Considering Moving to Phx from LA (Phoenix: relocating, real estate, salary)

[LASingleMom]

Hi,

I am a single mom living in the Santa Clarita Valley suburbs of Los Angeles, and am considering relocating to Phoenix or Atlanta, and was wondering if anyone could provide any insight as to the current job market in either city, as well as any reasons they would discourage a family from moving there. I lived in Phoenix for about five years prior to becoming a parent and enjoyed it, but have family in the Atlanta area. I am seriously considering leaving the Los Angeles area due to my very long commute to and from work each day (1.5 to 2 hours each way), the unbearably high cost of living, and the effect that crime/poor cultural elements will potentially have on son my son as he grows older. I remember Phoenix being a more family oriented town, with less traffic concerns, crime and urbanization than Atlanta or Los Angeles; so I am leaning toward Phoenix. However, I work in Finance and have a terrific job working for an investment bank in downtown Los Angeles, and am concerned that Phoenix's job market may not be as good as LA or Atlanta right now. Does anyone know what the average length of job search is in Phoenix, and if payscales have risen to become more commensurate with the rising cost of living? What is the job market like overall?

I appreciate any insights anyone might have. Thanks very much for your thoughts!!

[irwin]

Originally Posted by LASingleMom

Hi,

I am a single mom living in the Santa Clarita Valley suburbs of Los Angeles, and am considering relocating to Phoenix or Atlanta, and was wondering if anyone could provide any insight as to the current job market in either city, as well as any reasons they would discourage a family from moving there. I lived in Phoenix for about five years prior to becoming a parent and enjoyed it, but have family in the Atlanta area. I am seriously considering leaving the Los Angeles area due to my very long commute to and from work each day (1.5 to 2 hours each way), the unbearably high cost of living, and the effect that crime/poor cultural elements will potentially have on son my son as he grows older. I remember Phoenix being a more family oriented town, with less traffic concerns, crime and urbanization than Atlanta or Los Angeles; so I am leaning toward Phoenix. However, I work in Finance and have a terrific job working for an investment bank in downtown Los Angeles, and am concerned that Phoenix's job market may not be as good as LA or Atlanta right now. Does anyone know what the average length of job search is in Phoenix, and if payscales have risen to become more commensurate with the rising cost of living? What is the job market like overall?

I appreciate any insights anyone might have. Thanks very much for your thoughts!!

Pay is lower here in Phoenix. Part of the reason is the number of people moving here and part of the reason is because of the general lack of major corporations based here in Phoenix. The big money here seems to mainly revolve around real estate, especially residential real estate. I would suspect the opportunities for i-banking here in Phoenix are slim to nil. Some of the banks probably have some private client services offices, but I'm not sure on that.

There are probably some REIT's out here and that may be your best shot at finance here in Phoenix. I know that PE and VC funds are pretty weak in PHX. Much better market in Atlanta for that actually. I would call a headhunter and they might be able to give you a better idea on what's available.

[sablebaby]

I would suggest Atlanta. It sounds like you haven't been to Phx in a while, as it's rapidly changing. In the future I believe it will resemble L.A. a LOT more than it already does. So, looking at long term, go with a city that doesn't have as much growth as we do. Remember, AZ is now #1 in population growth, so that means we are getting bigger by the minute!

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by LASingleMom

Hi,

I remember Phoenix being a more family oriented town, with less traffic concerns, crime and urbanization than Atlanta or Los Angeles; so I am leaning toward Phoenix. However, I work in Finance and have a terrific job working for an investment bank in downtown Los Angeles, and am concerned that Phoenix's job market may not be as good as LA or Atlanta right now. Does anyone know what the average length of job search is in Phoenix, and if payscales have risen to become more commensurate with the rising cost of living? What is the job market like overall?

I appreciate any insights anyone might have. Thanks very much for your thoughts!!

I think the job market in Phoenix continues to be robust with lots of opportunity. Of course, the specifics will depend on what type of job you seek and and what type of salary expectations you have. As for community, I think Phoenix is a great place to live, but I don't think your view of Phoenix in comparison to Atlanta and L.A. is necessarily realistic. Phoenix shares many of the same challenges as those two cities, so choosing one over the other will not necessarily insulate you from traffic or crime.

I think the best strategy is to target desirable jobs in both Phoenix and Atlanta and see where you get the better offer. Once that's clear, you can then search for the most suitable neighborhood in whichever city you choose.

[LASingleMom]

Thank you for all of your thoughtful feedback and insights

[Robin Holland]

Originally Posted by LASingleMom

I remember Phoenix being a more family oriented town, with less traffic concerns, crime and urbanization than Atlanta or Los Angeles; so I am leaning toward Phoenix.

Actually there is more crime in Phoenix. Not only that, but the Phoenix metropolitan area of nearly 4 million people area is in the top-25 most dangerous in the US, while the Atlanta metro area of just over 5 million people is not. From my research on here, I learned that in 2006, the metropolitan area of Phoenix had 523 cases of violent crime, and 9.2 murders per 100,000 people.

Atlanta metropolitan area reported 496 cases of violent crime, and 7.1 murders per 100,000 people. In Atlanta though, it's easier to keep away from the dangerous areas, while in Phoenix it appears to be more widespread throughout the metropiolitan area. Phoenix also appear to have higher property crime such as car theft, and Arizona is rated as the 4th most dangerous state in the US.

There is a thread regarding both Phoenix and Atlanta that can be seen below, and hopefully it may help you...

http://www.city-data.com/forum/phoen...x-atlanta.html