10 Places You Should Live in 2023 

Hey we screwed up. We for some reason used some pictures for Rockport Mass, not Maine. Should we can some people?

I was a stand-up comedian when I was younger. But as I got older, I found it was more comfortable sitting down,

I'm totally with ya on how beautiful the Oregon Coast is! Mt (ex) wife and I (and all of our dogs) ALWAYS spent our vacations up and down the coast. So many wonderful little towns out there.

I really like this particular vlog. I lived & worked in Monterey, CA for 7 years. Now that I worked and lived all over California, I retired to San Diego. Weather, nature, Ocean, lakes & mountains. It's got it all. I am 30 minutes to La Jolla or Del Mar but close enough to take as many day trips as I can for a great staycation lifestyle. I really agree with your list !

Wow, Mr. Briggs! Cannon Beach is your top pick! Cannon Beach is one of my favorite places on the Oregon coast. It's such a beautiful and fun place. I used to go there about six times a year when I lived in Portland. My other favorite town on the coast is Florence where I lived for a couple years.

I used to live in the Seaside, OR area and witnessed the transformation of Canon Beach. Back in the day it was a bit run down but the citizens got together and decided to homogenize the look of the buildings. That's when all the cedar shake popped up. Look into it Briggs it is sort of like what Winthrop Washington did or even Whitefish Montana. That'd be an interesting topic , towns that transformed on purpose.

I agree with you 1000% on Monterey, CA. I was there for there first time this year, It is absolutely stunning!!! Coastal waters, nice people, excellent scenery, what's not to love? The only bad thing about it is that it's crazy expensive!! Not as bad as Malibu or Beverly Hills, but way up there.

I'm born and raised in Seattle and I lived in Bellevue for several years (moved there to be close to a job) and it might be only a few miles away from Seattle, but let me tell ya- it feels like a million miles. It's so freakin nice in Bellevue- there is no litter, no potholes in the streets, no junky shitty cars parked everywhere, no one has blue tarps covering stuff in their yard/driveway.. I could go on and on. The mall is actually nice and not scary and dangerous, it's just so nice. And they have SO much money to spend on cool stuff like parks, greens flowers and aesthetic things to line the streets, their Fourth of July fireworks show is amazing and their Christmas downtown deal is unbelievable. I don't know if they still do this, but when I lived there, for the whole month of December they would have the entire downtown area set up like a Christmas wonderland with huge giant NutCrackers and every hour on the hour they would come to life and there would be music and they would drum on their drums and dance and sing- and it would actually snow fake snow... every hour on the hour in this Christmas wonderland that encompassed the whole downtown area- it was absolutely unreal! I now live back in Seattle but I sure do miss Bellevue. Oh, and Mercer Island.. I sometimes will just drive around the neighborhoods and thru the twisting green foresty roads and look at the amazing houses and dream :) One of my favorite local area pastimes LOL

This is one of the most interesting channels on RU-vid. Same goes for “On This Day.”

The whole Maine coast is just spectacular! So many great towns to choose from. Stonington, ME is one of my favorites - just a perfect seaside town!

I raised 5 kids in Vancouver. We went to Cannon Beach every summer ❤it❤it❤it! The taffy shop, wine shop, kite shop! We made HUGE sandcastles w/motes. I still have some of the kites. Wonderful City. Good choice.

Loved this would like to see more videos like this one, with just your opinion and not many stats, exploring some places I've never heard of, while looking at some cool footage!

This is a great video, 10 places with a varying range of budgets, geography and climates. Plus I hadn’t even heard of half of them

I love that you mentioned Fayetteville. It’s a great area to live. I love it here. Northwest Arkansas is completely different than the rest of the state and avoid Little Rock

My girlfriends parents live right next to Honesdale and we love it up there! One of those small towns that just feels nice and safe with great people, lots of nature, and towns of little shops and fun things to do and see!!

I drove through Little Rock and stopped for Sunday brunch. Very eclectic. The bathroom had a unicorn and said whatever. The food was great and very trendy. The crowd and staff were diverse and looked real happy. A couple of homeless outside but I work in Brooklyn so not phased by it.

I spent a few months in Santa Barbara CA earlier this year. I was a volunteer so I didn't have to pay rent as a workcamper. Easy to get around. Not too bad traffic. Beautiful coastline. Very walkable downtown.

