Far Northwest GA vs Spencerport-Churchville-Brockport-Fairport (Atlanta, Gainesville: crime, houses, tornado)

[Drew1987]

Hello!

If you clicked this because you recognized the towns I named, that means we used to be neighbors, and if you're willing, you can give me some comparison data between here and there that is more valuable to me than works can describe.

We're a one income family of 6 seeking more freedom and better weather, but being from the Great Lakes, there are a lot of questions and we dont want to find out the bad answers after moving out home and our business. I have many, so anyone with living experience in both places thats willing to hang around is extremely appreciated.

We are small town people used to living not "too far" from a smaller/medium city for when we need things from it. Determined to replicate that anywhere we go. The towns an hour or so northwest of Atlanta are appealing, and as I understand, the mountains bring cooler nights, more of a "winter" and less bugs. so diving in:

Bugs... the reason we want to move is so we are not stuck in side 45-50% of the year because it is too cold to enjoy the outdoors. YES there will be many summer days it's too hot to enjoy, but that leaves mornings and nights that are darn near perfect but NOT if the evenings have so many bugs, we can enjoy. Anyone have any input?

I am going to have more questions, but if there is someone reading this that is from those towns I listed and now lives North West of Atlanta, PLEASE feel free to take the mic and tell me all your thoughts on how the two compare, while keeping in mind we are small town, outdoor folks =)

THANK YOU ALL!

[OhioNative]

You will not be able to escape bugs in north Georgia. Mosquitoes are awful here during the summer months. Invest in a screened in porch.

[Drew1987]

I’ve heard that, but I wonder how it actually compares to the Great Lakes region? Sometimes bugs are really bad here, too, and they’ve never made me not want to live here. It is the six or seven month winters, the insane taxes, the crazy laws, the seemingly anti-business government…

The thought is, if we are going to pick up and move six people and a business, it should be to the best place for our specific desires and needs. Somebody with similar desires that spent the majority of their life within 20 miles of where I am standing at the moment would have a lot of insight on how That area compares. Looking at houses and communities, 45 minutes north west out of Atlanta looks pretty nice…

[stealheadrun23]

Apologies for interrupting the thread but just for my own reference having not lived in either of these regions, I'm curious which midwest state you're moving from.

[Drew1987]

Not an interruption - and very ironically we're not from a midwestern state - but we are from a midwestern town. Rochester, NY is diagonally opposite from NYC and has the same culture and vibe (well, the suburbs and rural areas do, anyway) as the rest of the Great Lakes. But with an "NY" address. Rochester is as different from NY as Miami is from Ocala FL. Same state, totally different vibe. If we could find something extremely similar to Rochester but without 6 months of winter, INSANE laws, and 4% property tax, we'd be elated. The DMV also has to have regulations that work with our business. And we dont want to be in tornado alley. This is not an easy search.... Also, we would like a month or so of winter.

There are areas in Northeast GA that look on paper like they'd work, Northwest as well. Central Virginia would be great but they've got some rough DMV regs. It's going to take 18-24 months to do this the way we want to do it, so we have time to figure it out

[lrlabs]

I've been to Rochester many times, beautiful town and area. We live in NE Alabama, not far from the Georgia state line. Just as a note, we have never seen a Mosquito issue as mentioned in a prior thread.
We are retired and chose this area due to the cost of living and friendly people. Just as an example, our 3/2 with 6 acres has a property tax of $602.00. regulations are non-existent. We are an hour away from Huntsville, and Chattanooga, hour and a half from Birmingham, and two hours from Atlanta.
Not sure why you picked NW Georgia but another area that folks are moving to and liking is Eastern Tennessee. Just a suggestion to look at.

[Drew1987]

Thanks for that. I cannot do TN, NC, or SC with my business. VA is doable and honestly hour first choice, but the business would be difficult. Doable, but difficult. Also VA can be a but "NY-ish" but way more livable. One state with perfect weather, Mountains to hike AND a beach!?!?! Perfect. But again the business would be an uphill climb

YES! Rochester is so pretty. If i had a mobile income AND my kids werent so involved in stuff, I'd do summers here and winters at the LF GA border. Out summers are very cool - so much so, I have to put the convertible top up almost EVERY night. I think I've driven top down once or twice in the dark and I was crammed against the dash with the heat on my face and feet.

