germantown/collierville or Alpharetta/Marietta, GA (Memphis: sales, private schools, tornadoes)

[fatbench]

suppose same salary, where to choose, Germantown/Collierville, TN or Alpharetta/Marietta, GA near Atlanta? mainly focus on housing price, tax burden, schools, traffic, climate, etc.

[My_home_town]

Well, I have a good friend who lives in Alpharetta. Traffic is dismal for one. Can't say about pricing or the other areas. I know it's hot there as it is here. Your best best is to visit the area and explore.

[the_commuter]

I just can't deal with suburban Atlanta traffic. That alone would be enough to steer me to the Memphis metro. What a headache.

[jaydarl]

I spent a lot of time in the Atlanta area doing business during the mid-00s. I spent most of the time staying with my business partner in Sandy Springs, then later Marietta. I was very tempted to get my own place which would have had to be in Atlanta proper but I never did make that plunge. The commutes to/from the city would wear me out even though I rarely drove. I guess I'm from that Memphis school of anything more than a 30 minute drive might as well be Nashville. I enjoyed the Atlanta area but I learned that even with all the ills Memphis has, it is very manageable.

[knucklehead_vol]

No state income tax in TN.

[jaydarl]

Originally Posted by jaydarl

I spent a lot of time in the Atlanta area doing business during the mid-00s. I spent most of the time staying with my business partner in Sandy Springs, then later Marietta. I was very tempted to get my own place which would have had to be in Atlanta proper but I never did make that plunge. The commutes to/from the city would wear me out even though I rarely drove. I guess I'm from that Memphis school of anything more than a 30 minute drive might as well be Nashville. I enjoyed the Atlanta area but I learned that even with all the ills Memphis has, it is very manageable.

Meant Powder Springs, not Sandy Springs

[ColliervilleMom]

Originally Posted by fatbench

suppose same salary, where to choose, Germantown/Collierville, TN or Alpharetta/Merietta, GA near Atlanta? mainly focus on housing price, tax burden, schools, traffic, climate, etc.

housing price: Memphis
tax burden: Memphis
schools: Atlanta
traffic: Memphis
Climate: Atlanta

[blnguyenthi]

I have lived in both places.

housing price: Memphis
tax burden: Memphis - no income tax, but the sales tax is 10%. That doesn't include Shelby County Tax. You may not have an income tax, but you have county and sales taxes.

schools: Germantown and Collierville have great schools. There are also private schools.

traffic: Memphis

Climate: Atlanta
Memphis has 4 seasons. If it snows, then you cannot go anywhere. There are 2 plows for the highway. Also, Memphis as lots of tornadoes. It is also on an earthquake fault line. Memphis is due for a big earthquake soon. The natural gas mining in ARK causes some tremors.

[JoeCartpath]

Originally Posted by blnguyenthi

I have lived in both places.

tax burden: Memphis - no income tax, but the sales tax is 10%. That doesn't include Shelby County Tax. You may not have an income tax, but you have county and sales taxes.

Climate: Atlanta
Memphis has 4 seasons. If it snows, then you cannot go anywhere. There are 2 plows for the highway. Also, Memphis as lots of tornadoes. It is also on an earthquake fault line. Memphis is due for a big earthquake soon. The natural gas mining in ARK causes some tremors.

Actually, the state sales tax is 7% (5.5% on food) and the local sales tax is 2.25% (2.75% for items over $1600) - that that's 9.25% or 9.75% including the local tax....

As for weather, there hasn't been a day in my life that I couldn't go somewhere because of snow in Memphis! Ever seen Atlanta traffic after an ice storm? Although the relatively flat topography in Memphis isn't as pretty, it certainly makes getting around in bad weather easier. Atlanta has tornadoes as well, although probably not as many as Memphis....although there seems to have been more damaging ones in GA over the last couple of years....

As for a big earthquake "soon", that's been predicted for years. Most of the recent predictions I've seen show that "soon" is within the next 50 years. At my age, that's not really "soon"

Other things to consider about the Atlanta area, is that things like property taxes are higher, water restrictions have been in effect in a lot of the area (and may still be in effect).

I visit the Marietta/Kennesaw area often to visit friends there. Economics aside, I love the area....except for the traffic. Atlanta offers a LOT...it's just that most of it seems to be a hour drive away from where you are!

[characterRef]

Intelligence ? easy one ATLANTA

Transportation ?? easy one ATLANTA

Government ?? easy one ATLANTA

Shopping ?? real easy one ATLANTA

Grocery stores ? hmmmmm ATLANTA

Traffic ? Memphis

Entertainment? ATLANTA

Higher EDUCATION ? ATLANTA

Hospital choices / health care ? ATLANtA

Climate : ATLANTA




Yes, I lived in Marietta before for 5 years or so
and of course here in Gtown



No comparison really between the two cities one bit = TOTALLY different environments !!
Memphis should be compared to say a Shreveport, Bham etc...not an Atlanta....silly indeed