Cincy to Charlotte? (Cincinnati, Dayton, Middletown: 2010, chapel, home)

[KYHokie]

Hey folks. I'm a mid-thirties single professional male who works for the government, and I was recently offered a transfer to Charlotte from Cincinnati. I'm originally from VA, but have lived in the Cincy area for the last six years. It's not the greatest city on earth, but there is plenty to do here, and I'm in a pretty good situation at work. Charlotte offers me the chance to be closer to home and closer to the beach. Anyway, I'm struggling with my decision on whether to move to Charlotte or stay here. I've even done my pro's and cons list, and I'm split right down the middle. I've been to Charlotte a few times and it's a very modern city compared to Cincy. It's also growing rapidly where as Cincinnati is well past its prime. Both cities have crime, but in Cincy it is more confined to certain areas and in Charlotte it seems to be everywhere. My problem is I have to let my supervisor know Monday morning what my decision is. Does anyone out there have any insight or advice to offer? I would greatly appreciate your help!

[lydunn]

MOve to Charlotte

[Pathwalker]

Well, sorry I didn't see this sooner. I'm not sure I would have known what to tell you, as I've never been to Charlotte. But since it's now Wednesday, what did you decide?

[hectorector]

Charlotte is a super-progressive city. It is part of the New South movement, offering affordable housing, great quality of life, job growth, and superior shopping. Cincinnati is a great city, but cannot compete with Charlotte. Charlotte is bigger and receives more attention. Charlotte also offers light rail and a lower cost of living which would be two of the reasons why I'd make the move. You will be closer to the beach and experience all four seasons equally with the exception of summer being about a month longer than Cincinnati. The interstates are wider and speeds are faster, making your commute times shorter. As with any southern city, with the exception of Savannah, Charleston, and Miami, you will have to depend on your car for most things. If you are wanting more information, then I suggest you look at these websites:

Charlotte Mecklenburg Living

Visit Charlotte :: Home

[QueenCty]

Just to make sure the correct information is posted. Charlotte is growing faster, but the metro is smaller. Cincinnati has all the amenities a big city without many of the hassles. You might be referring to the city proper (Cincy is only 78 square miles and has not annexed), but here are the most recent stats from the census:

Cincinnati
2006 2,104,218

Charlotte:
2006 1,583,016

[unctheel]

I'm interested in knowing what you did. I grew up in Cincinnati and now live in Chapel Hill, NC. having been to Charlotte many times, if the job ids one you'd like., GO!!!!!! A beautiful city, great neighborhoods. being in your mid 30's is ideal. OK, weather is hot and humid (nothing like Cincy....much worse), but hey, we get warm weather (warm enough to garden, play outdoors, etc., 101/2 months out of the year. Charlotte is close to the beach, mountains & Atlanta. And the airport is one of the most beautiful ones I've been in. Yes, I love Cincinnati, but my love for the city is based on a lot of wonderful memories, not the city it is now.

[hectorector]

Originally Posted by QueenCty

Just to make sure the correct information is posted. Charlotte is growing faster, but the metro is smaller. Cincinnati has all the amenities a big city without many of the hassles. You might be referring to the city proper (Cincy is only 78 square miles and has not annexed), but here are the most recent stats from the census:

Cincinnati
2006 2,104,218

Charlotte:
2006 1,583,016

This is incorrect because you are comparing the CSA or combined statistical area of Cincinnati to the MSA or Metropolitan Statistical Area of Charlotte. Here are the actual correct populations of the cities:

Cincinnati MSA
2006 1,749,241

Cincinnati CSA
2006 2,104,233

Charlotte MSA
2006 1,626,694

Charlotte CSA
2006 2,419,078

These figures come from wikipedia and the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. So while the MSA is larger for Cincinnati, the CSA is significantly smaller. Market trends and regional significance such as business relocation or housing statistics are usually based on CSA's becuase they are more reflective of the region's standing in the U.S. An example of this would be that while Atlanta only has about 500,000 in its city limits, the CSA has about 5.5 million.

[duke2x]

Originally Posted by unctheel

I'm interested in knowing what you did. I grew up in Cincinnati and now live in Chapel Hill, NC. having been to Charlotte many times, if the job ids one you'd like., GO!!!!!! A beautiful city, great neighborhoods. being in your mid 30's is ideal. OK, weather is hot and humid (nothing like Cincy....much worse), but hey, we get warm weather (warm enough to garden, play outdoors, etc., 101/2 months out of the year. Charlotte is close to the beach, mountains & Atlanta. And the airport is one of the most beautiful ones I've been in. Yes, I love Cincinnati, but my love for the city is based on a lot of wonderful memories, not the city it is now.

I can't believe it, but I agree with the Tarheel. I live in the Triangle, and I'll never move back to Cincy or anywhere with significant snow ever again. When choosing between the Queen Cities, I would choose Charlotte.

The biggest area where Cincy is better is public schools. The only public school system in NC which approaches Sycamore, Forest Hills, Indian Hill, etc. is Chapel Hill-Carrboro (with CH-C being a little bit better than any of those listed). Since all the housing is newer, you probably will not live in as nice a neighborhood as if you stayed in Cincy for the same salary.

Minor areas you might miss are the Reds, unique items of Cincy cuisine (LaRosas, chili), Delta (v. USAir). You will get to experience Bojangles and BBQ instead.

[OHBuckeye]

Originally Posted by hectorector

This is incorrect because you are comparing the CSA or combined statistical area of Cincinnati to the MSA or Metropolitan Statistical Area of Charlotte. Here are the actual correct populations of the cities:

Cincinnati MSA
2006 1,749,241

Cincinnati CSA
2006 2,104,233

Charlotte MSA
2006 1,626,694

Charlotte CSA
2006 2,419,078

These figures come from wikipedia and the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. So while the MSA is larger for Cincinnati, the CSA is significantly smaller.

The Wikipedia page about the "Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky metropolitan area" is wrong. Here are the official 2006 MSA and CSA figures for Cincinnati and Charlotte straight from the U.S. Census Bureau:

Cincinnati-Middletown MSA
2,104,218

Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington CSA
2,147,617

Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord MSA
1,583,016

Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury CSA
2,191,604

http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2006/CBSA-EST2006-01.xls (broken link)

http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2006/CBSA-EST2006-02.xls (broken link)

BTW, Wikipedia is correct on these pages:

United States metropolitan area - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Combined Statistical Area - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[QueenCty]

Actually, I pulled the information directly from the bureau. The Census this year specifically measured metros, which came directly from this link and match exactly the numbers I posted: Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Estimates.

I did not see anything on the Census site about CSA's (although OHBuckeye appears to have found them), but am not sold on those - it seems like too many places that really are not part of the city/metro get added. For example, Salt Lake City goes from 1 million to 1.5 million. Also, metros seem to be the more widely used measure, and you will see that this is used in USA Today (and most papers across the country) and the World Almanac each year. Interestingly, Charlotte has places like Salisbury included, and that looks like it is 42 miles from Charlotte. That is quite a bump from metro to CSA (not sure where 2.4 million came from, it actually looks to be what is stated below). Are many of the extra 600,000 that far away?

Food for thought - you will notice that Cincy only saw a gain of 43,000 from metro to CSA, but if you went 42 miles north Cincinnati you would begin picking up Dayton. This would create a metroplex of about 3.2 million, which will probably be created with the 2010 census as many suburbs between the two have commuters to both cities. I am not a fan of these extended boundaries, but I guess we should take advantage of proximity as many other cities have much smaller communities of a similar distance already included.