Relocating to North Carolina

[Cboyerrr]

Hi! Me and my family are very casually investigating moving to North Carolina, specifically Asheville and surrounding areas. Currently in Orange County California and am OVER the cost of living and general expensive nature. Husband and I work 2 jobs, he is a nurse as well. We have 2 little girls and love to camp! Would love to move somewhere more affordable but do not want to make a bad career move. Anyone with any insight into that area? Anyone moved from outside into that area as a nurse? I’d love to hear about your experience. All responses greatly appreciated! :)

[guest974915]

I have lived and worked it Asheville. A lovely area that I still miss to this day. The city has a ridiculously over inflated real estate market but cheaper homes and rents can be found in some of the surrounding areas if you're willing to deal with some traffic; Weaverville, Fletcher, Hendersonville, Burnsville. You may also be taken back (especially coming from the West Coast) by the typical nursing salaries. At the time, I had been an RN over 25 years and was making approximately $39/hr. I used to have good things to say about the primary hospital there but heard it was gobbled up by HCA Healthcare. For a funky, free-spirited vibe, outdoor recreation and natural beauty though, Asheville is unparalleled.

[Asystole RN]

Out of curiosity, why North Carolina? Family?

If you love to camp consider that the farther west you are the more open dispersed camping there is with California being the exception.

The Eastern seaboard has been inhabited for a very long time so much of the land is tied up in private hands. The Western United States, again California being the exception due to early shipping/gold, is relatively young so much of the land is owned by the state and federal government.

If you leave any major metropolitan area in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico you can disperse camp within about 1 hour from a major city.

I personally moved to a state that is extremely beautiful but has very little state and federal owned land so this means I can only camp in campgrounds. Don't get me wrong, they are nice and all but I personally like to be in nature away from people.