9 Tips: How to Decide Where to Live

Deciding where to live isn’t a task for the faint of heart. It’s a job for someone who isn’t afraid to take a deep dive into the research to determine which locale would be the best fit.

Although it’ll take some time and effort, finding the right place to live has a huge payoff — namely satisfaction, opportunity, and comfort.

There are many factors that will influence your decision on where to live, including pay, cost of living, opportunities, entertainment options, and much more.

This guide will help you build a strategy to help you decide where to live. Let’s dive in!

9 Tips for Deciding Where to Live

Whether you’ve decided that it’s time to move out of your parent's house or you’re simply ready to begin your next chapter, it all starts with deciding where you want to live.

Check out these tips to help you choose the right place to live.

1. Make Sure You Can Afford It

At the heart of every successful moving strategy is a well-thought-out apartment budget.

The simple fact is that you shouldn’t move to a place where you can't afford to live comfortably. So, when you're deciding where to live, create a budget first.

Your apartment budget should start with a rent line item that represents the amount of rent you can afford to pay each month.

Once you have your rent estimate, add line items that include estimated utilities, food costs, transportation costs, and other associated expenses for that area you want to move to.

Check out our local guides for cost of living estimations on city and state levels. You might also find our average rent trends reports useful when budgeting for an apartment.

If you have your budget settled, you’ll need to start thinking about moving costs, which are a one-time expense that can really put a dent in your bank account.

Moving costs include the cost of professional moving services, furnishing your apartment, security deposits, and first and last months’ rent.

The cost of moving can easily reach a few thousand dollars, but it increases exponentially if you are considering moving across the country or making any kind of long-distance move.

So, when considering where to live and affordability, don’t forget to consider moving costs!

2. Find Out If There Are Jobs Available

When looking for a new place to call home, it’s crucial to research the local job market to find out if there are jobs in your industry available.

Furthermore, it’s inadvisable to move to a new location without having a job lined up.

Not only is it a risky financial decision, but it can make it extremely challenging for you to land an apartment because you won’t be able to provide proof of income.

You will need to spend a substantial amount of time researching the job market for your industry. Fortunately, there are plenty of virtual resources available to job seekers, regardless of their location.

First and foremost, check out the largest local employers in your industry. If you work in the healthcare field, for example, local hospitals, clinics, and assisted living facilities should make up the bulk of your research.

Additionally, if the area you are considering has a concentration of businesses in your industry in a single area, you may consider moving near that area to reduce your commute time.

Of course, you can always start your search on popular job listing sites like Indeed, Monster, LinkedIn Jobs, AngelList (startups), and ZipRecruiter. Just filter your search to the city you’re considering.

If you are a remote worker or looking for exclusively remote positions, choosing a city from our “Best Cities for Remote Workers” post will help you find a city that best suits your lifestyle.

3. Know What the Weather is Like

Consider the weather and climate that you’re used to. Moving from sunny SoCal to the Northeast will be a jarring experience once the first winter freeze happens.

Have you ever driven in the snow? Do you love the great outdoors? How do you handle extreme heat or cold?

These are questions you must ask yourself before moving to a new location. Of course, adapting to a new climate is possible, but it may not be easy.

4. Make Sure You'll Be Safe

Every city has neighborhoods that are considered unsafe. Most long-term residents are aware of these neighborhoods and can avoid or navigate them with ease. However, new residents should research neighborhood safety.

If you are using Apartment List to find your next apartment, safety ratings are located on city listing pages. If you prefer to do your own research, check out your city’s crime statistics which can usually be found on the city’s official website or the local police department website.

These statistics usually offer insight into the local crime levels and what to look out for, so be sure to use them!

5. Figure Out How Far Your Friends and Family Will Be

Moving out of your family home and away from your loved ones can be stressful. However, the feeling of loneliness usually doesn’t creep in until a little later.

If you prefer to see your friends and family on a regular basis, you’ll want to stay as close as possible to your current city. That way, it will be convenient for you and your loved ones to continue to see one another.

That said, if you move over 45 minutes from your current city, you may consider how less often you and your loved ones will be able to connect.

Moreover, in an emergency situation or even fulfilling simple favors are significantly more complicated when you throw a 45+ minute distance in the mix.

Of course, if you’re ready to start your next adventure and want to face the challenge of making new friends and connections in a new city — distance shouldn’t be an issue!

6. Get an Idea of the Culture

Understanding the local culture of the city you would like to move to is essential. Seriously. You don’t want to be a football hater in Buffalo, NY, no more than you would like to be a BBQ hater in the deep South.

Knowing local culture can help you determine if you would be a good fit in the city. More importantly, you’ll be able to determine how your lifestyle would be impacted by a move.

