Originally Posted By: GMFan
We have been looking at moving for work in the Charlotte, NC area however are looking to settle south of Charlotte in South Carolina for cheaper cost of living. We would be making the move in ~3years once my father retires from his construction job.
Questions for those who have made the move from North to South:
1. Do you regret it or was it a good decision?
2. Have folks in the south been accepting of tax fleeing New Yorkers or did you feel like an Okie in The Grapes of Wrath? We do not want to live in a place where there would be hostility toward us. We are not from New York City but to most people 'New York' mind as well be the same thing.
3. Was the adjustment difficult or easy?
This would be a huge decision for our family and we know that once we made the move it would be pretty much impossible financially to move back if we regretted our decision. Even if we determine moving down South isn't for us we have also been considering Pennsylvania and Delaware.
I have had a good friend of mine who was struggling to find jobs around here and recently made the move to San Antonio, TX absolutely loves it. He went to trucking school and is driving big rigs and has never turned back. I've had numerous other friends who have moved throughout the country and have told me the move was worth it.
Thank you for any input.
GMFan- I lived in N.C. for almost 20 years in the Charlotte area. To be exact, I lived 20 miles west in Gastonia (a moderate sized town down I-85.) I've also lived in Salisbury and Raliegh N.C. I have also worked in Ft. Mill, S.C. (just south of Charlotte, down I-77.)
If you are seriously considering the Charlotte-metro area (I consider it: Lake Norman, Huntersville, Gastonia, Ft. Mill, Rock Hill, and other 'smaller towns'.) I would lean heavily to living in South Carolina.
Growing up in N.C., I too became 'disenchanted'- as you say- with how the state "was run." Side note- I've also lived in Porltand, OR and Vancouver, WA (currently reside there). And the cost of living in N.C. is JUST as much as out here in so-called "heavily blue", "heavily regulated", "heavily taxed" western states. So, I would steer clear of N.C.
Depending on how much the sale of your current property is and let's say $275K (totally arbitrary and hypothetical, probably more since you are in N.Y.)... you could buy quite a bit of land and house in upstate S.C.
I would analyze the job situation as the area is heavily dependent on financial institutions, some tech, some construction (well there was prior to 2008, like all places.)
Besides the banks, large employers in the area are John Deere, BMW, Freightliner, Michelin, Duke Power, and others.
Traffic isn't too bad venturing north on I-77 N. from S.C. From Rock Hill or Ft. Mill or Tega Cay (Nice community on a lake) it's probably 30 minutes to go 15 miles @ 8am... commute back @ 5pm is probably 45min.
Traffic from Huntersville, N.C., (North or Charlotte; another Nice community, lot of NASCAR folk live in this area) down I-77 S is a totally horrible. 45-65 minutes to and from @ 8am and 5pm.
The commute from Gastonia, N.C. up I-85 N can be brutal as well 45 min. to over an hour at 8am... worse at 5pm back. Some nice towns in Gaston Co. (again, west of Mecklenburg Co.) are Belmont and Cramerton and much shorter commute times than from Gastonia.
Honestly, I would place equal emphasis on moving to TX as to the Carolinas. Actually, I would move to TX before the Carolinas, just due to the economy of the state, but that's me.
So to your questions...
1.) I can't answer this because I moved away to get married.
2.) I would say people in North Carolina are more 'accepting' to yankees than people in S.C. BUT there are good people everywhere and bad people everywhere. That's what I've learned from moving so much. (The place that seems to have the most 'bad' people is D.C. was SO glad to get outta that place.) I honestly feel though, the # of northern folk who have moved into the Charlotte area VASTLY out number the home-born commoners. I could be wrong but I rarely worked with or met at church people who were "from N.C.".
3.) Moving adjustments are ALWAYS difficult. It takes 2 years before a new place starts to feel normal. It does for me any how.
Best of luck.
We have been looking at moving for work in the Charlotte, NC area however are looking to settle south of Charlotte in South Carolina for cheaper cost of living. We would be making the move in ~3years once my father retires from his construction job.
Questions for those who have made the move from North to South:
1. Do you regret it or was it a good decision?
2. Have folks in the south been accepting of tax fleeing New Yorkers or did you feel like an Okie in The Grapes of Wrath? We do not want to live in a place where there would be hostility toward us. We are not from New York City but to most people 'New York' mind as well be the same thing.
3. Was the adjustment difficult or easy?
This would be a huge decision for our family and we know that once we made the move it would be pretty much impossible financially to move back if we regretted our decision. Even if we determine moving down South isn't for us we have also been considering Pennsylvania and Delaware.
I have had a good friend of mine who was struggling to find jobs around here and recently made the move to San Antonio, TX absolutely loves it. He went to trucking school and is driving big rigs and has never turned back. I've had numerous other friends who have moved throughout the country and have told me the move was worth it.
Thank you for any input.
GMFan- I lived in N.C. for almost 20 years in the Charlotte area. To be exact, I lived 20 miles west in Gastonia (a moderate sized town down I-85.) I've also lived in Salisbury and Raliegh N.C. I have also worked in Ft. Mill, S.C. (just south of Charlotte, down I-77.)
If you are seriously considering the Charlotte-metro area (I consider it: Lake Norman, Huntersville, Gastonia, Ft. Mill, Rock Hill, and other 'smaller towns'.) I would lean heavily to living in South Carolina.
Growing up in N.C., I too became 'disenchanted'- as you say- with how the state "was run." Side note- I've also lived in Porltand, OR and Vancouver, WA (currently reside there). And the cost of living in N.C. is JUST as much as out here in so-called "heavily blue", "heavily regulated", "heavily taxed" western states. So, I would steer clear of N.C.
Depending on how much the sale of your current property is and let's say $275K (totally arbitrary and hypothetical, probably more since you are in N.Y.)... you could buy quite a bit of land and house in upstate S.C.
I would analyze the job situation as the area is heavily dependent on financial institutions, some tech, some construction (well there was prior to 2008, like all places.)
Besides the banks, large employers in the area are John Deere, BMW, Freightliner, Michelin, Duke Power, and others.
Traffic isn't too bad venturing north on I-77 N. from S.C. From Rock Hill or Ft. Mill or Tega Cay (Nice community on a lake) it's probably 30 minutes to go 15 miles @ 8am... commute back @ 5pm is probably 45min.
Traffic from Huntersville, N.C., (North or Charlotte; another Nice community, lot of NASCAR folk live in this area) down I-77 S is a totally horrible. 45-65 minutes to and from @ 8am and 5pm.
The commute from Gastonia, N.C. up I-85 N can be brutal as well 45 min. to over an hour at 8am... worse at 5pm back. Some nice towns in Gaston Co. (again, west of Mecklenburg Co.) are Belmont and Cramerton and much shorter commute times than from Gastonia.
Honestly, I would place equal emphasis on moving to TX as to the Carolinas. Actually, I would move to TX before the Carolinas, just due to the economy of the state, but that's me.
So to your questions...
1.) I can't answer this because I moved away to get married.
2.) I would say people in North Carolina are more 'accepting' to yankees than people in S.C. BUT there are good people everywhere and bad people everywhere. That's what I've learned from moving so much. (The place that seems to have the most 'bad' people is D.C. was SO glad to get outta that place.) I honestly feel though, the # of northern folk who have moved into the Charlotte area VASTLY out number the home-born commoners. I could be wrong but I rarely worked with or met at church people who were "from N.C.".
3.) Moving adjustments are ALWAYS difficult. It takes 2 years before a new place starts to feel normal. It does for me any how.
Best of luck.
