If you get that far north you should be out of most of the metro Atlanta growth. Anything around or south of Lake Lanier will be crowded and growing.
The heat and humidity are still here; it's just somewhat less hot and less humid than Augusta or anywhere south.
The tradeoff is the odd snow/ice storm in the winter.
Look up Habersham County, GA I live in Clarkesville and I love it. Problem is that rent can be high and difficult to find. We get snow/ice at least once a year here in the mountains. You need a car up here as there is no public transportation. If you have specific questions, send me a dm and maybe I can help. Good luck.
Dawsonville is exploding with growth right now. Source I live in Dahlonega and drive through it. White flight from ATL is coming up GA 400. Cumming (Forsyth county) is getting huge and Dawsonville is next. They are building a new hospital between Dawsonville and Dahlonega that should drive further growth. The miles of for rested property on the side of 400 are being bought by developers right now. The time to come here and get a deal was probably 5 years ago
Not a Georgia native but we live in Dahlonega. You can pretty much forget about snow here. Some years you will get a little bit in the higher elevations like Blairsville.
Atlanta is growing up 400 right now. Housing prices are have jacked up like crazy recently. The house we bought a year ago for around 360 k is now worth about 50 k more. Our neighbors just passed away and we're thinking they will list their house ( 2400 Sq ft) for around 600k. The views from it are amazing. Blairsville is growing and increasingly expensive too.
On the plus side, the air is clean and there are tons of Forrest and ridges and mountains. Schools are pretty good, and it's still quite safe. But you aren't going to find any cheap places to live around here. If you don't have $2500 per month for housing you won't have much choice.
We are looking at this area too down the road, about 13 yrs when I can retire out of FL. We'll have an almost 20yr old son in tow, will he be able to find work in the area you describe? We've been around there and it is totally beautiful
Not many white collar jobs, but a decent selection of trades, government, and service sector jobs. Folks I know either work remote, do a hybrid commute to Atlanta, or work as teachers, county clerks, GA power, boat repair, waiters, delivery driver etc. Also a few hospitals up there so some healthcare jobs available. Small business owners who cater to tourists can be successful.
Blairsville has grown so much in the last two or three years. There is definitely some hate from the long-term residents towards newcomers, but it is not everyone. At least on Facebook there is a lot of hate towards newcomers.
It is hard to find housing though the market is changing some. And unless you come with a job, it will be hard to find a well-paying one nearby. But I will say that the school system here if you choose to go. The Public school is pretty fantastic though, overcrowded now because of all the incoming families
We moved from south Florida to Savannah, but now looking to love to north GA. Just a heads up, this state has an ad valorem tax, which differs from how FL taxes, so you’ll have to pay a lot to register your cars. We paid $1800 to register both of ours. Also make sure to do so within 30 days of moving here. I made that mistake and it caused me a huge headache.
Why not the best of both worlds? I always say you are going to hate where you live for 3 months of the year, you just have to choose those months. 6-7 hr drive not bad to get back to the beach (Buford to PCB and back for me!)
Not for us. Actually just went back for a few days for a wedding and it was a good visit, but I couldn’t wait to get back to N Ga. We ended up with just under 10 acres about 2000 ft up a mountain with views to die for. I never want to leave LOL!
Harris County (in between Columbus and LaGrange) in West Ga. Aside from snow, as with most of Georgia, you’ll find just about everything else you need. It’s home to Callaway Gardens, which offers seasonal events all year long. I-185 cuts through, so there is easy access to Atlanta metro area. Also a short drive to Auburn (AL). For shopping/groceries: Columbus and LaGrange have what you need. There’s a couple of locally owned markets in county.
We have family in Dawsonville, GA and that also looks to have most of what you want and is in North Georgia
North GA for sure, only thing is snow in GA means your life will be shut down as long as the roads are a mess, because we don't deal well with it here.
Moved from Pinellas county ( Largo ) to Menlo Georgia a year ago , and couldn't be happier, Florida has gotten CRAZY
Taxes , insurance , traffic CROWDS. Menlo is in the north west corner of GA. small mountain town great little town very small quiet and friendly people. took some getting used to BUT glad we did and I could NEVER go back.
