North Carolina vs South Carolina: Pros & cons

It is a common concern for people if they want to live in North Carolina or South Carolina. It is not surprising since these two states are quite similar. However, when you are organizing a relocation with the best long distance movers, you need to choose one. If you are considering North Carolina vs South Carolina, here is something that can help you out. To make the best decision, you need to look at both states’ pros and cons. Unfortunately, a perfect state does not exist, so you must look at both the positive and negative sides. Based on this, it should be easier to make your final decision. See whose disadvantages you can live with. Let’s start from North Carolina.

North Carolina vs South Carolina – pros of North Carolina

The first advantage of living in North Carolina would be its hospitality. Even though it says North Carolina, you can still feel this southern hospitality here. People are very friendly and open to newcomers. It is extremely important to feel welcomed, especially after your relocation. organizing a long-distance relocation is very expensive. For this reason, if you feel unhappy and unwelcome in your new surroundings, it would feel like a waste of time and money to move here. Luckily, North Carolina has a great sense of community. It is perfect for people who are looking for a place that makes them feel like they belong. Moving here with the best long distance movers in North Carolina means having this sense of community in both small towns and huge cities. It is even present in the biggest city in the state, Charlotte.

The average cost of living

Probably the biggest advantage to living in North Carolina would be its low cost of living. When you compare North Carolina with other states, you will see it is much cheaper. First of all, the median home prices are 19% lower than the national average. It is usually around $300,000. In addition to this, the average rental price is also 9% lower than the national average. This means that you will pay almost $900 for a two-room apartment. Of course, this depends on the city and the location within the city. For example, if you decide to move to Durham, the rental price would be around $1500. Therefore, before you hire the best long distance movers in Durham, make sure to find a suitable place for yourself. In any case, you will pay less for utilities, groceries, and transportation as it is cheaper than the national average.

Job opportunities

It is also important to find a good job. Luckily, the job market in North Carolina is quite stable. The employment rate is slightly below the national average. With this, North Carolina is quite popular if you want to start your own business. This is mostly due to corporate tax rates. It is among the lowest in the entire country. The top popular jobs would be

• Statistician Jobs
• Nurse Practitioner Jobs
• Credit Counselor Jobs
• Physician Assistant Jobs
• Operations Analyst Jobs
• Occupational Therapy Assistant Jobs
• Home Health Aid Jobs
• Physical Therapy Aide Jobs

As you can see, the healthcare industry is a popular one. If you decide to move here with the best long distance movers in Charlotte, you will have a good chance of finding a job in health care. Since this is the largest city, it also has a big number of medical centers.

Education and schools in North Carolina

Another great advantage to living in North Carolina would be the quality of education. First of all, if you would like to continue with your education, you will be pleased to hear that there are many universities word your attention. There is North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina, and Duke University. In addition to this, there are many world-renowned centers for research, education, and laboratories. this is the reason why North Carolina is popular among younger people and students.

On the other hand, if you’re moving here to start a family or you already have kids, you can easily find great schools for them. For example, if you want good schools, then head over to Greensboro. Hire the best long distance movers in Greensboro and enroll your kids there. They can easily attend one of the prestigious universities mentioned above after finishing high school in North Carolina.

More advantages to living in North Carolina

The weather also would be one of the advantages of living in North Carolina. This would be a perfect place for you if you are not a fan of winters, low temperatures, and snow. It rarely snows in North Carolina unless you are living in the mountains. On the other hand, if you decide to live next to the mountain range, you will have many outdoor opportunities. When you move with the best long distance movers in Knoxville, you will need to find a way to explore your new city. Go to the Blue Ridge Mountains or the Appalachian Mountains, which are shared with Tennessee. You can also try biking, fishing, boating, and so on. In addition to this, North Carolina has extremely beautiful beaches. You can try the beaches in the city of Wilmington or Surf City.

All the disadvantages of North Carolina

Now onto some bad news. Moving to North Carolina would mean a high tax burden. The individual income tax rate is fairly high at 5.3%. Property taxes are also quite high. If you decide to live in any big city in North Carolina, you will have to deal with high property taxes. For example, if you want to live in Raleigh, you can pay up to 0.8%. Since you also have to hire interstate movers Raleigh, buying a house and organizing a relocation might be quite expensive. Sales taxes are also quite high, almost 7%. In addition to this, this state also has higher crime rates. For this reason, when you’re choosing your new neighborhood, make sure to check the crime rate in the area. The weather can also be a problem because it gets extremely hot during the summer with the threat of hurricanes.