Love this list of places to live in 2023! Really opens up options for a fresh start. Super helpful, thanks!

I really like your list. I'm partial to the Oregon Coast and would happily live just about anywhere from Waldport north to Astoria if I came into unexpected wealth (with a couple of exceptions)...

Briggs, you are 100 percent correct with Cannon Beach. I'm from the Portland area of Maine and it's truly one of the best places to live, however, I've traveled extensively in the US and I've always said how amazing Cannon Beach Oregon is; I would totally live there too.

Definitely agree with Fayetteville Arkansas. It’s a great place to live. It’s not like the rest of the state. Unfortunately it’s getting more expensive and the wages aren’t keeping up. NWA is pretty awesome. Better than the part of Arkansas I lived in!

I visited the Oregon beaches when I lived in PDX, and I agree with you 100% about the beauty of the Canon Beach area (most OR coastal towns). Thanks for sharing this list. I live in AR now and also agree about Fayetteville, more so NW Arkansas. It is getting too big though and the prices are going up steadily. Now we have people from TX moving to AR because of their "problems". (Austin & the border towns.) Now's a good time to invest in real estate in AR. The low prices will be gone before long, I'm afraid. Stay safe in PDX. Enjoy your content. :)

Omg the way you described Blufton is exactly what I’m looking for 😂 I was watching Hart Of Dixie and said “ I need to find a town like this” !

We always enjoy your videos, but this one was especially interesting. Thank you!

A lot of love for the West Coast, both from your choices and from the comments. I absolutely agree! I just wish those coastal towns didn't cost so much.

The places that sounded appealing to me is Fayetteville and Bluffton(sp). I found Hot Springs AR over summer and loved it.

Yep I love Cannon Beach myself we've always had a good time when we go there and yes is I like to slow her pace of the Oregon coast down there most of the time I like the off season the best and I love the storms and the waves and stuff there it's great anyway have a great day everybody and thanks. You're great

Great list! Quick nit pick, you showed a pic of a red boat shack for Rockport, ME, but that's actually in Rockport, MA. It's referred to as Motif #1 (the story why is pretty interesting and funny). Actually was just visiting there over Thanksgiving. Anyway, we definitely have similar life goals.

I grew up in Sarasota, FL. Home to Siesta Beach one of the “best in the world” and personally speaking, anything on the Oregon coast blows it out of the water. It’s pure magic out there.

This video is great for watching So beautiful landscape and amazing Thanks for sharing this video sur

I’m with you Briggs, Cannon Beach. I live in north Milwaukie, Ore. and love going there, well, anywhere on the Oregon coast really.

Having been to Monterey more times then I can count, and also to La Jolla a number of times…I’d say that San Luis Obispo has them beat by miles! The Central Coast is definitely a hidden gem compared to the bigger cities north and south. Definitely miss living there!

Enjoyed your list! You've included several of my favorites, but I'm not surprised. I don't recall having been through Honesdale, but I do know that the area, in general, is nice. That's the thing. There are really nice places all around the country if you look. Of course, visiting an area can sometimes give a different impression than actually living there. I'd advise anyone, who had the opportunity, to spend as much time as possible in their prospective new town before moving. (Not always easily done). Once you've seen the sights, eaten at the local restaraunts, etc.etc, the "shine" may dim a bit! Having said that, don't be afraid of change!

St George is nice, Monterrey is wonderful excellent scuba diving and nice weather and I'm with you on the Oregon Coast.

Thanks for your ongoing love for Honesdale - much of northeast PA (especially Wayne & Pike Counties) offer a lot of opportunities for outdoor activities. For a bargain, check out Lackawanna Co…close enough for frequent quick trips to Wayne/Pike but offers some of the most affordable real estate around.

I drove through Arkansas this summer and most of the state was not my thing, but I loved Fayetteville. I walked and drove around a little and it is definitely a city with a lot of positive energy, and I agree in that I think it's going to get expensive. It's in a beautiful location, the economy appeared to be good and it was right there in the Ozarks. Well dressed southern yuppies were running around everywhere. My wife was not convinced that I was telling the truth, but, just like people who see UFOs say, I know what I saw.

Stayed in St. George on trip from Wisconsin to California. Got up early before everyone and just took in all the red rocks everywhere so awesome

Born & Raised in Fayetteville, AR(Have lived other places), Fayetteville is a great. Eureka Springs is awesome also.

