Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Tennessee > Kingsport - Johnson City - Bristol
 [Register]
Kingsport - Johnson City - Bristol The Tri-Cities area
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
Old 05-25-2016, 06:43 PM
 
23 posts, read 29,371 times
Reputation: 20

Advertisements

So, my husband and I are both 50. Our daughter just graduated from high school and we are about finished with the adoption of our 2 grandkids. We are from So. California, moved to Oregon for 15 years before moving here to SE Missouri. We stayed here only because we did not want to move our kids again until they were out of high school. Now they have and we have a new batch to raise, so to speak.
We miss the mountains! Where we live jobs are scarce and there is NOTHING for kids to do. Teen pregnancies are HUGE here.
My husband was driving truck until the kiddos came and while he was doing they he stayed a week in Johnson City, TN. He really liked it. Our son goes to a boyscout high adventure camp in W. Virginia each summer and while we were taking him we just stayed a night in Johnson City. I fell in love with the surroundings, the location, the look, the feel, etc.
We are serious about moving from out current location to a more family friendly place where there are oppotunities for children and possible jobs too. We live in a small town that doesnt even have a bowling alley. There is 1 gymnastics school and 1 dance school and if you dont have the right last name forget it. Same goes for the sports in the school district.
My husband currently works for Menards, which is like Home Depot and Lowes but he is wanting to get back into a truck but home each night. We know there are jobs like that in Oregon but we are unsure if we want to go back there or not. The legalization of Marijuana and the epic homeless and drug population has me leary.
Is Johnson City a pretty friendly place and are jobs plentiful? I went back to school and graduated a year ago with a degree in Business Management and have over 20 exerience working in an office in payroll, accounting, etc.

What is the weather like in winter? Is it snowy and icy? Do they keep the roads pretty clear? Is it humid in the summer? Do you pay personal property tax on cars, boats, trailer,s RVs, and riding lawn mowers?

How are the schools?

Thanks for any information you are willing to give!

Leanne
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 05-25-2016, 08:02 PM
 
Location: TN/NC
34,829 posts, read 30,898,649 times
Reputation: 47117
Between the university and being the premiere city in the area, Johnson City has more amenities than you may expect of a city it's size, especially on the dining side. Downtown has been on an upswing over the past couple years and is a nice place now. You have all the essentials, the mall is nice and the only healthy one in the area, and there are a few more upscale options than the other cities. However, for more significant shopping, you are driving to Greenville, SC or Knoxville. There is a Sam's, but no Costco, Macy's, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, etc., so it is limited compared to larger metros.

The job market has improved from the depths of the recession, but is still not healthy IMO. The most openings are in health care and education, and some manufacturing. Many other fields have very limited, if any, employment opportunities. I can't image it being worse than rural southeast MO. You must secure the job before you move - I've seen lots of stories about potential movers coming in, not securing jobs, and having to leave. Review http://www.donfenley.com for detailed information.

It does snow in the winter but usually melts in a couple of days. Snow removal is nothing like up north, but there isn't as much to remove. It's generally only really bad in the mornings, and the city limits of JC are probably the best in the area. It's humid, but probably not as bad as southeast MO. There are no personal property taxes of any kind, no taxes on earned income, low property taxes, but a high sales tax of about 9.5%.

City schools in Johnson City and Kingsport are generally well-regarded - county schools are much weaker overall.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-25-2016, 08:55 PM
 
Location: Gate City, VA
311 posts, read 394,568 times
Reputation: 229
Honestly I think you'd have a tough time here the job market isn't very good and most of the jobs around here are entry level with retail work, call center, and food. Yes the cost of living is low and the weather is about ideal but that's about it for the positives of the area. You bring up drugs, well if you are wanting to get away from that then don't move to East TN we have a HUGE drug problem in this area. Friendless is debatable but I myself don't find people that friendly or social here, to their friends and family yes but the area isn't that accepting to outsiders and it's hard to find friends here. Whatever you do don't move here without having a job lined up, I've seen so many people do that and they have to move somewhere else because there is nothing here for them.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-25-2016, 09:24 PM
 
Location: Johnson City, TN
677 posts, read 1,064,277 times
Reputation: 463
The market for professional, white-collar jobs is somewhat limited but things open up a bit more when it comes to clerical-type office jobs and there are opportunities for truck driving as there are several distribution/logistics employers. I would imagine the salaries would be comparable to SE Missouri if not a bit higher.

