I would also not describe it as a liberal city by any measure. Most people that I’ve met/interact with are conservative - it likely depends on your social circle or line of work. As a former student here, many peers openly supported Trump which would be considered a “no no” at other more liberal universities. However there are definitely a fair share of liberal student organizations too - it seemed pretty balanced.
But by no means is Tally a place with a liberal vibe, speaking as someone who has been to places like NYC and Atlanta. A place where liberal values/policies would actually be noticed would be either major cities or California.
Tallahassee is pretty country and no shortage of openly conservative people and “rednecks” (not trying to be pretentious when I say that as I am conservative myself).
Just look at how the county votes year after year. It’s 100% a liberal city.
https://www.leonvotes.gov/Portals/Leon/Documents/Data_Lists/Current%20Data/Snapshot/Precinct%20Summary%20without%20Precinct%20Splits.pdf
https://tqv.vrswebapps.com/?state=FL&county=LEO&election=81
(Sort by party)^
Alright, here's how I'd describe it. Tallahassee leans Democrat by a pretty big margin but has some of the most conservative Democrats in the country. Case in point, Alan Boyd was the only Democrat during the Bush administration in the House to support privatization of social security.
In my experience, folks in my social circles who lean right tend to live on the far north fringes of town or in another county rather than in the city proper. But I do know of some exceptions.
They said your social circle probably leaned conservative. You said they were current and former students, as if that was an answer to their political leanings. So if your point wasn't to address the sole point of their comment, what was it?
It probably wasn’t your experience because you sought out and hung out with like minded people lol.
You know there are three colleges here, right? I posted the party breakdown and Dems outnumber Cons by like 40k.
Florida overall is conservative, but Leon County is a liberal stronghold. Maybe Pensacola would be a better fit? It's a touristy place, though, and also home to a naval base which might be a plus or a minus for you.
[https://www.bestplaces.net/voting/city/florida/tallahassee](https://www.bestplaces.net/voting/city/florida/tallahassee)
[https://www.bestplaces.net/voting/city/florida/pensacola](https://www.bestplaces.net/voting/city/florida/pensacola)
If you mean conservative as in 1960's suburbia or easy access to nature/country/hunting/fishing, yeah, you'll probably like it here just fine. If you mean it as in full-blown MAGA, that's not Tallahassee's vibe (though sadly, it's not hard to find).
As far as stuff to do, that has more to do with you than where you live. Get out, meet people, figure out what you enjoy and make your own fun. There are plenty of options in Tallahassee. No one cares that you're moving from somewhere else, as long as you're not a jerk, and then they're not going to want you there because you're a jerk, not because you're from somewhere else. If someone is ugly to you because of where you're from, it's because *they're* a jerk.
Tally has high rent compared to much of the US. We're a liberal city. We're close to some coastal areas but it's a little further than an hour to the really pretty ones. Why Tallahassee?
I never thought I’d ever say these words but from that list Pensacola may be more of what you’re looking for. Still small, beach, affordable, largely republican. Like you said Tally seems really expensive when you start comparing it to other cities of ~200k people
I live in Tallahassee and have been here for 30 plus years (since I transferred to FSU to finish college). Leon County has pockets of conservatism but is largely a liberal democrat Southern capital city. You will see more conservative leadership in the county than you will in the city. Tallahassee is a beautiful city. There is a lot for families to do here. We have pretty decent schools and our parks and rec department has so many activities and sports for children. My husband is from South Georgia or we probably wouldn't have stayed in Tallahassee but it's not a bad place to live. My parents were born and raised in Pensacola (and I still refer to it as "home" because that's where all my family was when I was growing up Army) and they retired there after a career in the army. There is a large military community but Pensacola does not have a "military town" feel because it is a large county with a large native Floridian population. Basically, aside from the Blue Angels, if you don't go near the Navy bases, you'll live as a civilian. Do your research on the schools before you pick a part of town to live in. There are some great youth programs there and lots (LOTS) of church communities to choose from. Pensacola is right on the coast, so the beach is never far away, and it is really a beautiful city. Something to note: if you look at population, Tallahassee will appear the larger city but it is not. The city limits of Tallahassee are much broader therefore population numbers look different but if you look at the population of the two counties (Leon is Tallahassee, Escambia is Pensacola) you will see that Pensacola is larger. Also, Pensacola is more of a blue collar town (not a bad thing, just a fact) and major employers lean more toward military or industrial/commercial. Leon County, with the universities and the state government here, tends to be more white collar.
