We've been discussing where to move to for a while. He keeps asking me where I want to go (I HATE Wisconsin - too cold!) but I'm not sure.
Where do you live now?
Do you like it?
Are income and living expenses decent? (ie can you cover the bills with the jobs there)
If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
Right where I am! I live about 40 miles northeast of Pittsburgh...still cold but not as cold as Wisconsin! Property is still fairly cheap, wages are about average and it really is a beautiful part of the country if you like the mountains.
I've lived elsewhere (Philadelphia, Columbus, OH) and have always come home to the "Burgh. I love the little farm that I own out in the boonies and I love that it's still close enough to the city that I can work there and enjoy the entertainment that the city has to offer.
San Antonio, Texas....this is where we live now and this is where I choose to stay. I love being in the middle of the USA, neither coast is to far. I love the bottom portion of the State because the weather is not as cold and tornados and hurricanes seem to miss us. The humidity is a factor all year but not as bad as the coast cities. Our family loves to travel and being here allows us to save up and plan for our trips without a strain on our income. If you like City/Country living SA is a good mix of both.
Well this is my 2cents to your question hope it starts the answers rolling in. Good Luck 
Gloria I
This won't help you any, but I'd love to go back west to Montana. I love mountains and snow, so it would either be Montana or Maine. I love the open spaces of the west, so Montana would win out by a nose.
I am currently in Southern Delaware, and will be here until we win the lottery. We are fortunate that my husband's job pays enough (and he's a teacher, so that says something!) so that I can stay home with the kids, and he has awesome health insurance. The insurance is really the reason we didn't move to Montana a few years ago. He was seriously considering a job out there where the pay was lower, but we still figured we could swing it until we found out what we would have to pay in monthly insurance premiums. We would have had to pay $400/month!! We currently pay about $60/month, and I know we're spoiled, and that's why we'll never move.
Our property taxes here are very low and that's why we are getting a huge influx of out of state people and that's why housing prices are going through the roof. We bought our current house 4 1/2 years ago, and could sell it now for $100,000 more than what we paid for it. Needless to say, we couldn't afford to buy our own house today. We also live ~30 minutes from the beach area, and the builders are starting to market homes up my way as "at the beach." *snort* It's ridiculous but that way they can jack up the price even more. We also have no sales tax here.
I don't know what housing prices are in your area, but one reason we have so many out of staters coming here is because they're from PA or NJ, where things are waaay more expensive. So while I think housing is outrageous, people from up there don't. I also know a lot of stay at home moms, so at least downstate it can be done on one income. Upstate is another story because things are more expensive up there. What does your other half do? Obviously that will affect where you can go.
To take a look at my area, go to realtor.com & search zip codes 19946 and 19963. It is a relatively rural area, but it's looking like it won't be that was for long 
-Lisa - sorry this is so long!
Thank you for the replies!
We're fortunate that either of us can go about anywhere with a city for our careers. We're also students, but online, so that's easy.
He wants Colorado, but it's too expensive in most areas there. Between us, we've lived in
Wisconsin
Iowa
Illinois
Wisconsin
Texas
North Carolina
Virginia
DC
And that's just the ones we remember being in (both military brats).
He wants to live in the country but work in the city. I want it fairly warm, and not too expensive. I need to be near people, stores, activities. A large house is important, no apartments.
You are all giving good ideas!
I would love to go back to Kentucky, we spent 4 years at Ft Knox when I was a kid (I'm a brat too).
We live in North Dakota, my husband will never move, he grew up in one place. 
What I really want to do is move somewhere I've never been, I think it's a hangover from my childhood.
Hmmm... Well, this is where we have lived:
Various cities of Iowa (me)
Warrensburg, MO (one semester)
Zagreb, Croatia, Europe (DH)
Chicago (city not burbs - both of us from here down)
Philadelphia (city not burbs)
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
West Des Moines, IA
Burke, VA (burb of DC)
We like it here except for the high cost of living.
I guess if I had my choice, I would choose Boston. We both loved it, it has snow (I love snow) and it's still close enough to the big cities and it's rich culturally. However, like here, it's too expensive. I have to go back to work within the next few months for us to make it financially. When we lived in Iowa and Ontario, I could have stayed home and we would have had the same (actually more) disposable income.
DH would probably choose a city in Europe, but I'm not familiar enough with just visiting cities for a day or so at a time doing just the touristy things.
We both really like Madison Wisconsin too.
Melissa
Madison is beautiful, with tons to do, wonderful place complete with a VA hospital. We're about an hour-90 minutes away now, it's where I go to get ANYTHING cake related. But it's COLD!! 8 degree weather before Christmas is not my idea of fun.
Valdosta, GA is beautiful, laid back, country living in the big city. Costs are low. Sounds great, was great to live there while stationed at Moody AFB. However, he would get 1/3 to 1/2 of the hourly pay for the same position, so our disposable income would be less. Buying a home is cheap there, but renting is high due to high military population and limited base housing. It would be my first choice IF he could find a job with decent pay, but we aren't having luck.
