Relocate to Georgia, North Carolina or South Carolina?? (Atlanta, Columbus: home, employment)

[ekallen]

Hey all,

My boyfriend and I plan on relocating in a couple years. We are from Columbus, OH and need a change! But we can't even narrow it down yet to which state we'd like to move to... Georgia or North or South Carolina. I'm a nurse and he is in finance. We also hate cold winters and snow! No kids so not worried about schools or anything yet. Anyone have any suggestions to help us narrow it down to at least one state or city?!?!

Thanks!!!!

Em

[BobKovacs]

I'd go by job prospects as a starting point, and unfortunatley those are pretty bleak just about anywhere. If he's in finance, though, he's likely going to have to be near either Atlanta or Charlotte to have many prospects.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by ekallen

My boyfriend and I plan on relocating in a couple years. We are from Columbus, OH and need a change! But we can't even narrow it down yet to which state we'd like to move to... Georgia or North or South Carolina. I'm a nurse and he is in finance. We also hate cold winters and snow! No kids so not worried about schools or anything yet. Anyone have any suggestions to help us narrow it down to at least one state or city?!?!

You really need to narrow things down based on where YOU want to live, and the budget and type of area (urban, suburban, rural) that you want to live in.

Right now, all three states you mention have exceptionally high unemployment in excess of 10%. Georgia has the lowest unemployment of the three, but still things are very tough here. Healthcare may be a less difficult area to find work, but finance may be very tough right now.

Charlotte has Bank of America and Wachovia/Wells Fargo and Atlanta has Sun Trust and many corporations and other financial institutions, but to my knowledge few are hiring. Frankly, South Carolina has very little and unless you want to live in a rural area, it would be my last choice of the three.

I would suggest making a trip to visit areas that interest you and research where you may have opportunities in both field. Blindly putting a pin in a map isn't a good way to choose where you will live and work.

[nyxmike]

I wouldn't bother looking at South Carolina. I would recommend these places, in this order:

1. Atlanta
2. Raleigh-Durham
3. Charlotte

Visit and research and that will help you narrow it down even more.

[Akhenaton06]

I'm not understanding the "automatically rule South Carolina out since it has nothing to offer" sentiment. No, it doesn't have large, rapidly-growing metros like Atlanta and Charlotte (although the Charlotte metro does extend across the state line into York County, SC), but its largest metros, Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville, are all faring better than Charlotte and Atlanta during this recession with lower unemployment rates and a lower amount of jobs lost. It's also the home of smaller, more regional banks that are faring much better than the "big boys"; in terms of job stability, those types of banks just might offer more at this point in time. Ekallen, don't rule out the SC cities simply due to the prejudiced viewpoints of some others. Now if you want a large metro area in which to live, then yes, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh-Durham will be your top picks. But if you're not opposed to living in midsized metro areas with local economies that might not be as rapidly-growing but a bit more stable, then you should definitely check out the metros I mentioned, as well as similarly-sized ones in Georgia and North Carolina. Here's what a few of those smaller metros have to offer in the way of finance and nursing:

• Charleston: home to the Medical University of South Carolina and several hospitals
• Columbia: home to SC Bank and Trust, First Citizens Bank, National Bank of South Carolina, several hospitals
• Greenville: home to South Financial Group, parent company of Carolina First Bank, and the rapidly expanding Greenville Hospital System
• Winston-Salem: home to BB&T bank, the nation's 10th largest, and the highly-ranked Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
• Augusta: home to the Medical College of Georgia

With the recent acquisition of Colonial Bank by BB&T, and Wells Fargo's announcement that it will be adding 150 jobs in Winston-Salem (which is also the former headquarters of Wachovia before Charlotte's First Union bank acquired it and retained the Wachovia name) over the next two years, I'd suggest starting your job search there. Nursing jobs will always be in demand no matter where you go.

As far as the winter weather goes, in all three states you get occasional snow/ice from time to time, but it's not anything you can expect to happen every year. The winters are generally a bit more mild than what you'd find up North.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

but its largest metros, Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville, are all faring better than Charlotte and Atlanta during this recession with lower unemployment rates and a lower amount of jobs lost.