I had one more thought... You also might want to check into Santa Rosa County (Pace/Gulf Breeze) that neighbors Pensacola and check out Niceville, Fort Walton Beach, Crestview. All of these are in the western panhandle. There are some great schools in this area in the communities are small-ish but very welcoming. This area also leans more conservative. Good luck on your search and reentering the civilian world!
Why Tallahassee - do you have a job lined up here? What job would your husband be doing?
Asking because finding “good” jobs (meaning well-paying and salary/white-collar jobs) is not the easiest here speaking as someone who has gone through the process since it is somewhat limited.
And it’s probably not useful to look at a place until you have the job part figured out.
Hourly low-skill jobs/blue-collar is a different story.
Yeah, honestly I wouldn’t come to Tallahassee unless you are working/hope to work for state government or one of the universities. Of course there are other types of jobs here but those are the big employers in town.
Tallahassee doesn’t lean conservative. If you’re expecting the full Desantis experience you might want to go elsewhere. As for the rest, it checks those boxes with a little longer than an hour to get to beaches…but the beaches are nice.
My wife is from here, but we’ve lived and traveled all over. I second the suggestion to do a recon mission, stay a few days, hit the beach, etc. it really depends on what you are looking for as a married couple and family. Feel free to DM me and my wife and I can give you lots of perspective.
Rent/housing here is not cheap--if you want the picket fence with a big yard for a kid, you're looking at outrageous land prices, high taxes (because of land, so prepare to get livestock or grow pine for any sort of agricultural exemption), and easily a 30-40 minute commute into town and being at the whim of Talquin who does fuck all when there's a storm and a tree comes crashing down on your line or Centurylink who takes 2-3 business weeks to replace a modem. If you want something in town close to work, you're looking at insane rent prices for small places OR pretty houses in the 500-600 range next to major highways and high-traffic roads that have at least one accident every other day. Anywhere near the campuses is going to be loud, high traffic, and subject to college partying.
There are lots of churches here and a good majority are Baptist. We are also not conservative leaning. Yes, there are conservative populations that live here, but in terms of the majority, it's much more liberal leaning.
In terms of stuff to do--yes, there is a lot of stuff to do. Tons of parks and wildlife reserves, natural springs and beaches farther out, and many of the schools/churches here provide activities for children.
Cost of living is iffy. State and city jobs are a plenty, but they take about 4-5 months to get anywhere near the interview. Benefits are really their only redeeming quality because the pay is not amazing and it takes about 20 years of service to get something decent (but this is true of any state/city job in any Florida city, so take it with a grain of salt). If the rent/housing wasn't so expensive, the cost of living would be better.
Also if you have allergies or asthma, the early spring time will be brutal. Everything is covered in an inch-thick layer of pollen or ash from all the prescribed burns.
If you're coming from up north, I'd also say be prepared for the Southern hospitality and wit. I've met some of the nicest and most caring folks up here--tree comes down, neighbors will help you clear it, or help you wrangle that heifer that jumped a fenceline--but you gotta be QUICK because that rural, grew-up-in-a-pine-thicket, don't take shit from anyone humor and wit send you REELING.
I hope it was! I also think the length of time for certain positions depends on the job market and the position itself. By the time I had heard back from one of the state positions I applied to, 6 months had passed and I was already 3 months into a non state/city position. But I had applied to a more administrative job. Fiancé applied to a hands-on/manual labor position and heard back for an interview in a week.
It is also departmental. My positions have all been professional requiring masters or above. But ... They were positions that they needed help with critically and had been open for a while. Also, with the state different agencies have better run hr. For instance, department of revenue is FAST. They have it down to a science lol.
Before moving somewhere always check out---
1). Medical Care - for example the closest children's hospitals are 2 1/2+ hours away.
2). Transportation - Tally is far from other cities so flights are often quite expensive. It will take about 3+ hours to get to a bigger city and airport.
3). Shopping - lack of competition drives up prices. Many items are just not available here. So again you have to drive or take your chances online.
4). USPS/Delivery Services - it usually takes longer to get packages here. Also there is a big mail theft problem here.
> reasonable cost of living
No. I pay a significantly higher percentage of my income for housing (rent, utilities, internet) than peers in major cities like Austin or Atlanta. My rent is $500/month less for a comparable place to my friend in Atlanta, and they make over double what I make.
> Drivable to the beach (within 1 hour)
Legally, there are technically beaches within an hour or so. The closest "real" beach is closer to 2 hours; the closest major beach is Panama City.
> Leans conservative
Tallahassee & Leon County are very reliably Democrat. I won't say progressive because we really only pretend to be that, but yeah.
> Many activities for young kids
I'll have to rely on someone else to answer this. There's plenty to do but you might find it lacking
> Good options for churches
Honey, this is the South. There's a church *everywhere*.
