The best state and city to live in the southeast (real estate, school)

[VA Lover]

I live in NoVa, and the cost of living is very high. Well, in Fairfax County, our taxes fund one of the nation's best school districts.

Lowest to highest graduation rates in the nation's 50 largest school districts

Rate District Size rank Rate District Size rank Rate District Size rank

21.7 Detroit 11 53.7 New Orleans 48 68.4 Gwinnett County, Ga. 20

38.5 Baltimore City, Md. 30 53.8 Duval County, Fla. 19 68.6 Brevard County, Fla. 42

38.9 New York City 1 54.6 Clark County, Nev. 6 69.3 Fulton County, Ga. 45

43.1 Milwaukee 28 54.8 DeKalb County, Ga. 27 70.0 Hillsborough County, Fla. 10

43.8 Cleveland 44 55.1 Austin 37 70.2 Anne Arundel County, Md. 40

44.2 Los Angeles 2 55.2 Palm Beach County, Fla. 12 70.4 Cobb County, Ga. 26

45.3 Miami-Dade County, Fla. 4 55.5 Philadelphia 8 72.2 Granite, Utah 46

46.3 Dallas 13 56.0 Charlotte 23 75.3 Mesa, Ariz. 39

46.5 Pinellas County, Fla. 22 56.2 Orange County, Fla. 15 75.8 Northside, Tex. 49

46.8 Denver 43 60.1 Polk County, Fla. 34 77.0 Jefferson County, Colo. 33

48.5 Memphis 21 62.2 Jefferson County, Ky. 31 80.2 Jordan, Utah 41

48.7 Broward County, Fla. 5 63.0 San Diego 16 81.3 Cypress-Fairbanks, Tex. 47

48.9 Fort Worth 36 63.1 Fresno 35 81.5 Montgomery County, Md. 17

48.9 Houston 7 63.7 Hawaii (statewide) 9 81.9 Baltimore County, Md. 24

50.4 Nashville 50 66.5 Virginia Beach 38 82.2 Wake County, N.C. 25

52.0 Albuquerque 32 67.3 Prince George's County, Md. 18 82.5 Fairfax County, Va. 14

52.2 Chicago 3 68.1 Long Beach 29


Source: EPE Research Center


Our school district received the highest rating from USA Today!
82.5


So, yes, that is one of the many reasons the cost of living in NoVa is high. Northern Virginia could become its own state. It would benefit us heavily by not having to pay taxes to richmond, and receiving about half of our tax dollars back to fund projects that NoVa does not even want... that is a major reason why traffic is so bad up here. Speaking of that, our local supervisors have mustered up a bill to fund road and highway improvements, since Richmond won't fund them... we pay dearly for that.

[jgean]

Is Richmond a poor area?

[VA Lover]

Originally Posted by jgean

Is Richmond a poor area?

[jgean]

what makes it poor?

[VA Lover]

IT IS NOT POOR! The only areas of VA that are poor are Norfolk, Southwestern Virginia, and parts of the Eastern Shore (though that is changing, thanks to the yuppies).

[jgean]

Ok, I wasn't sure what you meant by your reply to when I asked if it was poor.

[destinedtodave]

Originally Posted by jgean

Is Richmond a poor area?

That question is very general don't you think?
There are poor parts downtown (as well as nice ones) but most of its suburbs are middle class and better. Per capita incomes may not be as high as those further North but the cost of living is much lower.


Like any area there are poor parts, middle class, and affluent areas.

[jgean]

i got the impression that it was poor or mostly poor by what someone else said. Your right it is a general type of statement.

[lammius]

The CITY of Richmond does NOT have an admirable or desirable school system. Some of its more affluent suburbs, however, have quite good districts.

I know it's not an argument anymore, but what makes me LOL about an earlier post is the idea that YUPPIES are changing the EASTERN SHORE!!! The E.S. is a 60-mile spit of sand that is home to less than 15,000 people. It's economically stagnant, not much more than farms. It is one of the most isolated, rural, and impoverished areas of Virginia. Where are the yuppies? Norfolk and SW Va aren't exactly yup magnets either. Northern VA is the beneficiary of brain drain from other parts of the state.

[jgean]

My wife and I are looking for an area that has a lot of manufacturing. She is in management and I am in the skilled trade's.