[nep321]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

First, your numbers are way off. Second, there is a LOT more to cost of living than looking at home value. Tax rates alone, on a 200k home in Raleigh, you're paying about $1,400 a year. The same house in New Haven, aside from being much older and less attractive, will have a tax bill of $5,000.

Look deeper, Nep.

Actually, my numbers are exactly right on. They are sourced from the official U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5YR Estimate data. I didn't make these numbers up. And these numbers also seem right in line with perception as well. Zillow is highly inaccurate because they don't cover the entire official metro area, but only a partition of it, so you can't go by them. Also, Zillow has massively incomplete data, with coverage for only 39% of all U.S. counties. And their estimates are based on their faulty algorithm used to estimate home values.

[CTartist]

I let the internet tell me the good suburbs of Charlotte NC. The top three according to this article* are Davidson NC, Fort Mill SC, Cornelius NC. I compared them to Manchester CT again. If Manchester is not a good town please let me know. I have never been to any town in and around Hartford. I only know about the towns by what I see on this site and I seem to remember Manchester is a nice town.

All three NC towns in the suburbs of Charlotte have a higher COL than Manchester CT.
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Hold on, I just looked up the best suburbs of Hartford. Simsbury, Avon and Glastonbury. I left out Weatogue as it is just a village.
https://www.niche.com/places-to-live...ord-metro-area

Simsbury CT is a 8% more than Davidson NC. Avon is 16% more and Glastonbury is 12% more. The best of Hartford CT is a little more expensive so the good suburbs of Charlotte are not a fraction of the Hartford suburbs.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by CTartist

I let the internet tell me the good suburbs of Charlotte NC. The top three according to this article* are Davidson NC, Fort Mill SC, Cornelius NC. I compared them to Manchester CT again. If Manchester is not a good town please let me know. I have never been to any town in and around Hartford. I only know about the towns by what I see on this site and I seem to remember Manchester is a nice town.

All three NC towns in the suburbs of Charlotte have a higher COL than Manchester CT.
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That's like comparing New Canaan to Stratford. Davidson and Cornelius are lakeside resort communities of Charlotte where the city's wealthy play on the weekends. Many are not year round residents. Equivalent to New York's Hamptons (though not as exclusive, obviously).

Manchester, meanwhile, is one of the most affordable and possibly least desirable suburbs of Hartford. Mediocre public schools. Higher than average crime. Try again, this time with West Hartford, Avon and Simsbury.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by nep321

Actually, my numbers are exactly right on. They are sourced from the official U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5YR Estimate data. I didn't make these numbers up. And these numbers also seem right in line with perception as well. Zillow is highly inaccurate because they don't cover the entire official metro area, but only a partition of it, so you can't go by them. Also, Zillow has massively incomplete data, with coverage for only 39% of all U.S. counties. And their estimates are based on their faulty algorithm used to estimate home values.

Did you completely ignore what I said about property taxes, which are more than double in CT? Cost of living is not solely home prices. It's everything.

I'll say it again: look deeper.

[ayoskillz]

Originally Posted by CTartist

I let the internet tell me the good suburbs of Charlotte NC. The top three according to this article* are Davidson NC, Fort Mill SC, Cornelius NC. I compared them to Manchester CT again. If Manchester is not a good town please let me know. I have never been to any town in and around Hartford. I only know about the towns by what I see on this site and I seem to remember Manchester is a nice town.

All three NC towns in the suburbs of Charlotte have a higher COL than Manchester CT.
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Hold on, I just looked up the best suburbs of Hartford. Simsbury, Avon and Glastonbury. I left out Weatogue as it is just a village.
https://www.niche.com/places-to-live...ord-metro-area

Simsbury CT is a 8% more than Davidson NC. Avon is 16% more and Glastonbury is 12% more. The best of Hartford CT is a little more expensive so the good suburbs of Charlotte are not a fraction of the Hartford suburbs.

You can't compare Charlotte suburb with Hartford suburbs. Charlotte is a city of 800k + with professional sports teams and all. Hartford doesn't have any of that. Davidson is a really nice area. It reminds me of a nicer west Hartford without all the stores

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by LINative

I do not about the costs so I cannot compare them. But I know numerous people including friends and customers who have moved down there and I do not know a single one of them who has come back.

North Carolina seems to be the in place now although Florida is still popular and occasionally you here about Georgia or South Carolina as well. The main thing that concerns me in your case is the schools down there. In North Carolina, I believe the school districts maybe countywide instead of local like up here in the north. Not sure. Since you have two young children that maybe important.

Not so much that they are countywide for me, but there is a history of shipping kids across the county(Wake County comes to mind) in order to bring some type of "balance". So, you may live in say Cary, but it isn't unthinkable for your child to be bussed to a school in say Garner the next year. https://www.google.com/amp/amp.newso...e31101236.html

There are other articles on this as well.

[nep321]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Did you completely ignore what I said about property taxes, which are more than double in CT? Cost of living is not solely home prices. It's everything.

I'll say it again: look deeper.

I didn't comment on property taxes because I agree with you on that. They are much higher in CT. But the 20% reduction in pay is even more disastrous for the OP, unless she can retain close to what she was making in CT.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by ayoskillz

You can't compare Charlotte suburb with Hartford suburbs. Charlotte is a city of 800k + with professional sports teams and all. Hartford doesn't have any of that. Davidson is a really nice area. It reminds me of a nicer west Hartford without all the stores

Wait, you can't compare relatively similar communities for their areas because one has pro sports?

[nep321]

I think it's utterly stupid when people say "you can't compare this with that..."

ANYTHING can be compared to ANYTHING. Population doesn't matter. Land area doesn't matter. Nothing matters.

Just compare the two damn places for what they are. Geez.

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by nep321

I think it's utterly stupid when people say "you can't compare this with that..."

ANYTHING can be compared to ANYTHING.

NEP is right. So if my husband got an job offer in Alaska or Florida I should not compare the COL to Trumbull because the population, weather, wealth of area, minority population etc. is not the same?