I can understand the Cannon Beach pick. I recall occasional visits to Netarts, and it really got under my skin as a beautiful place, and one to never forget.

I went to Sedona AZ for a day on a southwest trip. Im from new York so I'd never been out west. I'd move there! It was absolutely gorgeous and not extremely expensive. Kinda touristy, but one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in the US

I have lived in many cities and towns across the western United States. I enjoyed living in the smaller cities and towns. But I can tell you that my kids complained about living in a small town. As a parent I loved it. The high school was the center of entertainment, athletics were very popular. One of my favorite memories of living in Hoquiam Washington was every autumn when the high school band started practicing for their marching program. In the evening I could sit on my deck and listen to the band playing and marching down the back streets. It was just magical. In the autumn on Friday night you could hear the crowds cheering at the football stadium-and hear the band playing. I grew up there and knew every family on my route to elementary school. I lived two houses away from my first grade teacher. When I moved back there to raise my family, my kids lived just 3 houses away from their first grade teacher! And my kids knew almost every family on their school route. The school district NEVER lost a school levy, in over 50 years, the district had a winning record. The high school looks like a small college. The football stadium is a Registered Historical Site and holds 8,000 people, (the whole town has 8500). The schools are new- the oldest is 50 years old. The high school gymnasium holds around 3,000 people. The area is one of the most generous places I’ve ever lived. The community supports an incredible variety of charitable organizations and regularly gives of their time and money. I’m sure there are other small towns with similar positive points, but that’s why people should research before buying any home. Especially if you have kids. I’d rate schools as one of the most important items to research when moving into a new home.

All amazing places!!! Great video, I hope you do more like these where you share your opinion

Briggs might want to add Ferndale, CA to his list. I spent 7 years there and it's like the 19th century. It sits right on the coast and it's the westernmost town in the continental US. It's just off the 101 behind the Redwood Curtain. In the summer, the sunset isn't till around 10 pm, and the fog rolls in about 7 so they have this thing called "the gloaming." It's spooky. Also, in Humboldt County, you can subsist entirely on food grown there. But, lots of "liquid sunshine."

Yeah, for sure the Oregon coast is one of the best places to live. People think Oregon is really rainy which it is but it's also sunny a lot, especially by the coast when the breeze blows off the fog. Most people live along the coast but the rest of Oregon is full of fields and farmlands. If you're in San Francisco and the Bay Area a nice drive on an off-summer day (don't go in tourist season) with the top down is to cross the Golden Gate Bridge thru Marin County up Highway 101 North through the giant redwood forests (which are awe-inspiring) to Eureka where you can have fresh salmon for lunch on Second Street in Oldtown.

I live in Fayetteville. Just moved here in May 2021, from San Bernardino 😩. I love it out here. One of the nicest, safest places I’ve lived. Huge houses for cheap. And they’re building more. But… I still wanna move out the US and travel. I’m over the facade known as the “American dream”.

I’m with you Briggs. The Oregon coast is beautiful. Great video.

Fun video. Thanks for doing it. I'm not into the rural thing as much, but I like some of these places and I agree with you about the Oregon Coast. We had part of our honeymoon there.

This is a Amazing video! I would Love to see a Part-2.

I live in salinas which is like 20 minutes from monterey and monterey changed a lot honestly it's still relatively safe and clean but it is getting a little worse the beaches sometimes have homeless all over but they're trying to get fix it which is great.

My parents took me to Cannon Beach back in 2021 and man, I fell in Love! I couldn’t get it out of my head for weeks. It was so beautiful that I still dream of it to this day. Oh how I could never afford a place like that!

Thanks dude! I didn’t know about the comedian history… That makes sense, your narration is spot on!

You had some pretty good picks on the list. We're looking to maybe move out of CA, the first thing I look for is a low % for property taxes and a red (not dark red) state also. Thinking of CDA or Sandpoint Idaho or maybe Gettysburg. Thanks for your time and work.....

I'd say this is one of my favorite videos you've done. You learn a lot about people listening to their heart. Being from Maine its a hard pass for me but if money were no object Boothbay Harbor would make a nice summer home. I'd live in St. George again in a heartbeat though. My years of disdain for the place was people centric but location-wise, its a stunning place to live. And the lifestyle is highly suitable for people like me.

