy. In Oregon you can't go outside the city limits and just buy some land and build a house. Nope, not unless it already has a house. You have to buy at least 80 acres, show farm income for five years, then ask the Government masters for permission to build a house, permission they are in no way required to grant.

I grew up in Southern Idaho and my wife in Montana. We knew we wanted to get out of the snow zone.

I became a 100% disabled veteran due to my health problems. So moving to a location that had decent benefits for me were one consideration.

Here's our priority list in order.

1. Out of the snow zone
2. Close to a Costco
3. Close to a VA hospital
4. Good benefits for disabled Veterans
5. Lower cost of living, to include housing
6. Somewhere I could fish and shoot
7. Somewhere the politics were more aligned with our beliefs

After much research we decided that North Texas would meet all these requirements.

If you live outside the city limits and have 10 or more acres you can shoot on your property. Cost of living is much lower than the Pacific NW. We live about 45 minutes outside Dallas. If we were another 30 minutes east property costs would drop dramatically.

However! There's very little public land in Texas. One can't just drive out in the woods and start shooting. Someone owns those woods. I belong to a good club about 30 minutes from the house. 20 and 50 yard pistol ranges, 100 and 200 yard rifle ranges, and all the shotgun stuff. $170 a year for 0700-dark/365 day a year shooting.

There's good deer hunting in the area if you've got a lease. Lots of hog hunting. Lots of fishing. Very low chance of snow. It can get hot in the summer, that's the one drawback. At 50° I'm in shorts and a tee shirt while fishing for shooting. I'm also sweating. But we have central AC in the house so I can manage it.

We paid $265k for a six year old custom built house of 2500 sq ft on 2.5 acres. It's more house than we need but the price was too good to pass up. Houses in this area are now going for $325k and up. Our house is the second largest in this neighborhood and has the largest lot.

We couldn't be happier in our choice of North Texas. When we first visited in 2013 it felt like home from the second we got off the plane.

I'd suggest you make up a priority list and rule out all the places that don't have those. That should leave you a small number of places to actually start to research.

 

[Texas10mm]

Am also retired, considering fleeing Washington State and seeking asylum in a free state. Trying to convince my wife that Idaho or Wyoming would be preferable. I love Montana, but they aren't exactly friendly to retirees, tax-wise. South Dakota also is appealing. The downside to these locations is the nasty cold winters, but ironically, that is what probably keeps the "snowflakes" away.

Pretty much what I was going to say. Leaving Washington when we get the chance with sights set on Idaho or Montana. I have decades before I will be retired, so the tax thing in Montana is not too much of an issue for us. Wyoming and the Dakotas would be great too if you like COLD winters...

Western Idaho is rapidly turning sour. I grew up in Nampa. It's not a hotbed of latino gang activity. The home prices in the whole Boise metro area have gone NUTS. Californians coming in with monopoly money are paying crazy prices. Locals are being priced out.

I've still got a lot of family in the Boise area and childhood friends in Nampa, I still have connections in Pocatello too. I guess having grown up there and seeing how much it had changed soured me on Idaho.

 

[hdwhit]

galil5.56 wrote:
...want to move to a place where I can ideally again have a range behind my home, privacy, and peace & quiet.

Try North, Central Arkansas. Particularly Fulton, Izard, Sharp and Stone counties. Try Baxter or Independence counties if you need less privacy and more services. Land is cheap. People are friendly. State Government and Law Enforcement are generally pro-2A. Winters are far more mild than Pennsylvania.

I have retired to an 118 acre former-catfish farm. I have a private shooting range that is 225 meters long, perfectly flat, across the berm of the dam that contains the lake on my property. I grew up here. I know the culture. Even though it is vastly different from Dallas/Ft. Worth where I lived for 30+ years, I have chosen to adapt.

Arkansas is part of the South. If you expect it to be just like Pennsylvania, please DON'T come - you will be bitterly disappointed. If you can't accept the fact the Electrician, Plumber, or HVAC repairman might stop and fish for a couple of hours if he sees fish running in the creek he has to cross to get to you, then you should NOT come.

If you ARE willing to make the change, then please come, I would welcome you as a neighbor.

 

[OneFreeTexan]

Retired,,,,western Michigan,,,the ‘Gold Coast’. Sure we have winters, but they are moderated by the big Lake....I don’t ski, or snowshore, or snowmobile anymore,,,however, seeem to keep very busy in my workshop,,with and without my guns,,,,I can shoot every day of the year right out my garage doors. Land is cheap,,, rural people are great. Concealed carry and open carry both allowed,,, some of the best fishing there is, streams, small lakes, and the Big Lake....Hunting,,,,,have to walk about 200 yards to my hunting spot,, don’t even use a stand, just plunk down on the ground,,,,have got deer every year for the last 12....
Summers, with all the beaches,,, oh, wow,,,did I mention bikinis on those girls that want to show they didn’t lose it during the winter....whew.

 

[ontarget]

I second Western Michigan. Buy a couple of acres that border state or federal land and shoot to your hearts content.

