Access the online resources referenced in Move to the Place of Your Dreams: A Relocation Handbook. A link is not necessarily a recommendation.

Link Sections

Evaluate Areas and Homes

Learn About Different Places
  • Sperling’s Best Places
    www.bestplaces.net
    Data on towns and cities throughout the country, as well as a comparison feature, and comments from local residents.
  • City-Data.com
    www.city-data.com
    Information on cities and towns across the nation, an active online forum, and some tools to help you plan your move.
  • ZIPskinny
    www.zipskinny.com
    Location data website organized by zip codes with graphs that help in comparing locations to average or to other locations.
  • StreetAdvisor
    www.streetadvisor.com
    Ratings, reviews, and photographs of city neighborhoods.
  • MetroTrends
    datatools.metrotrends.org/charts/metrodata/Dashboard/v2/
    Graphs with key information including unemployment and jobs, housing costs, demographics, and crime.
  • AreaVibes
    www.areavibes.com
    Reports a livability score based on factors such as amenities, cost of living, employment, and crime to help you find and evaluate the best neighborhoods and cities to move to.
Data + Home Search
  • Walk Score
    www.walkscore.com
    This website started by providing a “Walk Score” to quantify the convenience of walking to day-to-day destinations from any address. Now it provides rankings of the most walkable cities, towns, and neighborhoods and a walkability heat map. There is also an apartment search tool you can use to find homes in your price range that are in a conveniently walkable location.
  • Zillow
    www.zillow.com
    Real estate website that includes search tools for real estate listings and includes their own home value estimate called “Zestimate.” The website also includes a real estate agent database, mortgage calculators, forums, city data, and home design tips.
  • Trulia
    www.trulia.com
    Real estate website that displays crime information, schools, amenities, real estate costs, demographic information, natural disaster risk, and other information on maps to help you find the best area for you.
  • Redfin
    www.redfin.com
    Home search tool and real estate broker. The App can be useful to get a sense of real estate prices when traveling.
  • PadMapper
    www.padmapper.com
    Apartment search engine that aggregates rental listings from other sites and maps them.
  • HotPads
    www.hotpads.com
    Search aggregator of homes for sale as well as rentals.
  • Estately
    www.estately.com
    Search for homes for sale using standard criteria as well as Walk Score.
  • realtor.com
    www.realtor.com
    Real estate and apartment search site.
  • ApartmentRatings
    www.apartmentratings.com
    Reviews of many larger apartment communities.
  • Vacation Rentals by Owner
    www.vrbo.com
    Online listings to find a place to stay for visiting your new town.
  • Airbnb
    www.airbnb.com
    Popular website to rent somewhere to stay from a local host.

