We moved from RI/MA to NC (in 90) and there are various differences.
I found after some time it is not an either or situation outside of the weather. I can't begin to sum up in a message here the variables. I'll try to give a glimpse...
For instance Schools (I had children in elementary, middle & high) yes, the curriculum was a little easier and for the high school child about a yr easier!
HOWEVER, was that a problem? No, my daughter made straight As honor roll and that qualified her for some bonuses after graduation.
Certainly not a problem for getting into college! Not at all and Duke & UNC are good Colleges. There is also ECU where my other daughter is currently an RN at the University Hospital now. She went through her schooling on Scholarships and had a guaranteed job waiting, now she is getting her masters.
School in RI & the Cape up until we left in the 90s were either Public or Catholic or Private (very expensive).
Here there are so many more options! Public schools (check out Brinson Memorial Elementary which has won honors verses Oaks Rd Elementary School New Bern which is working on test score improvement) vary big time (some are world class schools, some are struggling with low budgets and heavy immigrant or minority populations). In addition there are Charter Schools (Check out Arapahoe Charter School, Arapahoe NC) which my child went to that can be wonderful. It was like Private School for free.
Then there are Religious Schools...not only Catholic (look up St Pauls New Bern NC ) in fact in some towns you may find no Catholic but rather 'Christian Schools'. I never saw so many 'Christian Schools' until moving here. When schools integrated in the 60s many families wanting to remain segregated wanted an option so Churches opened Schools. Baptist is popular here more so than Catholic. (For example look up Wilson Christian Academy in Wilson NC)
Then you have Private Schools (look up Arendell Parrot Academy Kinston NC) they are another option.
Finally there is a large population Home Schooling here as well. With more families wanting to keep the Bible in their lives as well as those that don't like the 'herd mentality' in school these days, they simply Home School. The law is basic parents must be a grad and the child gets 1 State Test each year; but the curriculum is up to you. I home schooled 1 for a year and another grade 1-5 then he entered Middle School.
There is also a program called Early College (check out Craven Early College New Bern NC) where an 8th graded can have the opportunity to instead of go to High School gets to go to the Community College and get not only the High School education but graduate with a two-year Associates Degree. That is a Lottery program.
So rather than one place being 'better' than the other or one place being 'advanced' or 'behind' I'd say it is a matter of choices (isn't most of life).
I found what you leave and may think is better may actually be traded for something entirely different. Maybe the level of education is various (depending on where you send them) but what you get for maybe not having the highest curriculum in all the schools you gain too in the Southern Culture.
I have a 15 yr old that says to his teachers "Yes Mam" and "Yes Sir". He knows no other way being born here. His sisters on the other hand coming from RI had to learn to remember that when speaking to their teachers.
I have a family member on the East Providence School Administration Board since the 70s and the last time I visited him in 04 he said "You would not believe how the schools have gone downhill, the demographics have changed so much that I never thought I would see this day, here"
Walking through what was once beautiful East Providence High was nothing less than heartbreaking; it looked like a slum school. They may not all be in such financial crisis or have serious issues but in general respect is down.
So I would say fellow New Englander think more about what are your priorities? Basing it on what you come up with will be much easier than looking at the either / or's.
I can tell you that if you come the beautiful weather will warm your hearts, the shutting down of the town when maybe an inch of snow comes every couple of yrs will tickle you, that likely will long for some foods you can't find here (and will be looking for friends or family to send you if possible)
that the traffic will be a relief (what is up with the Iway)
none of that here!
One word of advice I got and will share with you; when I was visiting my Dad (born & died in RI) I was complaining about people talking so much at check out lines, holding up the lines about weather chit chat here...He said 'Kiddo, leave the attitude right here in RI, you are on THEIR soil and you transplanted to THEIR Town, if you want to make it you ADAPT to their elements, you learn their ways of the land...so you may bloom, if you insist on the ways from back here then you will buck life and wither there"
He was right, once I got past myself and the 'back home they do it this way' syndrome...life was beautiful here!
As far as Location for example in between Ayden & Vanceboro may be central to the 3 places you mention. I don't know if you want to be in town or the outskirts (in the country) but there are places all in between with at least a Food Lion (Stop & Shop) or a Piggly Wiggly (Almacs/IGA type) as well as the common smaller stores. Wal-Mart is in all the cities you mentioned.
I hope this gives you a little perspective of the variables from a transplanted New England Rose.
I think you would love it.
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Still believe in Cape Carteret area