Honestly I meant to say northeast GA, but northwest works too. North and away from atlanta was the goal. I've since learned I have to get VERY far to get away from the congestion.


Where you are is beautiful. I've also seen houses in Mississippi suburbs of Memphis that would cost 1,200,000 here listed for 500,000 (out of my range, but still...) and here is cheap compared to the US average so thats amazing.

The tornados scare the crap out of me, and I am mind blown at the crime stats. But then again, Rochester is beyond dangerous - but thats the city. The national average crime index is 27/100. Rochester is 75+/100 but my town, Spencerport, is 7/100. So its relative.


Basically looking for a rural suburb 30 mins out of a decent size (300,000-600,000) city with minimal traffic, some elevation/hills to fight flooding, minimal tornados, 4 seasons, and a laws that work for our business.


At this point, on paper, Lynchburg VA is PERFECT other than the business. But we're open - and it's going to take a while. I am just the type that needs a concrete goal to aim at. My wife can care less. We just both know we cannot stay here. We can spend summers here, but we cannot stay all year

[Born 2 Roll]

It sounds like the Gainesville/Hall County area should be at the very top of your list of areas to consider.

Gainesville/Hall County is an exurban community of almost 220,000 residents that is located more than 50 miles northeast of Downtown Atlanta that is located at the very northeastern edge of Atlanta’s greater and regional development pattern and is located only minutes away from one of the largest wilderness areas in the Eastern U.S. in the Blue Ridge/Southern Appalachian Mountains region of North Georgia, Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.

Gainesville/Hall County is the business, economic and industrial hub of the Northeast Georgia foothills/mountains region and exerts an awesome amount of political, social and cultural power and influence over metro Atlanta and North Georgia as a whole.

As the “Poultry Capital of the World” that is a noted hotbed of conservative and Republican political activity in North Georgia and the exurban Southeastern U.S., Gainesville/Hall County is the type of conservative business-minded exurban community (with a noticeably lower tax and lower regulatory environment than a Northeastern state like New York) that you appear to have stated a strong preference for.

If you desire to live in a more rural-feeling exurban environment, nearby areas like North Hall County, Habersham County and White County could be good alternatives to the comparatively more developed Gainesville/Central & South Hall County area that would put you within a reasonable commuting distance of the large exurban business/economic/industrial hub in Gainesville/Hall County.

There will be some bugs and mosquitoes in the Northeast Georgia Blue Ridge/Southern Appalachian foothills/mountains region. But the bugs and mosquitoes will be comparatively far less of a nuisance in the Northeast Georgia foothills/mountains region than the bugs and mosquitoes are further south at lower elevations below the “Gnat Line” (or the Fall Line) that separates the middle and higher elevation areas of the Piedmont Plateau from the lower elevation areas of the Coastal Plain.

And, of course, the weather will feel comparatively infinitely more mild in the Northeast Georgia foothills/mountain region than in Western New York during the winter, while the summers will not be as hot and humid in Northeast Georgia as will be as lower elevation areas in the Southeast.

[Drew1987]

Wow I really appreciate that - lots of good info! I am saving this in my "move" folder and definitely will check the place out. It had caught my eye and Is started to look into Gainesville at one point. I think 5 minutes or so outside of an area like that (perhaps 10 minutes with non-rochester traffic haha) would be perfect. Just need to make sure I can handle the summers...

Again, thank you so much!

Sill question, but if its a 40degF day in Gainesville at 1200 feet, and we took the short drive to the mountains where its 4,000 feet, could we find snow for sledding and stuff? Dont get me wrong, I CANT HANDLE rochester anymore - we are getting snow tonight (april 3 and 4) and in my lifetime we've had BIG accumulation in MAY and once in June - but I do still like it sometimes. Would be cool to know that thats there. I see Gatlinburg TN has skiing but thats overkill for little kids

[Drew1987]

https://georgiacfy.com/snow-tubing-north-georgia/