Well, SC is not doing well as a whole, and while you may have some small pockets that are doing better than the state as a whole, and they are maybe doing a fraction of a percentage better than Atlanta as a whole. The Atlanta metro area has more than 5 million people which is greater than the entire state of SC. South Carolina just isn't known as a hot spot of economic activity or jobs, even in good times.

While there may be opportunities there, it just makes statistical sense that more opportunities would be available in a place like Atlanta or Charlotte.

Charleston Regional Business Journal | Charleston, SC

[keeshonder]

My recommendation would be to take one or more trips to the areas, which, are conveniently located near each other. Figure out what type of environment you would like to live in, urban, suburban, rural.

The Athens area has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Georgia. Depending upon what "he's in finance" means, there may or may not be something here. And, there is plenty going on in the area.

Since you are not planning a move for a couple of years, take some short trips and look at the areas in the different seasons. A good way to use your vacation time. There are some good air fares available if you pay attention.

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Well, SC is not doing well as a whole, and while you may have some small pockets that are doing better than the state as a whole, and they are maybe doing a fraction of a percentage better than Atlanta as a whole. The Atlanta metro area has more than 5 million people which is greater than the entire state of SC. South Carolina just isn't known as a hot spot of economic activity or jobs, even in good times.

While there may be opportunities there, it just makes statistical sense that more opportunities would be available in a place like Atlanta or Charlotte.

Charleston Regional Business Journal | Charleston, SC

Because we live in a metropolitan economy, you get a more accurate picture of the state of things by looking at metropolitan statistics, since that is where most of the resources are concentrated within a state. No, SC as a whole isn't doing well, and that's more so due to rural counties that unfortunately haven't been doing well for more than a few years now. The major metropolitan areas (Charleston, Columbia, Greenville) are more or less comparable with their regional/national counterparts in terms of the state of the local economies.

Yes, more opportunities are going to be available in bigger cities like Charlotte and Atlanta--no question there. But there are also more people in those cities looking for jobs as well. I suspect that one of the reasons why the unemployment rates are higher in these metros is due to people still moving there in spite of the job losses, which makes the unemployment rate spike. And I can't say for sure, but it's possible that the OP already knows that SC doesn't have metros as large as Charlotte and Atlanta. In that case, the stability of local economies would probably factor into her decision-making a bit more.

Despite a city not really being known as an economic hotspot, that doesn't mean that jobs can't be had there, especially in industries as ubiquitous as finance and nursing. If the OP doesn't have specific size/amenity requirements in mind for the city she and her boyfriend wish to live in, then those smaller metro areas (in all three states) are certainly worth a look.

[psycorn]

I moved to Ga from SC(For family) and miss SC . I am from the upstate Greenville the foothills of the Blue Ridge mts are here . Check out Asheville NC, Greenville SC, lake Keowee area . Very mild seasons ice and or snow maybe a week total . Some subfreezing ams but almost Indian summer . This most recent economic downturn has been bad but BMW and Michelin HQ here- lots of industry . I am a RN had 4 major hospitals in 60 mi or less on 85 . Northeast ga is nice . But Atlanta seems to dominate the rest of Ga.veryfew other pockets of prosperity . NC & SC seem to have prosperity spread over a wider area with more smaller but affluent cities . You have Charleston Elegant (but snooty ),COLUMBIA , Myrtle Beach more resort oriented in "the low country " SC has done very well luring new industry to replace the old textile based economy . Start @ Asheville NC then Greenville SC Hit Hiway 85 to Atlanta You can take HWY 11 off 85 to the Ga Mountains and also hit Athens ga on the way You could easily do this in leisurely week of driving . Don't how long it would take you to get to Asheville from OHio.LOTS of people from Ohio transplant down and also FLA .

[cityrover]

I find SC to be a lot like middle/south ga. Love it.

I love charlotte as a city, and the northwest parts of NC (boone area) however NC tries to be a lot like VA so you get that sense of big brother with a lot of trivial little laws and regulations at every step.

Atlanta cannot be beat in terms of employment redundancy and ease of travel as a hub. If you want snow, you are 10 hours from good snow; if you want beaches, you are 10 hours from great beaches.