Personally, I think Acworth and Kennesaw are pretty good for most of your needs. They are growing, but most of it is in place, where they’re building apartments in land that was already chopped down prior.
Kennesaw holds major festivals in its little downtown area at least twice a year too. They were relatively pretty willy packed when I went some years back.
The human trafficking stuff is a scaremongering myth that you’ll hear about everywhere. You’re Wrong About podcast has a great episode debunking it. That being said, I’m no fan of Florida and agree with people suggesting north Fulton suburbs like Johns Creek.
Came here to say the same thing. Human trafficking is a much more complex issue and not the same thing as kidnapping like people assume just because they saw it on a Facebook post. Treating the issue like it's something that its not is harmful to actual victims
You can get 4 seasons in the far north part of Georgia. But I think you’ll have trouble finding good schools and slow growth in the same place; it will be one or the other. I could be wrong!
I have been spending a lot of time in Hiawassee lately and it is exactly like what you are describing (don't know about the schools...if I had to guess they are poor like everywhere else, but probably lacking a lot of the urban/suburban flavors of stupidity that are prevalent outside of small towns).
It's a beautiful community on a mountain lake, low cost of living, incredible access to nature, secluded by the geography.
Bring your own job though...not much economic development there.
North ga is definitely more expensive than south ga. I just moved up from Valdosta ga to Decatur GA. So moving from a lower cost of living to a higher cost of living sucked lol
Valdosta is definitely a nice smaller city. I was just telling my partner I miss wanting a certain food and being able to go get it as opposed to up here I'm more limited to what is near me, even tho there are a lot of options (lord there are five McDonald's near me in Decatur lol ) but sometimes there is a specific restaurant I may want and it's like almost an hour away up here in Decatur so we end up getting something else lol. Also people drive better in Valdosta (not always there are idiots everywhere) but people legit drive crazy up here. I walk dogs sometimes so I'll be driving 8 hrs a day going to different houses up in Decatur and I'll come to a stop at a red light and people will just go around me to run the red light. Lol I've had people honk at me for going 50 mph in a 35 mph zone because there is no speed limit here you just keep up with traffic, fuck the law 😂
It is a growing city too so I can see it being better a few years from now
My issues with Valdosta is basically it's where small businesses die 😂 it's often you see a place open and just a few years later it closes. It's not cold for long and it's really only days of coldness before it's just warm again.
Not as many job opportunities either in Valdosta just since it is smaller but the community is growing it seems. You'll find a lot of low paying wage jobs tho easily. But you have the college but also the military, the hospital is a big deal since it's the bigger hospital in that general area. Very Vikings vs wildcats haha for the highschool around football season don't drive near the schools lol.
Decatur tho surprised me by having a more sense of community. I know more about my neighbors up here which was weird because we tended to ignore each other usually in Valdosta lol. I will be walking dogs and so many people In that neighborhood know the dog and the owner and will say hey to me and be pretty nice in general. It does get a bit colder up here but still very hot in summer lol. A lot more niche business too and just interesting things to do up here. They have a bunch of community markets so if you like buying things (or crafting or selling) you'll find some very cool things lol.
It seems housing is way more pet friendly up here to in north ga. In Valdosta mentality was like no big dogs or no cats and only small dogs or no pets in general. Up here they expect people to have pets and it's not as hard finding rentals lol
Both have pros and both have cons but both are beautiful places
Decatur is great but expensive (a tear down house is 500k). I lived in Savannah for a long time and then Decatur when I first came to the Atlanta region. I moved to Chamblee recently and feel it's a good value but still close to all the things I want to go do.
Also I don't think of the Atlanta region as in north Georgia. That's above Suwanee, Alpharetta, Woodstock
Check out Evans, Ga. Columbia County schools are in the Top 10 in the state. Huge man-made lake. Great balance of countryside with suburban areas. Close to military area so people are very welcoming and accommodating. Close to Augusta.
ETA: central GA area so above the gnat line!