 

[rpenmanparker]

I can tell you what my wife and I did.

We had lived in Portland OR since 1989. In 2012 my health required that I no longer work. We knew that we wanted to get the hell out of the Pacific NW. Cost of living is crazy. In Oregon you can't go outside the city limits and just buy some land and build a house. Nope, not unless it already has a house. You have to buy at least 80 acres, show farm income for five years, then ask the Government masters for permission to build a house, permission they are in no way required to grant.

I grew up in Southern Idaho and my wife in Montana. We knew we wanted to get out of the snow zone.

I became a 100% disabled veteran due to my health problems. So moving to a location that had decent benefits for me were one consideration.

Here's our priority list in order.

1. Out of the snow zone
2. Close to a Costco
3. Close to a VA hospital
4. Good benefits for disabled Veterans
5. Lower cost of living, to include housing
6. Somewhere I could fish and shoot
7. Somewhere the politics were more aligned with our beliefs

After much research we decided that North Texas would meet all these requirements.

If you live outside the city limits and have 10 or more acres you can shoot on your property. Cost of living is much lower than the Pacific NW. We live about 45 minutes outside Dallas. If we were another 30 minutes east property costs would drop dramatically.

However! There's very little public land in Texas. One can't just drive out in the woods and start shooting. Someone owns those woods. I belong to a good club about 30 minutes from the house. 20 and 50 yard pistol ranges, 100 and 200 yard rifle ranges, and all the shotgun stuff. $170 a year for 0700-dark/365 day a year shooting.

There's good deer hunting in the area if you've got a lease. Lots of hog hunting. Lots of fishing. Very low chance of snow. It can get hot in the summer, that's the one drawback. At 50° I'm in shorts and a tee shirt while fishing for shooting. I'm also sweating. But we have central AC in the house so I can manage it.

We paid $265k for a six year old custom built house of 2500 sq ft on 2.5 acres. It's more house than we need but the price was too good to pass up. Houses in this area are now going for $325k and up. Our house is the second largest in this neighborhood and has the largest lot.

We couldn't be happier in our choice of North Texas. When we first visited in 2013 it felt like home from the second we got off the plane.

I'd suggest you make up a priority list and rule out all the places that don't have those. That should leave you a small number of places to actually start to research.

Tanya Tucker said it best:

“When I die, I may not go to Heaven.
I don’t know if they let cowboys in.
If they don’t, then let me go to Texas.
Texas is as close as I’ve been.”

Forget about the heat. It is a non-issue. You cannot do better than Texas. No state income tax. Reasonable sales tax. Reasonable real estate. Plenty of gun freedom and lots of places to shoot no matter what that means to you.

 

[denton]

Utah is still a great place to live. Yes, we have winter, but it's not as brutal as what I grew up in, in SE Idaho. Some parts of the state have crazy home prices, but if you get out of the Provo-Ogden corridor, they are still pretty reasonable. Most of the state is public land. What's not to like? My sister lives in the southern part of the state, in St. George. There are about 3 months in the summer that are hot there, but the other 9 months are very pleasant indeed.

We lived on Michigan's west coast, and liked it a lot. The lake mitigates the weather considerably. The problem with lake effect is that it is exactly as hard to shovel as snow. Still, that area is probably the most pleasant spot in the whole Midwest, for all the reasons mentioned.

You might think about something around Carson City, NV. We lived about 15 miles south of there, and also liked it a lot. Winters, not too severe, summers, not too hot. Easy access to Lake Tahoe. Great hiking opportunities in the Sierras. Head south toward Bishop, and you'll drive through some really magnificent scenery. I used to walk up to a gravel quarry near our house and plink with an '06 if that gives you perspective.

In all of those places, we found great neighbors.

 

[Mn Fats]

Forget about the heat. It is a non-issue.

I wish I could hack it in the heat. Above 80° and I need a pool or AC. Hunter Thompson said something along the lines of "my blood is too thick for California. I've never been able to properly explain myself in this climate". I can't either.

Texas is my second home though and it's where my Ma lives. I like visiting in Dec/Jan and getting strange looks in shorts and a t shirt while their all in their parkas at 60°.

I'll take snow over heat. And I dont like the idea that I could be murdered by a bug.

When I watch hickok45 out of Tennessee I think? Seems like he's in a good spot gun/weather wise.

"If heaven ain't a lot like dixie, I don't want to go. If heaven ain't a lot like dixie, I'd just assume stay home". I like the Tanya reference. I like the Hank one a smidge more

 

[sevt_chevelle]

I lived in Kansas city for 12 years. The firearms culture is great. Where I lived within a 25 min radius i had 12-13 gun stores, 4 indoor ranges. With a 40 min drive i had two outdoor ranges with one going to 500 yds. Kansas and Missouri are two of best states firearm wise.

 

[IdaD]

Idaho sucks. Just...trust me, it's not even worth a visit.

Try Utah, Montana, Wyoming or Colorado.

Just not Idaho.

