Anyone give up city jobs to move to NC? (Raleigh: appointed, sales) - Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary - North Carolina -The Triangle Area - City-Data Forum

Kidnurze · 05-04-2010, 07:14 AM

Hi all,
Hubby and I are in love with your area and want a better life for our 3 children still living at home, ages 17, 6 and 5. We aren't able to achieve what we are looking for here in NYC. I'm not even going to go into why we want to move. If you live here, and have visited your area, it's a given. Our issue has to do with giving up our jobs. We are both employed with the city. We will have jobs in NC, but they aren't the jobs we have here. Has anyone here been in this situation and moved there, basically starting over? Our incomes won't be what they are here either, but neither will the mortgage

.
Any input is appreciated. It helps to hear from others.

fester600 · 05-04-2010, 07:34 AM

I am not sure how much stock you can put in this site, but I thought it was interesting.

Moderator cut: No links to competing sites, please. You can find relocation calculators at several online sites.

A salary of $100,000 in New York, New York could decrease to $64,291 in Raleigh, North Carolina

It is definitely tough to compare. I would assume most on here would vote to move (I moved from Union County NJ to Durham) but I think the opinions maybe alittle biased...

Good Luck!
Matt

fester600 · 05-04-2010, 07:37 AM

A Few other comparisons:

A salary of $100,000 in New York, New York could decrease to $77,452 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

A salary of $100,000 in New York, New York could decrease to $57,003 in Durham, North Carolina

A salary of $100,000 in New York, New York could decrease to $66,276 in Cary, North Carolina

lunadesign · 05-04-2010, 07:57 AM

We did the same thing... I would recommend really doing a lot of research if your main reason for moving is cost of living. Yes, your mortgage will be lower, but as other posters have said, so will your salary. And the other taxes here are very high - sales tax is higher then NY, there is car and highway tax, income tax may also be higher. I've actually seen comparative sites that say you end up taking home less money moving here from NYC or Northern NJ. Also, I would seriously think about what you DO like up there and what you would like to maintain when you move here.

Just food for thought from someone whose been there done that. Good luck!

Kidnurze · 05-04-2010, 08:22 AM

Thanks for all the replies!! Lunadesign, so are you happy there? Seriously, my husband and I want to move there for a better quality of life. We want to buy a townhouse, kids can make friends with other kids, and we won't be strapped with a big ole mortgage like we have here. Clean streets are nice, courteous neighbors are nice, none of which are here. I live less than 15 miles from ground zero, the car bomb scare here 2 days ago.....let me see....neighbors smoking blunts on their stoops in the summer....I don't want to rant about what I don't like here. We have visited your area many times and feel it't the right fit for our family....just worried about giving up the perks of city jobs....does that make sense? Did you guys both have city jobs? How many years on the job?

wjsluvskaz · 05-04-2010, 04:03 PM

I've come to realize that many of the comparisons and lists were North-East Centric; compared to "high cost areas" Raleigh seems to have a lower cost of living (if one can find a job)

The midwest has several nice areas with a much lower cost of living

This is a big factor in why I say my research on the area was flawed.

I guess it's relative: (not that I think this is accurate)

No wonder I think it is expensive here:

A salary of $50,000 in Detroit, Michigan should increase to $71,947 in Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh is
44%
more expensive than Detroit.

Housing
is the biggest factor in the cost of living difference.

Housing is
466%
more expensive in Raleigh.

Zippy7fo · 05-04-2010, 04:42 PM

LOL if you think you can't find a job in Raleigh you will love the midwest...

nyreb · 05-04-2010, 10:13 PM

kidnurze where do you live??? sounds like my block on 208th street. We are moving to the triange for the same reasons, We have a 3 yo and a 1yo. plus my mother is sick so we are actually moving in with my parents in durham for a little while. when are you moving here?? I grew up in the area and it's great. We can't decide where to live, I love northern durham, inside the beltline in raleigh, and chapel hill. We are upper west siders at heart and would love to be around similar people.

anyway, just wanted to share..we are moving in july..do you have a job lined up yet?
I have a well paying job in the city and found the places that did similar work (television) not sure what they pay yet. I am scared to find out.

just_sayin' · 05-04-2010, 10:30 PM

forgive me...but I'm having a hard time understanding on how "upper-west siders at heart" will feel at home in a place like Raleigh NC? It is a lovely place and many people are very happy living there, but it is nothing at all....AT ALL...like Manhattan/NYC. There is absolutely nothing at all similar to anything in Manhattan in Raleigh, or any part of NC, or really 99.9% of the country really. If you want to end up "around similar people" in North Carolina as in the upper west side of Manhattan you will most likely be disappointed.

If a person who grew up in suburbia America, wanted to move to Manhattan but wanted it to be "similar to where they grew up" would they not get laughed out of town when they arrived?

lunadesign · 05-05-2010, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kidnurze

Thanks for all the replies!! Lunadesign, so are you happy there? Seriously, my husband and I want to move there for a better quality of life. We want to buy a townhouse, kids can make friends with other kids, and we won't be strapped with a big ole mortgage like we have here. Clean streets are nice, courteous neighbors are nice, none of which are here. I live less than 15 miles from ground zero, the car bomb scare here 2 days ago.....let me see....neighbors smoking blunts on their stoops in the summer....I don't want to rant about what I don't like here. We have visited your area many times and feel it't the right fit for our family....just worried about giving up the perks of city jobs....does that make sense? Did you guys both have city jobs? How many years on the job?

Sorry, I think I misread your initial post as I worked in the private sector, not FOR the city. Yes, we are happy here, but there are things we miss, of course. No place is Utopia and you'll always have to make some trade-offs, no matter where you go.

I'm assuming you're in a borough based on your description, as opposed to NJ or lower Westchester? I lived in NYC for a long time - worked in Manhattan for 11 years. I was in NYC during 9/11 and I still never felt unsafe there. That being said, when it came time to start a family, we moved to NJ. There was no chance I was going to raise kids in the city... just the schools alone were enough to make that not a consideration. You will see a big difference between city here and city there - but hopefully that will be a good thing and what you want!!