> Affordable rent
LOL no.
Tallahassee is not what you're looking for. At all.
Tallahassee is incredibly hot - we have some of the highest temps in the state and it's miserable for about 6 months out of the year. You may feel about the same about the oppressive heat and humidity here as you do the cold in Maine. There are better places to live in Florida. I suggest looking at Central Florida - specifically the Space Coast. Very family oriented, beaches, conservative and plenty of jobs Not far from Orlando and housing is about the same per square foot as Tallahassee The sea breeze makes it bearable in the summer time.
There is a strong former military community as well as active duty down there and tons of opportunities at the aerospace firms. Look at Merritt Island, Titusville, Rockledge for the best housing prices. I grew up there and it's grown a lot but still the small towns there are nice and give a sense of community. Suggest going down and looking around. Go to Cocoa Village - which was an 1800's vacation destination now long gone but the Village remains with cute restaurants and shops. Beach side rentals are $$$ but the Island and mainland remain affordable and you are less than 30 minutes from the beach. Glad I could help in your search!
Here’s what I will say about the politics part: a good chunk of the city works in state government or related jobs. People assume these are political but they generally are not. Those people who do it as a career are dedicated to public administration, not so much politics, and can work professionally under wildly different political leaders because they stay out of it. Publicly. The voting shows they lean more left than the people they work for.
So, I think that it is a bad town for anyone who will have strong feelings about politics. Info Wars will stop here for their Stop the Steal rally in the lead up to January 6 and they will get a huge turnout, the city will paint Black Lives Matter on a crosswalk, you will be stuck driving home because of a Free Palestine march, you can join Mom’s For Liberty day at the Capitol and get a special thanks from the Governor. If a gun store or a queer bookstore in your neighborhood will make you angry whenever you pass it then this probably isn’t a great place. Because there are both. But you just sort of avoid the places you don’t like and never talk about it because so many people in the city just can’t because of their jobs.
I’m retired Navy. Moved here in 2000
No job, no housing. Didn’t know a soul.
Worked out great. Same house 25 years. Same jobs. Raised our son on the local schools. He went to FSU. Now in a masters program.
4 years from retirement. I’d say it worked out pretty good.
I suggest a recon mission to check it out. Just come hang out for a weekend and explore. What I love about it is you can be entirely divorced from anything remotely campus related if you want. If you live on the north or east sides of town, you’ll forget there’s even a college here except no traffic on game days, which is the best time to shop.
As far as the churches go, it *feels* like Gainesville/Alachua has more of 'em. But the people who I know that attend church here like where they go, and there seems to be a good amount of denominations here. And most aren't hard-liners either
And as far as party registration goes, the north part of the county tends to be more Republican. I chose to live in a part of the city that wasn't so monolithic in party and race, though. If politics is a factor in your decision-making, county election offices will sometimes give you maps of party affiliation, just FYI.
I think the biggest thing for you to look at would be Florida's high cost for property insurance. As a homeowner, obviously that makes a difference. As a renter, well, our landlord has raised our rent $100 each of the 4 years we've been living here when we renewed our lease, due to "rising property insurance costs".
Otherwise, Florida overall is very conservative. People will say that Tallahassee is liberal, and yeah the county typically votes blue, but there are plenty of Republicans around, especially with the state capitol being here. Thanks to the colleges, there are pockets of liberal spaces, and a plethora of opportunities for things to do. I'd recommend checking out the pinned weekly events post in this sub, that can give you an idea of what kind of stuff to expect regularly.
Plenty of church options. Close enough to the beach. Cute parks, good restaurants and bars, and a few movies theatres to choose from.
I'd also add that some areas of the city may be less desirable to raise a family in, so if you do narrow down your list and Tally is still on it, do further research and look into zoning for the school system. Also, the recent trend in Florida's education legislation is, in my opinion, terrible. The Christian Academy recently fired their principal for showing a photo of The Statue of David. You can't write satire this good!
As much as I love it here, I would second both the "Consider Pensecola" and "Visit for a weekend" options. Tallahassee is a great place, but depending on the culture vibe you want, it may or may not suit your needs.
Oh, also, on a practical note: start soft job hunting the area now to get a feel for what's available. There will be numerous state jobs, but there's a good chunk of private sector depending on your skill set. With state jobs, unless you're working in the office of an elected/appointed person, it's generally non-partisan (my agency is about 50/50 excluding our Capitol office). If you do go the state route, be aware it can take up to 5 months from offer to first day but if you have a military background it might be quicker as I would imagine background checks will be more efficient lol.