Criteria

Employment
  • United States Department of Labor: Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas
    www.bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm
    Ranking of metropolitan areas by current unemployment rate.
  • Glassdoor Job Explorer
    www.glassdoor.com/jobs/explorer/
    Map-based explorer that shows which parts of the country have the most open positions for the job title you enter.
Cost of Living Calculators
Tax Information
  • Tax-Rates.org
    www.tax-rates.org
    Information on sales tax, property tax, income tax, and business tax by state.
Crime
  • SpotCrime Crime Map
    www.spotcrime.com
    Displays crimes that have been committed recently near any address you enter.
Natural Disaster Risk
Health
  • State of the Air
    www.stateoftheair.org
    American Lung Association website with information on air quality by city. Cities are ranked by air quality, and there is also a tool to compare air quality in different locations as well as more information on air pollutants.
  • AIRNow
    www.airnow.gov
    Current Air Quality Index by location and displayed on a U.S. map.
  • US Health Map | Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
    vizhub.healthdata.org/us-health-map/
    Data visualization that shows key health indicators like life expectancy and rates of various diseases overlaid on a U.S. map.
  • Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care
    www.dartmouthatlas.org/data/map.aspx?ind=143
    Variations in various health measures, such as number of physicians, mapped by locations.
Transportation
  • Google Maps
    maps.google.com
    An indispensable resource for its maps, database of establishments, and Street View that allows you to see things at street level pretty much anywhere in the country.
  • Wikipedia: Transportation in the United States
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_in_the_United_States
    Provides a lot of information, including commute patterns by city.
  • Wikipedia: Modal share
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modal_share
    Data on how people commute to work (whether by driving, walking, cycling, or taking public transportation) in select cities.
Education
  • Nation’s Report Card
    www.nationsreportcard.gov
    Scores students in various subjects and provides score variations across states, in major cities, and over a period of time.
  • Great Schools
    www.greatschools.org
    School listing resource with reviews from parents and rankings of many schools.
Climate
Recreation
Demographics
  • Same-Sex Couple Households
    census.gov/prod/2011pubs/acsbr10-03.pdf
    Percentage of same-sex couple households by state.
  • Wikipedia: Analytic Hierarchy Process
    wikipedia.org/wiki/Analytic_Hierarchy_Process
    This process lets you apply your criteria and sub-criteria to the options you’re considering. It’s a more complex way to decide but is a more structured framework that results in a decision.
  • com
    www.earth911.com
    Environmental reference site includes information on where to recycle household goods.
Decision-Making
  • Wikipedia: Analytic Hierarchy Process
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analytic_Hierarchy_Process
    This process lets you apply your criteria and sub-criteria to the options you’re considering. It’s a more complex way to decide but is a more structured framework that results in a decision.

Moving Abroad

  • About.com Move Overseas
    moving.about.com/od/internationalmoves/
    A variety of resources and information on moving internationally.
  • Expat Exchange
    www.expatexchange.com
    Resources for prospective or current expatriates to learn about other cultures, address numerous details required for an international move, and learn from others’ experiences.
  • Pilot Guides
    www.pilotguides.com
    Geared towards travelers; has videos, articles, and news about destinations all over the world.
  • Live and Invest Overseas
    www.liveandinvestoverseas.com
    Source for information on international living, retiring abroad, and investing overseas.
  • CountryReports
    www.countryreports.org
    Information on cultures and countries around the world available for a fee.
  • Country Watch
    www.countrywatch.com
    Detailed information on countries available for a fee.
  • Property Abroad
    www.property-abroad.com
    View homes for sale internationally.
  • EscapeArtist
    www.escapeartist.com
    Aims to be a resource for those moving internationally and features properties for sale all over the world.
  • U.S. State Department Country Information
    travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country.html
    Information for every country in the world, including the location of the U.S. embassy and information about whether you need a visa, as well as health and safety information.
  • Office of Overseas Schools
    www.state.gov/m/a/os/
    International schools that meet educational standards of the U.S. State Department.
  • RIM / International ProMover
    www.promover.org/rim_intl
    The Registered International Mover program has established standards for professionalism and ethics.
  • Gigajob
    www.gigajob.com
    Job board available in 120+ countries worldwide in several different languages.

Planning

For Budgeting Home Fees and Closing Costs
Choosing a Home
Finding an Occupation
  • About.com Job Searching
    jobsearch.about.com
    Information, tools, and resources for finding a job.
  • Quintessential Careers
    www.quintcareers.com
    Job search resource with articles and tools.
  • JobHero
    www.jobhero.com
    Sample resumes and cover letters by job title to help kick start your job search.
  • Salary.com
    www.salary.com
    Features salary information for the U.S. and Canada as well as job postings and tools to help you with your career.
  • Indeed
    www.indeed.com
    Job search engine that aggregates job listings from thousands of websites and is currently the most popular job website.
  • Glassdoor
    www.glassdoor.com
    Job search engine with reviews of employers.
  • Monster.com
    www.monster.com
    Job board with other career resources, including message boards and advice from experts.
  • Careerbuilder.com
    www.careerbuilder.com
    Job board with resources, including information about applicants applying for the same job as you.
  • SimplyHired
    www.simplyhired.com
    Job search engine that aggregates job listings.
  • Gigajob
    www.gigajob.com
    Job board available in 120+ countries worldwide in several different languages.
Retirement

