where to live

That's completely a personal choice. There are so many factors that go into a decision on that. I don't think anyone here can tell you "where to live" because the are so many variables in a decision like that

Yes, I live in Fort Worth Texas but I have lived in a number of different places while I worked. Some of the recent places are: Boston MA, Tampa FL, Dallas TX, San Antonio TX. Each of these cities had things to offer for someone interested in computer software. First they offer jobs and second they had organizations such as Meetup that meet and you can talk to many people working on computer software jobs. But these cities are also expensive to live in.

The problem these days is the cost of education. So if you went to another city there would be living costs as well as tuition, books and supplies. There is a two year community college in San Antonio-Alamo Colleges where you can learn the basics and transfer most credits to a four year college. I did the same thing. I have a two year math and science degree and a four year Management Information Science degree with a major in Computer Science.

After graduating from Alamo College you can decide where to continue your education. The remaining two years are most important because you are being taught specific areas of computer programming and how it is used. Now colleges are specializing. This is a list of some of the specializations and the link reviews them in detail: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science, Robotics, Software Engineering, Human-Computer Interaction, Management Information Systems, Cyber Security, Cloud Computing.

https://www.stoodnt.com/blog/ms-in-computer-science-in-usa-top-universities-hottest-specializations-and-application-tips-for-international-students/

Good luck in the future.

I agree with the other answers. Suggest looking at some of the open software engineering jobs on LinkedIn or Indeed.com in a few different cities to get a feel for the kinds of companies who have software teams in different places. Once you have a few companies in mind, then go to the jobs/careers sections of their web sites to explore further.

I would suggest thinking about what kind of place you want to live in, settle down in. Consider various factors such as the commute to work time, mode of transportation - cities have trains vs in some other places, you can drive, the weather, your network.

I personally prefer to live in calmer places but ended up in a city. I realised the benefits of living in a city such as more job opportunities, more networking, learning opportunities and the cons of course - the high cost of living, traffic.

it is best to think about what suit your needs, preferences, things that make you happy.

I recommend you to at least consider also moving abroad, I know it's a tough decision but it has also several extra benefits besides getting a good job.

I live in Barcelona, which is becoming kind of technology hub in Europe and getting a job in software industries would not take long even if you don't speak Spanish. There are severals extra benefits in this specific case which I will briefly discuss:

1- Medical healthcare: In Spain we look with horror the astronomical bills of any medical treatment in USA. In Spain, healthcare is by law supported by taxes, so no matter if you break an arm or need a heart surgery (hope not!!) you'll have nothing to pay afterwards.

2- Learning a new language: Once a teacher of mine told me "Language is power" and she was so right! It opens a lot of doors.

3- Vacations: I never had less than 22 days of vacations on any company I worked with, I heard than in USA this is quite different.

4- Having and adventure :)

I know my answers are very focused in Spain.. but my intention is just to consider other options besides USA.

Hello!

It 's really a personal choice but I live in Austin, Texas. I've lived here for 12 years now and really enjoy it! The University of Texas @ Austin is located here so education is a priority but quality of life is one of the best. There are so many things to do such as festivals, exploring trails, going to a lively downtown and its family friendly environments!

I think the choice will be up to you and what fits your likes and dislikes. :)

Good luck!

Thanks

Rudy

Once you've shortlisted the cities that you'd like to explore you probably want to check other aspects like quality of life, pollution, health care, cost of living... you can quickly do it here: https://www.theearthawaits.com/