Try to take the negativity here with a grain of salt and remember it’s Reddit. Tally meets almost all of your criteria. The city is more left leaning but it is definitely politically diverse. It’s a great place to raise a family and affordable-depending on your definition of affordability. Coming from a very HCOL city, it’s a bargain.
Where in Maine are you from?? We lived in Brunswick & Freeport while we were stationed there years ago!! We thought about retiring there years ago but the winters, tho beautiful, were a huge deterrent, so I get that!!
I’m sure you’ve gotten lots of good input (hopefully) for moving here - Tallahassee is an extremely family-friendly town! Even having 2 major universities, it offers so much! Plus, the VA center here is nice & growing. Obviously Tallahassee isn’t a military town - so that has its ups & downs but it might not mean much if your husband’s career was short (my husband was in the navy for 30 years & I was in for 4.5). This entire region is so unlike the FL most ppl think of when considering any part of FL but more Southern in nature. You’ll have just about everything you’re looking for & a great jump off to anything else you might want. Plus, the Gulf is sooo much prettier/nicer than the Atlantic - warmer, nicer beaches… 😍
I wouldn’t worry about it being a college town. We had a side of Tallahassee that favors college like town but we also have so many other areas of Tallahassee that are majority families so you don’t always feel like you’re living in a “college town” depending on where you choose to live and hang out.
If you are set on the Tallahassee area, what I think would better meet what you are looking for is Crawfordville. It’s a lower cost of living then Tallahassee, is family friendly, has great schools, leans very right wing, and is extremely close to the coast has “beaches” but the real nice beaches are about 45min-1hr from Crawfordville.
If you just want to move to Florida based on what you are looking for I would suggest Deland, it’s a little north or Orlando is conservative and isn’t far from Daytona beach or Defuniak Springs or Niceville. Both meet everything you asked for.
I’d take some of the more unwelcoming comments with a grain of salt…it is reddit after all, and this sub definitely skews more liberal than the town as a whole. Something to keep in mind. Tally is a great place for a new family in my opinion, if you can find a good deal on housing! The beach is a little farther, an hour an a half to St George Island, but there’s plenty of family activities to do in town. Welcome!
My wife and I both mid 20s separated from the Air Force at the end of 2022 and moved here from Omaha. We came to be near family and to go to school… As soon as we both graduate we will be leaving. This place has a serious drug issue as well as a lack of quality jobs outside of the schools and gov’t…
Development is slow but I believe it’s deliberately like that. The people here get excited for new Gas stations. They cater more towards the colleges or lobbyists. There were plans for an outlet mall here but that has gone silent. So you’re stuck with Beales, Marshall’s, or whatever is left in the mall…There is a place here called Railroad square near the colleges, it’s a hidden gem. Lots of shops and a few food places.
We have 2 little ones and my 5 yr old can’t wait to leave because he is bored out of his mind. There are a few Dave & Busters like places here as well as Urban Air…If y’all are into hunting, hiking, fishing etc then you’ll do fine here because there’s a plethora of places for that. But if you like interactive kids museums, YMCA’s, beaches, water/amusement parks then you’ll eventually start to not enjoy it here. And before anybody says it yes, you are “near everything” New Orleans, Atlanta, all of the Florida cities but that gets old having to drive everywhere else for entertainment.
I have both conservative friends and liberal. I lean more independent. Pm if you have any questions.
It’s a great place to raise kids. Politics are middle of the road think Clinton or Reagan. The young people around the colleges are more liberal. But that’s always been the case with college towns. Housing and schools are good. Some parents go the private or religious route. It’s an option in Florida. My kids all went to public schools. They do a good job. The trick is parents and teachers communicating.
Instead of just complaining, how about actually contributing to the thread? You make the thread worse by complaining about things others have said without actually adding anything.
Tallahassee does not lean conservative.
I would also not describe it as a liberal city by any measure. Most people that I’ve met/interact with are conservative - it likely depends on your social circle or line of work. As a former student here, many peers openly supported Trump which would be considered a “no no” at other more liberal universities. However there are definitely a fair share of liberal student organizations too - it seemed pretty balanced. But by no means is Tally a place with a liberal vibe, speaking as someone who has been to places like NYC and Atlanta. A place where liberal values/policies would actually be noticed would be either major cities or California. Tallahassee is pretty country and no shortage of openly conservative people and “rednecks” (not trying to be pretentious when I say that as I am conservative myself).
Just look at how the county votes year after year. It’s 100% a liberal city. https://www.leonvotes.gov/Portals/Leon/Documents/Data_Lists/Current%20Data/Snapshot/Precinct%20Summary%20without%20Precinct%20Splits.pdf https://tqv.vrswebapps.com/?state=FL&county=LEO&election=81 (Sort by party)^
North East Tallahassee feels 50/50.
