This post was written by Ralph Starks, a blogger and traveler who enjoys exploring the world by land in the best ways possible.
Ever dreamed of moving somewhere else but can’t quite figure out where? Maybe you’d like to get out of the city and back into nature. Or maybe you’re fed up with the outside and need a bit more oomph about your lifestyle!
There are so many great options out there and we have the best of the best to take you through. We’re basing this list on the places with the best work/life balance – let’s take a look at what that means.
What do we mean by work/life balance?
In its most basic form, the balance between work and life is how much free time you have versus how much time you spend at work. Obviously, we know we have to work in order to make money and live.
However, we need to make sure that we’re living as much as we’re working. After all, there’s no point making money if you have no way to spend it!
It’s important for our physical and mental health to have a healthy and balanced life. This covers all aspects of what we do. Stress from being overworked or overtired can have astronomical effects on how we operate.
We already know that we’re less happy and less productive when we miss a few hours of sleep. But when that happens every night, it starts to have a huge impact on every part of our lives.
Making sure we’re well rested and have ample social time is imperative to a healthy lifestyle. So, if you’re a workaholic and need to change your ways, we might have the resolution for you. And it could be moving to a brand new place!
Best places to live for work/life balance
- Boulder, Colorado
At the top of our list is Boulder in Colorado. This might come as a surprise to some but it’s one of the best places to live if you’re looking to better your work/life balance.
In Boulder, you have the best of both worlds. It’s still a relatively big city with all the shopping and entertainment venues you’d need. In fact, Boulder has the best promos to choose from if you’re a fan of gaming!
Alongside the city, you’re right next to all the beautiful parks you could wish for. If you’re a fan of the outdoors or are looking to get more active outside, you’ve got five peaks to choose from right next to you. There are the Arapaho Roosevelt National Forests to explore and the Berthoud Falls.
You’ll never run out of things to do after the working day is over.
- Portland, Maine
There’s nothing better than living by the sea and Portland is the perfect example of that. Not only are you right on the beachfront, but there are also plenty of islands to explore. You have the Peaks Islands just off the coast and Cliff Island a short boat ride away.
Portland ranks 28th out of the metro areas when it comes to well-being which bodes well for your work/life balance. It’s also 15th for air quality which is becoming a more and more important factor to contend with. The average salary and average house price are well matched meaning that money is less of an issue.
- Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is one of the safest cities around, ranking 18th out of 150 metro areas when it comes to crime rates. Nothing puts your mind at ease more than knowing you’re safe when you’re in your home and out and about.
The average commute in Green Bay is 19.9 minutes which is only beaten by Lincoln, Nebraska in the US. Chicago isn’t too far away so you’ve got the perfect place to go if you’re craving some city life. Plus, the drive is right around the lake which couldn’t be more beautiful.
- Fort Collins, Colorado
It’s another win for Colorado with Fort Collins on the list. There’s just a 2.9% unemployment rate here which bodes well for anyone looking for employment. The wage is slightly above the national average and the house prices aren’t too shabby either.
There are plenty of national parks and nature to be taken advantage of so you get a full dose of the outside air. There’s not a lot of downsides to Fort Collins.
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Last but certainly not least is Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It’s very low risk when it comes to natural disasters and is well equipped to handle them even if they did occur. It comes in at 16th on the list of 150 metro areas for the low crime rates so you know you’re going to be safe.
There’s plenty of beautiful nature surrounding you but if you’re missing the city, Pennsylvania is only a short drive away.
Now you’ve seen our list, which place do you reckon is at the top of yours?
