Moving from North Jersey to South Jersey - need some help

[NJBoy3]

Smithville, Hammonton and Cape May come to mind. You could hit all three on a day drive.

Hammonton also gives you Amtrak service. Quick in and out of both Philly and the shore. If I were going to stay in NJ I would look long and hard at Hammonton. I have friends who have spent their entire lives there.

As for biting bugs. From my experience this can be an issue with back bays and some tidal areas. Can be bad near the Delaware Bay in some areas such as Fortesque, Greenwich, Fairton, etc.. There are greenheads, strawberry flies, no-see-ums, mosquitos. And probably others. Do your homework.

I like southern NJ very much. Lots of nice people and things to do if you like the outdoors. In Cumberland county we have 10s of thousands of acres of state land open to recreation.

[GSPBlues]

Money tends to go farther down in South Jersey but wages match that too. You wouldn't be getting paid for the same job in Bergen County than you would for a job in South Jersey. That being said the quality of life is better (imo) and living near the shore is unbeatable if it's important for your family and you can find a job that supports it. Buying a floor in a duplex in somewhere like Brigantine, Ocean City, Ventnor, or Margate may be an option for you. It tends to be cheaper than a single family, and if your kids are graduating high school a half of a duplex may be a good downsizing option. Those four towns tend to be more year round. There's less people living year round now than there were in the past, but there's still a somewhat robust year round contingent in each of those places.