Midwest/Great Lakes questions

[JA]

I'll be graduating college this summer and am going to start sending out applications to jobs further north, since I need to escape this wretched heat and actually have a real 4 seasons climate. Not to mention live somewhere actually affordable. Specifically, I was thinking in the Midwest somewhere - preferably the Great Lakes region since I'm more familiar with that region. There are so many cities to choose from even when I've done a lot of research to narrow it down based on quality of life, crime, economy, natural and artificial beauty, affordability, and local politics. Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't just mean big cities like Chicago or Minneapolis, but preferably smaller ones like Fort Wayne and Grand Rapids.

I'll be working in insurance sales with a BA in Sociology. I come from an area with high crime, but my neighborhood is safe enough to leave doors unlocked at night, so I'd like to feel reasonably safe. I'm a Democrat, but am used to living in a 70% suburban Republican county. So I'd like it a bit more liberal, but majority Republican isn't a big deal. I'd preferably rely on public transportation, uber/lyft, walking, or biking rather than driving. And I'll be living alone, so a small studio apartment wouldn't bother me. However, I'd love to own a small home within 10 years.

Obviously, I'd have to take a trip there before finally making a move. I'm actually planning a roadtrip this summer to the Midwest, so to have a list of places to visit would be very helpful. Any suggestions you guys could make would be much appreciated!

[JA]

Northeast Ohio has a fairly low cost of living and has diverse cuisines.

I assume you mean the Cleveland-Akron-Canton area. The COL there is about perfect for me, but I worry about the high crime rate in the cities and how their local economies are performing.

[JA]

City of Milwaukee would be good, plugging my own region. One of the countries largest personal life and DI companies here, you can either live in the central city downtown or the neighborhoods are great, or the burbs. Overall cheap. City is building like crazy, plenty of stuff to do.

I noticed Milwaukee has been receiving pretty high marks for its improving economy lately. But, doesn't the city have a fairly substantial crime rate? How safe do you feel traveling/living in the city?

[JA]

Snowguy716,

I've read nothing but good things about Rochester. The winters would be pretty rough, but it's right near the driftless region, which is one of my favorite places in America. What about tornadoes though? Considering it's a bit further inland, I assume that means it's more prone to severe weather.

[JA]

City of Milwaukee would be good, plugging my own region. One of the countries largest personal life and DI companies here, you can either live in the central city downtown or the neighborhoods are great, or the burbs. Overall cheap. City is building like crazy, plenty of stuff to do.

I noticed Milwaukee has been receiving pretty high marks for its improving economy lately. But, doesn't the city have a fairly substantial crime rate? How safe do you feel traveling/living in the city?

The city is having a car break in/stealing them problem right now. So if you buy a house or have a place with inside parking you're fine. I do think the media is hyping it up more now. The actual other crime rate is really black on black crime, particularly shootings and murders. So unless you do illegal drugs or are in a gang the chances of anything happen to you besides your car getting broken into aren't that likely.

So the crime in Milwaukee wouldn't be something for me to worry much about. Around where I live, the crime often includes wealthier areas so there's not an entirely safe neighborhood that isn't gated. Armed robberies, home invasions, and people dying from random gunfire is an unfortunately common occurrence throughout my area. That doesn't even include intentional homicides. So whenever I read about a city's crime, it's from the context of the big city I live near.

[JA]

Most cities keep their crime hidden away.  Even "scary" places like Chicago and St.Louis you feel safe in 80% of the city.

I'd pimp Omaha, but meh...why?  If you're cool, you'll find your way here, if you're not, you won't.  It's ok with us either way

Omaha is a great city and would be good for an insurance career, but I'm a little too afraid of tornadoes, to which your area is so prone. Same with Des Moines.

[JA]

I would very much recommend Grand Rapids. I think its the perfect sized town, its pretty cheap. While western Michigan is thought of as a very conservative area, Grand Rapids seems to have a very nice mix of both conservatives and liberals. If I get a job offer up there after law school I am probably going to head up there. Chicago is great too though.

Grand Rapids is probably my number one target at this point. It has a solid economy, good job market, low cost, low crime, and right near Lake Michigan. I've read a lot of good things about Fort Wayne and Columbus as well.

[JA]

Omaha is a great city and would be good for an insurance career, but I'm a little too afraid of tornadoes, to which your area is so prone. Same with Des Moines.

Five (5) people have died in Douglas County (of which Omaha is most of) since 1956 in a tornado....3 of those in one storm. cite I'm sure more people have been killed by golf balls.

You've had more, but smaller in your county over that time frame.


I've been here 19+ years, never seen one, never seen any damage from one, never been all that close to one.  I lived on the Gulf Coast before moving here for a little less than 3 years and evacuated for hurricanes twice.  OK and N.TX are the ones that get hit a lot.  Nebraska and Kansas get them too, but only out in the flat part where people don't live.  Omaha (and most all of E.NE) is just rolling hills...tornadoes don't like those.

