[gonzaro]

We have recently received a job offer for a company that has offices in Jacksonville, FL and Charlotte, NC. We are trying to decide which city is the best place to settle down. Our family consists of a 13, 9, and 7 month old. We would like to settle down for at least 5 years to try and get our oldest thru high school. The pay is the same in either office so that isn't a deciding factor. Which has a better job market (just in case I need a new job sooner than planned)? Best family oriented city? Best neighborhoods? Thanks.

[TD*]

probably charlotte.

[Swimmom32]

We lived in Charlotte I don't know much about Jacksonville but Charlotte might be your best bet...It is great for a young family with small children...You can PM me if you like..We love Florida where we really did not like Charlotte for our reasons its a beautiful city and certainly booming with alot of companies relocating there...I would post in the Charlotte Forum too if you have any questions as they can assist you as well...Charlotte hands down has a better Job market than Jacksonville again it all depends on what you do for a living

Good Luck

[PeachInTheCity]

I lived in Charlotte for 5 years and am currently in Jacksonville, been here less than a year and looking to possibly leave in a few months.

Automatically when i saw the question at hand I thought Charlotte. Why? Charlotte has more to offer for anyone, of any age, period. The weather is decent, cost of living is good as well. I can't give you a true statement in reference to schools because I dont have any children but there are good private schools here from what I have seen along with some decent public and few charter schools.

If you and your family are into sports you have the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, NBA with the terrible Bobcats lol,AHL with Charlotte Checkers ,as well as lacrosse, soccer and baseball.

Decent shopping as there are a few malls including a more upscale one- Southpark. Plenty of churches, decent grocery option with a Whole Foods on the way if I recall correctly.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Swimmom32

Charlotte hands down has a better Job market than Jacksonville again it all depends on what you do for a living

Actually that's "pre-recession" information. Jacksonville's unemployment rate is at 7.0% and has been falling at a steady rate for months thanks to a diversified economy. Charlotte's unemployment rate is one of the highest country at 9.4% and is still hampered by massive cuts in the banking sector which Charlotte has a heavy presence of. Furthermore Jacksonville area schools are better with St John's County (#1 in the state), Clay County (#12) and Nassau County (#13), all within a state (Florida) that ranks in the Top 10 state rankings. The Jacksonville area in my opinion offers more for families with city culture, safe suburban areas, easy access to beautiful beaches and other recreational opportunity in nicer weather year-round.

[Swimmom32]

thats funny cause if you knew all the people moving there as my best friend lives there for 6 years it would blow your mind..Mind you all with Jobs and for those who aren't transferring they are certainly finding them and living very nicely in Charlotte..My DH's company is HQ now in Charlotte I can tell you that there is no shortage of opportunity's from everything we hear, DH commutes back and forth and he tells me that the Real Estate market is out of control again too I really don't believe in numbers it really doesnt tell it all...

[StreetSmarts]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Actually that's "pre-recession" information. Jacksonville's unemployment rate is at 7.0% and has been falling at a steady rate for months thanks to a diversified economy. Charlotte's unemployment rate is one of the highest country at 9.4% and is still hampered by massive cuts in the banking sector which Charlotte has a heavy presence of. Furthermore Jacksonville area schools are better with St John's County (#1 in the state), Clay County (#12) and Nassau County (#13), all within a state (Florida) that ranks in the Top 10 state rankings. The Jacksonville area in my opinion offers more for families with city culture, safe suburban areas, easy access to beautiful beaches and other recreational opportunity in nicer weather year-round.

Agreed. Jax has a pretty diverse economy and its hard to beat St Johns Co.

I like Charlotte and the area around it, I just like the beaches.

[Swimmom32]

Me too Com we love being near the Water..

[jhhc99]

I live right outside of Jacksonville in Saint Johns and its an awesome area to raise kids! The only reason why we are moving is because of the military otherwise, we would stay.. We are keeping our house here just in case we do decide to move back to the area..they have some of the best schools in the country! The taxes in Saint Johns County are 6% while in Jax is 7%.. not a huge deal but still! The Ponte Vedra Beach area is very nice about 20 minutes east from my gated community. From our house to downtown Jax is about 30 minutes depending on traffic and 30 minutes to the west side (over the Buckmen Bridge) by the Naval Base. Riverside/Avondale area(where we used to live before kids) is awesome and right outside of downtown. It has the best dining in Avondale. If your looking for a home with character Riverside and San Marco are where you should buy. The only real con about Jax itself is that its the largest city by land in the country which means a lot of driving. For us, we have a Prius V so it doesn't matter that much but it does get annoying sometimes having to drive everywhere.. If you want to be buy shopping, they are building up the Saint Johns Town Center area..its a large outdoor mall with LV and Tiffanys..I've never lived in NC and have never visited so I can only comment on Jax..its been great but we are moving soon to VA. Good luck on your pick!

[jhhc99]

Oh and I forgot to add how cheap houses are here in Northeast Florida.. You can get a huge newer house even in my golf and country club community for $350,000! I would imagine NC is similar because its also the South and homes are so affordable. As far as raising kids in a safe, wholesome area I would highly suggest Saint Johns County where we live! My kids aren't in school just yet but I have heard that Nease High School (In Ponte Vedra), where pro football player Tim Tebow went to school, is good and my husband was an assistant coach at The Bolles School for the Track and Field High schoolers. The school is in Mandarin (West side of the Saint Johns River) and its pre-k through 12th grade. Its an excellent school, private, and I've heard the kids who graduate from there get into awesome schools all over the country. The closest beach to us, Mickler's, is great. The parking is free but it does get filled up quickly. Jax beach can be dangerous around night time so we never usually head up that way..If I can think of any other reason why you should move to the Jax/Saint Johns area I will let you know!