Moving can be stressful especially if it is out of state and even more so if you don’t know a lot about the state or city you are moving to. If you type in, “what to know before moving out of state” into Google, there 2.28 Billion search items in less than .71 seconds. That can be very overwhelming. To make it easier for you, here are our top 7 questions to ask yourself before moving out of state.
1. What does the job market look like?
If you are moving for a job, CONGRATULATIONS! If you are looking for a job in the Denver Metro area – there are plenty of jobs available. The Denver Post reported in May 2018 that our unemployment rated was below 3%. Update your LinkedIn profile to look for jobs in Denver. You can also use Indeed to find a job.
2. When should I move?
According to Moving.com, the most cost-effective time to move is Mid-September to April. Just remember, if you are moving to Colorado snow can start to fall as early as September but late October is more likely. And Wikipedia states March is the 2nd snowiest month with 10.7 inches on average
3. What is the housing market like?
Courtesy of www.videoblocks.com
Whether you are looking to Buy or Rent, knowing what you will pay for your living situation is vital. CNBC with the Federal Housing Administration (yes if you read the article CNBC says Federal Housing Association which is incorrect) has a rule of thumb to not spend more than 30% of your gross (before taxes and expenses). There is a neat chart for your reference. Check it out and see where you rank! Learn more about Denver in this blog post of ours: “Five Things you Need to Know about Denver.”
4. Where should I live?
Image courtesy of www.metrowestres.com
Do you want to be close to the mountains? Do you want to live close to your office? Getting to know the neighborhoods can be fun. Once you have an idea of what you need and want to be close to, it will be easier to identify where you could live.
5. What is the cost of living?
I love that our beautiful state ranks in the top 10 best states for early retirement. The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation Enter your current city and state and current salary. The output will compare salary, and price differences on groceries, housing, utilities, transportation and health care. For example: If you currently live in Chicago making $75,000 a year – you will need to make at least $67,950 a year in Denver. Your groceries will be about 10% less, Housing will be 16% less, Utilities 3% more, Transportation 18% less, and health care will be 3% more.
6. How is the weather?
Check out #2 on 5 things you should know about Denver. We have lots and lost of sunshine. 67% of our days are sunny ones. And generally, when we do get snow, it will melt on the streets the next day – making your commute to work or outdoor activities more tolerable.
7. What is the Crime Rate?
As you can tell from our blogpost about the Denver neighborhoods , there are 78 official neighborhoods. CityWide Data reported in July 2018 that murder was down 50% from 2017, -1.7% Rape, -10.3% Robbery, +1.81 Aggravated Assault in Denver. Once you have identified where you would like to live, use the Denver Police Departments cumulative data and data by month for more specific information.
We hope you find this information valuable.
