Possible relocation advice

Jamaicanlove · January 2014

Hi everyone,

We currently live in NJ. We both have good jobs. We are thinking of relocating to a more southern state within the next 2 or so years. NJ is super expensive (housing, taxes etc.), however, we realize that we also get paid more than many of the southern states. I would like your input on NC as far as cost of living and pay ratio. I know that we would be taking a pay cut to move and want to figure out if how substantial it would be and if it would be worth it. We are both originally from the caribbean and long for warmer climate, low cost of living, affordable housing, good pay and great schools. I am a speech-language pathologist in the schools and my husband is a supervisor at our local cable company. Neither of our jobs have the opportunity for us to merely transfer. My cousin lives in winterville and is moving to Charlotte and advised us to check out NC. Any advice? TIA

AshleyO925 · January 2014

I'm currently a teacher in NC from CT. I will be leaving after my first year. Do NOT come here if you plan on putting your kids in public school or being a teacher. Seriously, don't do it.

bohemianlc · February 2014

The schools in Charlotte are making strides but are still in extremely rough shape; I would not advise anyone to move to the Charlotte area if they are looking for a quality public school system to work in or place children in.

With that said, I live in Fort Mill, SC, which is right over the border into South Carolina and a very short drive from Charlotte. Most of the people I know in FM actually commute to Charlotte every day for work because it's so close.. If you like the appeal of an easily accessible metropolitan area but want a smaller town feel for your family, living in Fort Mill offers you the best of both worlds.

The schools in Fort Mill are among the best in the Carolinas and are also highly ranked on the national scale; I taught in the district and was so impressed by the constant professionalism and care my fellow teachers offered to their students at all times. Trust me when I say that I never dealt with any of the issues my friends in other districts in North and South Carolina faced during my time of teaching in FM. I also taught in a different SC district before coming to FM and was astounded at the stronger academic programs offered to students and the superior environment for teachers. If you find the Charlotte area to be appealing but want a nice community with good schools, definitely look into Fort Mill.

Feel free to private message me if you have any questions or anything about the area!

I am also a "northern transplant" who was not raised in the South, and I love it here!

Lauren584 · February 2014

I'm from Charlotte and went to both public and private schools and both were fine….however, I have heard that public schools are different now, unless that is of course you move into the wealthier districts where they are better. However, they do have good lottery schools, like the Montessori schools. Those are worth looking into.

The Fort Mill area is nice, but far out from Charlotte in my opinion and with traffic, it makes your commute almost an hour (I know, b/c I used to make it). I live closer in the city now and enjoy it much more because everything is so central. Housing is affordable, the median home price is around $240K. My husband is a realtor here in Charlotte so he knows all the stats

As for salary, that ranges all over the places but public schools pay awful! I know my brother is finishing his masters in speech pathology and will probably go into the private sector b/c the schools don't pay well enough. Charlotte is worth looking into…it's growing faster that most cities in the US.

Possible relocation advice

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