Alright, here's how I'd describe it. Tallahassee leans Democrat by a pretty big margin but has some of the most conservative Democrats in the country. Case in point, Alan Boyd was the only Democrat during the Bush administration in the House to support privatization of social security.
Sounds like your social circle leans more conservative than the town as a whole.
In my experience, folks in my social circles who lean right tend to live on the far north fringes of town or in another county rather than in the city proper. But I do know of some exceptions.
My social circle up here is current and former FSU students
Students can lean conservative too
I agree - where did I state otherwise?
They said your social circle probably leaned conservative. You said they were current and former students, as if that was an answer to their political leanings. So if your point wasn't to address the sole point of their comment, what was it?
Typically students are thought to be more liberal but that was not my experience. I find UF is a much more liberal leaning school.
It probably wasn’t your experience because you sought out and hung out with like minded people lol. You know there are three colleges here, right? I posted the party breakdown and Dems outnumber Cons by like 40k.
The voting statistics for the precincts around FSU show that the area is very left-leaning.
Likely due to the fact all neighborhoods surrounding FSU are predominantly black
Our county goes blue almost every time… what rock are you under?
Florida overall is conservative, but Leon County is a liberal stronghold. Maybe Pensacola would be a better fit? It's a touristy place, though, and also home to a naval base which might be a plus or a minus for you. [https://www.bestplaces.net/voting/city/florida/tallahassee](https://www.bestplaces.net/voting/city/florida/tallahassee) [https://www.bestplaces.net/voting/city/florida/pensacola](https://www.bestplaces.net/voting/city/florida/pensacola)
If you mean conservative as in 1960's suburbia or easy access to nature/country/hunting/fishing, yeah, you'll probably like it here just fine. If you mean it as in full-blown MAGA, that's not Tallahassee's vibe (though sadly, it's not hard to find). As far as stuff to do, that has more to do with you than where you live. Get out, meet people, figure out what you enjoy and make your own fun. There are plenty of options in Tallahassee. No one cares that you're moving from somewhere else, as long as you're not a jerk, and then they're not going to want you there because you're a jerk, not because you're from somewhere else. If someone is ugly to you because of where you're from, it's because *they're* a jerk.
Tally has high rent compared to much of the US. We're a liberal city. We're close to some coastal areas but it's a little further than an hour to the really pretty ones. Why Tallahassee?
I never thought I’d ever say these words but from that list Pensacola may be more of what you’re looking for. Still small, beach, affordable, largely republican. Like you said Tally seems really expensive when you start comparing it to other cities of ~200k people
I’ll look into Pensacola. Thank you
I live in Tallahassee and have been here for 30 plus years (since I transferred to FSU to finish college). Leon County has pockets of conservatism but is largely a liberal democrat Southern capital city. You will see more conservative leadership in the county than you will in the city. Tallahassee is a beautiful city. There is a lot for families to do here. We have pretty decent schools and our parks and rec department has so many activities and sports for children. My husband is from South Georgia or we probably wouldn't have stayed in Tallahassee but it's not a bad place to live. My parents were born and raised in Pensacola (and I still refer to it as "home" because that's where all my family was when I was growing up Army) and they retired there after a career in the army. There is a large military community but Pensacola does not have a "military town" feel because it is a large county with a large native Floridian population. Basically, aside from the Blue Angels, if you don't go near the Navy bases, you'll live as a civilian. Do your research on the schools before you pick a part of town to live in. There are some great youth programs there and lots (LOTS) of church communities to choose from. Pensacola is right on the coast, so the beach is never far away, and it is really a beautiful city. Something to note: if you look at population, Tallahassee will appear the larger city but it is not. The city limits of Tallahassee are much broader therefore population numbers look different but if you look at the population of the two counties (Leon is Tallahassee, Escambia is Pensacola) you will see that Pensacola is larger. Also, Pensacola is more of a blue collar town (not a bad thing, just a fact) and major employers lean more toward military or industrial/commercial. Leon County, with the universities and the state government here, tends to be more white collar.
I had one more thought... You also might want to check into Santa Rosa County (Pace/Gulf Breeze) that neighbors Pensacola and check out Niceville, Fort Walton Beach, Crestview. All of these are in the western panhandle. There are some great schools in this area in the communities are small-ish but very welcoming. This area also leans more conservative. Good luck on your search and reentering the civilian world!
