Affordable Coastal Towns for Young Family w/ Kids (Wilmington, Jacksonville: homes, job market)

[Chris and Kristen]

Hello, My husband and I are looking for a great coastal town to settle down in. My husband and I are worried mainly because of the snow. We don't mind the snow and enjoy the snow, but don't want to go somewhere where we could be snowed in for several days. I really like Maine, but my husband is worried about being snowed in and the job market where we go. We have 3 young kids are oldest is 5. So of course I want it to be a good school district. We want to have that small town setting with a harbor possibly even if its within a 30 minute drive. We want it to be an affordable town as well. Anyone have any suggestions? Looking to stay along the east coast!

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Chris and Kristen

We have 3 young kids are oldest is 5. So of course I want it to be a good school district. We want to have that small town setting with a harbor possibly even if its within a 30 minute drive. We want it to be an affordable town as well. Anyone have any suggestions? Looking to stay along the east coast!

First, there is seldom enough snow that you would be snowed in for several days. Some years we have no snow, others we get less than an inch. Last year schools were closed for a day because of ice on the road.

I understand that you want a small town, but the job market in most of the coastal towns is tourist-oriented and seasonal. Most of the jobs are in the larger cities: Wilmington, Jacksonville and Greenville. You can find good schools in the city and suburbs of each of these. Other districts with good school include Newport and Hampstead. You might also look in the Portsmouth/Virginia Beach area for jobs and plan to live in North Carolina.

My primary suggestion is to concentrate on finding a job first. Once you locate a job, you can concentrate on finding that small town. If you tell us what jobs skills your husband has, we could supply better suggestions.

[Chris and Kristen]

He is in the restaurant management industry. He is currently a General Manager. Having a 30 minute drive to a job is fine as well

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Chris and Kristen

He is in the restaurant management industry. He is currently a General Manager. Having a 30 minute drive to a job is fine as well

Well, there is about 300 miles of coastline in North Carolina, and thousands of restaurants. I will add Beaufort, Southport, Swanboro, Calabash and Shallotte as attractive towns you might be interested in. You may have to locate further inland to find "affordable" property, as waterfront and water-accessible homes are expensive.

You might also look at the Myrtle Beach/Little River area of South Carolina, as there are undoubtedly many restaurant management jobs. Plus, it is slightly more affordable than North Carolina, and there are good schools in the Carolina Forest area of MB.