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I’ve lived in NC on and off for over 2 years. I’ve never really felt that NC is really “home” and I live in between Durham and Greensboro. Whenever my husband and I visit Florida coast we feel like it’s the place to be, especially living near the ocean and having the city in close proximity. There seems like more to do outside of work and home there. I’ve been looking at jobs and iooks like Florida has more job openings than NC does. The company I work at also has a corporate office in Florida. We don’t really care to have the four seasons that people often talk about. I’m wondering for those who have lived in both states, does the take home pay make a big difference? I know Florida has no income tax.
I’ve lived in NC on and off for over 2 years. I’ve never really felt that NC is really “home” and I live in between Durham and Greensboro. Whenever my husband and I visit Florida coast we feel like it’s the place to be, especially living near the ocean and having the city in close proximity. There seems like more to do outside of work and home there. I’ve been looking at jobs and iooks like Florida has more job openings than NC does. The company I work at also has a corporate office in Florida. We don’t really care to have the four seasons that people often talk about. I’m wondering for those who have lived in both states, does the take home pay make a big difference? I know Florida has no income tax.
For starters, there is no more to do outside of work or home in FL versus NC..you're probably just jaded. Florida has more visible job openings perhaps however the pay scale is lower, the quality of jobs overall is less and the cost of living is higher...especially when considering rental housing. Also do consider for every living wage job in Florida (paying $18 an hour or higher) there are at least several applicants applying so unless transferring with a current employer the odds are well stacked against you. As a native of FL (and several year resident of Durham-Chapel Hill) I would caution against a romanticized view of the move as it does not translate to reality most likely.
For starters, there is no more to do outside of work or home in FL versus NC..you're probably just jaded. Florida has more visible job openings perhaps however the pay scale is lower, the quality of jobs overall is less and the cost of living is higher...especially when considering rental housing. Also do consider for every living wage job in Florida (paying $18 an hour or higher) there are at least several applicants applying so unless transferring with a current employer the odds are well stacked against you. As a native of FL (and several year resident of Durham-Chapel Hill) I would caution against a romanticized view of the move as it does not translate to reality most likely.
I understand that there are lower wages, but there’s also no income tax. There has also been some jobs I found that pay as much or even a bit more depending on the company. My dad is also retiring and considering to relocate to Florida for that exact reason. My husband and I want to have kids in the near future. While looking at school rankings nearby in Alamance County, the rankings seem lower compared to the areas of Florida I’ve looked at.
I understand that there are lower wages, but there’s also no income tax. There has also been some jobs I found that pay as much or even a bit more depending on the company. My dad is also retiring and considering to relocate to Florida for that exact reason. My husband and I want to have kids in the near future. While looking at school rankings nearby in Alamance County, the rankings seem lower compared to the areas of Florida I’ve looked at.
While there is no income tax other costs are a good bit higher including auto/home insurance, groceries and transportation costs (toll roads) making the cost differential about even minus a drop in salary. You seem to have a case perhaps of the typical "everything is better in Florida" affliction that strikes potential transplants prior to their move, and perhaps consider a bit more research. In terms of schools your comparison point is somewhat skewed considering your close proximity to higher ranked schools/districts on either side of you in Guilford County or Orange County. Overall NC schools rank well above FL, so that comparison level doesn't work as well either. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-sta...cation/prek-12
You really need to take a trip and compare certain things, like groceries, car insurance, and other frequent expenses, line item by line item. You also have to take your personal lifestyle into account. It's a complex calculus.
I live in what most people would consider a fairly low cost of area of Tennessee. It isn't that low cost (still, not expensive) when you drill under the surface.
I spent about four days in Raleigh and Durham last week. I've been to Tampa twice this year. Before I left home, I found a basket of supermarket items that would be available in each location to check prices. Things like store brand skim milk, frozen Tyson chicken tenders, gala apples, and some Healthy Choice frozen dinners are on my list. Harris-Teeter in Raleigh and Publix in Tampa both had lower prices on my "basket of items" than my "cheap area" of Tennessee.
You just need to look at things you frequently do/buy and see what the prices are in each area you intend to Target.
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