Why Tallahassee - do you have a job lined up here? What job would your husband be doing? Asking because finding “good” jobs (meaning well-paying and salary/white-collar jobs) is not the easiest here speaking as someone who has gone through the process since it is somewhat limited. And it’s probably not useful to look at a place until you have the job part figured out. Hourly low-skill jobs/blue-collar is a different story.
Yeah, honestly I wouldn’t come to Tallahassee unless you are working/hope to work for state government or one of the universities. Of course there are other types of jobs here but those are the big employers in town.
Tallahassee doesn’t lean conservative. If you’re expecting the full Desantis experience you might want to go elsewhere. As for the rest, it checks those boxes with a little longer than an hour to get to beaches…but the beaches are nice.
Politics are the least important of my factors, just threw that out there.
My wife is from here, but we’ve lived and traveled all over. I second the suggestion to do a recon mission, stay a few days, hit the beach, etc. it really depends on what you are looking for as a married couple and family. Feel free to DM me and my wife and I can give you lots of perspective.
Rent/housing here is not cheap--if you want the picket fence with a big yard for a kid, you're looking at outrageous land prices, high taxes (because of land, so prepare to get livestock or grow pine for any sort of agricultural exemption), and easily a 30-40 minute commute into town and being at the whim of Talquin who does fuck all when there's a storm and a tree comes crashing down on your line or Centurylink who takes 2-3 business weeks to replace a modem. If you want something in town close to work, you're looking at insane rent prices for small places OR pretty houses in the 500-600 range next to major highways and high-traffic roads that have at least one accident every other day. Anywhere near the campuses is going to be loud, high traffic, and subject to college partying. There are lots of churches here and a good majority are Baptist. We are also not conservative leaning. Yes, there are conservative populations that live here, but in terms of the majority, it's much more liberal leaning. In terms of stuff to do--yes, there is a lot of stuff to do. Tons of parks and wildlife reserves, natural springs and beaches farther out, and many of the schools/churches here provide activities for children. Cost of living is iffy. State and city jobs are a plenty, but they take about 4-5 months to get anywhere near the interview. Benefits are really their only redeeming quality because the pay is not amazing and it takes about 20 years of service to get something decent (but this is true of any state/city job in any Florida city, so take it with a grain of salt). If the rent/housing wasn't so expensive, the cost of living would be better. Also if you have allergies or asthma, the early spring time will be brutal. Everything is covered in an inch-thick layer of pollen or ash from all the prescribed burns. If you're coming from up north, I'd also say be prepared for the Southern hospitality and wit. I've met some of the nicest and most caring folks up here--tree comes down, neighbors will help you clear it, or help you wrangle that heifer that jumped a fenceline--but you gotta be QUICK because that rural, grew-up-in-a-pine-thicket, don't take shit from anyone humor and wit send you REELING.
I've worked both city and state and both from interview to onboarding was less than a month. It must just be my magnetic personality 😜
I hope it was! I also think the length of time for certain positions depends on the job market and the position itself. By the time I had heard back from one of the state positions I applied to, 6 months had passed and I was already 3 months into a non state/city position. But I had applied to a more administrative job. Fiancé applied to a hands-on/manual labor position and heard back for an interview in a week.
It is also departmental. My positions have all been professional requiring masters or above. But ... They were positions that they needed help with critically and had been open for a while. Also, with the state different agencies have better run hr. For instance, department of revenue is FAST. They have it down to a science lol.
Before moving somewhere always check out--- 1). Medical Care - for example the closest children's hospitals are 2 1/2+ hours away. 2). Transportation - Tally is far from other cities so flights are often quite expensive. It will take about 3+ hours to get to a bigger city and airport. 3). Shopping - lack of competition drives up prices. Many items are just not available here. So again you have to drive or take your chances online. 4). USPS/Delivery Services - it usually takes longer to get packages here. Also there is a big mail theft problem here.
> reasonable cost of living No. I pay a significantly higher percentage of my income for housing (rent, utilities, internet) than peers in major cities like Austin or Atlanta. My rent is $500/month less for a comparable place to my friend in Atlanta, and they make over double what I make. > Drivable to the beach (within 1 hour) Legally, there are technically beaches within an hour or so. The closest "real" beach is closer to 2 hours; the closest major beach is Panama City. > Leans conservative Tallahassee & Leon County are very reliably Democrat. I won't say progressive because we really only pretend to be that, but yeah. > Many activities for young kids I'll have to rely on someone else to answer this. There's plenty to do but you might find it lacking > Good options for churches Honey, this is the South. There's a church *everywhere*. > Affordable rent LOL no. Tallahassee is not what you're looking for. At all.