I have lived in Tennessee all my life and I love living in the south so my heart longs to live in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I would love to visit the New England states in the winter and ride a horse drawn sleigh while it is snowing this is something I hope to do at least one time in my life . 
Can't tell you where to go but consider this: if you want your own home without paying through the nose for it, forget NJ.
Also, if you are considering a business of your own, forget NJ.
Zoning laws, local regs in each township, and overpopulation make for super high prices the further north you go, and next to impossible to have your own business unless you have megabucks. Used to be paralegal for RE/Environmental dept. and can tell you - what you see is NOT what you get. They can change the zoning laws on a whim and local govt is very difficult to deal with for small businesses.
Eastern shore MD is very nice and reasonable housing, beautiful area but must commute north to Wilmington or south to Balt/Wash area for decent jobs. PA is gorgeous in the countryside, especially Bucks County.
Personally, I very much want to go live in NM, we were there not long back and fell in love with the place. The more remote, isolated, warm and beautiful it is, the happier I will be, LOL... 
Would like to retire to Crossville, TN on the Cumberland Plateau.
Temperate weather year-round (but still have 4 seasons) with less humidity than FL.
Very friendly people, low real-estate taxes, many recreational opportunities, and good medical facilities. Property values have been going up but are still very affordable (at least as compared to Chicago or NW IN).
And, of course, southern food
Ugh, now I know we have to move. My dd (4) came to me yesterday, she misses being around people. We used to have places to GO, things to do besides going to grandma's house. Thank you for all the suggestions. We're looking into everything, but it will still take a while. Our ds doesn't want to move yet, in 3rd grade with his friends. He's sorely outnumbered, but have to find a "forever place" and buy a house there for him to be happy about moving.
If could live anywhere it would be New Orleans. I completely feel under the spell of this beautiful city when I first visited back in 2003 and became a madwoman studying the culture and learning about it's rich history. I was well on my way there until Katrina slowed my roll. I don't think my mom and other family members were too keen on me living there. I loved the diversity and how it's like no other city in the U.S. While on my way to TX this summer, we stopped off in New Orleans to look around....mainly because it was my friend's first time ever being in Louisiana. The devestation is very obvious in many parts but if I could have, I would have moved there anyway. But I know that now's not a good time so, for now, I'm heading to San Antonio.
I am right where I wanna be! On 6 acres in the boonies in colorado. I was born and raised here and have no desire to leave. The down side is the job market is very stale here and has been for a few years. Both my hubby & I are in the IT/Telecommunications industry and now find ourselves both unemployed, so a move may HAVE to happen. The east coast is very hot right now for our job market but we are going to have to wait and see what happens. It is beautiful here and all my family is here so I really don't want to leave.
zmama if he is in it/security Govt and has a security clearance already then CO could be an option for you guys. In Colorado Springs we have 4 military bases and Govt. contracts are hot here right now. My hubby and I don't have a clearance and it takes a long time to get one. So we have both missed out on jobs because of that. Lockeheid Martin is here (my dad retired from there) and they are huge in the Govt contract area.
I live in Oklahoma, it's a great state with decent prices on most everything. However, right now I am in the middle of nowhere and would like to move. My husband is also a life time Okie and really doesn't like change, so I don't see us going anywhere soon.
I would love to live in Colorado. It's a beautiful state. Since it doesn't get so hot there it would be great for me. I have MS which makes me have to stay inside during the summer. Summers in OK get HOT!! I miss being outside.
The people of Oklahoma are pretty nice (a few knot heads), so I guess I'll just be happy here.
Michele
awe i love Wisconsin, grew up there, i lived just north of Green Bay in Sobieski. i miss tons and i have lived in Mo for 18 yrs. We don't get alot of snow here. and actually so far have only had maybe three days of really cold weather. the cost of living isn't too bad. i don't really think its good anywhere right now. Although with all the houses they have been building its a buyers market, so you could get a reasonable size house at a good price. Some of the builders went nuts withthe low interest rates and now people cant' afford them or had a balloon note or had a varied rate mortgage so some of them are losing there houses. wish i could trade you for wisconsin. good luck on your search.
I live in The Woodlands Texas. It is right outside of houston and conroe. If you wanted the country living but also be able to get to the city in no time then here or Magnolia is right where you want to be. I love it here the schools are the best litteraly and to live in the country is perfect in Magnolia all you have to drive is about 10 minutes and be right in the city. The prices here are great and if you work in Houston or The Woodlands the pay is great. Plus it doesnt get that cold here.
CO is a beautiful place, vacationed there several times, mostly in Poudre Canyon. For gov't jobs, he does have an active clearance. My question is, can you have a cake biz at home?
I am not sure about a home biz at home in CO. I am just getting started on being really serious about running a cake business. From what I read so far it seems as though they require a health inspection and all before issuing a license, but I am not at 100% sure on that. I hate the way they write these things, you always have to read between the lines. If you are interested go to www.colorado.gov
Hmmm Colorado Springs, or Sydney Australia would be my pick........oh oh oh !!!! Bangor Maine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah that's it!!!!!!!!!
I live in Florida. If you love hurricanes, humidity and crabby leather-skinned bluehairs you'd be in heaven here.
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