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I have a couple of questions that I can't seem to find the answer to. How is the economy of Clayton? Are there opportunities in the field of technology?
How acceptable versus reserved are the people living there? I'm going to fly over there soon to take a look and see a house I'm interested in. But I'm a little afraid to move to a new location without knowing the economy.
Clayton consists of former cornfields now covered with new homes. I'd venture to say there are no IT jobs in Clayton.
If there were any jobs, they'd be in Raleigh, Durham, or RTP.
But the IT sector has taken a huge hit.
Cows and tobacco...this is Clayton. Of course there is a downtown area and the 40/42 corner is the larger commercial side of town.
Generally one lives in Clayton and works elsewhere, Not sure if the communte from Clayton to RTP is really fun. Possible to find a job in Raleigh and commute from Clayton.
Rule of thumb is find a job then pick your residence.
Clayton is home to Caterpillar, Telecris. Hosperia (check the spelling) and a Bayer R & D campus....
Last edited by zthatzmanz28; 10-08-2010 at 06:13 PM..
Clayton (Johnston County) has come a long way in the last few years. There were a few years that it grew by 400%, with so many people relocating there.
You will need to actually explore the area to know if it works for you. Do not take the opinions of those that haven't been to Clayton in years!
As for technology jobs, there are many companies that use computer people. Hubby's office is in Clayton and he just hired another programmer. So, based on that, there ARE technology jobs and you CAN actually work in Clayton AND live in Clayton. I know this since 15 people in his office of 20 do live and work in Clayton.
How much hiring is going on and how many jobs are available, I don't know.
Just for the record, we LOVE living in Clayton. It is easy to Raleigh for extended day trips and quick to other business in Clayton or Smithfield. If you can find employment with a commute you like, look at Clayton -- there are quite a few planned communities and just plain old great neighborhoods...
We also love living in Clayton. But I do NOT recommend moving here without a job. First, the field of IT is very diverse. Just because there are IT jobs doesn't mean that there are IT jobs for which you would get hired. Second, the IT economy here has been hit hard. My husband has 12 years of IT experience, was laid off in the spring, and has been unable to find permanent employment. He's been told numerous times that his competition for most jobs is huge. We know lots of other IT professionals currently unable to find work. Third, you'll want to consider where you're working in your decision of where to live. It is a long drive to RTP, with a lot of traffic. If that's not what you're looking for in a commute, you should know where you'll be working before you buy a home or sign a lease.
That being said, you can get a lot of house for the money in Clayton, as well as the small town feel. There are tons of new subdivisions and homes being built. There are also several new and planned shopping centers. I'm not a fan of the restaurants, but we're not that far from Raleigh and Durham, so certainly not a deal breaker.
I think most people who live in Clayton work outside of the town (myself included). I moved from Raleigh to Clayton about 3 years ago and I absolutely love it. I also work in RTP.
I agree with everyone else, find a job first then move. So many media outlets praise the RTP area for their IT jobs, it seems alot of people are moving here for them. So, expect some competition but definately dont let it defer you.
As for Clayton, I remember when it was just cornfields and tobacco fields, now its a great place to live. I absolutely love it.
(And to correct the spelling from a previous poster, its Hospira.)
How acceptable versus reserved are the people living there?
Whoops. Just read this part of your question. Not sure exactly what you mean by this but in my case, I found the people of Clayton to be very accepting. I grew up hearing about Johnston County, so I had my doubts. I never had any problems, love the area, the people, everything about it.
