Which place would you move to?

[Joyfullyblessed]

Hello,

 

I was just wanting to get some opinions. My husband was laid off back in July of this year. Today he applied for a position at a company he would love to work for & to our surprise has already received a call back & has an interview tomorrow.

 

The thing is that this job could cause us to transfer to another state. We are in Georgia now. This job could be in Charlotte, NC., Nashville, TN., or Orlando, FL.

 

Of course, we know nothing now, but if you had those three choices... North Carolina, Tennessee, or Florida... Which would you choose & why?

 

Thanks & have a great day!

[lllll]

............

Edited September 28, 2012 by ksva

[Crimson Wife]

According to the cost-of-living calculator at bestplaces.net, $50k in Nashville, TN is the equivalent of $47.9k in Charlotte, NC, and $46.4k in Orlando, FL. So your money would go the furthest in Orlando and the least in Nashville. But it's not a huge difference, not like moving from GA to some place really pricey like San Francisco or Manhattan.

 

Of those 3 cities, I would personally pick Charlotte because it has the highest concentration of educated people of the 3. A bunch of DH's business school classmates live there because they work for Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and the other financial services firms in the city. I can't think of any of his classmates who live in Orlando or Nashville, though without searching his alumni directory I can't be 100% sure. But they are definitely not among the top cities attracting his classmates, while Charlotte would be probably in the top 10 or 15.

[sweetbasil]

I'd go for the area that has the best job market in my husband's field. That way, if/when he needs to find a new job, it will be easier to do so without relocating.

 

If the job markets are equal, go with the best pay.

 

If the pay is equal, go with the best quality of life. Look at homeschooling laws, weather, outdoor activities, etc.

[Parrothead]

Charlotte and Orlando are too big and too far south. I'd head to Nashville if given that choice.

[LucyStoner]

I'd go to Charlotte or maybe Nashville. I would not go to Orlando unless there was no choice in the matter.

[Shellers]

I would choose either TN or FL because those states have no state income tax.

[PeacefulChaos]

I would vote for NC.

TN is okay, too, but I wouldn't pick FL personally. :)

[Elizabeth in MN]

I would not go to Florida. If I recall correctly the home schooling laws there are pretty intense. Also, they have cockroaches the size of a small car. Ew.

[Mom-ninja.]

I would not go to Florida. If I recall correctly the home schooling laws there are pretty intense. Also, they have cockroaches the size of a small car. Ew.

 

Home school laws here are easy. However, we do have big roaches. You will most likely have to spray your house.

[Mommyof4ks]

We have friends in all three places, so I would probably pick Florida, because I love the beach, and driving to the Keys for a long weekend sounds wonderful to me.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

Normally, I would be rational... however, with the inclusion of Orlando... I would say, hands down, I would move to Orlando so I could go to Disney World whenever I wanted. :D

 

I would want a house in Windsor Hills, the same place that we rent condos when we go to Disney. :D

 

DH, of course, would KNOW this, and he would choose this option, as long as everything else (regarding the job) was equal. :D

[Trish]

I would not go to Florida. If I recall correctly the home schooling laws there are pretty intense. Also, they have cockroaches the size of a small car. Ew.

 

Hmm. I don't consider the homeschooling rules intense at all. Yes, the cockroaches are large, that's why you use pest control stuff.

 

Having moved from the north and lived in central Florida the past 14 years, I now found Georgia to be "too cold." They get ice!

 

Good luck deciding! You can't beat living near Disney World!!!

[TravelingChris]

I would choose Orlando first- easy homeschooling, easier than TN, Nashville second and CHarlotte third. WHy that order- Orlando is the cheapest area and no income tax, Nashville is the most expensive but the no income tax makes it cheaper than NC, and NC last because it is the most expensive. All are nice cities with both good and bad and so I just suggested by the economics.

[walkermamaof4]

We live in Charlotte and moved here from Orlando. I don't know how they calculated the cost of living in each, but for the same money we can have a house in Charlotte twice the size and pay half the taxes on it and have an enormous yard in a fabulous neighborhood. The crime rate here is significantly lower. The traffic is much less and anything we need is really close by. The Falls are wonderful and Winter is just long enough. I'd live here in a heartbeat over Orlando. I can't speak to Nashville. The homeschool law in Charlotte is lenient I think. And at our church a significant percentage of people homeschool. HTH! Hope he gets the job!