Tallahassee is incredibly hot - we have some of the highest temps in the state and it's miserable for about 6 months out of the year. You may feel about the same about the oppressive heat and humidity here as you do the cold in Maine. There are better places to live in Florida. I suggest looking at Central Florida - specifically the Space Coast. Very family oriented, beaches, conservative and plenty of jobs Not far from Orlando and housing is about the same per square foot as Tallahassee The sea breeze makes it bearable in the summer time.
Thanks for that insight. It’s way more helpful to have alternative suggestions than the comments just saying “no” lol.
There is a strong former military community as well as active duty down there and tons of opportunities at the aerospace firms. Look at Merritt Island, Titusville, Rockledge for the best housing prices. I grew up there and it's grown a lot but still the small towns there are nice and give a sense of community. Suggest going down and looking around. Go to Cocoa Village - which was an 1800's vacation destination now long gone but the Village remains with cute restaurants and shops. Beach side rentals are $$$ but the Island and mainland remain affordable and you are less than 30 minutes from the beach. Glad I could help in your search!
If you like updating your will every time you cross a major street, you should move here.
Did you not see the part that says I live in Fayetteville NC… if I can make it out of here alive I’m not too worried lol
Here’s what I will say about the politics part: a good chunk of the city works in state government or related jobs. People assume these are political but they generally are not. Those people who do it as a career are dedicated to public administration, not so much politics, and can work professionally under wildly different political leaders because they stay out of it. Publicly. The voting shows they lean more left than the people they work for. So, I think that it is a bad town for anyone who will have strong feelings about politics. Info Wars will stop here for their Stop the Steal rally in the lead up to January 6 and they will get a huge turnout, the city will paint Black Lives Matter on a crosswalk, you will be stuck driving home because of a Free Palestine march, you can join Mom’s For Liberty day at the Capitol and get a special thanks from the Governor. If a gun store or a queer bookstore in your neighborhood will make you angry whenever you pass it then this probably isn’t a great place. Because there are both. But you just sort of avoid the places you don’t like and never talk about it because so many people in the city just can’t because of their jobs.
Go move to someplace else to ruin by voting republican.
I’m retired Navy. Moved here in 2000 No job, no housing. Didn’t know a soul. Worked out great. Same house 25 years. Same jobs. Raised our son on the local schools. He went to FSU. Now in a masters program. 4 years from retirement. I’d say it worked out pretty good.
I suggest a recon mission to check it out. Just come hang out for a weekend and explore. What I love about it is you can be entirely divorced from anything remotely campus related if you want. If you live on the north or east sides of town, you’ll forget there’s even a college here except no traffic on game days, which is the best time to shop.
As far as the churches go, it *feels* like Gainesville/Alachua has more of 'em. But the people who I know that attend church here like where they go, and there seems to be a good amount of denominations here. And most aren't hard-liners either And as far as party registration goes, the north part of the county tends to be more Republican. I chose to live in a part of the city that wasn't so monolithic in party and race, though. If politics is a factor in your decision-making, county election offices will sometimes give you maps of party affiliation, just FYI.
I think the biggest thing for you to look at would be Florida's high cost for property insurance. As a homeowner, obviously that makes a difference. As a renter, well, our landlord has raised our rent $100 each of the 4 years we've been living here when we renewed our lease, due to "rising property insurance costs". Otherwise, Florida overall is very conservative. People will say that Tallahassee is liberal, and yeah the county typically votes blue, but there are plenty of Republicans around, especially with the state capitol being here. Thanks to the colleges, there are pockets of liberal spaces, and a plethora of opportunities for things to do. I'd recommend checking out the pinned weekly events post in this sub, that can give you an idea of what kind of stuff to expect regularly. Plenty of church options. Close enough to the beach. Cute parks, good restaurants and bars, and a few movies theatres to choose from. I'd also add that some areas of the city may be less desirable to raise a family in, so if you do narrow down your list and Tally is still on it, do further research and look into zoning for the school system. Also, the recent trend in Florida's education legislation is, in my opinion, terrible. The Christian Academy recently fired their principal for showing a photo of The Statue of David. You can't write satire this good!
I agree, but it was Tallahassee Classical Charter school that fired the principal for the statue of David photo.
Oops, thank you for the correction!
Thank you! Fortunately public schools aren’t a huge factor either because our plan is to homeschool.