See, this is why I like getting a local's view of things rather than just rely on statistics. I guess Omaha is actually a pretty good spot then. Personally, I love the rolling hills and farmland of much of the Midwest like you have around Omaha. What about Lincoln? How are the storms and lifestyle there?

[JA]

You can get any kind of weather in Rochester except hurricanes.  But there are plenty of periods where the weather is gorgeous.  Tornadoes won't be a problem.. but severe thunderstorms, blizzards, intense cold, and periods of very hot and humid weather occur.

How's the job market for insurance sales in Rochester?

[JA]

When you say insurance, I don't know if you are talking retail sales or corporate career. If the latter, Bloomington-Normal, IL is another place to look at. It is home to State Farm and Country Financial, and has an very active arts and cultural scene for a community its size, anchored by Illinois State University with 21,000 students.

I was referring to the latter, yes. I had read that Bloomington-Normal is a metro with a large corporate insurance job market, but it seems like such a small place. I don't want Chicago type of big, but I've never lived anywhere with only about 150-200,000 people.

[JA]

If you're in insurance, you should really consider Columbus.  Minneapolis is wonderful.  Madison is wonderful.  Ann Arbor is lovely (and I say that even as a Spartan).  Grand Rapids has a very nice reputation.  I was born in Fort Wayne; I moved away when I was 4, so I don't personally know much about it, but even by Midwestern standards it has a reputation for being dull.

IMO, though, you can't go wrong, and I'm jealous you have that kind of flexibility!

Columbus is definitely on my list. It has a better economy than Ohio's other big cities, is attracting young people, has a large insurance job market, and is a relatively safe city. Have you been to Columbus before? And I know those other cities are all very popular and attractive, but aside from Grand Rapids they're on their way to becoming pretty pricey.

These are the cities I'd consider to be on my list right now (in no particular order)...

Grand Rapids, MI
Columbus, OH
Omaha, NE
Rochester, NY

Cities under consideration...

Bloomington, IL
Rochester, MN
Milwaukee, WI
Cleveland, OH
Buffalo, NY
Green Bay, WI
Des Moines, IA

[JA]

If you're looking for insurance jobs specifically, the Twin Cities will be your best bet by far in Minnesota.  There are some big players there. 

And the Twin Cities have 3 million but it's not "the big city" by any means.  Most of Minneapolis and St. Paul have a very "streetcar suburb" feel (developed in the 1900-1950 era). 

Much of it looks like this:


You would still drive to your nearby Target or Aldi.  St. Paul especially tries to maintain an air of "small town living in the city".

I think of the Twin Cities, St. Paul would be my favorite. No doubt it's a beautiful, booming metro with everything I could want. But what about the COL? How's the ratio of pay to rent + utilities?

[JA]

If you're in insurance, you should really consider Columbus.  Minneapolis is wonderful.  Madison is wonderful.  Ann Arbor is lovely (and I say that even as a Spartan).  Grand Rapids has a very nice reputation.  I was born in Fort Wayne; I moved away when I was 4, so I don't personally know much about it, but even by Midwestern standards it has a reputation for being dull.

IMO, though, you can't go wrong, and I'm jealous you have that kind of flexibility!

Columbus is definitely on my list. It has a better economy than Ohio's other big cities, is attracting young people, has a large insurance job market, and is a relatively safe city. Have you been to Columbus before? And I know those other cities are all very popular and attractive, but aside from Grand Rapids they're on their way to becoming pretty pricey.

These are the cities I'd consider to be on my list right now (in no particular order)...

Grand Rapids, MI
Columbus, OH
Omaha, NE
Rochester, NY

Cities under consideration...

Bloomington, IL
Rochester, MN
Milwaukee, WI
Cleveland, OH
Buffalo, NY
Green Bay, WI
Des Moines, IA

Currently attending college in Columbus and I can say it's a beautiful city. It's growing very quickly, and the economy is booming. If you want to work in insurance, many of the cities' major employers are in finance (Chase, Nationwide, etc). Fairly affordable too.

How easy is it to get around Columbus without a vehicle?

[JA]

Chicago is by far the best of the bunch if Insurance is what you're looking for, take it from me!  Aon, CNA just to name a few..

Chicago's basically safe if you avoid the Southsude and other sketchy neighborhoods, yes? Like I asked another person about the Rwin Cities - what's the COL? How's the ratio of pay to rent + utilities?

[JA]

Minneapolis is 24% more expensive than Omaha, housing is 54% more.  cite (Chicago and Minneapolis are basically tied, FYI)

Columbus is cheaper than Omaha barely

Rochester is even cheaper but only because rent's are in the toilet, everything else is more expensive, but only slightly so.

Rochester is even cheaper than Des Moines cite, but not really. 


Why the hell is rents so low in Rochester?

I definitely think Omaha is one of the most beautiful Midwestern cities, based on pictures of course. But what about getting around without a vehicle? How difficult is it? I don't mind using lyft/uber now and then, since that'd still be cheaper than the costs of owning a vehicle.