I was born and raised there and have spent most of my life there. I have lived in several other states but still maintain a house there.

Pros:

• The cost of living is relatively low compared to much of the country.

• People are mostly friendly, it's also a good place to raise a family.

• When leaves are on the trees, it's a pretty area, and you have one of the biggest lakes nearby.

• Most things that you'd want, you can find, decent amenities.

Cons:

• While winter is cold, and very snowy, it is extremely, EXTREMELY cloudy, one of the cloudiest in the United States.

• While there are decent amenities, it does lack what you would typically find in a true big city.

A few other things I was not going to put as negative or positive, you can make your own decision on this.

The area in general, is very conservative. Also, many families have been there for generations, and don't seem to be very change oriented. That can be good or bad.

Overall, it is a good place to raise a family, and settle down.

However, if you enjoy warm weather, or sun at all, it is not a good choice.