Cary or Wilmington (Raleigh, Durham, Clayton: low income, rental, car insurance)

[lamela]

My wife an I are considering a relocation from Long Island to NC. I actually graduated from NC State and know the Raleigh area somewhat. If we were to move to the Raleigh area, we would most likely go to Cary. HOWEVER, I am from Long Island. And there is one thing that people from Long Island seem to desire...water! So, I have heard a lot about Wilmington and would like to know what others think. Can someone please add comments about the differences between Cary and Wilmington. Please be specific in regards to schools, taxes, house prices, Quality of Life, airports, etc. I'm looking for both Pro's and Con's. My family is very young and energetic. My wife is a PA and I am in Pharmaceuticals. We have two boys under 3 years old. Thank you in advance.

[NC_native74]

I live in the Raleigh/Durham area now (Clayton), but before that I lived in Wilmington for almost 20 years. In my opinion, here are the pros and cons of Wilmington:

Pros:

Historic downtown scenery
Proximity to the beach
History of the area
Lots of good restaurants

Cons:
Lack of jobs
Cost of living vs. low income
High taxes
Home/Car Insurance costs
Crime on the rise (especially in contrast to Cary)
Poorly run city government
Poor road infrastructure for the growth of the area

My personal opinion of Wilmington is that it's a great place to have a second home, a beach house, or to retire, but for a young couple, especially with your chosen profession, the Cary area would be MUCH better for you.

[lamela]

Thanks for the reply. All the things you mentioned are pretty much the reasons why we are relocating in the first place. Thanks again. More comments from all are appreciated.

[onegreatnurse]

Thanks for asking the question that I was going to ask next (Cary vs. Wilmington). As much as I hate to admit it, if we northerners want to relocate for a better qualilty of life, unless we are retiring, it appears that Wilmington is not the place for young people who want a good, viable job market. Unfortunately, this means being a 2.5 hour drive away from the beach which is difficult for me because even New Jerseyans love their trips to the Jersey shore, and I am no more than an hour from the nearest beach, but in NC, I wouldn't be able to ever make a day trip. And that's 2.5 hrs without traffic. Now that so many people are relocating to the Triangle area, I wonder if the traffic is going to get as bad as it is in NY and NJ when heading towards the beaches...I think I might try for a second home or at least annual rental at one of the beach communities...but maybe not Wilmington because of the crime on the rise....

[KurtNC]

Originally Posted by onegreatnurse

Thanks for asking the question that I was going to ask next (Cary vs. Wilmington). As much as I hate to admit it, if we northerners want to relocate for a better qualilty of life, unless we are retiring, it appears that Wilmington is not the place for young people who want a good, viable job market. Unfortunately, this means being a 2.5 hour drive away from the beach which is difficult for me because even New Jerseyans love their trips to the Jersey shore, and I am no more than an hour from the nearest beach, but in NC, I wouldn't be able to ever make a day trip. And that's 2.5 hrs without traffic. Now that so many people are relocating to the Triangle area, I wonder if the traffic is going to get as bad as it is in NY and NJ when heading towards the beaches...I think I might try for a second home or at least annual rental at one of the beach communities...but maybe not Wilmington because of the crime on the rise....

Unless you go during a busy time, it's really only 2 hours (or just over) to get there. True, it's not next door but you can do a day trip. Weekends it's not a big deal.

[NC_native74]

Originally Posted by onegreatnurse

Thanks for asking the question that I was going to ask next (Cary vs. Wilmington). As much as I hate to admit it, if we northerners want to relocate for a better qualilty of life, unless we are retiring, it appears that Wilmington is not the place for young people who want a good, viable job market. Unfortunately, this means being a 2.5 hour drive away from the beach which is difficult for me because even New Jerseyans love their trips to the Jersey shore, and I am no more than an hour from the nearest beach, but in NC, I wouldn't be able to ever make a day trip. And that's 2.5 hrs without traffic. Now that so many people are relocating to the Triangle area, I wonder if the traffic is going to get as bad as it is in NY and NJ when heading towards the beaches...I think I might try for a second home or at least annual rental at one of the beach communities...but maybe not Wilmington because of the crime on the rise....

My parents still live down there...From Cary it would probably be about another 15 minutes further, but I can make it to Wilmington from Clayton in about an hour and 40 minutes, so it's not too awful. It's a straight shot too down I-40, and unless you're traveling on a holiday, it's typically not that bad traffic-wise.

[lamela]

Thank you for all the comments. I have now heard several times that Wilmington might not be the place to move to for a young family and that I am better off in Cary. However, aside from Wilmington, are there any area near the water that are known to be a great place to relocate to? Similar to how much press Cary gets??

[jmarquise]

how come people who want to live near the water and want jobs don't look at the VA beach/norfolk area? the history around there destroys the history in the wilmington area, and it's much more respected and preserved. I live in wilmington right now, and I am looking to relocate to raleigh. there are no good jobs here, and the decent jobs have 10,000 applicants.