I'm trying to compare Jacksonville to Charlotte and (real estate, insurance)

[erinavery]

Dallas...can anyone help? I know every place is better suited for different people for different reasons. I'm just trying to figure out what that would be for my family. I just moved to Charlotte from Dallas about a year and a half ago and there are things I love about it here but I miss having a zoo to take my kids to and feel like there really isn't as much to do with them in general at least not in my area but I LOVE being close to both mountains and beach and we live in awesome lakefront neighborhood and I love all the gorgeous trees...especially now in the fall...so pretty!! but if the cost of living is similar enough in Jacksonville and there are prett pine trees and I could be close enough to take my kids to the beach whenever we felt like it and we had a zoo and cool parks and orlando a couple hours away....it seems like that may even be more perfect so...advice anyone?? Which sounds better for a young family who needs lots of activities and doesn't have a whole lot of money but loves lots of cool road trips...also I really love the seasons here but the beach is calling me...can I have both??

thanks for reading the novel and any advice you can give me would be awesome thanks!!

[apvbguy]

Originally Posted by erinavery

Dallas...can anyone help? I know every place is better suited for different people for different reasons. I'm just trying to figure out what that would be for my family. I just moved to Charlotte from Dallas about a year and a half ago and there are things I love about it here but I miss having a zoo to take my kids to and feel like there really isn't as much to do with them in general at least not in my area but I LOVE being close to both mountains and beach and we live in awesome lakefront neighborhood and I love all the gorgeous trees...especially now in the fall...so pretty!! but if the cost of living is similar enough in Jacksonville and there are prett pine trees and I could be close enough to take my kids to the beach whenever we felt like it and we had a zoo and cool parks and orlando a couple hours away....it seems like that may even be more perfect so...advice anyone?? Which sounds better for a young family who needs lots of activities and doesn't have a whole lot of money but loves lots of cool road trips...also I really love the seasons here but the beach is calling me...can I have both??

thanks for reading the novel and any advice you can give me would be awesome thanks!!

there is no way JAX can compete with Dallas, and while not knowing much about Charlotte, I don't think that there is too much that I would like there.
JAX is a nice if very unexciting place to live, if you are looking for nature activities rather than glamourous activities JAX will suit you well. we have seasons here in JAX, summer lasts from May through Sept., and winter is from dec through Feb., March, april, may, most of june are just great as is oct and nov.

[David in JAX]

I recently moved to Jacksonville from the Lakewood area of Dallas (Dallas proper) and I am very familiar with every area of the DFW Metroplex. I can answer any specific questions you may have if you post them or send me a DM. Jacksonville has a zoo and many kid friendly activities, just not as large or as many since it’s a less populated area. For adults there is much less to do, but it’s a trade off because the pace of life is much slower and you don’t have to worry about the hustle and bustle of a larger city.

I’m not sure if you were comparing the cost of living between Dallas and Jacksonville, Dallas and Charlotte, or Charlotte and Jacksonville. I’ve never lived in Charlotte (just visited) so I can’t comment on the cost of living there. But, be aware that the cost of living in Jacksonville is much higher than the cost of living in Dallas.

[erinavery]

Thanks for that...I do miss a lot of things about Dallas but got real tired of never having anywhere cool to go for road trips while living there...well besides Austin...Austin is pretty cool but I love the nature in and around Charlotte but the city itself is kinda lacking and really I just need fun/ cheap stuff to do with the kids and they would spend all day at the beach w/o ever getting bored...plus Charlotte doesn't even have a zoo or an aquarium....what's up with that!!?? And there is only one mall with a decent kids playground and not very many cool shops or resturaunts...I just find myself bored more than I like, ya know? So...you think Jax is unexciting?? why??

[erinavery]

Originally Posted by David in JAX

I recently moved to Jacksonville from the Lakewood area of Dallas (Dallas proper) and I am very familiar with every area of the DFW Metroplex. I can answer any specific questions you may have if you post them or send me a DM. Jacksonville has a zoo and many kid friendly activities, just not as large or as many since it’s a less populated area. For adults there is much less to do, but it’s a trade off because the pace of life is much slower and you don’t have to worry about the hustle and bustle of a larger city.

