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I work for a company in NJ with branches in several states, and I was given a job opportunity at our facility in Raleigh, NC.
I'm considering all the factor involved before i make a decision. We're a family of 3 with 2 incomes, my daughter is a newborn and my wife makes just enough money to help with expenses like diapers and groceries.
I live in NJ, Middlesex county, and I was comparing what I pay in property taxes here to what I would pay there. Here I pay 4,900/yr for a 235k home. I made some research and found out that in Raleigh, for a house of similar value I'd pay somewhere around 2,000. Property tax-wise, NC wins big.
I have some questions, I'd appreciate it if anyone could say their thoughts on them:
- How's the cost of living in the Triangle compared to NJ?
- Are public schools in that area good?
- How are the temperatures there in the summer time? Is it hotter then here in NJ?
- I know gas prices are sky rocketing everywhere. But on average, how much are the triangle residents paying for a gallon as of today (Mar-03-2012)?
It's horrifically hot here in the summer. In NY/NJ you can go outside in the summer. I don't go outside here in the summer. Some people love hellish weather.
Gas today was $3.74 a gallon.
Public schools are good but they are no longer associated with where you live. So you need to research that. Research this board and see wcpss.net -- the Wake County School Board which covers Raleigh, Cary, and several smaller towns. Also see the Raleigh paper, newsobserver.com.
There are many cost-of-living comparison websites. Generally, food costs more here than elsewhere. You need air conditioning for a good part of the year. Everything else is similar.
We moved here from NJ 7 years ago and love it here! The summers can be hot BUT we just have a longer stint of 90+ days. My parents live in Toms River and there are many times where the temps are the same and will have periods of heavy humidity. Even then it's not nearly as bad as going to Florida in June! Unless you come from California then you will have no problem adjusting to the summer -which has July and August as the warmest months. I say California...because I know they don't experience humid weather and have heard that is a tough adjustment for some.
You will pay less in property taxes and home prices. If you can come here and make the same as in NJ with a transfer then it will be a win-win. We moved without jobs and took pay cuts. Not horrible but less than I hoped for. Still worked out.
The winters are mild and no snow...little dusting here and there. Had one year with about 5 inches and it doesn't hang around long.
We have been very happy with the schools in Apex. Overall they made changes ( and I know some who confirmed it ) where you can move and still choose the school you want them to attend. They went back and forth with assignments for diversity, then wanting neighborhood schools - which is still the case but you also have the option to say move to another section of Apex ( using my town as an example) that you can either choose to continue with your child attending their current school or pick another one.
Gas is a little higher than NJ. We have a higher gas tax and we also get taxed on clothes. Food and entertainment are about the same. Our costs in buying a home, property taxes and lower car insurance were lower. So if you come down with a good salary, you can do fine.
You will need to visit the area and spend some time driving around to know a little of the area. The people are great, many other transplants as well. If you come with an open mind and looking for a change and fresh start, you won't think about what you will miss about NJ. Personally, other than us having family there still...I don't miss it AT ALL! The traffic, rat race pace, not all but many rude people, the weather and ridiculous cost of living...never want to go back.
If like some you are emotionally tied to NJ/NY area...then it could be a bad choice to move anywhere...not just NC. I say that since many move and not ready to leave it all behind. We had no problems saying goodbye. Be honest with yourselves. We hoped family would visit more than they do and we don't really see them all that much. So if not having family close by is an issue, you want to reconsider moving. I miss that at times but I think of all the pros I have ie - shorter commute, no more stupid Garden State Parkway or the Turnpike.
We moved from the Philly area but my husband worked in Raritan NJ before his layoff. Gas was always less in NJ compared to PA. You will find the gas in NC more expensive as well. We have been here one year now, so I don't have a lot of experience with "typical" weather. However, last summer was hot and humid, but not THAT much worse than what I was used to in Philly. I would avoid being outside when the sun was beating down. Early morning, late evening, still sticky but doable. In any case, AC is definitely your friend! My electric bills were somewhat higher here but the house we are leasing is also larger. Natural gas heat is much cheaper than the hot oil fuel I had to use in Philly. The "winters" here are a large part of why we are staying I can't imagine going back to cold, ice, snow, etc.
I have found the overall cost of living (except for housing and real estate taxes) to be similar, maybe even slightly more expensive here. There is tax on food and clothing. My grocery bills are higher here. There is a vehicle tax yearly, something that surprised me. However, I think the lower housing cost balances this and the real estate taxes are not even close to those in NJ!!
I have a child in kindergarten. Schools in Wake County (which will be anywhere in Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville, Apex, etc) are tricky to navigate right now. However, your daughter is a newborn. congratulations!! . From what I understand, things change here rather frequently. By leasing and exploring the area you will have a great opportunity to figure out where you would like to settle, learn about schools, etc, before committing to a home purchase.
We have no regrets about moving to this area and plan to stay! We came because of a job offer after a year of unemployment, so we would have gone anywhere at that point. We feel so fortunate that we landed HERE!
We moved here from Long Island. I agree that the people who have moved here from anywhere else and have the most trouble are those who really don't WANT to move but feel they have to for whatever reason. Most people who truly come here because they want to, I think end up happy.
There was a big difference in cost of living for us - we lowered our property taxes by $9000 a year. Our electric, gas, and car and homeowners are also much lower - enough to make a difference in our monthly budget.
Schools are good but I'm not gonna lie - I'd be leery of moving into Wake schools right now with school age kids (not a factor for you). No doubt you'll end up in a perfectly fine school but when we moved here in 2010 there was a lot more control (ironic, given the fact that the new plan is supposed to give parents more control). However, you have a baby and that will give you plenty of time to see how it all shakes out.
The weather? Well, this is the south, and it always amuses me when someone from north of the Mason-Dixon Line asks if it's going to be hotter here. Of course it is. ANd while you can take the "averages" and make comparisons, we can all look at the averages for wherever we live and know that they aren't really accurate for day-to-day living. The daily average for my town on Long Island in January is something like 38 degrees. It's usually a good bit colder than that. Additionally the sun is much stronger down here than it is in the northeast. The only I will say is - the humidiity is generally what people complain about the most down here and IMHO it's got nothing on the coastal areas of NY/NJ....the humidity is much worse on LI. There have been only a handful of days where we've felt the need to complain about the humidity here.
Good luck with your decision. There are many reasons why we moved here but wanting to get our kids away from the rat-race mentality and the cost of living in NY were big factors. NY isn't going anywhere they can always start a career there if they choose - but now they won't feel tied to that area because they grew up there and live in a basement apartment for 10 years while they try to scrounge to buy a house.
We once lived in Manhattan and miss good public transit dearly after living here 22 years.
With poorly designed, unlighted roads, it's hard for anyone w/o great vision and stellar reflexes to safely use the interstates. I, for one, live in Raleigh but cannot travel to Durham or Chapel Hill for events.
When a family needs to buy more vehicles than before, and pay outrageous fuel expenses, some of the financial advantages evaporate.
We moved from Toms River, NJ in 2005. The one thing I will caution you is that daycare seems to be a lot more expensive here - in NJ we paid about $450-500/month and here it's $850/month.
A heartfelt thank you for taking the time to respond.
You guys filled me in with a lot of useful information. I'm definitely driving south next summer to check out the area.
There's just a lot to consider, but each one of you are really helping me understand the situation a little better.
God bless all of you,
Fred
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I can't imagine going back to cold, ice, snow, etc. 
. From what I understand, things change here rather frequently. By leasing and exploring the area you will have a great opportunity to figure out where you would like to settle, learn about schools, etc, before committing to a home purchase. 