Not trying to offend anyone here, but Johnston County used to be a big "redneck" area (sad but true). Lots of northerners here now....changing climate. My kids are multiracial, and besides a "N***** go home" epithat scrawled on a bathroom wall in Clayton High last year, I have not known of any racial difficulties. Now 6 years ago, I never would have moved here....and there are still some residents who are rednecks, don't kid yourself....I'm in a neighborhood with a few lol
My honest opinion is this: DO NOT move here without a STABLE job....and research your company first. Big corporate companies can also lay off on a whim, and then you'll be unemployed. Yes there are many corporations in this area, but keep it real: How many are really managed well? Most waste millions of dollars on frivilous crap. Half of my team got laid off from a big international company in Cary last year (you'd know the name right off if I told you), and check this out: A few days after half my team got laid off, the company had a company sponsored picnic!!! So here my remaining other co-workers were so shocked and ticked off that all their coworkers (and friends) just got laid off - and then the company has a PICNIC for "goodwill??" These are not the times for foolishness like this. People's families and very existence depend on sound judgment...so do your company research first. google company reviews. It's fun to hit those sites and see what others have written, especially when you experience stuff then go back and say, "hmmmm...this person was RIGHT" lol
Another piece of advice: Lay ALL of your cards out on the table during the interview - forget about "cozy" interviews nowadays, especially if you are trying to relocate. Some companies will offer you a salary and expect repayment with your life. Cisco is notorious for 65+ hour work weeks, pressurepressurepressure and miserable employees (I know many). You can always try SAS (cary) good luck getting an interview lol. You'll want to know these things even in IT field. If you're required to work 60+ hours per week and then couple that with a commute, you may not be a happy person when you get home. One of my old teammates that got laid off with me is practically an IT guru w/ degree in computer science, years of experience, years of training experience AND impeccable work history and reference, and STILL couldn't find a job!! She JUST got a job last week in RTP - almost a YEAR later. We've been out of work since Nov. 2009.
Everyone is undercutting salaries here. Jobs that used to pay 50-70K are now going for 40K. I went from 45K a year to unemployment. For every job, there are minimum 6,000-7,000 candidates, and one of the Employment Security managers in Smithfield told me that....so imagine how many candidates for jobs in Raleigh? You also need to check your current census information: Close to 50 percent of people in this area have Master's degrees - and it's almost 70% in Cary and higher still in Chapel Hill - so don't think an education will pull some extra weight around here because it won't - everyone has one - too common here.
Most people do work in Raleigh though, because besides specialty pharma jobs here in Clayton (Hospira and Talecris have small plants - check their websites), there's nothing except $10.00 jobs and people who subcontract their IT needs. Clayton has many privately owned retail businesses. I've been actively job searching for 11 months, and come to think of it, I can't even remember seeing IT ad in Clayton - market is saturated with IT pros - not to discourage you, please don't take it that way...but it's fact). The Clayton News-Star is the local paper. You'll see their 1/2 page employment ads online. They do have Johnston Community College and Johnston Memorial Hospital(s), so you may want to google them as well.
The commute pretty much sucks going anywhere into Raleigh. If you work in RTP during standard 7:30-5:30 hours, you're probably looking at 1.5 hours per day from Clayton minimum (providing there are no accidents or rain). If you can negotiate hours working out there - do so. It will save you so much hassle. I worked out there for a few years and it was nothing but a hot mess, so I renegotiated my hours to work 7:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (leaving Clayton at 6:15 a.m.), and it was much better for me.
You'll also want to research the EOG scores for the schools in this area. I have two at Clayton HS and they aren't even allowed to take their textbooks home (budget cuts) blahblahblah more excuses to take from our children. They had this HUGE budget cut issue before this school year started where they were threatening to cancel all extracurricular activities because the school district is "out of money." While North Carolina Dept. of Public Instruction employees got ave. $20,000 raises this year added to their $120,000 salaries. NC has an educational lottery but don't even get me started: It has contributed NOTHING to the kids' cause. So expect the same huge debate next year (along with rising property taxes).
Johnston County has built two new high schools that opened this year, but redistricted Clayton High, so there are just as many kids in Clayton High this year (or more) as there were last year - i think it's over 2,000. Initially they said they were supposed to lose 600 students, but my sons' teachers said that is not the case, and judging from the hallways, which are nearly impassable between bells, I am inclined to agree wtih them. I think the teacher student ratio is like 30:1. Teachers totally teach to pass EOGs, so don't expect a quality education with a bunch of fabulously creative teachers either...teachers simply are under too much pressure to even provide real learning experiences anymore, it's not their fault :-(
DO YOUR RESEARCH before coming here. Yes, there are worse areas than Clayton - but the cost of living is just as high here as in Raleigh or Cary, so if you're worried about education, Cary High School is excellent (my oldest son went there for two years - check out their EOG scores) and the commute would be SO much less for you if you were to get a job in RTP (Cary & Apex are very near there). You may sacrifice a big yard lol. Rentals are just as expensive here as in Cary, and so are home prices: Johnston County is NOT cheaper than other places in the Triangle (except Chapel Hill). Foreclosures galore, so you could probably find a great deal on a home if you take your time and do month-to-month lease first. Yes there are many subdivisions being built here, but many cookie cutter neighborhoods too. If you have 250K to spend, then you'll find something with some quality (do your builder research by all means first), but hey - it's no different in Wake County. The big issue in Wake was the bussing/neighborhood school thing, but apparently they are going to eliminate that in the next year or so, so it will be back to life as normal for them. That's what pushed so many people out to Johnston County (including myself) in the first place. Don't forget about the DEER (car insurance will be higher here than in Wake - little tiny detail, but it's true).
