good cities outside of raliegh to raise family (Wilmington, Jacksonville: homes, unemployment rate)

[tatumford12]

Hey there so I have been researching so many cities in north Carolina to move. Me and my fiancé and our son visited the outer banks recently and loved it but realize its smaller and more tourist. We want to move out of seattle wa and it seems like north Carolina is were we want to end up, im having a really hard time figuring out what are is going to be best for my family. We don't like huge cities but close to one to be able to go and visit when need be, we love the southern hospitality feel we got from outer banks, schooling is a must !! We are not rich by any means but maintain a average income of a little over 100,000 a year and hope to maintain that. Im a bartender and my fiancé is in construction. Any help will be appreciated. Just trying to get some suggestions on good towns or cities outside of raliegh . Thanks so much

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by tatumford12

Im a bartender and my fiancé is in construction. Any help will be appreciated.

Let me suggest Wilmington as a base of operations for you. There is a lot of construction going on in the coastal area between Myrtle Beach and Jacksonville. Many retirement homes are being built in Brunswick County between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach. Then, housing for military families drives the market between Wilmington and Jacksonville.

You could certainly find bartending jobs in Wilmington, Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach or other beach towns.

The schools are all decent, ranging from average to excellent.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by tatumford12

We are not rich by any means but maintain a average income of a little over 100,000 a year and hope to maintain that. Im a bartender and my fiancé is in construction.

One factor to note is that the cost of living is so much lower in Wilmington that you could also expect lower salaries. My favorite COL calculator give Seattle an index of 142.7 and Wilmington an index of 101.8 . I don't know if 40% lower salaries is realistic, but I think you should be conservative for budgeting purposes.

Other factors to note include that North Carolina is a "right to work" state and very few jobs have unions. There is a lot of competition from locals who want to stay around Wilmington after graduation because life near the beach is so nice. The unemployment rate is around 9% in New Hanover County. The construction industry employs many Hispanics. So unless the fiance has special skills or is a supervisor, there is low-wage competition.