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I recently left NJ and live in GA. My taxes went from $11k to $2k for a bigger house on a bigger lot. Auto insurance is half. Many of the people here are from NJ/NY.
hi, I did not know you left. How are you doing? DO you like GA better is what you are saying. What are the negitives and positives. Is it hard to adjust? Marilyn
Eight years ago we could see what was happening in NJ, we both were "working to live" & not "living to work". So we decided to research and leave, we new we wanted to go So., so we took out a map, closed our eyes counted to 3 and pointed, landed on No. Carolina, did the same thing with the NC map and found our new area that we would be moving to. My h took a part time job at a HI store with the intention of relocating with lateral pay after a year of working there. We started coming down on weekends to look for our new home, a year later we put the down payment on our home, contingent on selling our Jersey home, 4 mos. later we had a full price offer on our home. My h got the job he wanted here in NC and we were set to leave 6 mos. later. We knew no one. It was hard leaving our kids & g'kids, but knew it was just as easy to write a check out from NC as it was in NJ. We were most fortunate because the forces of the Universe were in our favor at that time.
Our mortgage, taxes & ins. on a 1700' sq. ft., 3 bd, 2 1/2 bath, 1 acre new construction just went up to $689.00 mo. As far as car ins., it isn't that much less than NJ when you consider the yearly Personal tax on your vehicles. Buying food is more expensive than NJ. It is a give and take situation. It becomes what you want most in your life. For us it afforded me the opportunity to stay at home and write my first book, my husband to work a 40 hr. job, to come home for lunch & dinner and work 2.8 mi. from our home. We live within our means and sit on the front or back porch with the dog, people watching and actually having nice conversations with them and when they ask "how you doing?" they really want to know.
Good luck on your decision, do research jobs before taking the plunge. We are here 6 yrs. now and are coming up to see the kids next month and already looking forward to our flight home and planning our KW vacation for October. The only thing we regret is that we didn't do it sooner.
What people who have never left their birth state don't realize is that except for the very high and very low incomes, salaries are pretty similar countrywide. You won't find the high Wall Street incomes you get in northern NJ anywhere else, and a lot of states use the Federal minimum wage instead of the higher one that NJ uses.
My family moved from NJ to OK about a year and a half ago. Our COL is approximately 40% lower now, but our income is only about 20% lower. That 20% represents savings, more fun, and less stress. Also, when DD goes to an OK state college next year, her full year tuition will be less than one semester in a NJ state college. Sure we miss NJ (the shore, friends, family), but my kids will have a much better chance at attaining a decent standard of living here than in NJ.
What people who have never left their birth state don't realize is that except for the very high and very low incomes, salaries are pretty similar countrywide. You won't find the high Wall Street incomes you get in northern NJ anywhere else, and a lot of states use the Federal minimum wage instead of the higher one that NJ uses.
My family moved from NJ to OK about a year and a half ago. Our COL is approximately 40% lower now, but our income is only about 20% lower. That 20% represents savings, more fun, and less stress. Also, when DD goes to an OK state college next year, her full year tuition will be less than one semester in a NJ state college. Sure we miss NJ (the shore, friends, family), but my kids will have a much better chance at attaining a decent standard of living here than in NJ.
Are you trying to say that places like Oklahoma offer the variety of jobs and salaries of New Jersey and its sorrounding areas? That is simply not true. I lived in the south briefly and made half the salary I make here in NJ. Even with a raise in property tax I still net much more and with much better benefits here in New Jersey. In addition Oklahoma is not every New Jerseyan's cup of tea.
Are you trying to say that places like Oklahoma offer the variety of jobs and salaries of New Jersey and its sorrounding areas? That is simply not true. I lived in the south briefly and made half the salary I make here in NJ. Even with a raise in property tax I still net much more and with much better benefits here in New Jersey. In addition Oklahoma is not every New Jerseyan's cup of tea.
Thank God OK is not everyone's cup of tea! I wasn't suggesting everyone should move here. I was simply responding to your question about salaries. As far as variety of jobs, yes. Oklahoma city is a major city. Our unemployment rate is at least two percentage points lower than NJ. Our foreclousre rate is much lower also.
BTW, Oklahoma is not "the south." And if you net more in NJ than your brief job in "the south" that's great. However, I was merely pointing out that that situation doesn't apply to everyone.
Thank God OK is not everyone's cup of tea! I wasn't suggesting everyone should move here. I was simply responding to your question about salaries. As far as variety of jobs, yes. Oklahoma city is a major city. Our unemployment rate is at least two percentage points lower than NJ. Our foreclousre rate is much lower also.
BTW, Oklahoma is not "the south." And if you net more in NJ than your brief job in "the south" that's great. However, I was merely pointing out that that situation doesn't apply to everyone.
its funny how people in ny/nj like to assume that every place in america between california and new york is just a bunch of people living in the middle of nowhere.
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We were most fortunate because the forces of the Universe were in our favor at that time.
they really want to know.
And if you net more in NJ than your brief job in "the south" that's great. However, I was merely pointing out that that situation doesn't apply to everyone. 
