I'm in a position to move to anywhere in the USA, where should I go?

Put your big belongings in storage, pack a car and spend the next few months shopping around. Visit cities and places you think you'd like, get an Airbnb for a month or 2. I did this when COVID first hit (am still doing it) and love it.

I was coming from NYC, so I've been able to actually lessen my rent, even through Airbnb.

I loved Portland, San Diego, Austin and Boulder.

The likelihood that someone tells you a place to move and they're right about it for you us low. You can work remote, utilize that fully and become location independent for a while. Move around. Stay in a place a few months, get out and try to meet local people, leave if it doesn't suit you and go somewhere else til you've found it.

You want rain and mild weather, the pacific northwest west of the cascade mountains fits the bill. Affordability and within a 90 minute drive to a metropolitan area are not going to happen there.

Closer to the ocean mediates temperature extremes. Also there's more to do. Mountains are nice too, but winters are colder. Maybe consider along the coast south of you all the way to the keys (or the Mexico border, coastal Texas is nice) or the rocky mountains.

Don't discount conservative states, towns and areas if you're not that type of person. A lot of the time the natural landscape is preserved and life is more peaceful. If you're OK with your neighbors going to church Sundays, there's an entire beautiful, low cost country to explore.

This may not be the kind of approach you are wanting, but: Do you have to move? Can you give it more time? The list is written like the move is quite a perceptual burden, and this is not to mention the actual incoming implementation-level pain.

I'd at least want to know how long you have to make the decision, since the known factors you've listed A) are definitely known to you and B) aren't making enough difference to you, which often leaves blocks in the C) zone of emotions or other fuzzy perceptions which generally need time to clear. When those are resolved they usually provide a feeling more akin to specific encouragement or even something like permission / luck / definite answers / etc.

Just some thoughts, hope it works out well no matter where you end up.

If you’re into the pharma business you should consider Boston, San Diego or sf. There’s some other areas, but you have to be able to switch jobs without moving unless you’re a renter. If your politics doesn’t require the us, look into Vancouver or Toronto. Yanks file taxes each year so there’s little issue in Canada. Dealing with logical regs would be more hassle without a local nexus, but many places have one.

A lot comes down to your comfort in the various areas of the us. No need going somewhere you’ll be uncomfortable with.

I moved from Central Virginia (Grew up in Fredericksburg, spent 7 years living around Roanoke) to San Diego. I love it here. I know how humid DC summers feel and it's different out west. The sun feels nice on your skin, but the air doesn't get as sticky. Windows open feels refreshing most of the time. It doesn't totally meet your requirements but give it a look :)

I lived for a while in Chattanooga and really really liked it! It’s a bit of an up and coming city but with a 10 drive you are already in the midst of nature, mountains, rivers, etc. When I lived there there was a creek right behind my apartment and waking up to the sunrise, the sounds of birds and the creek is something I still miss a lot!

Chattanooga has a very chill culture, good food, tech meetups (I was there when the pandemic started so I went not got the attend one before the world stopped :( ), tons of outdoors activities, tons of rains and plants and water! (I really miss that creek!)

Had to move for work reasons but I’d love to live there again!

Oh, and the internet is by a local company (not xfinity or some other national crap) and it’s one of the fastest and most affordable services I’ve used!

Anyways, just my 2 cents. Good luck!

Someone else posted here on HN in the last year or so; she lived in the Pacific NW and had built a database-based - web site that lets one enter constraints and find hints that help answer your question. Alas, I can't find the link at the moment.

Your criteria are not possible, especially the one about hot summers.

NYC, for example, has equally hot summers to Atlanta, just a few weeks shorter.

Most Northern places that meet your weather, distance, and opportunity criteria are going to fail other criteria, primarily affordability.

Also most of those cooler places are hemorrhaging population.

I would suggest you give up on cool summers because all the affordable, growing cities are in the South and have ubiquitous air conditioning. Then look at the Research Triangle, Atlanta, Nashville, and Tampa Bay metro areas.

Nothing near cities is affordable right now though.

What do you like to do outside of work? Do you like to be be near mountains? Near water? Do you like a bars and concerts? Do you like cycling? Climbing? Is there a community for your hobby in the place where you are going to go?

Those activities are also the way you make friends and expand your social circle, which is going to be a big hard thing to do after the move.

As other they are saying, take mini month-long vacation to try out different places, given that you have the opportunity of doing that.

Given these constraints I might consider the area just outside the suburbs of NYC. It gets very affordable in (say) Northeastern Pennsylvania or upstate New York. If you need to find a non remote job, the big job markets of Northern New Jersey or Westchester.

What other considerations do you have though? What sort of lifestyle do you want? Country living? A town? A small city?

New Hampshire fits all your criteria. 1. Relatively affordable especially outside tourist areas 2. 90min of Boston, a big tech hub 3. No extreme heat, decent rainfall, tons of outdoor activities and nature. Ocean, Mountains, Forests 4. Not too far from DC 5. No income tax

As you probably know, South Carolina or North Carolina also fit all those criteria but might be too hot.

I had the same opportunity. I picked Boston, MA. It's a pretty good city, but I likely wouldn't choose it again if I went back 5 years. I'd likely choose NYC. Either way, I don't know how to make an informed choice here, picking a city to live has always been unclear to me.

Corvalis, Or, cost less than the big city, and has a good broadband including fiber options...

Stay away from liberal states. Usually high taxes and crimes. Many (but not all) of these however are good weather too. Not sure about your income and whether obscene income tax is a concern - but there are good states with no state income tax.

You're going to have to compromise on something. Climate wise you described Seattle but housing there is insane. Take out climate and you have Charlotte North Carolina. If you can compromise on the rainfall you should check out Pueblo Colorado

When I hear the requirements in #3 I think of the Pacific Northwest. I don't know how far out from Seattle you'd need to go to find affordability #1. You can also look in Oregon.

Richmond, VA? I found it very affordable, at least 10 years ago, the weather is not extreme and everybody closes down if there is a bit of snow, and it's not that far from DC.

Jersey City or West New York could be options. Cheaper than NYC proper, and a short ferry ride away. Might not be cheap enough, but worth exploring...

Jackson, WY. Bellingham, WA. Breckenridge, CO.

Of course you have to like skiing. But those would be my lifestyle picks that kind of align (ish) with your criteria.

Omaha reminds me a little of Austin 40 years ago. Art, music, nightlife. Leans blue. I should probably delete this.

Search Upstate New York. Finger Lakes area.

Where do you want to move?

Danville, KY?

this thread is not going to help you, its going to cause you more decision paralysis