How's the economy in Athens?? (Atlanta, Madison: job market, school, university)

[LaughinWillow]

Hi there! My husband and I are considering moving to Athens. We used to live in Madison, WI and loved it (except the horrible winters), and now live in rural Virginia, which is ok, but completely lacking any culture, which is difficult with 3 kids. There is literally nothing to do without driving 50 minutes. We've been trying to find a town similar to Madison but further south, and Athens sounds like it might be it! My question for folks who know and/or live in Athens, is how the economy/job market is doing there. I have a master's degree in counseling (though I'd really rather work on a college campus than social services) and a lot of administrative experience, and we're planning for my husband to be a stay-at-home dad if we move, so we'll be living on one income. How is cost of living vs. finding a good job? Is Athens an affordable place for families to live? I'd love any advice/input folks might have! Thanks!

[DisgustaTruth]

The economy is Athens is pretty solid.. and since you want to work at a University you should have an easy time.. since UGA is the largest university in the state with over 35,000 students. Like Madison, Athens is a university town.. so much of the economy revolves around the college.. which makes it pretty stable. You will find Athens to be very similar to Madison.. a bit smaller but still lots of culture, vibrant downtown, and politically progressive, but the winters are much milder.
And whatever you can't find in Athens is less than an hours drive in Atlanta.

[Ollie1946]

My wife and I were commenting while eating out last night that there is no evidence of an economic downturn in Athens. The two largest employers are UGA followed by Athens Regional Medical Center.

There seems to be 2 types of people. Those who work for UGA and those who want to work there. UGA is not noted for good wages for support staff, there seems to be continuous friction along those lines.

As for your particular skill set, I have no idea. My understanding is that employment is not easy to come by and wages are generally "low" across the board.

I never know what anyone's definition of "culture" is. If you can define that as it affects your family, then I can possibly make a more intelligent comment about how you would find Athens as a place to rear your children. Remember, we have 34,000 plus/minus students here and a culture that runs the gambit from rock music (we have REM and Widespread Panic), bohemian, redneck, science and techies, political-environmental activists, bicycle vs car and on it goes.

our school system is noted for its high dropout rates. very high. most people who are concerned for their children's education live in Oconee County (rural/upscale).

You might find work with our local DFACS which always stays busy around here. We do have a homeless population.

Good luck to you.

[DisgustaTruth]

The good thing is.. that the cost of living is fairly low... lower than Madison for sure. As Ollie pointed out.. don't expect to get rich working in a support staff position at UGA, but you can easily afford a comfortable life in Athens on an average or modest salary.