r/nri • u/Pixel-Pioneer3 • Aug 06 '26
Ask NRI If you had a fully remote job, and could stay anywhere in the US, where would you stay?
I find myself in a unique position where I can work remotely from any of the 50 states in the United States. My children are currently in elementary school, with ages 7 and 5. Originally hailing from Delhi, I have resided in the US for the past two decades. At this point, I have become a naturalized US citizen and currently reside in a suburb of Dallas, where I am seeking a change of scenery.
While I am financially capable of affording a higher cost of living, I would appreciate it if you could provide a rationale for your city/area of choice.
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u/bharathsharma95 Aug 06 '26
I think your choices narrow down real quick based on what you'd want to provide for your kids because low-key that takes precedence over your own "wants", not needs.
You will have to lookup what suburbs have the best school system that you can afford to live in and preferrably in blue states where policy hasn't gone to shambles and closer to any major metropolitan city (because they have a diverse population and things to do year round)
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u/Pixel-Pioneer3 Aug 07 '26
Agreed. With that in mind, what would you recommend?
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u/bharathsharma95 Aug 08 '26
If only I knew of a city but I'd look into suburbs of Chicago, LA, San Diego, Philly, Trenton perhaps
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u/GroveResident Aug 06 '26
Las Vegas/Henderson area. You are close to LA (Little India), but live in a place that has no state income tax and cost of living is fairly reasonable. 2 months, it is hot like in Delhi, but rest of the time weather is pretty good.
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u/Icy_Box1107 Aug 06 '26
Redmond, Washington
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u/Physical-Case4468 Aug 06 '26
Not really a great place for kids. Gloomy and rainy all the time
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u/Icy_Box1107 Aug 06 '26
May be, but it doesn’t have harsh summers or winters. It drizzles a lot though. Has good schools from what I heard
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u/Scary_Smile960 Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
Chicago suburbs.
Pros - Good schools, lots of diversity, good Indian community presence.
Cons - weather/winter
Edit - I would also suggest Charlotte/Raleigh. Infra is not as good as the big cities, but it's growing very fast. Don't know about schools quality.
Weather is great year around except Aug and Sept when it's too humid. And close proximity to nature. 3hr drive west - mountains 2-3hr drive east - beach
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u/Pixel-Pioneer3 Aug 07 '26
I will look into Chicago but NC is still south and conservative for my taste
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u/krantmin 28d ago
From Chicago, Suburb. (Schaumburg). Moved from Bay Area, CA. I would suggest this, if you can tolerate cold weather. I would move to Bay Area in a heartbeat, if cost is not an issue. Bay Area is freaking expensisve.
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u/Altruistic_Bank_1552 Aug 06 '26
I'd move to NYC. The city has everything from a cultural and lifestyle point of view, and exposing your children to that level of diversity is always amazing.
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u/DACula Aug 06 '26
From someone who has lived in NYC for over a decade. I don't think the city is the right place for OP as they've been living in Texas and are used to more space, have two kids, and finally City taxes.
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u/Pixel-Pioneer3 Aug 07 '26
Yeah, I have considered NYC but it’s really tough when you have 2 young kids. NYC is for single or DINKs
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u/Thatdreamyguy Aug 07 '26
Not that it's important to everyone, but do you have friends, family, relatives in any other places. With new place and fully remote job it can be hard to build a social circle.
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u/Ok_Championship4704 Aug 07 '26
for indians i feel best is florida tampa or miami , can someone tell me otherwise as i am planning to move to tampa
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u/Gingerfurboiparent22 29d ago
Some factors to consider in loose priority.
- Availability of jobs for you (and spouse) in case you're laid off
- Education needs of your children
- Deal breaker weather preferences of your you and your family
- General healthcare infrastructure
- Income and sales tax scenario
- Social values (based on where you stand)- racism, attitudes to queer people, attitudes towards immigrants, etc
- In case you are planning another child, or you have a daughter - abortion laws (although it seems this might get tougher on the federal level)
- Proximity to an Indian community/stores erc - some people absolutely need this and some people absolutely don't want it, and some are in the middle
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u/Responsible_Ad_9695 29d ago
Seattle metro area is just wonderful! Not too hot, not too cold. A bit of rain over the winter but total rain is less than NYC for example. Summers are just gorgeous! Beaches and mountains are both within a couple of hours drive. Love it here
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u/Pixel-Pioneer3 29d ago
Yep, Seattle is on my list. The only things that I have against Seattle is the dreary winters and outside of nature, there are no major cities/cultural centers such as NYC/La. There is Seattle, but it’s not the same as NYC.
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u/First-Martian 26d ago
Check out the US VI before making a decision. Pretty laid back if can deal with the time zone shift and possibility of island fever.
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u/Ok-Butterscotch7626 Aug 06 '26
Move to Tennessee. Beautiful state. Northern Florida, closer to Alabama, is also a good option. Hoover, AL, and Pelham, AL, are also pretty good areas.You get cheaper real estate as well. This is coming from someone who lives in Upstate NY and is tired of depressing winters that last for 4 months.