Johnson City is a college town and as such, is fairly diverse with a good number of transplants. You will find people in the city fairly friendly and open to meeting new people. There are clubs/groups to suit just about any interest and ample opportunities to meet people with similar interests. Bristol and Kingsport have their pros and cons as well and by browsing the threads on this forum you should be able to gain insight into the differences between the three cities. I will tell you for being so close together, Bristol, Kingsport, and Johnson City are drastically different.

The rural parts of the region tend to resemble more what Sprintuser is talking about. However, that's not really the case with Johnson City.

Johnson City and Kingsport both have excellent schools that rank among the best in the state. I would have to give the edge to Johnson City, though, largely due to the quality of the facilities and more diverse student population. Kingsport has some seriously old schools in need of replacement. I would avoid county schools as there is a large drop-off in quality below Johnson City and Kingsport.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-25-2016, 10:58 PM
 
Location: Gate City, VA
311 posts, read 394,568 times
Reputation: 229
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rangerred View Post
The rural parts of the region tend to resemble more what Sprintuser is talking about. However, that's not really the case with Johnson City.
Honestly out of the three major cities I dislike Johnson City the most and try to avoid it at all cost, people in JC have a sense of superiority over others in the Tri-Cities and are often snobbish. Which I've never understand you are in East TN not San Fransisco so no need to put yourself on a pedestal it's still white trash East Tennessee, just a little less white trashy part of it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-26-2016, 07:26 AM
 
Location: Gray, TN
2,172 posts, read 4,597,314 times
Reputation: 931
Quote:
Originally Posted by sprintuser2014 View Post
Honestly out of the three major cities I dislike Johnson City the most and try to avoid it at all cost, people in JC have a sense of superiority over others in the Tri-Cities and are often snobbish. Which I've never understand you are in East TN not San Fransisco so no need to put yourself on a pedestal it's still white trash East Tennessee, just a little less white trashy part of it.
I grew up in Bristol, live in JC, and work in Kingsport. I don't think you could be more offbase than the snobbish comment.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-26-2016, 07:59 AM
 
Location: Gray, TN
2,172 posts, read 4,597,314 times
Reputation: 931
Is Johnson City a pretty friendly place and are jobs plentiful? I went back to school and graduated a year ago with a degree in Business Management and have over 20 exerience working in an office in payroll, accounting, etc.

You should be able to find work. This link will show you a ballpark estimate of what wages to expect. Hope it works. Johnson City, TN - May 2015 OES Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
For example bookkeeping clerk median wage is $14/hr; payroll clerk is $17.


What is the weather like in winter? Is it snowy and icy? Do they keep the roads pretty clear?

We usually get 2 - 3 snow events per year. If you can wait until noon, the roads are usually clear by then.

Is it humid in the summer? Yes

Do you pay personal property tax on cars, boats, trailer,s RVs, and riding lawn mowers? No. Individuals do not. The main tax is sales tax 9.5%, with reductions for some items. If you have a lot of interest/dividend type investments, you could be subject to the Hall Tax - currently 6% on only investment income over $2,500. The Hall Tax looks like it will be phased out entirely by 2022. If you own a business, there could be some other taxes that apply.

How are the schools? City schools are strong. County schools range from week to strong depending on the county.

People are generally as friendly as you are to them.

There are drugs, teen pregnancies, domestic violence, etc. This seems to exist everywhere these days. I think Mayberry is long gone, but in Johnson City at least it seems to be very easy to avoid such activities by choosing who we associate with.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Tennessee > Kingsport - Johnson City - Bristol

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top