I’m not sure if you were comparing the cost of living between Dallas and Jacksonville, Dallas and Charlotte, or Charlotte and Jacksonville. I’ve never lived in Charlotte (just visited) so I can’t comment on the cost of living there. But, be aware that the cost of living in Jacksonville is much higher than the cost of living in Dallas.

Sorry...I wasn't very clear in my post but I moved from Dallas, lived there for 13 years to Charlotte just recently...and wow really the cost of living is higher then Dallas?? I ended up buying a place in Plano actually just before we moved here because of the high costs in Dallas...well and for the schools in plano but what about the suburbs of Jax are they more comparable to dallas suburbs like plano and richardson?? I just want to keep my payment around 1600 mo. and live in a nice neighborhood close enough to downtown and the beaches...is that doable??

[David in JAX]

Originally Posted by erinavery

Sorry...I wasn't very clear in my post but I moved from Dallas, lived there for 13 years to Charlotte just recently...and wow really the cost of living is higher then Dallas?? I ended up buying a place in Plano actually just before we moved here because of the high costs in Dallas...well and for the schools in plano but what about the suburbs of Jax are they more comparable to dallas suburbs like plano and richardson?? I just want to keep my payment around 1600 mo. and live in a nice neighborhood close enough to downtown and the beaches...is that doable??

Trust me, I'm a big fan of Jacksonville, but the cost of living here compared to Dallas is outrageous. I can't even think about living in a similar home or neighborhood to the one I owned before. Expect homes in similar suburbs here to be about twice the cost of those in Plano.

You have to remember that Florida as a whole is a very heavy retirement / tourist / destination area that atracts more retirees, second homers and investors than any other part of the country. This activity drives up the cost of living in the area. Nobody retires, has a second home or invests in a Dallas suburb (unless they have family in the area) and you can keep building forever. So, the cost of living remains relatively low.

[erinavery]

Originally Posted by David in JAX

Trust me, I'm a big fan of Jacksonville, but the cost of living here compared to Dallas is outrageous. I can't even think about living in a similar home or neighborhood to the one I owned before. Expect homes in similar suburbs here to be about twice the cost of those in Plano.

You have to remember that Florida as a whole is a very heavy retirement / tourist / destination area that atracts more retirees, second homers and investors than any other part of the country. This activity drives up the cost of living in the area. Nobody retires, has a second home or invests in a Dallas suburb (unless they have family in the area) and you can keep building forever. So, the cost of living remains relatively low.

So... the houses I see on the real estate websites that look decent for under 250k are in $hit neighborhoods?? I keep reading that Jacksonville has a pretty low cost of living....not true??

[backtofla]

overall, charlotte hands down... well comapred to jax. i've never been to dallas though. but in charlotte, the ppl are nicer, the weather is better (gets seasonal), and the cost of living is less than jax. jobs pay the same if not more in charlotte too. charotte (imo) is also prettier, with less crime, and ppl drive better. i dont know anything about dallas, but i have lived in nc and fla. i like fla, and i like jax, but charlotte is more desirable in my eyes. definitely.

[FLPL75]

erinavery
what areas are they in, do you have zip codes

[David in JAX]

Originally Posted by erinavery

So... the houses I see on the real estate websites that look decent for under 250k are in $hit neighborhoods?? I keep reading that Jacksonville has a pretty low cost of living....not true??

Now I'm confused. You can get a small home in a decent area for $250k, but it won't be a Plano or a Richardson. With taxes and insurance the total ownership cost will be more than $1600 a month though. My suggestion would be to visit the city for a week and explore different areas.

Low cost of living is a relative term. If you move here from Plano, your costs will go up. If you move here from San Diego, your costs will go down. It depends on the two areas you compare.