Living in Florida
 

Hello my family and I currently live in New Jersey but are planning to move to Florida next summer. We love the hot weather and the laid back atmosphere of Florida. We just need help in choosing the town we will move to. The place has to be good with employment , great for a family , and safe. The hot weather doesn't bother us as were from Dominican Republic and are used to it. Most importantly it needs to be affordable living as my mom is single and I will be the only one helping her and im only 20. Anything advice will be greatly appreciated.

Go to this forum and start researching:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/florida/

If you have a decent job in NJ stay. The job market here sucks. I have lived here since 87 and would move tomorrow back to the Northeast if my house would sell and my husband would come with me. Warm weather isn't everything. If you must move then look at Port Orange, New Smyrna but decent jobs are few.

I imagine the bigger cities are the best for jobs, like Tampa and Jacksonville. and I've heard Naples is growing in jobs. But that means costs are higher (especially Naples). I think safety usually depends what part of town you live in, in larger cities. Some cities may be just mostly bad (like Detroit or maybe Newark), but I don't think most are.

I have a friend who lives in Gainesville and it's cheap, but I doubt if there are a lot of jobs there, which is why. It's a college town and not near the ocean. I don't particularly like it myself, but she seems to.

According to Forbes, Jacksonville and the Cape Coral area (including Ft Myers) have lots of jobs.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanada...nt-be-in-2015/

What does your mother do and what sort of work can you do?

It would be foolish to move a family to Florida (or anywhere else) unless at least your mom has a firm job offer.

thank you for the replies , my mom works in a surgery center and has 10+ years of experience. And I have 2+ experience in the restaurant business as a host/waitress

Start researching jobs and housing in Tampa and nearby suburbs. I would think that with those two career fields, it wouldn't be too difficult for you both to find jobs here.

Jax has lots of good hospitals and Orlando just built the new VA hospital, it is called medical city. Nemour's children's hospital is there also. Medical jobs are more available.

Naples may be the place for you.

The place has to be good with employment , great for a family , and safe.

A lot is going to depend on qualifications as well as openings in terms of healthcare jobs down here. You fail to say exactly what your Mother is qualified to do in that surgery center and if she is licensed. If she is that means she needs an endorsement before she can work in Florida.

You fail to define what you feel is "great for a family" as well as "safe."

As to the cost of living, much depends on exactly where you are, obviously, and Naples, for example, is not exactly known as a "cheap" place to live.

You really need to explore the job opportunities first IMO and make certain employment is going to be available.

<I would think that with those two career fields, it wouldn't be too difficult for you both to find jobs here.<

Whhile well meaning, there is absolutely NO way people on a travel board can be knowledgeable about these questions. As pointed out, we know nothing of licensing needs for Florida in the medical field (well known for requiring a lot of its physicians). As is always the case with a move, the family needs to pick a spot and rent for a time to find out the pros and cons of an area FOR THEMSELVES.

Just from observation and anecdote: It appears that the economy of the central east coast of FL around Melbourne is picking up -- real estate prices are on the rise and defense contractors are hiring. That area would also seem to fit your other needs for safety and affordability.

The area also has some large medical centers and plenty of restaurants.

Good luck.