Should I move to MD? If so, where?

[bigputz9513]

I would pretty much avoid PG county, parts of montgomery county, and mostly all of baltimore city. If you have kids then i would suggest howard county which has a great educational system. The good parts of columbie where my parents used to live is really something good to check out.

[Njrover0216]

It is very expensive here in Maryland. BGE is raising our electric bills, property taxes are going up, cost of living...for what you are looking for why not try the Carolinas? I hear Raleigh and Charlotte are the place to be down there.

[artemis007]

You know, Ive lived in Maryland my whole life, 44 years now, and I've watched the prices go up, the property tax go up, the tourism increase to the point where the tourists take up residency here. I've watched inflation, recession, way too expensive rent rates go up even more, the crime increase, the traffic increase, more drugs increase, and over all, its just NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE......I know, I'm a native. It's not worth the money, really, WHERE EVER you move in Maryland. Sure, there are some isolated spots in southern maryland, or maybe even in other counties. But those spots are few and FAR between but it so TOTALLY DOES NOT justify all the other sky high prices here in MD. plus the cost of living is just WAY to high. It's going to be tough for me, but I dont really have much choice but to move to another state. The stress of "...hmmm, who gets paid first THIS month........" is just something I cant hack anymore, OR working 2 and a half jobs to try and make ends meet. It sounds crazy, but in Maryland, I'm KILLING myself, just to be able to LIVE. Thats insane.

[tercel95]

Originally Posted by artemis007

You know, Ive lived in Maryland my whole life, 44 years now, and I've watched the prices go up, the property tax go up, the tourism increase to the point where the tourists take up residency here. I've watched inflation, recession, way too expensive rent rates go up even more, the crime increase, the traffic increase, more drugs increase, and over all, its just NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE......I know, I'm a native. It's not worth the money, really, WHERE EVER you move in Maryland. Sure, there are some isolated spots in southern maryland, or maybe even in other counties. But those spots are few and FAR between but it so TOTALLY DOES NOT justify all the other sky high prices here in MD. plus the cost of living is just WAY to high. It's going to be tough for me, but I dont really have much choice but to move to another state. The stress of "...hmmm, who gets paid first THIS month........" is just something I cant hack anymore, OR working 2 and a half jobs to try and make ends meet. It sounds crazy, but in Maryland, I'm KILLING myself, just to be able to LIVE. Thats insane.

I feel your pain. I am 21 years old and I have lived on my own since 18. I work for a defense contractor in Southern MD and make pretty good money but the cost of my apartment eats my entire salary. I can barely get by. I consider the area I live in very nice and safe but I just can't afford it. I have finally taken matters into my own hands and landed a job offer in Jacksonville, FL for 16k/year more than I make now. I am waiting to see if my company will counter but if not its off to FL...

[Skapov]

Originally Posted by tercel95

I feel your pain. I am 21 years old and I have lived on my own since 18. I work for a defense contractor in Southern MD and make pretty good money but the cost of my apartment eats my entire salary. I can barely get by. I consider the area I live in very nice and safe but I just can't afford it. I have finally taken matters into my own hands and landed a job offer in Jacksonville, FL for 16k/year more than I make now. I am waiting to see if my company will counter but if not its off to FL...

This is sad but true, and DC Metro is simply not the place to be if you're a household earning less than 6-figures. The one benefit however, is that you can nearly always find a job, whereas I can't say the same for other parts of the country and I've lived in many places.

My sister lives in Michigan, where the rents are dirt-cheap, but there's no job and she just got laid off, so I guess the grass is always greener on the other side.

[artemis007]

Originally Posted by tercel95

I feel your pain. I am 21 years old and I have lived on my own since 18. I work for a defense contractor in Southern MD and make pretty good money but the cost of my apartment eats my entire salary. I can barely get by. I consider the area I live in very nice and safe but I just can't afford it. I have finally taken matters into my own hands and landed a job offer in Jacksonville, FL for 16k/year more than I make now. I am waiting to see if my company will counter but if not its off to FL...

I wish you all the luck and skill in the world, Tercel; I hope you make it out of this area, and onto something better.
And you know, the way I see it, regardless of what state has more jobs, ONE thing is true, and that is that if I (or you!) put HALF the effort into finding a job in another state as we have in WORKING just to SURVIVE, HERE, in MD, then surely, luck will find us and we both will prosper. And for once, may the stress of financial worries forever leave us both!

[tercel95]

Originally Posted by artemis007

I wish you all the luck and skill in the world, Tercel; I hope you make it out of this area, and onto something better.
And you know, the way I see it, regardless of what state has more jobs, ONE thing is true, and that is that if I (or you!) put HALF the effort into finding a job in another state as we have in WORKING just to SURVIVE, HERE, in MD, then surely, luck will find us and we both will prosper. And for once, may the stress of financial worries forever leave us both!

Thank you for the kind words. I accepted the job in JAX and will be moving at the end of the month. I am looking forward to a new experience and a much better quality of life. I will miss MD, I have spent my whole life here. I really like the area where I live in MD, it is just too expensive...

[longdriver88]

Good luck! MD is expensive! And when your yearly raise does not keep up with inflation you are pretty much screwed!