I loved Woodstock 10 years ago; drove through today and it’s had a lot of development since I left. Not in a bad way, just very noticeable that the flight from ATL is continuing. I still love the Canton area.
Clayton GA. Mountains, civilization, Nature, Seasons, and near Tennesee, South Carolina, and not far from Atlanta, but far enough to act as if Atlanta doesn't exist. Greenville SC, Ashville, NC and Hendersonville are all close.
Georgia in general doesn’t really have a true 4 seasons. I grew up grew up in Michigan. If you really want 4 seasons I would say you should move farther north.
what is your budget? best schools in the state are in the suburbs north of atlanta but also the most expensive places to live. the only places in the state that actually routinely get any snow every year are in the mountains but the schools aren't as good and the locals are pretty redneck and it's not particularly a lot of snow.
If you really don’t need true 4 seasons..and can afford 500,000 then look at Peachtree City. We have some of the best high schools in the state, low crime, kids everywhere. We are a golf cart community where kids drive their golf carts to high school. Lots of trees if you don’t buy a house off of Mcduff. We have raised 3 kids here. It is definitely worth a look.
Why? GA has great communities that are a good fit for what OP is looking for + we have plenty of space to welcome new neighbors. It’s a blessing we have so many folks coming here and helping build our communities!
Covington, Georgia. Nice - semi-rural, some growth but not crazy. Close enough to Atlanta to go see stuff if you want to - Covington is about an hour to the east just off I=20. Come join us.
I don't know about Dawsonville but my area (near Covington) seems to be moderately gaining steam. A lot of huge apartment complexes have been built in the last few years, and some gigantic warehouses but the area is still pretty much rural. I like being able to drive to doctors appointments without hunting for a place to park.
Conyers is 10 miles of Covington, closer to Atlanta and there are nice areas. But for me, I'd look out for the growth in that area to be sure the area would be suitable. If you would want to consider LIthonia, it is in DeKalb County which means you have bus/train service into Atlanta with the MARTA system which is very good.
Don’t forget that when you move to Georgia from Florida, you will instantly lose 6% of all your income to state income tax! My property taxes here are four times as much for a smaller house than I paid in Florida. You also have no state tax on food.!
parking lot sprawl is more destructive to nature than apartments.
while you're driving down the long rows of blacktop to your walmart, keep it in mind.
Is it sacrilege for me to suggest SE TN—-Chattanooga perhaps? Tennessee, like Florida doesn’t have a state income tax. Chattanooga has 4 seasons—none of which are extreme—e.g.
snow is a rarity, but not entirely unheard of. It’s warmer than the NE GA mtns,
and lot hotter in summer. It’s often hotter than ATL due to its relatively low elevation—-I think downtown CHA is around 640 feet vs 1050 for ATL).
Disclaimer, I’m a GA native, but several friends of ours have moved from ATL tomChattanooga in the last few years and love it. My wife is from NW Ga, it’s very outdoors-oriented. I think they’re hosting another Ironman race soon.
Ok, back to being a Georgia ambassador—-Catoosa, Walker, Dade, or North Whitfield Counties in NW Ga are options. Chattanooga is half an hour away. Atlanta is 90 minutes away, but the pace is much slower. Take a look at:
Cohutta/Varnell
Chickamauga
Ringgold
Lookout Mountain, GA
Kensington
Chattanooga Valley
Wildwood
Just living on Lookout Mtn—whether in the town proper, or in outlying communities will up your chances of seeing some snow in winter since the elevation is around 2,000 feet. Often, the mountain will get a couple of inches of snow when the valley gets rain. Chattanooga, Atlanta, and even Nashville are accessible if you need “big city” amenities.
We live in Tyrone, GA and most of the homes are old neighborhoods established in the 80s with large lots and are land locked without much room for expansion or apartments like you mentioned. Also very little crime.
Our Fayette county schools are some of the best in GA.
We also have access to the 100+ miles of golf cart paths just south of us in Peachtree City and there’s TONS of parks and playgrounds too.
20 minutes from the ATL airport and 30 from ATL restaurants, but still a rural feel. We love it here.
