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I am looking to relocate from Salt Lake City, Utah to the east coast. I want warmer weather and I have narrowed my search to North or South Carolina but I am having trouble narrowing down the cities. I am looking for a coastal community with year round residents, not just seasonal residents. I have 2 kids, elementary and high school so community and schools are very important. I would love some recommendations of cities, areas, towns etc.
I will be taking a trip this spring and would love to visit several areas and find the right one for my family. I have a good career and work from home, however, I always want to stay near a solid job market just in case things change.
I am looking to relocate from Salt Lake City, Utah to the east coast. I want warmer weather and I have narrowed my search to North or South Carolina but I am having trouble narrowing down the cities. I am looking for a coastal community with year round residents, not just seasonal residents. I have 2 kids, elementary and high school so community and schools are very important. I would love some recommendations of cities, areas, towns etc.
I will be taking a trip this spring and would love to visit several areas and find the right one for my family. I have a good career and work from home, however, I always want to stay near a solid job market just in case things change.
Thanks in advance for any recommendations!
If you could tell us your budget and career field, that would help a lot. But right off the bat I would say Charleston and Wilmington are your best bets.
Do you have any particular cultural or lifestyle preferences?
Most of the coastal cities/communities in SC have solid year round populations and tourist/vacation influxes at specific times per year. Where you live and what areas you work/shop/play will determine how much you are impacted by the tourists. The unspoken truth is that tourist volume is what has driven a lot of the entertainment, restaurants, recreation and shopping. So in the end it is a win for a lot of year round residents.
Do you have any particular cultural or lifestyle preferences?
Most of the coastal cities/communities in SC have solid year round populations and tourist/vacation influxes at specific times per year. Where you live and what areas you work/shop/play will determine how much you are impacted by the tourists. The unspoken truth is that tourist volume is what has driven a lot of the entertainment, restaurants, recreation and shopping. So in the end it is a win for a lot of year round residents.
I know of restaurants in tourist areas that give a "Customer Appreciation Card to their year round customers so they do not have to wait in line during the tourist season.
If you could tell us your budget and career field, that would help a lot. But right off the bat I would say Charleston and Wilmington are your best bets.
Thanks! My housing budget is under 500k, 3-4 bd. I work remotely so the job market isn't a huge factor now but I would like to be somewhere with a solid job market in case things change. My biggest concern is finding a good community for my kids, 9 and 13. good schools, lots of families, safe etc.
So for SC definitely avoid Myrtle Beach. 9 months out of the year it is practically gridlock with tourist traffic. It’s nothing more than an overgrown T-Shirt shop or Mini Golf Course.
The Charleston area and its neighboring communities like Summerville, Mt. Pleasant or West Ashley are far less touristy. Still definitely plenty of tourists but that is generally concentrated in the downtown peninsula. Traffic can still be a challenge because the coastal geography limits road construction and growth is exploding.
Bluffton/Beaufort is also growing exponentially. Bluffton basically barely even existed 20 years ago. Beaufort is an older coastal town. Nearby Hilton Head and the Sun City retirement developments are driving the growth here.
You could consider Southport, a small town about 40 minutes south of downtown Wilmington by car.
My parents used to live in a nice neighborhood in Southport called Harbor Oaks near the ferry that goes to Wilmington.
It has a nice downtown area and waterfront park, and Oak Island beach is nearby. I think it would be a good place to raise kids.
Southport's July 4th fireworks show is tied for the best one that I've been to in the southeast. They shoot the fireworks off boats in the harbor.
When they first moved to that area, my parents lived in a big golf course community called St James Plantation which is 10 minutes or so west of Southport.
Last edited by Huckleberry Knob; 01-30-2021 at 09:45 AM..
Do you want to live on an island or on the main land?
A few places we really like (not sure about living but definitely thought were cool) are;
New bern NC
corolla/ duck NC
Beaufort, NC
Murrell's inlet SC
Charleston sc
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