Chester, SC? York, SC? (Rock Hill, Clover: apartment complexes, rentals, how much)

[hollimarie]

Hello,

I am an English teacher and have two interviews in a few weeks in SC. One is in Chester, SC, and the other is in York.

Should I be offered a position at either of the schools, I am curious to know about the housing costs, availability, average price of rent, etc.. My husband and I have a cat, but no children! It would just be the two of us+ a cat. My salary will be in the low 30,000's, and my husband will be temporarily out of work.

I am not looking to buy a home, but just want to establish myself and my husband in an apartment or a house.

Should I avoid living in either area....? I was told that Rock Hill, SC is the area from which most teachers at both schools commute from.

I would like some opinions.

My husband and I would prefer a quiet community that is within easy reach of activities and civilization. At the moment we live in a rough part of Kingsport, TN, and HATE it. Being born in NJ, I have always loved the gritty city elements of some areas, but it's gotten to be too much for me. I want to be in an area that is close to shopping, stores, affordable, not snobby, but certainly not where I see crack deals going down from my window either!

Thanks!

[lovethecarolinas]

Originally Posted by hollimarie

Hello,

I am an English teacher and have two interviews in a few weeks in SC. One is in Chester, SC, and the other is in York.

Should I be offered a position at either of the schools, I am curious to know about the housing costs, availability, average price of rent, etc.. My husband and I have a cat, but no children! It would just be the two of us+ a cat. My salary will be in the low 30,000's, and my husband will be temporarily out of work.

I am not looking to buy a home, but just want to establish myself and my husband in an apartment or a house.

Should I avoid living in either area....? I was told that Rock Hill, SC is the area from which most teachers at both schools commute from.

I would like some opinions.

My husband and I would prefer a quiet community that is within easy reach of activities and civilization. At the moment we live in a rough part of Kingsport, TN, and HATE it. Being born in NJ, I have always loved the gritty city elements of some areas, but it's gotten to be too much for me. I want to be in an area that is close to shopping, stores, affordable, not snobby, but certainly not where I see crack deals going down from my window either!

Thanks!

hey there hollimarie - both Chester and York are pretty rural. I would say Chester, SC (as a town) is having a somewhat harder time..as the industries that were once very strong here...have left and gone outside the country. But, with that said (although you mention you would want to rent) you can find excellent deals on homes in Chester (some incredible old historic homes there too). Now York, SC is pretty spread out. Part of it comes up close to Lake Wylie (Clover, SC) where there's alot of new growth. Again though..if you head to the heart of York (historical portion - Main St) you will find many older homes (there are several historical properties as well). In either town you will not find an abundant amout of apartment complexes..so you may have to rent a home. I would not hesitate to live in many parts of York, SC...but it is also close enough where you can check into Clover, SC (or Lake Wylie area). As others have already told you too...another option is Rock Hill (where you will have more of a selection of apartments).

Best of luck to you!

p.s. there is a poster on this site by the name of brightcopperkettles (I believe that is her poster name ) who is from the Chester area...you may want to send her a PM.

[hollimarie]

I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to my inquiry. I have only been to South Carolina (Rock Hill) when I was en route to New Jersey from Florida. My knowledge is based on a Best Western hotel and a parking lot! I am very excited, and have a good feeling about SC. The salary is pretty much comparable to TN teacher salaries, but the cost of living will surely be higher than it is here. We rent a two bedroom apartment for $365. Granted our area is not a great area, but the landlady pulled a fast one, as there are better, more affordable rentals in better areas. The problem with TN was a lack of teaching jobs. In this area it's "not what you know, but who you know". South Carolina seems much more receptive to out-of-state teachers, and the two phone interviews, which led to two face-to-face interviews in Mid July, after only a few days of emailing districts is pretty encouraging.

Since I am completely unfamiliar with the area, would the town of Clover that you mentioned be a reasonable commute to either York or Chester?
My husband is adamant about me not having to commute anymore. I currently commute 44 miles each way to my present teaching job in Greeneville. I don't mind a commute though, but want to keep it within the 20-30 mile radius if possible. Teachers have to get up early enough!

So, I am looking at rural communities then. That's a good thing, since I know that York and Chester are both close enough to Charlotte and Rock Hill.

Thanks again for your advice!

[lovethecarolinas]

Originally Posted by hollimarie

I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to my inquiry. I have only been to South Carolina (Rock Hill) when I was en route to New Jersey from Florida. My knowledge is based on a Best Western hotel and a parking lot! I am very excited, and have a good feeling about SC. The salary is pretty much comparable to TN teacher salaries, but the cost of living will surely be higher than it is here. We rent a two bedroom apartment for $365. Granted our area is not a great area, but the landlady pulled a fast one, as there are better, more affordable rentals in better areas. The problem with TN was a lack of teaching jobs. In this area it's "not what you know, but who you know". South Carolina seems much more receptive to out-of-state teachers, and the two phone interviews, which led to two face-to-face interviews in Mid July, after only a few days of emailing districts is pretty encouraging.

Since I am completely unfamiliar with the area, would the town of Clover that you mentioned be a reasonable commute to either York or Chester?
My husband is adamant about me not having to commute anymore. I currently commute 44 miles each way to my present teaching job in Greeneville. I don't mind a commute though, but want to keep it within the 20-30 mile radius if possible. Teachers have to get up early enough!

So, I am looking at rural communities then. That's a good thing, since I know that York and Chester are both close enough to Charlotte and Rock Hill.

Thanks again for your advice!

You are correct in that your cost of living will be higher than TN. Course the farther away (more rural the area is) the rental rates will be lower.

Clover, SC would be an excellent commute to York, SC...but not for Chester, SC (to far). I think it will depend more on how much you can afford for rent on your proposed salary. Kind of a good rule of thumb..the closer you are to Charlotte...the more you are going to pay.