Maybe a CO move?

[evoracer]

I am looking for input on areas in CO. CA is just becoming a very difficult place to live. I have been here my whole life, but man, I need a change. I have never been to CO, but hope to make it out to visit this year. Anyway, what I want to know is if anyone who has lived in Southern or Central Coast of CA has moved there (or is familiar with the general cost of living here) and can give me the reletive cost of living, and pay rates. I am a ASE master mechanic, specializing in Japanese and Euro cars. I make about $60K here, and still can't afford to buy a house and it is driving me CRAZY!! I have seen jobs on Craigslist in Denver in my field that pay between $25-35/hour, which is pretty good, around what I make now, and house prices $200K LOWER than here. But I know NOTHING about CO, not to mention Denver. I am not locked into Denver though. Anywhere I can make a good wage and my wife can find a job in the child counsling/development/education field. Also with such an active reef club I have to assume the LFS supply can't be too bad out there either, right? Any help that can be offered would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Milehighreefers]

I'm an ASE master certified diesel tech, but the highest pay in town in that field is $33 an hour, which usually is more pay than the other fields. House prices, you can easily expect to pay $200k or more for a new 1,100 sq.ft. place. State income tax isn't terrible, sales taxes vary. My girlfriend is in the education field and is having a hard time finding work except in some of the more undesirable education areas of town. She calls them "high-risk". Tenure is a hard thing to get around here since they love it and other states pay you more.

I moved here from Texas...big difference in cost of living. Texas is by far cheaper, but there aren't any mountains. Oklahoma/Kansas are other options I've heard a lot since they're still pretty close to Colorado and very cheap to live in. Texas also has no state income tax and Taos is not a far drive from Amarillo.

It's not a bad place to live, but to be honest, she might have a hard time finding work. You would be just fine, but double check that pay rate.

 

[zombiedust]

Hi evoracer,

One question you have to think about..How are you with cold temperatures?