There’s a paradox which revolves around the contradictions between rural and urban. We all know cities are socially left and rural is socially right, but cities are economically right and while rural isn’t economically left it’s less right than the cities.

Poorer urban areas are an option however I would like to also raise the perspective that here are small towns which are cheaper, safer, and just as open minded (the capability towards becoming socially left) as the poorer/more affordable parts of cities. The cheaper is due to the economic imbalance between the capital in rural vs the capital in urban…specifically their capacity, the scale is lower in rural. The crime is due to the lowered contradictions which occur at heightened levels in cities due to a higher amount of economic activity and thus capital. The open minded is simply economics of class manifested at the social level. As well there are less pigs and surveillance infrastructure…by about 90%, and there are countless acres of wooded areas to develop skills for conflict within.

There are draw backs too though; poor rural areas have less jobs, have a stronger “hangover” of pette bourgeois mentality due to their relatively higher stability and lowered contradictions, and of course I cannot recommend such areas for our most oppressed comrades if these locations reside within red states however this phenomena is not limited to red states.

Each has it’s positives and negatives and it’s up to the specifics of each situation to decide which one will aim for.

I’ve lived in a lot of US cities, and none of them are that good for anything but visiting. I’d choose one of the very few where public transportation is functional, or where rents aren’t outrageous (a city that checks both these boxes doesn’t exist in the US).

I’ve lived in South Carolina (3x), North Carolina (6x), Arkansas, Indiana, West Virginia. I’ve also spent a bit of time in Georgia, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, and visited many others. Beaches, mountains, endless fields. Suburbs, small towns, and one bigger metro (Charlotte). Notably I have never really been to New England nor the West Coast.

It’s kind of funny but I almost can’t tell the difference. North Dakota to Texas to Nevada to Alabama to Chicago (oops, I mean, “Illinois”), each has their unique flavor but it’s all predominantly and irreparably USian to me. They all suck but they’re all alright. They all have pros and cons that are neck and neck with each other IMO. They all have some quirks, some organic and many artificial, but they all have an overbearing sense of samey-ness unless you can crack through the surface to something deeper, which is unfortunately not something easily quantifiable. They all are full of bigots, radlibs vs. fascists, McDonald’s, pockets of beautiful unspoiled nature, and a shitty selection of jobs that all want to f*** you in the mouth for spare change, how I see it.

Sorry if this is unhelpful but I’ve been asking myself the same damn question 😭😭😭

I live in Massachusetts, its a beautiful state and probably one of the only parts of the country that could be considered “first world”. If you don’t have the cash for the greater Boston area, cities like Lowell, Worcester, even Springfield have lots of job opportunities where you could make a living.

Western mass and the Berkshire mountains are beautiful and real estate is cheap, but be warned there’s not much opportunity and most towns seem to be in decline.

Also lots of benefits like Medicare and a higher minimum wage can make life easier as well. I even get a $30 credit for internet although that might be a federal program.

Edit: forgot about college we have pretty cheap state schools and community colleges, if you’re a high achiever you could also get a free ride to some of the most pretentious universities in the world lol (they’re just schools but the name will look better when it’s time to sell your labor hours 😭)

Hawaii or Puerto Rico

My vote (for now) is still Long Beach, California.

• Just south of LA, but cheaper
• Great public transit
• Ocean front city

People often think it’s Orange County but it’s not.

My city is generally ranked one of the happiest, which is a low bar. (Would list, but don’t wanna self-dox).

That will be up to you and you preferences. The whole place is a shithole politically. Yeah sure there are a couple states women might be able to get abortions or a couple that don’t perform electroshock “therapy” on LGBTQ+ peoples. But as soon as it is convenient for the owning class those rights can vanish too.

Honestly, just base your decision off weather preference, what you can afford, and the amount of support you can get and give to survive. Urban spaces tend to be safer for marginalized groups since there are communities there, though cost can be an issue. Find a balance. Medium cities are decent enough.