North Carolina is vastly different than South Carolina (Charlotte, Raleigh: 2013, unemployment benefits)
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I moved from Upstate NY to SC a few years ago.....the big lure....the lower cost of living. The cheap taxes are fantastic, but holy moly! I never would have imagined what that brought with it. The education system here is TERRIBLE! Many roads are in bad shape. Some look like they're still on their original blacktop. I don't believe there is public transportation anywhere near me. Even in Columbia and Greenville it's not fantastic.
Crime in my area has gone through the roof this year. It started in December with the murder of a cop and the shooting of another. Then in January, another cop was murdered. The first 5 months of the year there were 6 murders in my area. People who are originally from here keep saying it's like that everywhere. Ummmm NO NO NO NO no it is NOT! Why is this acceptable? Granted, a lot of the thugs come from Augusta and wreak havoc here. They need a strong message that their crap won't be tolerated here and that message has not been put out there. Every time you turn around some loser from Augusta is committing some crime here - assault, burglary, robbery, murder, etc.
We're in the process of buying a house back in NY and paying those high taxes again just to save our sanity. I can't send kids to school here. The crime is ridiculous. Some roads have been repaired or replaced since we moved here, but there's an awful lot left to do. There are still several fairly big roads that are just dirt.
So yes, the cheap taxes have been nice, but there's more to living than cheap taxes. You really do get what you pay for especially when it comes to education.
Sounds like you're in a more rural area in the CSRA. It's well-known that rural areas of the South in general aren't known for having stellar schools. I think you simply failed to do your homework before you left NY.
Tax Environment
Overall
SC is a more tax-friendly state for retirees than is NC. According to the Tax Foundation, SC has the 37th highest tax burden in the nation, whereas NC’s is 16th.
Property Tax
SC residents pay a median $689 in property tax, compared to $1209 in North Carolina. Homeowners in SC over 65 can usually deduct $50,000 of valuation on their property taxes. In NC there is a property tax homestead exemption for people over 65 who meet certain income criteria, as well as a circuit breaker program for eligible people over 65 which limits property taxes to 4 or 5% of your income.
Income Taxes
South Carolina has a maximum tax rate of 7%, whereas NC’s is 7.75%.
Social Security and Income Tax Exemptions for Seniors
Neither state taxes Social Security payments. South Carolina, however, is much friendlier to retirees than its namesake to the North. Its residents over 65 are entitled to an exemption of $15,000 in calculating income for state tax purposes, of which up to $10,000 can be retirement income. The SC state taxation guide is the most helpful one we have ever seen.
NC offers some income tax exemptions for pensions, particularly for those with careers in the public sector and/or military pensions. Military and other government pensions are exempt if there was 5 years of service by 1989, otherwise the limit is $4000. The somewhat confusing pension exemption rules are located on this NC State Retirement page.
Sales Taxes
In SC the sales tax is 6% and in NC it is 5.75%. Both states permit localities to add on to that tax.
Estate and Inheritance Taxes
There are no estate or inheritance taxes in South Carolina, whereas North Carolina has an inheritance tax pegged to the federal level. Note: Taxes are complicated and the laws change quickly. Consult state Department of Revenue Guides and/or your tax professional before making important decisions.
Actually, South Carolina has had a pretty robust population growth over the last year. However, its rate pales in comparison to North Carolina, which is one of the very fastest growing states in the nation. In 2011, NC had the fifth largest absolute population increase, 11th largest percentage increase. It is the 10th largest state in the nation.
I moved from Upstate NY to SC a few years ago.....the big lure....the lower cost of living. The cheap taxes are fantastic, but holy moly! I never would have imagined what that brought with it. The education system here is TERRIBLE! Many roads are in bad shape. Some look like they're still on their original blacktop. I don't believe there is public transportation anywhere near me. Even in Columbia and Greenville it's not fantastic.
Crime in my area has gone through the roof this year. It started in December with the murder of a cop and the shooting of another. Then in January, another cop was murdered. The first 5 months of the year there were 6 murders in my area. People who are originally from here keep saying it's like that everywhere. Ummmm NO NO NO NO no it is NOT! Why is this acceptable? Granted, a lot of the thugs come from Augusta and wreak havoc here. They need a strong message that their crap won't be tolerated here and that message has not been put out there. Every time you turn around some loser from Augusta is committing some crime here - assault, burglary, robbery, murder, etc.
We're in the process of buying a house back in NY and paying those high taxes again just to save our sanity. I can't send kids to school here. The crime is ridiculous. Some roads have been repaired or replaced since we moved here, but there's an awful lot left to do. There are still several fairly big roads that are just dirt.
So yes, the cheap taxes have been nice, but there's more to living than cheap taxes. You really do get what you pay for especially when it comes to education.
York County, Richland 2 Schools, Lexington/Richland 5 has some of the best schools in the country. You can't take one RURAL area of the state and say that's how The ENTIRE school system is.
Another difference: South Carolina does NOT have a batcrap crazy radical legislature and government.
SC has had a rather rightwing state government for some time now. The difference is that NC's current GOP-led Legislature is making up for lost time by passing a whole bunch of rightwing policies in such a short period of time, which is why NC is currently getting the coverage it's getting.
They've had a crazy government for a long time. The difference is that it's the government most of them want.
That's why I'm glad that we have enough people in this state who are fighting back against the extremism going on in Raleigh! They may be cool with in in SC, but not here!
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