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Please forgive my spelling and grammar as I'm on mobile. I'm a young adult from NJ looking to relocate to either Charlotte or Raleigh.
1. Which city would be best for an individual looking to work in the marketing field? Currently, I have three years working in a brand-specific companies instead of an agency.
2. What is the quality of life when comparing both against each other for a single, young adult?
3. Which city is more economical / affordable? I'm looking to rent an apartment.
To answer your first question, Charlotte has more jobs to choose from simply because it's a larger metro with a higher GDP. After a quick search, I found 2,300 marketing jobs in Raleigh vs 2,700 in Charlotte. To put that into perspective Atlanta (the largest metro GDP in the southeast) has 6,000 job openings in your field. In terms of metro GDP, here are the 6 largest in the southeast from largest to smallest....
To answer your second question I'll need specifics on what it is you're looking for when you say quality of life. Typically, young adults who choose Charlotte are looking for the type of places in the videos below.
Personally, I like the large number of street festivals downtown such as the one below...
To answer your 3rd question, affordability is a relative thing. Some areas in Charlotte rent for as little as $550/month for a 1 bedroom while a highrise unit downtown can start at $1,800/month. I live in a 10 year old 3 bedroom 2.5 bath townhouse. My mortgage is $850/month. Right now, Charlotte is actually a cheaper city to buy in than it is to rent in.
Also, Charlotte is situated on the NC/SC state line. Many newcomers to the area choose to save a few bucks by living on the SC side of the metro. South Carolina has advantages such as cheaper gasoline ($1.95/gallon in SC vs $2.25/gallon in NC), cheaper sales taxes, cheaper property taxes, and NO annual vehicle inspections. SC is only a 20-30 min commute from downtown Charlotte.
I think all 3 provide the same in terms of employment opportunities, cost of living and single young adult.
You really need to visit both and see which you prefer. Charlotte is more metropolitan/big city. Raleigh is compromised of liberal college towns, a city called Durham that's also a progressive liberal city and Raleigh being the capital provides typical amenities of a downtown for its population.
To answer your first question, Charlotte has more jobs to choose from simply because it's a larger metro with a higher GDP. After a quick search, I found 2,300 marketing jobs in Raleigh vs 2,700 in Charlotte. To put that into perspective Atlanta (the largest metro GDP in the southeast) has 6,000 job openings in your field. In terms of metro GDP, here are the 6 largest in the southeast from largest to smallest....
To answer your second question I'll need specifics on what it is you're looking for when you say quality of life. Typically, young adults who choose Charlotte are looking for the type of places in the videos below.
Personally, I like the large number of street festivals downtown such as the one below...
To answer your 3rd question, affordability is a relative thing. Some areas in Charlotte rent for as little as $550/month for a 1 bedroom while a highrise unit downtown can start at $1,800/month. I live in a 10 year old 3 bedroom 2.5 bath townhouse. My mortgage is $850/month. Right now, Charlotte is actually a cheaper city to buy in than it is to rent in.
Also, Charlotte is situated on the NC/SC state line. Many newcomers to the area choose to save a few bucks by living on the SC side of the metro. South Carolina has advantages such as cheaper gasoline ($1.95/gallon in SC vs $2.25/gallon in NC), cheaper sales taxes, cheaper property taxes, and NO annual vehicle inspections. SC is only a 20-30 min commute from downtown Charlotte.
Thanks for your feedback. I'm considering making a trip to Charlotte.
In terms of quality of life, I'm wondering what the culture and community is Iike. Especially if I plan on aiming a family here in the future. I'm from NJ and there really is no sense of community here haha.
I think all 3 provide the same in terms of employment opportunities, cost of living and single young adult.
You really need to visit both and see which you prefer. Charlotte is more metropolitan/big city. Raleigh is compromised of liberal college towns, a city called Durham that's also a progressive liberal city and Raleigh being the capital provides typical amenities of a downtown for its population.
I'm leaning towards Charlotte. I'd like to seperate myself from the college towns. It is definitely a good idea to visit both cities first though. Thank you for the feedback!!
I'm leaning towards Charlotte. I'd like to seperate myself from the college towns. It is definitely a good idea to visit both cities first though. Thank you for the feedback!!
The Triangle is hardly a cluster of "college towns".
The Triangle is hardly a cluster of "college towns".
It's a big component of the Triangle's national image and selling point and a reason many people like the area. Among other things you're more than welcome to elaborate on
Is Boston a "college town"? The connotation makes it seem like the area is dependent on the colleges, when that is far from the truth. Most migrants from the NorthEast and immigrants from all over could care less about the colleges and it had no direct impact in why they chose to move here. It's a very attractive thing to have to lure businesses, but the connotation of that label does not fit the reality of the area.
Thanks for your feedback. I'm considering making a trip to Charlotte.
In terms of quality of life, I'm wondering what the culture and community is Iike. Especially if I plan on aiming a family here in the future. I'm from NJ and there really is no sense of community here haha.
There really isn't a "Charlotte culture" because the city is full of transplants. Also, one area of town can be completely different from another. In some parts of Charlotte, kids go home to their dirt bikes and 4-wheelers while in other parts of town kids are taking violin lessons. When it comes to race, the city itself is quite diverse (45% white, 35% black, 15% hispanic, 5% Asian). Outside of Charlotte itself, the metro's suburbs are well over 50% white. For the most part, racism is a non-issue here. Things such as interracial dating is a non-issue as well. If your accent isn't southern, you won't be alone.
The schools here range from great to poor depending on the neighborhood you choose to reside in. Pay close attention to the school zone of your address and you'll be fine.
As for family activities......Well, the bad news is that Charlotte doesn't have a zoo (in fact, no NC city has a major zoo). NC decided to place the state's zoo in the town of Asheboro, NC (a small town that many in Charlotte mistakenly calls Asheville). IMO, most people in Charlotte make the trip to Columbia, SC for their zoo instead of NC's zoo.
Aside from not having a zoo, everything else in terms of family fun is good news. Charlotte has a popular children's museum, a whitewater rafting park, and an amusement park. That amusement park has one of the tallest coasters on the planet and the largest waterpark in the state.
As for sports, the Carolina Panthers are top dogs in this city. In time, the Charlotte Hornets may reclaim their popularity of the 1990s. The minor league baseball team is fairly popular too (mostly due to the skyline view from the ballpark).
When it comes to religion, Charlotte is certainly a southern baptist city. No question about that. The Billy Graham Parkway is the major route to the airport. I personally don't do religion at all and no one bothers me about it. However, I don't go around making jokes about people of faith either if you know what I mean. People for the most part respect and accept my non-religious world view which is good enough for me. If you have any more specific questions, feel free to ask.
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