[Dinsfamily]

I loved living in NC so that would be my pick. NC is beautiful and it was so easy to get to different places on the East Coast so traveling was great. We went everywhere from NY to Orlando while we lived there. There are also great hs communities there. My best friend lives there so I might be a bit biased. My sis is a Disney fanatic so she'd pick Orlando everytime.

[Barb_]

Charlotte in a heart beat. Orlando is too sticky and buggy with no seasons, and Nashville too country (for me, YMMV) and harder to get to other places up and down the Eastern seaboard. Charlotte is the best of all possible worlds (city, rural, size, education, price, etc).

 

Awesome for you guys that you may have a say in the matter!

[walkermamaof4]

Also, in Charlotte we are 2 hours from the beautiful mountains and 2 hours from the beach. Perfect. And if you can live in Ft Mill, the cost of living is even cheaper. Where are people getting the idea that living in Orlando is cheaper? The housing was so costly there and our house and yard were really tiny.

[Unicorn.]

Anywhere but Florida. :D They have seasons in TN and NC.

[Barb_]

Where are people getting the idea that living in Orlando is cheaper? The housing was so costly there and our house and yard were really tiny.

 

:iagree:

[elegantlion]

I would pick Charlotte. Closer to the beach, Nascar, and I know people there. :D Orlando would be second, but I don't want to live in Florida as much as I used to. Nashville is nice, but if I'm moving it's going to be closer to a large body of water.

[MooCow]

Well, we moved to TN from Phoenix. We like it. However, I would jump at the chance for Charlotte.

[deacongirl]

I agree about Charlotte for all of the above reasons. I cannot stand not having seasons. NC is beautiful.

[Joyfullyblessed]

Thanks for all the great replies! My first choice was North Carolina. As much as I love Disney, I just don't think I want to live in Florida. However, if a great opportunity were to come up, well, I would think about it at that point. :)

 

We are a family that LOVES having four seasons, especially Fall. I think I would miss that so much if we went to Florida. At least NC and TN have the seasons, so that is big for us.

 

Hopefully, we will find out more tomorrow and see if this is something that we even need to be considering right now.

 

Thanks again!!! :)

[SailorMom]

I can really only give an opinion about FL...

My cousin does live near Charlotte and loves, though :)

As for Orlando- If you don't live in the City- the crime isn't bad. In the city - it's rough. Cost of living varies depending on where near/in Orlando you live. Homeschooling laws are really easy. No issues at all. It gets ridiculously hot in the summer, but the rest of the year is really nice. The beaches - both Atlantic and Gulf - are only about 90 minutes or so either way. Disney World, Sea World, etc., -all have GREAT home-school activities that we would have loved to be a part of had we lived near there....

Bright Futures Scholarships... If you think you'll be here until one or more of your kids will graduate - home-school kids are eligible for Bright Futures. Just google it - there are a few different levels of benefits. That right there might make Florida look very attractive :)

[ktgrok]

North Carolina doesn't allow homebirth, so I wouldn't move there. 'Don't know about TN.

[TN Mama]

I'm partial to Tennessee. I would not hesitate to move to the Nashville area. I lived there for a few years and East TN for several years.

[hsbaby]

Well, we chose a suburb of Nashville when we moved from CA. I love it here and wouldn't want to be anywhere else:)

[bettyandbob]

I'd go with

1. Charlotte. Close enough to the beach it is an easy drive. Nice change of seasons.

2. Nashville.

3. Orlando. I would choose to live in Orlando for a short term job assignment ( 6 months- 1 year) and take advantage of FL resident Disney offers and go to the beach, but the place does not appeal to me for longterm. I understand it has higher crime. There are big bugs. It is muggy much more than the other two cities.

[NotSoObvious]

Personally, I would not move to Orlando.

 

Nashville is supposed to be really cool and TN is beautiful! However, our family would pick Charlotte for a variety of reasons.

