All of us want to be successful in life. Some are happy with just having their needs supplied and building memories with their families. Some want to be a little more comfortable and memory building that involves a little more money and there are those that just want to be filthy stinking rich. No matter which of those categories you fall into, where you live could be hampering you from getting there. Below are a few things, good and bad, to look out for when choosing where to live in response to how successful you want to be. 
Crime Rate
Unless you plan on making your living as a lawyer or a bail bondsman, if the city you live in has a high crime rate, it’s a good bet that the ceiling for your success is low. Let me explain. If a city has a lot of crime, the cost of staying there is bound to go up. Crime restricts the flow of the economy. It puts businesses in a place of uncertainty. It is a pretty common assumption that when there is a high crime rate, there are high dropout rates and poverty, as well. All of this makes for a horrible labor climate and this will impede your road to progress.
Population of Children
This should be an obvious characteristic. People tend to raise their children in places where they feel safe and where they feel their children will have the best shot at success. Check out the surrounding schools. The high schools, especially. What is the dropout rate? What opportunities do they offer their students for future success? Things such as advanced placement classes, FBLA, Honor Society, and the option to graduate high school with an associate degree say that this is a town that values education and the future of their children’s success in life. This will be a great place to try to advance your own life, as well.
The Condition of the Surrounding Buildings
We’ve all seen the towns you drive through with the clean cut suburban neighborhoods. Everyone’s yard is neatly trimmed, the houses pressure washed, and the streets relatively clear of trash and debris. Then, there are the cities you drive through where every other building is abandoned, the homeless dot most corners, and no one really cares to pick up the trash in the road. Matter-of-fact, you can often spot pedestrians adding to the mess without a second thought. Towns like these scream “We just don’t care anymore!” Succeeding in a place like this has a 0 – nothing chance. Look around. If the town’s buildings are well taken care of, it’s a good sign that the people in the community still care enough to progress and so could you.
When considering the next move in your career, think about where you are. Your location could determine your growth. Are you sitting in grade a fertilizer or is the plant of your life sitting in a cold dark room with no water?