I'll just roll in one more grenade, I mean personal observation... For ME, the no-harm / no-foul jumpseat takes nearly all the stress out of commuting, I never sweat getting to work, and I don't worry about my family while I'm away. Like I said we do have a dog As has been pointed out by others, no place is perfect for everybody so, I stand behind my original advice. Do your homework. Get the facts, then decide. Just to get you started...


2005 Population : Murders
Memphis 678,988 : 137
MA 6,398,743 : 175
ME 1,321,505 : 19
NH 1,309,940 : 18
RI 1,076,189 : 34
VT 623,050 : 8

http://memphis.areaconnect.com/crime1.htm

http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/
Good Luck!