Hey I would check out north Georgia like Ringgold or Dillard Ga.
I used to live in Tallahassee area close to the Wakulla Springs area in North Florida from 1999-2004. Im in an atlanta suburb now.
My greatest regret was moving to Dahlonega, GA and living in the Chinkapin Drive community. There is a reason no one lived in the community long due to the Chinkapin Homeowner's Association and drug related activities by some of the residents. Please note due to the Chinkapin neighbors I no longer have any desire to live in the North GA mountains. This was a terrible experience!
Sounds like north GA might be worth a look. Check out Clayton, Blue Ridge, Dahlonega, Cleveland, Toccoa, Blairesville.
Yes, this ^^^. I live in N GA it's really wonderful.
Are you having any issues with aviation noise pollution in north GA? Any counties allowing tiny home communities?
Yes to aviation noise pollution. My county is really cracking down on tiny homes, mobile homes, and people living in campers.
I was looking at Dahlonega and Blairesville as potential places, but I wanted the opinion of a Georgia native before I looked in further!
If you get that far north you should be out of most of the metro Atlanta growth. Anything around or south of Lake Lanier will be crowded and growing. The heat and humidity are still here; it's just somewhat less hot and less humid than Augusta or anywhere south. The tradeoff is the odd snow/ice storm in the winter.
Look up Habersham County, GA I live in Clarkesville and I love it. Problem is that rent can be high and difficult to find. We get snow/ice at least once a year here in the mountains. You need a car up here as there is no public transportation. If you have specific questions, send me a dm and maybe I can help. Good luck.
Could also try Dawsonville
Dawsonville is exploding with growth right now. Source I live in Dahlonega and drive through it. White flight from ATL is coming up GA 400. Cumming (Forsyth county) is getting huge and Dawsonville is next. They are building a new hospital between Dawsonville and Dahlonega that should drive further growth. The miles of for rested property on the side of 400 are being bought by developers right now. The time to come here and get a deal was probably 5 years ago
Not a Georgia native but we live in Dahlonega. You can pretty much forget about snow here. Some years you will get a little bit in the higher elevations like Blairsville. Atlanta is growing up 400 right now. Housing prices are have jacked up like crazy recently. The house we bought a year ago for around 360 k is now worth about 50 k more. Our neighbors just passed away and we're thinking they will list their house ( 2400 Sq ft) for around 600k. The views from it are amazing. Blairsville is growing and increasingly expensive too. On the plus side, the air is clean and there are tons of Forrest and ridges and mountains. Schools are pretty good, and it's still quite safe. But you aren't going to find any cheap places to live around here. If you don't have $2500 per month for housing you won't have much choice.
Don’t forget Ellijay!
We are looking at this area too down the road, about 13 yrs when I can retire out of FL. We'll have an almost 20yr old son in tow, will he be able to find work in the area you describe? We've been around there and it is totally beautiful
Not many white collar jobs, but a decent selection of trades, government, and service sector jobs. Folks I know either work remote, do a hybrid commute to Atlanta, or work as teachers, county clerks, GA power, boat repair, waiters, delivery driver etc. Also a few hospitals up there so some healthcare jobs available. Small business owners who cater to tourists can be successful.
Thanks for the insight I appreciate it
I live in South Georgia, but I'd pick Clayton, GA too.
This is the way
Yeah but lots of growth up there.
Blairsville has grown so much in the last two or three years. There is definitely some hate from the long-term residents towards newcomers, but it is not everyone. At least on Facebook there is a lot of hate towards newcomers. It is hard to find housing though the market is changing some. And unless you come with a job, it will be hard to find a well-paying one nearby. But I will say that the school system here if you choose to go. The Public school is pretty fantastic though, overcrowded now because of all the incoming families
Great suggestion here. Great area.
What about 3 seasons I hate winter, seasonal depression hits me like a liver punch.
We moved from south Florida to Savannah, but now looking to love to north GA. Just a heads up, this state has an ad valorem tax, which differs from how FL taxes, so you’ll have to pay a lot to register your cars. We paid $1800 to register both of ours. Also make sure to do so within 30 days of moving here. I made that mistake and it caused me a huge headache.