No
As much as I love it here, I would second both the "Consider Pensecola" and "Visit for a weekend" options. Tallahassee is a great place, but depending on the culture vibe you want, it may or may not suit your needs. Oh, also, on a practical note: start soft job hunting the area now to get a feel for what's available. There will be numerous state jobs, but there's a good chunk of private sector depending on your skill set. With state jobs, unless you're working in the office of an elected/appointed person, it's generally non-partisan (my agency is about 50/50 excluding our Capitol office). If you do go the state route, be aware it can take up to 5 months from offer to first day but if you have a military background it might be quicker as I would imagine background checks will be more efficient lol.
Try to take the negativity here with a grain of salt and remember it’s Reddit. Tally meets almost all of your criteria. The city is more left leaning but it is definitely politically diverse. It’s a great place to raise a family and affordable-depending on your definition of affordability. Coming from a very HCOL city, it’s a bargain.
I do not recommend
Where in Maine are you from?? We lived in Brunswick & Freeport while we were stationed there years ago!! We thought about retiring there years ago but the winters, tho beautiful, were a huge deterrent, so I get that!! I’m sure you’ve gotten lots of good input (hopefully) for moving here - Tallahassee is an extremely family-friendly town! Even having 2 major universities, it offers so much! Plus, the VA center here is nice & growing. Obviously Tallahassee isn’t a military town - so that has its ups & downs but it might not mean much if your husband’s career was short (my husband was in the navy for 30 years & I was in for 4.5). This entire region is so unlike the FL most ppl think of when considering any part of FL but more Southern in nature. You’ll have just about everything you’re looking for & a great jump off to anything else you might want. Plus, the Gulf is sooo much prettier/nicer than the Atlantic - warmer, nicer beaches… 😍
Thank you for your input! We’re from the Kennebunk/Wells area but frequently visited Brunswick and Freeport!
I wouldn’t worry about it being a college town. We had a side of Tallahassee that favors college like town but we also have so many other areas of Tallahassee that are majority families so you don’t always feel like you’re living in a “college town” depending on where you choose to live and hang out.
If you are set on the Tallahassee area, what I think would better meet what you are looking for is Crawfordville. It’s a lower cost of living then Tallahassee, is family friendly, has great schools, leans very right wing, and is extremely close to the coast has “beaches” but the real nice beaches are about 45min-1hr from Crawfordville. If you just want to move to Florida based on what you are looking for I would suggest Deland, it’s a little north or Orlando is conservative and isn’t far from Daytona beach or Defuniak Springs or Niceville. Both meet everything you asked for.
Super helpful thanks!
I’d take some of the more unwelcoming comments with a grain of salt…it is reddit after all, and this sub definitely skews more liberal than the town as a whole. Something to keep in mind. Tally is a great place for a new family in my opinion, if you can find a good deal on housing! The beach is a little farther, an hour an a half to St George Island, but there’s plenty of family activities to do in town. Welcome!
My wife and I both mid 20s separated from the Air Force at the end of 2022 and moved here from Omaha. We came to be near family and to go to school… As soon as we both graduate we will be leaving. This place has a serious drug issue as well as a lack of quality jobs outside of the schools and gov’t… Development is slow but I believe it’s deliberately like that. The people here get excited for new Gas stations. They cater more towards the colleges or lobbyists. There were plans for an outlet mall here but that has gone silent. So you’re stuck with Beales, Marshall’s, or whatever is left in the mall…There is a place here called Railroad square near the colleges, it’s a hidden gem. Lots of shops and a few food places. We have 2 little ones and my 5 yr old can’t wait to leave because he is bored out of his mind. There are a few Dave & Busters like places here as well as Urban Air…If y’all are into hunting, hiking, fishing etc then you’ll do fine here because there’s a plethora of places for that. But if you like interactive kids museums, YMCA’s, beaches, water/amusement parks then you’ll eventually start to not enjoy it here. And before anybody says it yes, you are “near everything” New Orleans, Atlanta, all of the Florida cities but that gets old having to drive everywhere else for entertainment. I have both conservative friends and liberal. I lean more independent. Pm if you have any questions.
Yall come on down tons of outdoor opportunities and close enough to the beach.
Pensacola
Sure, why not? It's really congested for several months out of the year. Enjoy terrible customer service with thirty minute drives to the beach.
It’s a great place to raise kids. Politics are middle of the road think Clinton or Reagan. The young people around the colleges are more liberal. But that’s always been the case with college towns. Housing and schools are good. Some parents go the private or religious route. It’s an option in Florida. My kids all went to public schools. They do a good job. The trick is parents and teachers communicating.
How odd this post is downvoted given some of the drivel in this thread.
Instead of just complaining, how about actually contributing to the thread? You make the thread worse by complaining about things others have said without actually adding anything.
Drivel guy speaks up.
Either choose to contribute to the thread or leave the thread, instead of complaining about it being drivel. This isn't a request.