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I am trying to move this year. At this moment living in Passaic, NJ I have some relatives in Columbus, GA and I had been there several times , I really like it very much but the same with Raleigh. I have a 15 year old and the movement that I will made must be for the better for him and this is my concern. Can anyone tell me about these two towns?
Is it hard to find a job?
I don't know much about Columbus GA but I do know that it's quite a bit smaller than Raleigh. With some quick Google research, I found that the metro ara in Columbus is about 276,000 people in the combined MSA's of both Columbus Georgia and Auburn -Opelika, Alabama. Compared to the Triangle at more than 1.5 Million. I imagine Columbus is much slower, cheaper and more Southern in culture. You'll have to determine if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
With Auburn nearby, you would enjoy that which a university brings to a greater community in the
Columbus area. However, the Triangle brings much more to the table in terms of univesity presence with Duke, NC State, UNC and a host of other colleges in the area.
Ft. Benning is adjacent to Columbus so there will definitely be a military feel to the area. Raleigh and the Triangle are not military towns though major military bases are a little more than an hour away to the East and the South.
Raleigh is also a state capital and provides most of the state's museums and hosts the state's opera, ballet, symphony, etc. I have no idea what Columbus, GA provides.
In the end, I don't see these areas as natural competition for each other. They are probably like apples and oranges. Now, if you had said Columbus, OH, then I'd probably say it's a more equal comparison.
I grew up in Columbus, GA, but have lived in Raleigh for the last 6 years. I have to agree with the analysis made by rmc2mbfl. I do NOT agree that Columbus is a pimple off of Fort Benning. Jeez! Fort Benning is no big deal and doesn't have that much of an impact on Columbus IMO. It's like saying that Fort Bragg has some awful impact on Raleigh, which it doesn't. Columbus is certainly a smaller town and you will not find the opportunities there (both job and education wise) that you will find in Raleigh. But Columbus has grown a lot since I lived there and the cost of living is certainly cheaper.
If you are coming from NJ, Columbus might be more of a culture shock because it is definitely more southern (and less tolerant). I moved away and have never considered going back - not because it wasn't a nice town, but because I simply didn't fit in with the Republican, conservative, Baptist lifestyle that pervades the area. If you are thinking that Columbus is anything like Atlanta, think again! It's a nice town, but my vote is for Raleigh if you want a little diversity in your life.
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