Thanks in advance.

 

[coondogger]

New Hampshire has constitutional carry and that include open carry. No registration. No asking for permission. Nobody saying sad things like 'it's only a few more weeks til I (might) get my permit -- I can hardly wait." Vermont has constitutional carry and so does Maine. That means a man can travel between the three states, armed and free, the way the United States Constitution intended. And Vermont and New Hampshire have the lowest violent crime and murder rates in the country. I know, shocka. If you want to live like a free man, not having to rationalize each successive assault on your liberty, move up here. Or you can go to a better climate or more exciting night life, and continue to live on your knees.

 

[KansasSasquatch]

I lived in Kansas city for 12 years. The firearms culture is great. Where I lived within a 25 min radius i had 12-13 gun stores, 4 indoor ranges. With a 40 min drive i had two outdoor ranges with one going to 500 yds. Kansas and Missouri are two of best states firearm wise.

What range goes to 500? The only one I know of is MCRC and it ain't exactly easy to become a member.

To the OP: Of all the places I've been I think Kentucky and South Carolina are my favorites. I think when I retire I'm going to talk my wife into moving to the Western half of SC. Beautiful country in the mountains, decent weather, not heavily populated, gun friendly.

 

[G'dale Mike]

Alabama has some of the lowest property taxes in the country, acreage is fairly reasonable and a very good gun culture. In my county, concealed carry permits are 7.50/ year, you can buy up to 5 yrs at a time(35$) and they only do a background check, no classes, no hoops. I live in Jefferson county, plenty of gun clubs and a billion hunting clubs. We have a ton of pigs, coyotes, deer, etc. cant think of a much better place to hang your hat.

 

[George P]

Northern Al, Northern GA, Northern SC (Blue Ridge country) will keep you away from the oppressive heat/humidity that makes up a Southern summer while still living in some of the free states from a gun perspective

 

[bannockburn]

KansasSasquatch

Of all the places I've been I think Kentucky and South Carolina are my favorites. I think when I retire I'm going to talk my wife into moving to the Western half of SC. Beautiful country in the mountains, decent weather, not heavily populated, gun friendly.

I have been many times to both states and I heartily agree with you that either one would be a great area to retire to.

Now all I have to do is convince my wife (most of her family is in New York).

 

[Ks5shooter]

Don't even look at NJ.............................................

 

[papaairbear]

Idaho sucks. Just...trust me, it's not even worth a visit.

Try Utah, Montana, Wyoming or Colorado.

Just not Idaho.

Thanks in advance.

10 to 15 degrees below zero with 15 to 25 mph winds and the temps feel like -40! STRONG religious influence, and social rejection towards anyone wearing a belt without a western buckle, dry as the Sahara desert with hot winds in the summer. It is indeed a horrible place to live.

 

[Old Dog]

Lotsa doom and gloom hereabouts ... how's the climate in the Czech Republic or Slovenia looking these days?

For me and the wife (assuming she wants to come with me upon final retirement), our short list is Arkansas, both Carolinas and Tennessee (in alphabetical order, of course).

Would be nice if we could have a vacation cabin on the beach in Belize or Costa Rica, though ...

 

[Obturation]

South east tennessee is cheap, low taxes, gun friendly but a lot of the people you meet may not be. Best to bring your own money and woman, 2 things that area lacks.there are a lot of good people too but a lot of dumb back woods billys that will dislike you cause your grand dad didnt know their grand dad type of thing. I lived there for a while but needed to make a living and was forced to leave. Very few regulations, when its time to retire ill move back.

 

[rpenmanparker]

I wish I could hack it in the heat. Above 80° and I need a pool or AC. Hunter Thompson said something along the lines of "my blood is too thick for California. I've never been able to properly explain myself in this climate". I can't either.

Texas is my second home though and it's where my Ma lives. I like visiting in Dec/Jan and getting strange looks in shorts and a t shirt while their all in their parkas at 60°.

I'll take snow over heat. And I dont like the idea that I could be murdered by a bug.

When I watch hickok45 out of Tennessee I think? Seems like he's in a good spot gun/weather wise.

"If heaven ain't a lot like dixie, I don't want to go. If heaven ain't a lot like dixie, I'd just assume stay home". I like the Tanya reference. I like the Hank one a smidge more

Lots of AC here.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

I love reading these relocating threads because it makes me think about how great it is in other states.

If I'm ever afforded the chance in the future I'm thinking the northeast tip or very north midwest of the country.

I prefer the dry cold to the humid heat.

 

[Demi-human]

We would love to have you in Michigan.

It has all the seasons, fiercely.
There are places that the taxes can be mitigated.
The humans are generally friendly.
There are a great many places to use a firearm.
No where is a man not within ten minutes of decent fishing.
We have a few lakes that are good for boating, or shipping freight, you may have heard of them...
The bears respect your garden and only eat your bird seed.
The deer don't, which makes the hunting of them all the more pleasing.
Did I mention the hunting? Especially ducks!
It really is an all around great place to be!