Relocation GA NC SC or TX
 

I am in to process of moving. I want a suburban community. Not to far away from city life. Would love nature and the water avail. I would like resort like living without the resort prices (smile). Something for teenage boys and and elderly parent. The weather is important, don't prefervery cold, very hot hurricane or lots of rains, or storm like weather. I want the vacation like yet not to far away from things, I want to be able to go for a swim, a bike ride, a walk. Safety and Middlle and High school ratings are important. I look forward to your advice and why u suggest? Give me some comparisons and pros and cons. Thank you in advance.

What about work/job - shouldn't that be part of the process??

Texas will be the cheapest, probably by far. South Carolina doesn't have the same level of "big city" life, but Charleston is a phenomenal place nonetheless.

All of those places will be crazy hot in the summer. Hurricanes and rain would be most problematic in Gulf Coast Texas, I'd think, but the likelihood of hurricanes hitting you are pretty small.

My rankings would probably go: Charleston, Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Raleigh, Dallas. I don't think I would live in Charlotte, but it is a nice enough place.

As tg pointed out, all of those places are going to be hot and humid.

We were in Charleston, SC in Sept and it stormed both afternoons and was very hot & humid....that is life in the southern US.

Job?
But since someone mentioned Charlotte, I'd suggest Rock Hill or Fort Mill just outside of Charlotte. Or something up around Winston Salem.
I'd certainly take a road trip before deciding.

Your problem is a series of contradictions:

- If it is warm in the winter, it will be hot in the summer.
- if it is warm in the winter, it will be buggy year round. Everyone we knew in Florida and Mississippi had an exterminator every month. So much for an organic lifestyle.
- heat isn't quite as important as humidity but the most important of all is duration. I lived in Jackson, Mississippi for five years. It never got over 93, but almost every day, without a break, from May 15 to September 15 was over 90. No relief.
- if the schools are good, the taxes are high
- work can be hard to find unless you have a profession in a field like health care.
- many less expensive areas are that way for a reason: few educated people, low expectations in the schools, ugly countryside, pollution, dysfunctional social systems, poor medical care, little tolerance for outsiders, bad transportation, dope, etc.

This isn't to discourage you, just to help you deal with the realities. I have happily lived in some of the poorest places in the South, but you have to take on a lot of responsibility.

Austin is a good place to live in Texas. There are smaller towns just outside of Austin. But Austin is close enough to the ocean and other large cities. It is very hot here in Texas though.. And is usually pretty darn cold for a couple months in the winter. I live near Dallas though so the winters probably aren't as bad that far south.

We don't even know where the OP is escaping from? Nothing to compare it to, etc. Stabs in the dark.

Austin TX, Decatur, GA and/or Asheville, NC.

Thank you for your reply the insight is great. I welcome more insight. Again thank you.

DebitNM:
A job is the easy part.. the money will be there.. maybe open a small business afterwards.. the Location with what I am looking for has more precedence.
Travelgourmet:
Thank you I will look in to Charleston Sc, Dallas, Raleigh Austin ( I didn’t find anything interesting there), Atlanta I was thinking maybe a subarb outside of Atlanta I have eliminated Houston, cause of the pollution. If you have more to offer it is more than welcome.
JanetKMR
thank you for the update.. Wonderful insight.. Charleston maybe off the list (smile).. This is great team thanks for helping.. reading next suggestion.
Gretchen:
Great Idea about the road trip.. What make you suggest Rock Hill or Fort Mill or possibly Winston Salem? A job is not a factor. I am in a position where I get to choose to work. Will look it to these..
Ackislander
Would I would like to talk more brainstorm with you. I like your point of view.. I would love to
starrs
Austin TX, Decatur, GA and/or Asheville, NC.
Thank you I will do some more research in these areas.

I suggested those towns because they are very nice--Rock Hill has Winthrop University and its activities. Fort Mill is just very pleasant and has the advantage of a very philanthropic family living there that invests in the ambience of the town. And both are near Charlotte as a major center for a lot of things.
Winston Salem is a very pleasant mid-sized city with a major university (Wake Forest) and again, BB&T (bank) as a major investor in sporting fields and other city things. Old Salem is a lovely historic site for the Moravian Church. The school system is excellent. it is about mid-way between Charlotte and Raleigh--or Durham and Chapel Hill.

I will add that the Charlotte area and WS is about 2 hours to the mountains and 2 hours to the beach.

And just a bit more about water. Charlotte and the SC towns I mentioned are near large power lakes. There is also the Blue Ridge Parkway and its trails and sites just north of Winston, and west of Charlotte. I suggest taking a look at the map to see the terrain.

I don't blame you for omitting Houston. Too hot, too humid, too much traffic and too many bugs. I know- I used to live there.

I live in a suburb that lies 20 minutes to downtown Fort Worth and 30 minutes to downtown Dallas. So I get two-for-one things to do. :) They are very different cities.

There are plenty of lakes around here, too, for boating, fishing, swimming, etc. Just a couple hours from the piney woods of East Texas and a couple hours from the green rolling hills of Central Texas.

Additionally, this is a major airline hub, so you can fly anywhere from DFW.

We have no state income tax here in Texas, either. Cost of living cannot be beat. Many fine schools districts in the area.

Good luck with your search!