If you are moving out of your home state...

[Limewater]

I've also moved around a pretty good bit. I've lived in Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Maryland, and New York. If you count short-term stuff (like three months or so), then I guess you could say I've lived in Rhode Island and Virginia as well.

As has been mentioned, different states aren't really all uniform. Living in Midland, Texas is a lot different than living in downtown Dallas, for example.

I think MrPopo mentioned cost of living. I strongly agree. You should also pay particular attention to property value and rent rates where you're thinking of moving. If you make $30,000 a year in rural Alabama, it might sound nice to move to downtown Manhattan to make $40,000, but ultimately that would be a major pay-cut. Right now my wife and I are in Laurel, MD for the summer. For a 400 square-foot studio we're paying almost double in rent what my sister and brother-in-law pay for the mortgage on their house in Northport, AL.

I definitely prefer living in the south, but I wouldn't know that and wouldn't appreciate it as much if I hadn't lived up north for a while. Then again, I've spent very little time in the midwest or northwest, so maybe I'd really like it in those places.

[Josh]

Well you can find houses pretty much anywhere for cheap because our housing market sucks in Florida. Move to the east side, and you don't get too much traffic, not much crime, and an abundance of used game stores and thrift stores. The cost of living is a wee bit high in places like Port Orange/Daytona Beach/Ponce Inlet, as well as West coast cities like Tampa, Clearwater, etc. The best place to live, monetary wise, is in Orange, Polk, or Lake County in Central Florida. Though the crime rate is rather high and traffic is a bitch on I-4. I-95 isn't much better, and I haven't been on I-75. It will soon be easy to find work with construction starting on the SunRail soon. The weather only sucks if you live here for a certain amount of time and get used to it. Florida is bipolar when it comes to weather.

[JohnBaxterly]

Just moved to Florida after living in Maryland for all of my life. So far I love it, and I can see myself loving it for quite awhile.

If you're worried about your social life or just making friends, do what a lot of people have already said so far: just be yourself. Sure, it sounds like something you heard in grade school constantly, but it's true! Do what you like to do and don't try to change drastically. But always remember: changing a little isn't a bad thing at all. Don't ever forget that.

Good luck with the move! Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

[Octopod]

I've also moved around a pretty good bit. I've lived in Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Maryland, and New York. If you count short-term stuff (like three months or so), then I guess you could say I've lived in Rhode Island and Virginia as well.

As has been mentioned, different states aren't really all uniform. Living in Midland, Texas is a lot different than living in downtown Dallas, for example.

I think MrPopo mentioned cost of living. I strongly agree. You should also pay particular attention to property value and rent rates where you're thinking of moving. If you make $30,000 a year in rural Alabama, it might sound nice to move to downtown Manhattan to make $40,000, but ultimately that would be a major pay-cut. Right now my wife and I are in Laurel, MD for the summer. For a 400 square-foot studio we're paying almost double in rent what my sister and brother-in-law pay for the mortgage on their house in Northport, AL.

I definitely prefer living in the south, but I wouldn't know that and wouldn't appreciate it as much if I hadn't lived up north for a while. Then again, I've spent very little time in the midwest or northwest, so maybe I'd really like it in those places.

Texas is cheap. Super cheap. Mostly anyhow. I never really realized that until I moved to Massachusetts.