Arranging Your Move

Resources
  • My Move
    www.mymove.com
    Tools, calculators, and how-to resources for relocating.
  • About.com Moving
    moving.about.com/
    Tools, resources, and links to help you move.
Finding Movers
  • moveBuddha
    www.movebuddha.com
    Receive price estimates for several moving options without providing any personal information.
  • Movers
    www.movers.com
    Provides quotes for moving your things and your car both domestically and internationally as well as numerous moving guides.
  • Moving.com
    www.moving.com
    Connects to rental truck companies, self-storage warehouses, movers, and car-transport companies. Includes tools and online calculators to help you plan and price your move as well as data and resources on towns and cities across the country.
  • Consumer Affairs Best Moving Companies
    www.consumeraffairs.com/movers
    Reviews of moving companies and an outline of features to consider when selecting a mover.
  • American Moving and Storage Association
    www.moving.org
    Includes estimating tool and links to professional movers and information to prepare for your move as well as an Ask the Expert service.
  • MovingMatrix.com
    www.movingmatrix.com
    Website for soliciting quotes for moves.
  • National Association of Senior Move Managers
    www.nasmm.org
    Association that helps senior adults relocate.
  • 100 Largest Moving Companies of the U.S. and Canada
    www.movingcompanyreviews.com/articles/100-largest-moving-companies-of-the-us-and-canada/
    Tool for identifying the biggest moving companies.
Choosing Movers
Mover Complaints
  • National Customer Complaint Database
    nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov
    U.S. Department of Transportation website for reporting “safety, service or discrimination issues with a moving company, bus or truck company.”
  • Bureau of Consumer Protection
    www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection
    Another path for submitting complaints against a mover.
  • DOT Company Search
    ai.volpe.dot.gov/hhg/search.asp
    Information including complaint and safety history for any interstate movers.
  • National Association of Attorneys General
    www.naag.org
    Use this website to find the Attorney General in your state and contact them to file complaints against an unlawful mover.
Moving a Pet
  • GoPetFriendly.com
    www.gopetfriendly.com
    The website includes a road trip planning tool that helps you find user-submitted references on pet-friendly restaurants, hotels, and other establishments and services across the country.
  • PetTravel.com
    www.pettravel.com
    A resource for traveling with your pets, including airline rules and information for bringing your pet into any other country.
  • Dog Jaunt Airport Pet Relief Areas
    www.dogjaunt.com/guides/airport-pet-relief-areas
    Guidance on traveling with your pet that focuses on dogs and includes locations of airport pet relief areas.
  • Happy Tails Travel
    www.happytailstravel.com
    Offers pet relocation services.
  • PBS Pet Travel
    http://www.pbspettravel.co.uk
    Offers pet relocation services to and from the UK.

Moving Out

Planning a Road Trip
Preparing to Pack
For Selling Your Home and Disposing of Your Things
  • Homethinking
    www.homethinking.com
    Resources to find realtors in your area based on ratings and past sales.

Arriving and Settling In

Voting and Taxes
Explore Your New Area
  • Meetup
    www.meetup.com
    Site for finding activities with other people in your area who share your interests.
  • TripAdvisor
    www.tripadvisor.com
    Resource to discover attractions in your new hometown as a tourist.
  • Yelp
    www.yelp.com
    Includes reviews of local establishments. Reviews of movers and apartment buildings might also be helpful in planning your move.
  • Citysearch
    www.citysearch.com
    Tool to find restaurants, nightlife, shopping, and services to try in your new home.
Commercial Offers
  • National Do Not Call Registry
    www.donotcall.gov
    Government website for registering your new phone number to avoid telemarketing calls.
  • DMAchoice
    www.dmachoice.org
    Similar to the National Do Not Call Registry, but for opting out of types of mail that you’re not interested in receiving.