Here is a list of potential cultural aspects to research when deciding where to live.

• Churches
• Local Politics
• Local Art Scene
• Entertainment Options
• LGBTQ+ Communities & Safe Spaces
• Local Delicacies
• Demographics
• Sports

7. Determine Your Commute

Cyclists should look for a city that boasts an extensive bike path network, like San Francisco. Those looking for very walkable cities should opt for apartment options located in downtown city centers.

If your city or town is large enough, you can easily find the average commute time for a resident via the Department of Labor Statistics “QuickFacts” tool.

If not, you can simply use Google Maps or other navigation tools to plot different routes and methods of transportation from your preferred neighborhoods to your workplace in your new city.

8. Know Where to Access Health Care

Accessible healthcare may seem like a ubiquitous feature of living in the US, but there are some major caveats to that benefit.

You’ll need to consider your health insurance and which providers are in-network. When you receive care from an out-of-network provider, you may experience significantly higher costs than you would experience otherwise.

If you don’t have health insurance, you’ll need to research local low-to-no-cost clinics in your chosen city. It’s also beneficial to ensure that you live within a short distance of your healthcare provider.

9. Learn the Public Transportation Options

Bus, train, ferry, or ride-sharing — knowing how to get around in a city will help you determine whether the city is a good fit for you.

You’ll want to research local public transportation options, including the cost for passes, route options, and the best-served neighborhoods.

If you want to solely rely on public transportation in your new location, you’ll need to ensure that the public transit options allow for easy access to necessities, including your workplace, grocery stores, laundromats, and other supply stores.

However, this is the digital age. Services like Instacart and Amazon make it super easy to live without a car. You can get all manner of groceries delivered right to your door, albeit at a slightly higher price.

The choice is yours.

4 Tips on How to Find Your Next Home

If you’ve found a place that you know will fulfill all your basic needs, it’s time to consider your wants during your apartment hunt.

If you really want to ensure that you choose the right place to live, it might be useful to add a few more steps to your strategy for finding a new place.

The following steps will help you find an apartment that best fits your preferences by personalizing your apartment search. Here are some additional tips to help you figure out where to live.

1. Make a List of Your Priorities

Know what you want out of your chosen city and your apartment. For cities, you should consider the following to determine your priorities:

• Public transportation options
• Infrastructure Quality
• Cost
• Quality of Life
• Entertainment Options

For apartments, you should consider the following apartment amenities to determine your priorities:

• Location
• Size
• In-unit Laundry
• Parking
• Security Features
• Access to Fitness Centers

You can let your fantasies run a little wild during this phase. You may not get everything you want, but you can at least figure out which features and amenities are most important to you.

Once you’ve compiled a list of priorities, you’ll likely find it much easier to narrow down your options.

2. Inquire About Multiple Places

When considering where you’re going to live, don’t narrow down your choices too early. This advice applies to both settling on a location and finding apartments.

The 2022 rental market has been piping hot due to both a pandemic rebound and increased interest in renting.

That means, when you are searching for an apartment in a new city, it’s essential to start looking for apartments as early as possible and inquiring about multiple available units.

You can expect it to take at least a month to land an apartment and maybe even more if you’re looking to rent an apartment sight unseen.

Finally, if you are looking at multiple prospective locations, take the time to compile a list of pros and cons for each location, so you can compare them later.

3. Reach Out to Local Real Estate Agents

Real estate agents are the unsung heroes of the rental industry. While most cities and rental options don’t require renters to enlist the services of real estate agents, these professionals boast a wealth of experience that simply can’t be matched.

If you don’t know where you want to live, you can get in touch with real estate agents in your chosen city to ask for recommendations. Most agents will be more than happy to provide advice if you give them enough information about your preferences.

Although real estate agents or brokers will cost you, their services could be the difference between finding a decent apartment and finding your dream home. This could be essential to a seamless rental experience if you’re moving to another state.

4. Visit If You Can

While you’ve read the word “research” in this guide many times, there’s really nothing that compares to visiting a city you are considering moving to before you make the move.

Whenever possible, take a trip to visit the city you are interested in moving to. Not only will this enable you to get an accurate idea of the city, but you can also take advantage of being in town and tour some apartments.

Final Thoughts

Deciding where to live is such a huge decision that its importance can’t be overstated. Seriously. Your choice will impact the type of people you meet, the quality of schools your children will go to, and pretty much every other aspect of your life.

That’s why it’s crucial to take the time to thoroughly research any new cities or locales that you are considering for your move.

Once you’ve taken the time to research your next hometown, narrow down your options by starting your hunt on Apartment List. Take our apartment quiz to get matched with apartments that are just right for you.