Anchorage vs. Peachtree city, GA vs Naples, FL (living, best, state)

[Ether Bunny]

My wife and I have one child and we're looking for a great place to raise a family. I have job offers in three different cities--anchorage, peachtree city, and naples. We plan on having 2 more children. Our budget for a house is around $650,000.

Any thoughts on raising a family in these areas? I know they're VERY different areas, but they're on my list because each place is a unique job opportunity. Anchorage, for instance, would be an enormous increase in salary (2-3 times what I currently make).

[PTC Dad]

Peachtree City is a great place to raise a family. It's an affluent suburb, with top ranked schools, 100 miles of golf cart paths that connect neighborhoods, schools, churches, and restaurants. Most people that live here are transplants from across the country. It's a very friendly and welcoming community. It also has a mild climate with average highs in the winter in the 50's and in the high 80's in the summer. And in your price range, you can purchase a very nice new or near new home in some of the better neighborhoods in Peachtree City.

I've lived in Southwest Florida and know a few people that have lived in Naples. It's a beautiful community, with some of the best beaches in Florida and it has perfect weather from November-March. But the summers are long and hot. Also, like most of South Florida, it is disproportionally older. Naples is a magnate for wealthier retires. Because of that, there are less middle and upper middle class families. Most of the jobs are service sector based. Also, a lot of families choose private school because of variability of attendance zones. Most public schools in Florida have pockets of affluence along the water, but also a lot of lower income areas further inland, which negatively impacts overall test scores. I know Naples can be somewhat of the exception, and has good schools and some families in the area, but it's nothing like the family centric environment of Peachtree City.

[pnwguy2]

Wow, this is a somewhat weird one.

If you are willing to gamble on another area that is completely different, then choose Alaska. Just keep in mind that life there is not like life in the lower 48. You will deal with extreme conditions, the most obvious being extreme darkness from November to March, and extreme daylight from April to October. I lived there for two years in the 90's and could not take it. However, everyone is different.

However, there are advantages. No state income tax, and no sales tax except for certain cities. Plus the Permanent Dividend pays you back just for living there. Just make sure you establish residency via a driver license as soon as you move.