[MommaOfalotta]

Florida!!!!!

 

TN second choice.. (but Id really push for Florida!)

[QueenCat]

We love living near Nashville. Homeschooling is easy in TN. No state income tax either. No crazy property taxes on cars (we pay $56/year per car for annual registration/license plates). Lots to do in Nashville.

[Kathryn]

I'd pick Charlotte first, then Nashville, then Orlando.

[RobinF]

We have lived in Nashville and Orlando. We loved Orlando and would move back in a heartbeat. Nashville we enjoyed but it is gray during the winter months and that was hard for me. We have looked at Charlotte and I think I would like that area also. Hands down though Orlando or other place in Florida.

[Donna]

I would have to go with Charlotte if making the decision. Mostly because we have family in the area and it would make relocating much easier. Also because we visit there often and it feels almost like a 2nd home for us. We would move to NC if the activities the kids do did not have so many more opportunities available to them here.

 

My other choices in order would be Nashville (love the music scene) and then Orlando because I like to go there on vacation but don't think I would want to do summers there.

Edited September 25, 2012 by Donna
forgot to add

[DawnM]

Well, we DID choose Charlotte! I can't even begin to tell you the homeschooling possibilities here. I had never seen so many concentrated homeschoolers before! There is so much to do and there are so many options for hsers.

 

Dawn

[Denisemomof4]

NC because it is furthest north. I hate the heat, and I DESPISE humidity.

 

I couldn't stand the traffic OR weather in FL.

[Caroline]

I would choose Orlando because my parents live about 90 minutes from there. I would love to be closer to my parents.

 

However, that aside, I would choose Nashville. I have no rational explanation except that it is cool.

[besroma]

Charlotte, then Nashville, then Orlando.

 

Charlotte puts you in a great location, only a few hours away from the mountains (Boone, Blowing Rock, Asheville) and the beach (Wilmington, Outer Banks). You are also an easy drive to SC.

[Verity]

My dh got a job in Orlando this past summer. We moved down from Jacksonville so no surprises on the weather or the bugs. The no state income tax remained the same. We chose a small town with a 45 minute commute to work for him but close everything else for me and the kids.

We have found a great community with a nice sized homeschool co-op, great community with lots to offer.

I love NC and would jump at a chance to live in Charlotte but we have been very happy with our move.

Best of luck with the job hunt!

[walkermamaof4]

UNC, Duke, Davidson... :tongue_smilie:

[Tracy in Ky]

Florida :D

[Joyfullyblessed]

Thanks again for all the great responses! I just love all the information I can gather here, even with a question like this. :)

 

Everyone have a wonderful day!

[JenC3]

I'd pick Charlotte as well.

[DawnM]

I wish you had put a poll. I would love to see this categorized!

[athena1277]

I would take any of those! Can you tell we want to move?;)

[Tess in the Burbs]

I have lived in Charlotte and grew up in NC so I would pick NC. I hate the heat so Orlando doesn't appeal to me. I have an aunt in Nashville and I have visited there on my own many times with friends and it seems nice. So for me I would compare those two cities on city data. You have to consider your lifestyle. Do you like a city? Or suburbs? Outdoor stuff? The beach? Mountains? You need to see if that city offers you what you like.

 

NC in the cities has so many people from other places it's easy to get connected and fit in. It has 4 seasons. It has tons of colleges if you are thinking long term school stuff. It has mountains and the beach. You don't really get tornadoes or earth quakes there. Although Hurricane Hugo came through when I was in high school.....mostly wind/rain but we got a week off school :lol:

 

i don't think you can just choose on COL and weather. you have to enjoy the place you are in. I like the weather ok where i am now but it's by the beach. We prefer mountains. We miss the mountains. And while otherwise it's ok here we just don't love it b/c it's not our kinda environment. I want hills and tall trees. We rarely find people who like to do the things we like to do. So I would move to a higher COL to be back in the mountain environment we prefer.

 

good luck on the interview and deciding. I would think your dh needs to ask where the company wants him. My dh could have done another location for his current job but he was told this location was best...on site and won't be first to laid off if money went away. So we moved here. Good decision for the job. Not so good for lack of mountains, lol