Basically, to me: Clayton is very overrated - yes there is the "small town feel" but it's also very political and "who you know" - esp. if your kids are into sports like baseball and want to play on the school team - forget it unless you have $ and something to contribute to the team (i.e. Booster Club-two parent family) - the Clayton HS baseball coach picks his team out the YEAR BEFORE spring season, a whole nine months before the next tryouts - I personally heard him tell another parent that this past June when we were at a practice. He then keeps virtually the same kids four years....so there may be 80 kids trying out for 1 spot. One kid I know played baseball in Europe on a National team and couldn't even make the squad here, and he's a great ball player! Oh yea, remember that kid that went pro straight out of Clayton high school a few years back (Chris Archer)? Well rumor has it that HE couldn't even make the high school team here until he like a junior & then only because someone told the coaching squad that scouts were looking at him - not sure how true that is....but there is always some truth to a rumor. From what a few of the parents told me, Chris was playing some travel ball b/c he couldn't make the Clayton High team....hahaha sorry that still makes me laugh. Like: How many times does a baseball player sign pro right out of high school, anyway? This is a very low-scale mini-Michael Jordan story (remember, Michael couldn't make his basketball team ??)
We've been here almost four years. Glad I don't pay taxes here. Can't be jobless forever or live off $12.00 hour like so many of the positions are offering now (I'm non-IT, have sales/acct mgmt background). Are there businesses pushing out this way? Yes, there is development, but slow....very slow. And the salaries are ridiculously low for the cost of living in this area. Wake County pays teachers over $5,000 more than Johnston County does, and Clayton is the next town over from Garner, which is 10 min. down the road. There is just SO much competition in this area, bluntly put. Craigslist jobs are full of scammers in this area, so unless the company information is posted on the site and you google and they are legitimate AND have the job posted, don't bother responding to Craigslist ads if you even check them for IT stuff. I check out Indeed.com a lot.
My recommendation is 1. Job first. 2. RENT or rent w/ option. The market is too bad, too many people are losing their homes (flooded markets), 3. the school system may be making major changes in the near future that if you have kids who are active, you may not be pleased with. 4. Job market is tough. If you didn't like it here and want to put your house up for sale, you'd be one of a million. Although at least you can get 1 acre yards out here lol
p.s. Catepillar Clayton plant had a lot of layoffs earlier this year - and you may end up in the boondocks if you want a really nice house - 40/42 area is a BEAST during normal working hours, and is not going to be widened. Definitely check your two-lane ROADS and invision them swamped with cars. You can easily sit at the 40/42 stoplight 4 or 5 cycles in the a.m. or p.m. - this adds much time on to your commute (in other words, don't go by mapquest driving times lol) I'd recommend staying within a mile of hwy. 70 myself....go for treated well-water (with softner system already in place). In-town of Clayton water rates are high as crud (can be over $100 month). Johnston County water, on the other hand, runs about 1/3 of what Town of Clayton water runs....
Last edited by bleighorr; 10-21-2010 at 09:15 AM..
bleighorr.....you lost me after "not trying to offend anyone....."
can I have that 5 minutes back please ??
I live in Clayton and love it. Clayton has alot of pharmaceutical companies, you could check those to see if they have any technology type positions available.
I think Clayton is pretty diverse, much more so than it was when I moved here in 1997, both racially and economically.
I was just reading that there is more development planned on Hwy 42, across from the new medical center for 4 more medical buildings, retail and restaurants.
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