Right on with Fayetteville. I lived in Monticello AR for 5 years and spent time in Fayetteville. Beautiful area.

I really love the Coos Bay area. I think it's a little more affordable. And one of my all time favorite Oregon towns is Baker City. No a lot happening there, which is why I like it, but the people there are just so darn friendly.

Hmmm, love your channel but check your facts on the Rockport, ME. What you are showing in at least some of these photos is Rockport, Massachusetts. I spent many summers there so I'm pretty familiar.

Briggs you always got useful State information. I feel like I know all the 50 States statistics. Great video 🔥

Hi, my name is Jonathan and I'm a big fan of your channel. I went to Cannon Beach this summer and I loved it too!

I think you picked some amazing places to live. Thank you for the video!!

oh my gosh! Cannon Beach, Oregon is my favorite beach in all of Oregon. I only live a little over an hour away from there and I've told my family that that's where I want my ashes. I agree with you if I could afford a house down there I sure would. We do have beautiful beaches here in Oregon for sure.

This list is right on!

Great video my friend , always support you and looking forward for more videos , greetings from the UK !!

Totally agree with loving Cannon Beach! For the lady who's worried about not being close to Target-Seaside is the companion town to Cannon Beach, they have an outlet mall as well as other shopping. I'm sure there's a Target somewhere.

I just drove the coast down Oregon yesterday and woke up in Brookings today. Neat spots but sparce for anything to do

I was born near Yosemite, it is one of my earliest memories and the Pacific Crest Trail is my reset space. Soon to leave California and will miss it more than anything else.

Interesting choices, I grew up near Los Angeles and have been to Monterrey and yes it is awesome but pricey. I went to college in San Diego so familiar with La Jolla as well. Of those 2, I would choose Monterrey as I lived in San Diego for 5 years and La Jolla is basically a very upscale San Diego neighborhood. I also lived in Dallas, TX for almost 2 years (did not like). I now live in Florida for about 20 years, loved it at first but it’s gotten much more crowded and hotter and more humid so I won’t retire in Florida. For me some places I would like to live short term (1 year or less) would be Key West, FL, Bisbee, AZ, Sedona, AZ, Astoria, OR, or Athens, GA. Although I enjoy visiting pricey big cities on vacation I would not want to live in one.

Loved the video Briggs, they are all beautiful places.

Awesome as always! Thanks for your videos. I love your content!

VA has some great places to live too !! Check out Warrenton VA and surroundings ! Great restaurants, shops, art galleries. Beautiful countryside ! Great for dogs and horse lovers ! Good crowd of people, safe !

Enjoyed VERY much... Thank You for the change-up!

I could definitely do Blufton. And La Jolla is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, though I could never afford it.

I live just over the(OK) border and the other side of the mountain range from the Fayetteville area and I LOVE 💕 it! It’s like SoCal meets the south (without many of the problems). The development is moving over my direction which overall is a good thing. Glad we bought a home here 3 years ago!

You are so right about the beauty of the Oregon coast line. I lived there a long time ago in Portland and my father and I would drive there for some saltwater fishing.

Briggs, I'm watching this 3 months after you posted it. Loved your reference to Steve Miller Band. In my 20s, I was a singer by night, parts-person by day (Porsche dealership) and the band I recorded as backup singer with met the Steve Miller Band in San Fran. They were really nice guys, and as the only lady in the group of all men, I felt respected and was treated well. To this day, I feel bad that I got sidelined for photos and credits on our principal guy's album.

Briggs, you've lost your mind! California, Oregon and Washington are crazy people and high cost of living and Maine too. You must be rich! Those are all places I would like visit but no way in Hell would I live there. I'll just stay here in good ole Knoxville, Tennessee. We have a very low cost of living, beautiful mountains and lakes, temperate climate, very little crime, no state income taxes and free junior college tuition. What could be better than that? And it's home of the Tennessee Volunteers!

Good evening Briggs!!! Have a nice day!!! 🇺🇸🪖👮‍♂️

I'm pretty sure that you described the usual Hallmark Christmas movie when discussing Blufton, SC. Keep up the great content!

NW Arkansas has always been on my radar. Love that part of the country.

I graduated from Monterey High in ‘86. I guess we were in the same area for a bit. I agree that it’s gorgeous around there. My goal is to move from California to somewhere around Vancouver WA next year.

