Audio Version: Let Me Hear It!
Soon the warm air will be filled with the smell of barbeque and the sky will be lit with fireworks to celebrate America’s 240th year of independence. Across the nation, friends and families will gather to bask in the summer sun and toast to the freedoms of a great country. Although the theme will be the same, many things will be different from east to west and north to south. Partygoers will arrive driving different cars, dressing in different styles, revealing different skin tones and speaking different slang.
Just as these style preferences vary across the US, so do financial trends. Things like home prices, income, state tax and gas prices vary from state to state. Some states, like Texas, may have zero state tax but high property tax. Other states, like Louisiana, have low property tax and low gas prices. While California residents have higher median income, they pay a weather premium for homes, tax and gas. When exercising your freedom of choice and deciding where to plant your roots, consider the financial factors below and avoid thinking the cash is always greener. Since we know this decision can’t be made in a financial vacuum, make note of the sunny, best weather states and the top cities to raise a family (Boston, Colorado Springs, Nashville, Dallas and Allentown.)
Let freedom ring!
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