Moved From California to Wisconsin: Why We Prefer Life in the Midwest

When I announced that my family was moving to Wisconsin, many friends and colleagues were surprised.

I’m a journalist, and in my industry, choosing life outside certain major cities is still sometimes seen as an odd move, even with the prevalence of remote work.

Moving to the Midwest from Los Angeles meant I might be farther away from networking and job opportunities. Plus, I’d visited Wisconsin only a few times.

There were a few reasons this felt like the right decision, though. My husband’s parents lived in Milwaukee, and mine were in Ohio and Pennsylvania. We’d already been talking about living closer to family, and then in January, a series of devastating wildfires spread through Los Angeles.

Thankfully, our house wasn’t directly affected, but we were close enough to two major wildfires that we decided to evacuate voluntarily. Our concerns about air quality sped up our timeline significantly.

We figured that in Milwaukee, we could have a better quality of life and, hopefully, save some money — but we didn’t expect the Midwest to transform our lives in so many other ways.

The lakes and parks are so much more accessible to us than the ones in LA

Milwaukee offered something I didn’t know I was missing — an easy, deep connection to nature and proximity to beaches that remind me of Southern Russia, where I grew up.

Of course, California has lots of beautiful nature, too — but getting to it was another story. Compared with Los Angeles, where traveling anywhere outside the city took at least an hour, Milwaukee immediately offered us proximity to nature with much less traffic.

Here, a lakeside hike, a cherry-tree orchard, or just a quiet bench with a stunning view of Lake Michigan is never too far. We even have a backyard here, which is a game changer for our toddler and dog.

Meanwhile, if we’re craving bigger-city vibes, Chicago and other larger metropolitan areas are still just a train ride away.

We can buy great produce at an affordable cost

I’m a sustainability journalist and cooking enthusiast, so it should be no surprise that quality, budget-friendly produce is high at the top of my list of favorite things about the Midwest.

Quality produce was available in Los Angeles, but I would often find myself spending over $100 on a grocery haul. Here, the local farmers markets offer a variety of produce for an actual bargain.

I like being close to several small towns that each have their own weekly markets with diverse produce and competitive pricing.

Yes, grocery prices have climbed everywhere this year, but we have found ourselves spending less than we did in Los Angeles.

We’ve been able to truly find our people here

Midwesterners are known for being friendly, and I’ve learned that the stereotype is not an exaggeration.

My husband and I have both noticed that interactions with strangers here feel so much more positive and less rushed than they did in cities like Los Angeles.

We routinely find ourselves leaving a conversation with someone new saying, “Can you believe how nice they were?” For a multitude of reasons, including this one, I’ve found it surprisingly easy to build community here.

Not only is everyone really kind, but there are lots of other parents living in our neighborhood. It also doesn’t hurt that we have family in the Milwaukee area and other parts of the Midwest.

Life here still isn’t perfect, but it’s a lot closer to our ideal

No move is easy, especially when a toddler and three pets are involved. We’re fortunate to have had family in the area who helped us settle into our new home.

We also haven’t entirely escaped our air-quality worries here — smoke from Canadian wildfires made its way to our neighborhood this summer.

There are so many parts of Midwestern life that we love, though. Our cost of living is lower, and now that we have more kitchen and pantry space, I’ve started baking more. I’m even considering pickling. (Who am I?)

When my aunt came over to visit us in Wisconsin, she observed that I’m turning into my grandmother more and more every day.

It’s true: Moving to the Midwest has unleashed my transformation into a version of my Russian grandma who’s always foraging and feeding everyone with baked goods and big meals.

All this simple abundance and access to nature and nurture made me realize that Wisconsin, which I’d visited only a few times before moving here, isn’t the “flyover country” so many people think it is.

After only six months, it truly feels like home.