I really appreciate this list. Actually I have sort of my own top 10 of what cities I would move to if money just was literally never an issue so it would include some of those expensive cities that I just would not be able to afford, but also some other ones as well. The thing is I've obviously not traveled as much as you have so my range would be a lot smaller. I'm from Northern California up in wine country specifically in Santa Rosa the largest city of wine country and the fifth largest city of the Bay area, but I have been out of the state as well just most the time if I'm taking trips it's still within california. Although there is a city that you stated that I would put on my list as well which is in fact monterey. I've been to Monterey I wouldn't say a whole lot but I've definitely been there and been to that general area. From childhood to teenager my family and I used to go to a camp that was around that area called a silimar which was a really nice place to go and I had made some friends there but unfortunately none of them I am still in touch with. Maybe if social media was a lot bigger back in the early to mid-2000s I would have still kept in touch with them but unfortunately no I haven't heard from them in a very long time which makes me kind of sad but still it was a fun time. I have been to a lot of States especially during the mid to late 90s when my family and I took a cross-country trip in our cars from California all the way to New York but really the only States I've actually spent an extended amount of time in besides California are Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, and New York. I've only spent time in Oregon if I felt like taking the scenic route to get to Idaho instead of taking the fast route through Nevada so I definitely like Oregon but I don't think I spent enough time there to really think too much about that.

Aspen used top be relatively affordable but in the past 10-15 years, it's gone ballistic mostly from super rich from LA. But summers in Aspen are heaven! Excellent list. Interestingly, I used to hang out in Honesdale because my grandma lived not far from there. Pennsylvania countryside across the entire state is quite nice away from the large cities imo.

Nice list! Something for everyone!😊

I love Cannon Beach as well. July and August are great at the Oregon Coast.

I can confirm after a recent vacation that NW Arkansas is very scenic. Beautiful mountains and lakes.

Hi Briggs. You forgot to mention the weather on the Oregon coast, which is perfect for those who love fog and rain, rain, and more rain. Hope you win that lottery, my man!

I have a bunch of my dads family in St. George! I’m glad to see it represented in this video!

Yes, your opinion. And every one has one. Mine differ greatly. Enjoy your day!

Cannon Beach is ok. Further down closer to Florence is beautiful. Any where along the Pacific Coast is great for a nice Week-long vacation.

Thank you for taking time to make this video

I agree Cannon Beach is. Beautiful place. We visit Coos Bay yearly. It’s a beautiful place too!

Should definitely mention Sheboygan, Wisconsin! Great place to start a family and have a beach at Lake Michigan a couple blocks away.

I use to surf fish on the Oregon coast when I was 11 years old. Unforgettable experience. Breathe taking.

Glad that someone else shares my love of the chilly PNW coast. However I’d go for Newport, OR instead of Cannon Beach. Cannon Beach is VERY touristy. The town is basically built for tourists. Newport feels less superficial. But either way Cannon Beach is still an amazing place.

Cool beans, another great video👍🏻 Thank you 🙋🏼

Thank you so much for this video!

Pleasantly surprised to hear you grew up in Redondo Beach. My channel has a ton of videos about Redondo. I love living here

If/when the possibility arises that I can move out of my current city/state I'd like to possibly see a top 10 on college towns to see if my 4-point checklist is possible to find while avoiding state capitals or major cities. My list: 1. Easy amenity access (No car needed), 2. High quality fun (Great nightlife), 3. Low overall crime rate (Safe commutes), 4. Decent weather (For commuting around town). I'm mainly interested in areas in PST or MST time zones.

Hi Briggs. I've lived all my life 20 min or so from the coast. Different ocean but once the ocean is in your blood (my Mom's Dad had his sailing ship Master's license and was a sailing ship Captain as well as being a licensed steam ship Master and Captained the old coal burners) living anywhere else wouldn't be the same. Have a great weekend.

I hate to be that person but your Rockport, ME section has a number of pics of Rockport, MA. Specifically, there’s the narrow street crowded with people and shops and then what you referred to as the harbor (before the sailboat on the open ocean). I grew up in MA - so yeah, I guess I’m a Ma$$hole - and have been to both Rockports SO many times which is why I was able to pick that out. Sorry for the criticism. I’ve been a fan of yours for a while now, though, and you make some really great videos. I just figured you might want to know this.

Nice list! I would happily live in several of these.