North Carolina vs South Carolina – pros of South Carolina

South Carolina is also known as the Palmetto State. This state has an ocean shoreline, miles of sandy beaches, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and so much more. Many people would say that South Carolina lives at a relaxed pace and a southern vibe. Additionally, if you move here with the best long distance movers in South Carolina, you can expect a place to live and grow, raise your family, work, play, and so on. You can also learn a lot and experience history when living in this state. There are many significant historical sites, such as Fort Sumter and Charleston Historic District.

Additionally, you can participate in many cultural activities, such as the Greenville County Museum of Art, festivals, concerts, exhibitions, and many more. Your life in South Carolina will never be boring. You certainly will not feel lonely because of South Carolina’s warm southern hospitality.

All the outdoor activities to enjoy

It is important to be healthy. You can achieve this by spending your time outside and being active. For this reason, South Carolina is a perfect place to live if you are looking for a beautiful landscape. First of all, there are the barrier islands along the ocean shoreline. Then, you can enjoy the quiet coastal towns of Port Royal and Murrells Inlet. The popular beaches are Folly beach and Myrtle Beach. You also cannot forget the Blue Ridge Mountains. This all gives you an opportunity to try hiking, swimming, fishing, boating, surfing, and so much more. Once you move here with the interstate movers in Greenville, you can explore the area at your own leisure. Furthermore, you can find world-class golf courses in South Carolina if this is something that you are interested in.

The growing economy and job opportunities

Living in South Carolina would mean financial stability. The economy is solid and has been steadily growing. In addition to this, this state also offers some tax breaks and benefits. First of all, the employment rate is below the national average. Even though the rest of the country might be suffering from the last recession, the situation is a bit different in South Carolina. This might be due to the presence of well-known employers such as Volvo, Boeing, BMW, Michelin Tire, and so on. As you can see, the aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing industries are quite popular, especially if you move with interstate movers Columbia here. Then, the military presence is also quite strong. Show Air Force Base is near if you’re interested in moving here. Lastly, the median household income is around $55,000. It is more than enough to live comfortably in South Carolina.

The tax benefits in South Carolina

Unlike North Carolina, South Carolina has one of the lowest property tax rates in the entire country. This is perfect if you want to purchase a property here. The average price for a house would be $295,000. Of course, this price would depend on the location and the city. For example, if you decide to purchase a house in the biggest city Charleston, the average price is almost $500,000.

For this reason, you might want to think again about moving here with the best long distance movers in Charleston if you cannot afford a house here. On the other hand, if you plan to rent a house or an apartment, the average rental price would be $1800. As for other tax benefits, gasoline taxes are almost 20% below the national average. You can also look into additional income tax exemptions available for older residents.

High income and sales taxes

Even though you might have some tax benefits when living in South Carolina, income and sale taxes are still pretty high. It is beneficial to live in South Carolina if you decide to retire. However, if you are still earning money and supporting your family, you might not have it that easy. South Carolina runs a progressive tax system. This means that the more you make, the higher your taxes will be. If your income exceeds $50,000, the state will automatically take 7% of every extra dollar you earn. This is pretty high, especially when you compare it with other states in the country.

On the other hand, South Carolina also has high sales taxes. They can be up to 3%. However, the average sales tax rate can sometimes be up to 8%.

Other disadvantages to living in South Carolina

There are some other disadvantages to living in South Carolina. The first one would be the expensive cost of living. For example, the state has an affordable median home value since it is almost 25% less than the national average. However, buying a house in certain cities can be quite expensive. As you could have seen, Charleston is pretty expensive. The weather could also be a problem. It gets extremely hard during the summer. The air gets warm, heavy, and moist. It might be a little bit difficult to handle if you have never experienced this type of weather before. There is also a potential risk of hurricanes. Tornadoes can also be a problem, as well as rain and flooding in some parts of South Carolina. Lastly, between North Carolina vs South Carolina, South Carolina has a lot of bugs and mosquitoes.

North Carolina vs South Carolina – How to choose?

If you need to decide between North Carolina vs South Carolina, here are all the advantages and disadvantages. Now it is up to you whether you would like to live in North Carolina or South Carolina. They are pretty similar but they have a couple of differences that might affect your final decision.