Best southern state for us? (for sale, crime rates, chapel)

[indigocolt]

Hello, I was hoping to find some help about relocating to the south. We are interested in North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, or Tennessee.

My husband and I are from CA, currently finishing school in OR. My husband will have a major in Biblical Studies and Psychology. He is wants to work in some social service field with children and youth.

We cannot afford to go home to CA and the constant grey skies of the NW are wearing on me. We would love to have a small amount of property 2+ acres, with water, trees and open land(room for animals, kids to run and build a house without the trees falling on us).

We enjoy all four seasons (just not constant grey), and nothing too extreme l(ots of freezing snow or desert heat.)

Which state would fit us best and which part of that state. We think North Carolina and Georgia are very pretty but have not been to the others.

Thank you so much for any suggestions.

[Niki]

I haven't spent a lot of time in TN or KY, but I've been through them. They're pretty also.

As far as what you're looking for, I would think any of those four would work out well for you. I'm sorry. I know that probably doesn't help you much. lol

There are a few areas of NC that I would recommend.

The Triad (Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point) is great. There are a lot of nice small towns you could settle in and still be close to what the bigger towns have to offer.

The Triangle area (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill) and Charlotte area are also nice.

The coast is beautiful, but there are hurricanes to think about.

The mountains are also beautiful. Your best luck there would probably be in the Asheville area.

I personally would stick to the Triad, Triangle or Charlotte areas.


All the best!

[RuralCoastalGuy]

Sounds like what you want is a piece of unused farmland here in North Carolina. Just about every county can offer you a place in the country with easy access to a town or city, and this being the Bible Belt your husband will have no problem finding his vocation here. May I suggest you google search Sampson, Duplin, Johnston, Harnett and Cumberland counties as there will be acreage for sale there at reasonable prices anywhere from $7,000 to $15,000 per acre. Pine trees are abundant here and there is nothing prettier than our own Carolina Cardinal if you want birds on your wooded property.
Since your request was pretty general I am afraid that is all I can offer at this time. Perhaps you could try the Rural and Small Town Forum and make your search there ...

[MrsSteel]

Honestly, I think all of these areas are pretty. I spent a lot of time in northern Kentucky when I was younger; I adore the gorgeous, rolling hills there. I also have friends who've lived in Tennessee and loved it.

I think the most important thing is for you to go where you can get a job.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by indigocolt

Hello, I was hoping to find some help about relocating to the south. We are interested in North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, or Tennessee.

My husband and I are from CA, currently finishing school in OR. My husband will have a major in Biblical Studies and Psychology. He is wants to work in some social service field with children and youth.

We cannot afford to go home to CA and the constant grey skies of the NW are wearing on me. We would love to have a small amount of property 2+ acres, with water, trees and open land(room for animals, kids to run and build a house without the trees falling on us).

We enjoy all four seasons (just not constant grey), and nothing too extreme l(ots of freezing snow or desert heat.)

Which state would fit us best and which part of that state. We think North Carolina and Georgia are very pretty but have not been to the others.

Thank you so much for any suggestions.

All four of those states are nice and have similar demographics.

One thing to consider is your tax burden. Of those four, Tennessee has the lowest over-all tax burden, followed probably by Georgia then NC. Kentucky's taxes are quite high and are on par with other high-tax states like New York and Hawaii.

The suggestion of the Piedmont Triad area (Winston-Salem, Greensboro) is an excellent one. It's a beautiful, growing area. I'd also like to recommend Knoxville, Tennessee.

If you want smaller towns, I'll recommend Cookeville, Tennessee. Excellent schools, university town (but not a party school), and it's only an hour from the Nashville airport which will give you much cheaper air fares back to CA than you'll find out of Knoxville, Charlotte, or Greensboro.

[radraja]

North Carolina and Georgia currently have the best job markets and local economies. And I wouldn't say that either are very expensive, not compared to the west coast.

Of the two, I'd pick NC. Prettier weather, strong schools, lots of natural beauty.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by radraja

North Carolina and Georgia currently have the best job markets and local economies. And I wouldn't say that either are very expensive, not compared to the west coast.

Of the two, I'd pick NC. Prettier weather, strong schools, lots of natural beauty.

Not quite. Certain parts of NC and GA have good economies. Other parts of NC are still reeling from the loss of furniture manufacturing jobs, and parts of GA have never been known for having good economies. The same can be said for TN.

[radraja]

Indeed. To clarify, I meant the areas surrounding major metropolitans. Although, for what they're looking for, it wouldn't hurt to throw in a few of the eclectic smaller cities, such as Athens or Asheville.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by radraja

Indeed. To clarify, I meant the areas surrounding major metropolitans. Although, for what they're looking for, it wouldn't hurt to throw in a few of the eclectic smaller cities, such as Athens or Asheville.

I love Asheville!!! Since the OP's husband has a degree in Biblical studies, Asheville might be an interesting place for them to investigate. In one sense it's a very, very liberal place, but on the other hand it's home to all kinds of church retreats.

[censusdata]

Of those states, only Kentucky and North Carolina have metro areas with low rates of violent crime.

Tennessee is ranked as the 5th most dangerous state and is home to several of the most dangerous metro areas in the US. The Highest crime Metro area in KY (Louisville) would be BY FAR the safest metro in TN.

Metro area violent crime rates, 2005

Charlotte 838
Nashville 894
Memphis 1,189
Knoxville 483
Atlanta 492

Louisville 412
Lexington 403
Asheville 257
Raleigh 330

Moderator cut: URL removed

Louisville is great for a midsized city with lots of Liberal, funky neighborhoods. Lexington is a college town surrounded by horse farms.
http://www.city-data.com/forum/louisville-area/232504-louisville-photo-sticky.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/lexington-area/233321-lexington-photo-sticky.html