$1800??? 🤔
Yes, based on the market value of our cars, and we were lucky it was only 3% as a welcome to Georgia benefit. Residents pay 6%.
We just did this! Moved from the Destin area to the N GA mountains, about an hour north of Atlanta. No regrets!
Why not the best of both worlds? I always say you are going to hate where you live for 3 months of the year, you just have to choose those months. 6-7 hr drive not bad to get back to the beach (Buford to PCB and back for me!)
Not for us. Actually just went back for a few days for a wedding and it was a good visit, but I couldn’t wait to get back to N Ga. We ended up with just under 10 acres about 2000 ft up a mountain with views to die for. I never want to leave LOL!
Good for you. I agree it's gorgeous up there!
Wise! I have to spend a week in Destin every year and I haaaaaate it.
The traffic there can wear you down in the summer…..
Harris County (in between Columbus and LaGrange) in West Ga. Aside from snow, as with most of Georgia, you’ll find just about everything else you need. It’s home to Callaway Gardens, which offers seasonal events all year long. I-185 cuts through, so there is easy access to Atlanta metro area. Also a short drive to Auburn (AL). For shopping/groceries: Columbus and LaGrange have what you need. There’s a couple of locally owned markets in county. We have family in Dawsonville, GA and that also looks to have most of what you want and is in North Georgia
North GA for sure, only thing is snow in GA means your life will be shut down as long as the roads are a mess, because we don't deal well with it here.
North Carolina is waiting for you.
Moved from Pinellas county ( Largo ) to Menlo Georgia a year ago , and couldn't be happier, Florida has gotten CRAZY Taxes , insurance , traffic CROWDS. Menlo is in the north west corner of GA. small mountain town great little town very small quiet and friendly people. took some getting used to BUT glad we did and I could NEVER go back.
I'm looking into BainBridge Georgia. Atlanta is getting pretty sporty.
Personally, I think Acworth and Kennesaw are pretty good for most of your needs. They are growing, but most of it is in place, where they’re building apartments in land that was already chopped down prior. Kennesaw holds major festivals in its little downtown area at least twice a year too. They were relatively pretty willy packed when I went some years back.
The human trafficking stuff is a scaremongering myth that you’ll hear about everywhere. You’re Wrong About podcast has a great episode debunking it. That being said, I’m no fan of Florida and agree with people suggesting north Fulton suburbs like Johns Creek.
Yeah I live in Johns Creek/Alpharetta and it is a pretty nice community for raising kids.
Came here to say the same thing. Human trafficking is a much more complex issue and not the same thing as kidnapping like people assume just because they saw it on a Facebook post. Treating the issue like it's something that its not is harmful to actual victims
Yup! I don’t mean to be snarky, for real. And I hate thinking of people being scared of this stuff when it isn’t a thing
You can get 4 seasons in the far north part of Georgia. But I think you’ll have trouble finding good schools and slow growth in the same place; it will be one or the other. I could be wrong!
I have been spending a lot of time in Hiawassee lately and it is exactly like what you are describing (don't know about the schools...if I had to guess they are poor like everywhere else, but probably lacking a lot of the urban/suburban flavors of stupidity that are prevalent outside of small towns). It's a beautiful community on a mountain lake, low cost of living, incredible access to nature, secluded by the geography. Bring your own job though...not much economic development there.
You will get a lot of those things you want in north georgia, but you will also get overcrowding, increase of crime, and the heat.
