After 38 years in Texas, the wife and I are considering a move to the NE where my wife would be about 4-6 hours drive to visit her family in NY. We both have come to hate the Texas heat. We could settle for the forested areas of East Texas, but in my opinion the demographics are poor. It seems like the choice in East Texas is to live in a smaller town with its share of trailers and where you can't even find a Home Depot or Target, or in the bigger towns with apartments where you still have your pockets of city thugs walking around with their pants below their ass. There's no zoning in texas, which doesn't help.The 4 seasons of VT or NH are fine with us if we can live around people who don't have you fearing for your life.  

But both NH and VT property taxes scare me. Not having to pay sales tax in NH is nice, but what matters more is NOT getting property taxed to death $thousands$ per year in our early retirement years!!  I like the Vermont scenery better then NH, but am also worried about my gun rights. Frankly I'm amazed as liberal as VT is, you guys haven't lost your AR15's yet, haven't been subjected to magazine capacity laws, and/or haven't had to register your pistols. Do you guys in VT think you might have to ever worry about waking up one morning to hear in the news that your AR15's were banned overnight like what Cuomo had done in NY? That is a concern I have. Between the balance of gun rights and taxes, which of the two states is a better bet for me?

Seems unlikely to me that gun laws will change for the worse in VT in the immediate future.  IIRC, they recently started allowing suppressors, and elected a (R) governor, so things are moving in the right direction.

I've never owned property in either, so I can't speak to the tax situation as well as others.

Whatever you do, research Act 46 and see if it will have any effect on the taxes in the towns you are considering. I have a friend leaving VT and jumping the river because of this...if he can sell his house.

I was born and raised in Northern NH (Lancaster), but we lived in VT (Guildhall).

I retired from the Army and stayed in NC, not a lot of work up were I was raised. It's nice to go up for vacation in the summer but I don't think I could ever move back there, everything is too expensive and behind the times.

They are also having a horrible time with drugs, like some of the worst in the country bad.

My family and I are moving to Vermont.  We will be in the NW part of the state.  Originally from La.  Shoot me a PM if you decide to come to VT.

Just found your post while browsing around so, hope you don't mind me chiming in.

Born and raised in VT, Chester/Springfield area (SE). I'm still in the military, 19 years and counting. I have lived in TN most my military career. It pains me every time I read the news about my hometown or surrounding area and the drug problems that have evolved basically since I left the state. VT and NH are suffering from a heroin pandemic among other drugs. Not sure exactly why/how it went sideways but its a real problem believe me! Drugs find those looking for them!

However, don't let that deter you. VT is the wild west of New England regarding 2A. A permit is not necessary to lawfully open or CCW. Back in the day when I was growing up it was not unusual to see a rifle hanging from a gun rack in the back of a truck window. Most all my family and friends up in VT are avid hunters. Therefore, all my family and friends possess firearms. I don't think you have to worry bout VT turning into a police state like NY, MA, CT etc. Bernie Sanders put VT on the political map. Don't be fooled, Vermonters are independent thinkers and its historically a republican state. If you enjoy hiking, biking, outdoor activities, you are moving to the right state. You might as well buy a snowmobile and plow because those are pretty much standard issue up there!

Its also important to know that VT is a tradesman state. Meaning there is very limited corporations there. So, if you are handy with plumbing, electrical, carpentry, farming etc you will have a foot in.

Finally, start practicing rolling your hard "R's!" Good luck!

Did you ever move up here?  We were in the same boat,  lived in Temple Tx, hated the heat so we packed up and moved to Vt.  Wife had a job in White River and all her family is from Barre so that put us in Randolph.  Honestly I can't stand the people here.  The guys I work with would literally lick the shit off Clintons feet and this is at a metal foundry with some of the roughest group of guys I've ever worked with.  Hope you made the choice to stay in Tx.  If I HAD to move it would be to NH.  Better 4 wheeling trails, same CCW laws, more access to Lowes and civilization if you want it.

Sad to hear that @Black88iroc.  Yeah, up in Randolph you're near one of the liberal bastions of the state, so I'm not surprised.  I've literally lived all over the state and I like where I am some of the best.  I'm just south of White River Junction, we're a bit more conservative down here.  I know if you head north and away from Burlington you'll find alot less liberal thinking as well.  Basically its the most populated places, Montpelier and Burlington.  Where all the hippies and bleeding hearts live.