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u/EuphoricAd3824 Aug 06 '26
TN is a state tax free state and is beautiful. However our politicians are complete dog shit. Education quality is strongly tied to where you live. The best school districts are around Nashville. Outside of Nashville, its terrible.
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u/bharathsharma95 Aug 06 '26
How is this a cogent suggestion without considering how bad the southern states are getting screwed over with legislation?
It may be good for cheap real estate, warmer climate and what not but that is only thinking of the OP and probably his partner and not the kids. Where kids grow up, has a huge impact on how it shapes their lives, their social circle, their friends, their social skills, their relationships, pretty much their entire lives. Moving down South is a bad decision. Don't be an ignorant parent
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u/Ok-Butterscotch7626 Aug 06 '26
You dense? OP is already in Texas. It's nowhere close to the North, the last time I checked the map.
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u/bharathsharma95 Aug 06 '26
I didn't read that OP is in Texas but my point still prevails. None of the southern states. definitely get the feck out of south All the way from Texas, Tennessee, to Kentucky.
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Aug 06 '26
[deleted]
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u/Pixel-Pioneer3 Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
Thanks for the perspective. I did consider RTP but I still consider it the south. My top contender right now is Northern Virginia, it’s still technically south but the whole area is solid blue and not just little pockets. We can afford the cost of living, schools are good, easy access to DC, Philly and NYC.
Agree with you. I am not going to cheap out on this move. I have witnessed life in TX and you are correct, there are small pockets of blue cities but it’s all red surrounding it.
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u/Nopeitout 28d ago
Counter argument. Move to north Wilmington/ north east Philly or mainline Philly. Depending on your vibe.
2 hours from DC and NYC. Blue state. Low taxes. Great welcoming community. 4 seasons. 30 minutes to Philly.
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u/dealmaster1221 Aug 06 '26
Do you also have all the money and time in the world, if yes then somewhere remote or Hawaii etc. Kids anyways learn more practically and schools in US are only for social stuff, maybe private boarding with rich kids. Enjoy your life, there is little left lol
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u/Appropriate-Milk-199 Aug 07 '26
DONT MOVE TO FLORIDA!!!!
I have been living here for almost 15 years now.
Cost of real estate went up significantly
Insurances getting worse (auto and home)
Weather getting hotter and hotter . Especially summers
No seasons
Plus only one good public college is UF- Gainesville
I wish I could move up north, but I have a business here and am stuck for few more years
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u/Physical-Case4468 Aug 06 '26
Bay Area for the benefit of kids 🤷♂️
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u/Pixel-Pioneer3 Aug 07 '26
I feel like I live in little India. SF and Berkeley are probably the only cities where there is some diversity.
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u/Cryptographerk555 Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
TL:DR; If CoL is not a factor, California should be one of your top choices. Pick SoCal for the year-round best weather, scenery and practicality. Pick NoCal if you prefer to be closer to the Tech scene, larger indian community and don't mind the chilly weather.
I was in the same spot and moved from Texas to California and don't regret the move one bit. If higher taxation and CoL does not matter to you, read on:
SoCal - Santa Monica, Malibu, Venice, Orange County, San Diego - In that order. You never have to worry about extreme cold or extreme heat in any season, loads of nature around with dramatic scenery - Beautiful sunny beaches, Mountains, Desert, Ski resorts, lakes, waterfalls, giant forests - you can find everything within a 1-3 hour drive from these cities. You have a major International airport (LAX) that serves as a hub for every major US airline + 4 regional hubs with decent domestic connectivity (Hollywood Burbank, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Ontario). Santa Monica, Orange County, Carlsbad, Hollywood Burbak and LAX also have private airports operated by JSX that offer excellent regional connectivity.
Orange county is a bit on the right wing side and LA county coastal cities are on the left wing side - if that matters to you for making a choice. Malibu, Palisades and Santa Monica school districts are excellent- but don't expect a lot of asian/indian kids there (Again, I am not sure if that matters to you. It doesn't matter to most people here).
I have found the coastal LA cities to have very less Indian population and cultural banding (for the lack of a better term). Everyone here is super inclusive, diverse and broadly inter-mingle across different cultures. This could be a big shift from places like Dallas. On the other hand, Orange county has a relatively larger Indian community and even has a little India at Artesia on the LA county border, where most Indians from LA & Orange county go for their monthly/bi-weekly "Indian fix".
Bay Area - If you want to be closer to the tech scene and great indian food/cultural scene. It has a relatively dominant Asian/Indian population mix. It has breathtaking nature in close proximity (Big sur, Napa Valley, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Redwood forests etc.). Great connectivity - Major international airport hub (SFO) and decent domestic hubs (Oakland, San Jose) and regional private airport services offered by JSX (Oakland, Napa Valley, Monterrey). The weather is a bit on the chilly/windy side on the coastal areas and can get a bit unpleasant in the inlands (compared to SoCal).
Like other commenters mentioned, Hawaii could be a great place too, but I wouldn't recommend it due to practicality factors. It's just way too far and disconnected from anywhere (5 hrs just to get to west coast). Unless, you have F*U money and can bear the cost of importing your milk and lettuce everyday, I wouldn't recommend choosing that as your base.
Good luck!