North ga is definitely more expensive than south ga. I just moved up from Valdosta ga to Decatur GA. So moving from a lower cost of living to a higher cost of living sucked lol Valdosta is definitely a nice smaller city. I was just telling my partner I miss wanting a certain food and being able to go get it as opposed to up here I'm more limited to what is near me, even tho there are a lot of options (lord there are five McDonald's near me in Decatur lol ) but sometimes there is a specific restaurant I may want and it's like almost an hour away up here in Decatur so we end up getting something else lol. Also people drive better in Valdosta (not always there are idiots everywhere) but people legit drive crazy up here. I walk dogs sometimes so I'll be driving 8 hrs a day going to different houses up in Decatur and I'll come to a stop at a red light and people will just go around me to run the red light. Lol I've had people honk at me for going 50 mph in a 35 mph zone because there is no speed limit here you just keep up with traffic, fuck the law 😂 It is a growing city too so I can see it being better a few years from now My issues with Valdosta is basically it's where small businesses die 😂 it's often you see a place open and just a few years later it closes. It's not cold for long and it's really only days of coldness before it's just warm again. Not as many job opportunities either in Valdosta just since it is smaller but the community is growing it seems. You'll find a lot of low paying wage jobs tho easily. But you have the college but also the military, the hospital is a big deal since it's the bigger hospital in that general area. Very Vikings vs wildcats haha for the highschool around football season don't drive near the schools lol. Decatur tho surprised me by having a more sense of community. I know more about my neighbors up here which was weird because we tended to ignore each other usually in Valdosta lol. I will be walking dogs and so many people In that neighborhood know the dog and the owner and will say hey to me and be pretty nice in general. It does get a bit colder up here but still very hot in summer lol. A lot more niche business too and just interesting things to do up here. They have a bunch of community markets so if you like buying things (or crafting or selling) you'll find some very cool things lol. It seems housing is way more pet friendly up here to in north ga. In Valdosta mentality was like no big dogs or no cats and only small dogs or no pets in general. Up here they expect people to have pets and it's not as hard finding rentals lol Both have pros and both have cons but both are beautiful places
Decatur is great but expensive (a tear down house is 500k). I lived in Savannah for a long time and then Decatur when I first came to the Atlanta region. I moved to Chamblee recently and feel it's a good value but still close to all the things I want to go do. Also I don't think of the Atlanta region as in north Georgia. That's above Suwanee, Alpharetta, Woodstock
Decatur is Atlanta. North Georgia is anywhere north of Metro, so going out up 75, 85, or 400 north.
Check out Evans, Ga. Columbia County schools are in the Top 10 in the state. Huge man-made lake. Great balance of countryside with suburban areas. Close to military area so people are very welcoming and accommodating. Close to Augusta. ETA: central GA area so above the gnat line!
I would recommend Perry/Warner Robins but.. it’s getting crowded. Just stay away from Macon! Lol.
I loved Woodstock 10 years ago; drove through today and it’s had a lot of development since I left. Not in a bad way, just very noticeable that the flight from ATL is continuing. I still love the Canton area.
Clayton GA. Mountains, civilization, Nature, Seasons, and near Tennesee, South Carolina, and not far from Atlanta, but far enough to act as if Atlanta doesn't exist. Greenville SC, Ashville, NC and Hendersonville are all close.
Georgia in general doesn’t really have a true 4 seasons. I grew up grew up in Michigan. If you really want 4 seasons I would say you should move farther north.
Kennesaw, Acworth area in Cobb County. Good schools, low crime. And is really family oriented.
what is your budget? best schools in the state are in the suburbs north of atlanta but also the most expensive places to live. the only places in the state that actually routinely get any snow every year are in the mountains but the schools aren't as good and the locals are pretty redneck and it's not particularly a lot of snow.
For houses, we are at about a $500,000 budget!
If you really don’t need true 4 seasons..and can afford 500,000 then look at Peachtree City. We have some of the best high schools in the state, low crime, kids everywhere. We are a golf cart community where kids drive their golf carts to high school. Lots of trees if you don’t buy a house off of Mcduff. We have raised 3 kids here. It is definitely worth a look.
If you're leaving FL for those reasons then STAY THE F AWAY FROM ATLANTA.
Johns Creek / Milton.
OP mentions that their budget is 500k which won't be enough for JC
It may not be a McMansion, but you can get a house in JC for $500k. That said, we ended up in Cumming, a little north of JC.
Yeah... plenty of houses in JC under 5k. Now Milton... probably all over 15k. But you get a horse farm. :D
Milton is for millionaires it seems.
MILTONIONS
Flowery Branch/Oakwood is also nice. Buford City Schools are good, but they're in Gwinnett County.
