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We are considering a move to either Greenville NC or Wilmington NC. We are originally from Lumberton NC but have lived in Florida for the past 8 years. We are making this move for work related reason and would like to be closer to our families without living in Robeson County. We have job offers in medical facilities in both of these areas, but would like to have advice or input from others who know more about the areas. We have 3 children. 2 boys ages 19 & 17 and 1 girl age 12, so schools are important as well as safety and crime. We were previously a military family, so being close Camp LeJune isn't a problem for us. We do like the coastal area but are looking for more of a country setting.
What would be the recommended living areas and how is the cost of living compared to one another? We do have to sell our home here in Florida, so renting for a short period of time may be an option.
What type of activities are available? Are these more retirement centered areas, which is currently what we live in, or are they younger professionals?
What would be the recommended living areas and how is the cost of living compared to one another? ....
What type of activities are available? Are these more retirement centered areas, which is currently what we live in, or are they younger professionals?
Congratulations on having two job offers to choose from. I believe that the real estate will be more expensive in Wilmington, and perhaps other things. You ought to check with a cost of living web site if the difference will be critical.
Wilmington will have more retired people, but there are plenty of family neighborhoods such as Myrtle Grove (AKA "Money Junction"), Pine Valley and Ogden. Many neighborhoods will have community pools and playgrounds. You will also find lots of activities for kids at Corolina nd Wrightsville Beaches.
Personally, I would choose Wilmington, as I find it a nice, desirable city. However, I have never been to Greenville. But if you search the threads on this sub-forum, you will find many other opinions.
You might also consider which job will give you the better professional advancement options.
Thank you GA. I appreciate your input. We are leaning towards Wilmington for those very reasons, but don't want to miss out on a great opportunity around Greenville. We are familiar and comfortable with the Wilmington area, but are going to visit Greenville in a few weeks.
I will definitely check out the cost of living web site. I don't think it will be more than where we are now.
Depends on your criteria. Greenville has a large (for the region) teaching hospital and university. I think people might choose Wilmington to be closer to the beach. From a career development standpoint, seems like Greenville might be the better option. For what it's worth though, neither town is anything special..
I lived in Greenville for 9 years before moving to Wilmington almost 2 years ago, so I feel qualified to offer some input here!
First of all, my family and I enjoy Wilmington a lot more than Greenville. Our experience with public schools have been better here. We have an 8 year old and a 4 year old, so our experiences are solely with elementary and preschool. We were in a school district in Greenville that was considered "desirable", but we didn't like it at all. We love our kids' schools here! I have nothing but good things to say! Of course, different schools and different teachers will result in different experiences, so I can't guarantee that your public school experience in Wilmington will be better, but that has been my personal experience.
As far as cost, it depends what you're comparing. I don't have to pay Wilmington city taxes where I live, and I did in Greenville, so I have a much lower property tax bill. But I need to carry wind and hail insurance in Wilmington, which runs about $1800 per year for my 3000 square foot home, but I didn't need the W&H insurance in Greenville. Home costs are a little bit to a lot higher in Wilmington, depending on where you live, but it seems like, in my experience, that pay is a little better here too. There are lots of safe, family-friendly and affordable neighborhoods, in good school districts, in Wilmington. Someone mentioned Monkey Junction. I live south of MJ, just north of Carolina Beach - Good schools (not the best, but still very good), some neighborhoods not subject to city taxes, low crime rate, and very affordable. Demographics are mixed, but there are plenty of young families in MJ. Our neighborhood has plenty of retirees, but my kids also have lots of other kids to play with.
Socially, there are more options in Wilmington. First, it's bigger, so there are more things to do and places to go. It's a lot closer to beaches, if that's important to you. The closest beach to Greenville is Atlantic Beach, which is about 90 minutes away. I can be in Carolina Beach in under 10 minutes....Kure Beach in 15....Wrightsville Beach is a bit of a hike at 30-40 minutes, depending on traffic. If you check out whatsonwilmington.com, you will get an idea of the kind of activities that go on in Wilmington. There are just more options....We never have a hard time finding things to do here. Greenville will have seasonal events. ECU football games were pretty fun. But we also had plenty of times where we struggled to find something to do.
I hope I've answered some of your questions! Good luck - both are great cities for different reasons, so you won't be disappointed either way. For my family, Wilmington easily wins!
Lived both places...and IMO, both are desirable. I think those that beat either or both down aren't living in reality in terms of context of both cities. Are they Charlotte or Raleigh? No. They aren't supposed to be.
They are medium size cities with unique characteristics and charm. Greenville's is centered around ECU. Wilmington's is centered around the beaches and riverfront. Both cities are leading their regions in terms of economic development, education, medical, and whatever other category you want to throw in there. Wages may be higher in Charlotte or Raleigh but those are major urban centers that are not, again comparable to medium size cities.
I think what is most appealing is the continuous physical changes both cities are seeing. Both downtown's are growing, suburbs are still being built and finally...FINALLY...there are some major road projects being done in both places. By 2020 I-140 will run from Pender County to deep into Brunswick County around Wilmington. And the Southwest Bypass in Greenville will be completed as well as the 10th St connector between the Hospital and ECU.
Greenville will always have cheaper housing overall than Wilmington...because Greenville has lots of land to move out from, whereas Wilmington geographically is hemmed in by the water. I do agree that individually there are better schools in Wilmington, but Wilmington probably has some worse schools than the worst in Greenville.
I think your personal likes / dislikes are what is going to make the difference between the two. I am not a beach lover so Wilmington does nothing for me. It's a nice city but I have no desire to live at the beach so Greenville is close enough for me. Make a day trip to Atlantic beach with the family or go to the ECU beach & call it a day..all without the salt air and wind.
To each their own. Everyone up here has their own personal opinions..best of luck making yours.
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