5 Best Places to Move if You Hate the Heat

For many, the heat is too much. Especially don’t like summers. Actually love snow. Would prefer to live somewhere cooler.

Funny to think how there’s an entire country above the US and our coldest regions, as well as another country to our south where it tends to get much hotter. In any case, the coolest places in the US tend to be northward.

Looking for winter activities? Just cooler weather? Here are some great cities.

Bangor, Maine

If you ever thought it would be cool to live near where many Stephen King novels take place, without the actual horror, then you owe it to yourself to consider Bangor, Maine. Here, the temperature gets as low as about 7 degrees in the winter, and as high as 79 in the summer. Yes, that’s nearly 80 degrees at the hottest, but when you consider how hot it can get in other areas during the summer, that’s positively mild.

In the winter, you can enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling, and take warm but not roasting walks during the summer. Crime is relatively low, with about 50 violent crimes a year in a population of 32,000, about half the national average. That’s an 8 on the crime index, with 1 being the worst and 100 being the best. As you can see, crime decreases sharply as one goes up the scale.

The median home value is $221,000, the average rent is $1,450, and the median household income is $50,808.

Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Spacious streets with older, two and three story homes characterize Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In winters, the temperature gets to a low of about 13 degrees, with highs of about 81 in the summer.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra plays at the Tanglewood Music Center in the summertime, and in the winter you can enjoy ice skating and skiing right in Pittsfield. The crime index here is decent at 23, meaning this city of 44,000 people is quite safe.

Plus, Pittsfield is more affordable than much of the state, and certainly more affordable than Boston. The median home price is $216,000, the average rent is $1,300, and the median household income is $56,600.

Rochester, Minnesota

Rochester, Minnesota gets low temperatures around 8 degrees in the winter, and warm, but not overly-hot temperatures up to 82 in the summer. Most of the residents own their homes, and the city has a comfortable, suburban layout with many parks. The health-conscious, and Americans who need regular medical care, will be glad to know that the Mayo Clinic is located here. 

The crime index here is 26, so excellent compared to most of the U.S., with about 300 violent crimes a year and a population of 121,400 residents.

The price of housing has gone up in Rochester in recent years, with the current median home price at $430,000 and the average rent at $1,575. The median household income is $73,106.

Burlington, Vermont

Have you noticed a pattern that all these cities have similar yearly temperatures? Burlington, Vermont fits that pattern, as will our next entry. In the winter, the temperature here gets to a low of about 10 degrees, and in the summer, to a high of about 81. This is a college town, so it values intellectual pursuits, and the major schools include Champlain College and Burlington College.

If you love clear, blue lakes, Burlington is a great place to live. This city of 45,000 residents is on the shores of the enormous Lake Champlain. Woods abound, and there are many biking and hiking trails, plus beaches. Go swimming, paddleboarding or kayaking in the spring, simmer, and fall, and skiing in the winter. The crime index is 16, making it safer than most of the U.S.

The median home price here is $360,000, the average rent is $2,500, and the median household income is $51,500. Yes, it is more expensive to live here than in many places. However, this is such a beautiful, eco-friendly place to live that it’s worthwhile to spend a little more.

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan is hotter than the other cities on this list, but not by much. The average low temperature in the winter is 18 degrees, while the average high is 83.

This is another college town and the location of the University of Michigan. The crime index here is an excellent 31.

The population of Ann Arbor is 124,000, and of course, there’s plenty to do. Winter in Ann Arbor is a great time to go ice skating, go for a walk downtown in the snow, or get cozy in a cafe or one of the city’s museums.

Here, the median home price is $415,200 and the average rent is about $1,865. However, the median household income is $76,600.

For those of you who are sick of the heat and ready to find a lovely, cool place to live, we hope this gets you started!