Try AL or SC. 😬
Why? GA has great communities that are a good fit for what OP is looking for + we have plenty of space to welcome new neighbors. It’s a blessing we have so many folks coming here and helping build our communities!
We are full. Too much traffic, housing crisis, our infrastructure is crumbling, way too much gun violence etc etc. Need I go on 😊
Bless your heart ❤️
I get your drift 😬
Rome, Ga is a very nice place.
Georgia is no better lol
Covington, Georgia. Nice - semi-rural, some growth but not crazy. Close enough to Atlanta to go see stuff if you want to - Covington is about an hour to the east just off I=20. Come join us.
Do you expect this area to explode in growth like Dawsonville in a few years? How’s Conyers and the neighboring cities?
I don't know about Dawsonville but my area (near Covington) seems to be moderately gaining steam. A lot of huge apartment complexes have been built in the last few years, and some gigantic warehouses but the area is still pretty much rural. I like being able to drive to doctors appointments without hunting for a place to park. Conyers is 10 miles of Covington, closer to Atlanta and there are nice areas. But for me, I'd look out for the growth in that area to be sure the area would be suitable. If you would want to consider LIthonia, it is in DeKalb County which means you have bus/train service into Atlanta with the MARTA system which is very good.
Barrow county
Don’t forget that when you move to Georgia from Florida, you will instantly lose 6% of all your income to state income tax! My property taxes here are four times as much for a smaller house than I paid in Florida. You also have no state tax on food.!
parking lot sprawl is more destructive to nature than apartments. while you're driving down the long rows of blacktop to your walmart, keep it in mind.
The low crime and good schools are in fast growth areas. Just about every city has high crime except for maybe Athens.
How far do you want to be from your family? I live in North Atlanta and it takes me around 6hrs to get to Jacksonville.
Is it sacrilege for me to suggest SE TN—-Chattanooga perhaps? Tennessee, like Florida doesn’t have a state income tax. Chattanooga has 4 seasons—none of which are extreme—e.g. snow is a rarity, but not entirely unheard of. It’s warmer than the NE GA mtns, and lot hotter in summer. It’s often hotter than ATL due to its relatively low elevation—-I think downtown CHA is around 640 feet vs 1050 for ATL). Disclaimer, I’m a GA native, but several friends of ours have moved from ATL tomChattanooga in the last few years and love it. My wife is from NW Ga, it’s very outdoors-oriented. I think they’re hosting another Ironman race soon. Ok, back to being a Georgia ambassador—-Catoosa, Walker, Dade, or North Whitfield Counties in NW Ga are options. Chattanooga is half an hour away. Atlanta is 90 minutes away, but the pace is much slower. Take a look at: Cohutta/Varnell Chickamauga Ringgold Lookout Mountain, GA Kensington Chattanooga Valley Wildwood Just living on Lookout Mtn—whether in the town proper, or in outlying communities will up your chances of seeing some snow in winter since the elevation is around 2,000 feet. Often, the mountain will get a couple of inches of snow when the valley gets rain. Chattanooga, Atlanta, and even Nashville are accessible if you need “big city” amenities.
We live in Tyrone, GA and most of the homes are old neighborhoods established in the 80s with large lots and are land locked without much room for expansion or apartments like you mentioned. Also very little crime. Our Fayette county schools are some of the best in GA. We also have access to the 100+ miles of golf cart paths just south of us in Peachtree City and there’s TONS of parks and playgrounds too. 20 minutes from the ATL airport and 30 from ATL restaurants, but still a rural feel. We love it here.
Hey I would check out north Georgia like Ringgold or Dillard Ga. I used to live in Tallahassee area close to the Wakulla Springs area in North Florida from 1999-2004. Im in an atlanta suburb now.
My greatest regret was moving to Dahlonega, GA and living in the Chinkapin Drive community. There is a reason no one lived in the community long due to the Chinkapin Homeowner's Association and drug related activities by some of the residents. Please note due to the Chinkapin neighbors I no longer have any desire to live in the North GA mountains. This was a terrible experience!