OP, I've lived in both states, NH isn't that bad on property taxes  as long as you stay out of Claremont and Manchester.  You'll end up paying high property taxes in Vermont AND sales tax AND income tax (if you decide to make some money on the side).  Check out the taxes in any potential town online, there are definitely some livable ones.

Taxes are not high in NH.  No income, sales tax....

I have been retired now here in Houston for a little over a year. When I started this thread, it was my first week of retirement. My wife now still has somewhere from 6 months to 1 year to go before she retires too, and we still look at the real estate websites for homes up there.

Funny how when I started this thread a year ago, I had posted;  "Frankly I'm amazed as liberal as VT is, you guys haven't lost your AR15's yet, haven't been subjected to magazine capacity laws, and/or haven't had to register your pistols."
Well, here you Vermonters are now, just a year later with AR magazine restrictions. Perhaps your just one more Parkland Style massacre away from NY style  AR15 confiscation too. As beautiful as VT is, the recent anti-gun legislation from that Republican Rino Governor of yours was enough to spook me away from VT. I told the wife I'm not moving somewhere that I will have to throw away my 20 round mags in order to move there. I asked her; "What's next in VT...... my AR15 rifles too?" Though she doesn't shoot, she backs me up 100%.

Thank you guys for the welcoming tone and helpful input. The truth is the wife and I are in our mid 60's and are more intimidated with the extreme cold weather and some of the other old-people issues like having access to good medical facilities. But she would still move there if I said "Let's go.". She thinks it's beautiful up there with the cold weather, snow, and the hills and forests being part of that natural serenity.....    and I agree with her.

Taxes are astronomical here.  choose NH if you have to be here.  Vermont is beautiful but way too many taxes and a RINO governor atm who is anti gun.

Regardless of which of the two states somebody moves to, you hit the nail on the head with your comment about the cold. It gets reallyreally cold here. It gets cold early and it stays cold late. The NH capitol city of Concord averages just over 60" of snow a year. Up north, at First Connecticut Lake, they get 141". Winter can seem bleak and endless to some people, especially when they look out the window in the first week of April and it's snowing. Again.

The winters should be a very serious consideration for any potential move to the northeast. Lots of people move up here only to move south again 2 or 3 years later. If you can deal with winter, it's a great area to live. But if you can't deal with winter, you won't stay.

My how things have changed eh?  The rest of what you mentioned? Just a matter of time! I lived in Vermont for 16 years and moved out (fucked up and moved to Wa state and in process of getting the fuck out of here) but where I am I hardly see that nasty winter that Vermont generously tries to kill her citizens with.

Cont'd from above:

It's one of the reasons I left.  A lot of people are very passive about the laws changing around them too.  As long as they can get drunk and high and can hunt, they don't give a shit about much else.

Spot on.  Unfortunately.

If you think zoning is a good thing, stay out of NH.

OP, I hope you chose NH?

I just got back to VT from some time overseas and I'm looking for the nearest exit.  This state is doomed!

Yeah, politicians from out of state seem determined to move here and fuck us over (Burnie anyone?).  I'd love to move to NH (I work there) and its just not an option at this point.  

Yes, its sad.  I spent a year in South Franklin, up in Franklin county working on the border.  Met some really good people up there but it's already doomed.  Half the gun owners are Fudds and the other half wont bother to show up to vote.   The southern half of the state is full of LGBT/communists who outnumber registered Republicans 2.5 to one.  NH is definitely better now.  But that being said, it's on the same course of change by all the massholes that are coming en masse...

Maine

Constitutional Carry, liberal gun regs, anemic Democrats in charge.  They tried to enact some new "gun laws" but all were eliminated in conference before they even came up for a vote.  Even though they have a Democratic gov., they're a different bunch of people up there.  We're moving there this year from Connecticut and with options for NH and VT open to us.  Maine is a much more free state in so many ways.  Just my 2 cents.  Remember, there are more people in Philadelphia than the entire state of Maine.

Old thread but try Northern FL, 4 seasons, great medical with the Mayo Clinic and HSS.  Vermont not only has mag bans but also instituted 3 day waiting on purchases. FL has the latter but if you have a CWP it’s waived.  I’m looking at NH, considered VT for a bit too, but VT ranks 4th in tax burden and NH 48th.  This would be for a second residence.