Possible move from Georgia to fort Meade area… crunching numbers $$$ any locals?

[easyas123]

I live in Maryland and would never encourage anyone to move here. In fact I’d love to live down south but all my family’s here. Housing is ridiculously expensive and traffics a nightmare. You’d have to evaluate if it was worth it to your family. Your kids would have to be uprooted and at that age they’d probably not be happy about it. There are several nice areas around ft mead but they’re very expensive. Even a not so nice brick row house in Baltimore city sells for over $200,000 now. We’re the richest state in the country (because so many politicians live here) and that is reflected in the increased costs of housing, taxes and everything else. It is nice to be near DC but not sure it’s worth living here. If you decide to live here you could work as a nurse in Dc they pay more than Maryland.

Another Marylander here...I'm afraid Disneydreamer1980 is not wrong. My husband works occasionally on Ft. Meade, we live on the Eastern Shore. Housing costs are for sure higher over there, you could move to Queen Anne's County/ Stevensville area but you'd have shore traffic to contend with. Ok schools, and there is one private school in Centreville that I can highly recommend. Property taxes are high, we pay $6K per year in property tax (20 acre farm, part in agriculture, house is newer but not a massive mcmansion, it's a cape cod at about 3K sq feet) $2K per year on homeowners insurance (I don't think that is terrible) and my last electric bill was $493. Up by the Frederick area or that way may be a bit more reasonable in terms of house costs????

We don't have anything in Maryland along the lines of what GA has in regards to the college benefits for your kids, however Delaware does. Wish MD did... What MD & northern VA do have is a lot of private military contractors, so there could possibly be many opportunities for jobs. Of course, Northern VA is not exactly a cheap place to live either.

Good luck to you & your husband in your decision making!

(my parents moved us from New Jersey to rural Delaware when I was 12 - I survived just fine)

 

[mjkacmom]

Another Marylander here...I'm afraid Disneydreamer1980 is not wrong. My husband works occasionally on Ft. Meade, we live on the Eastern Shore. Housing costs are for sure higher over there, you could move to Queen Anne's County/ Stevensville area but you'd have shore traffic to contend with. Ok schools, and there is one private school in Centreville that I can highly recommend. Property taxes are high, we pay $6K per year in property tax (20 acre farm, part in agriculture, house is newer but not a massive mcmansion, it's a cape cod at about 3K sq feet) $2K per year on homeowners insurance (I don't think that is terrible) and my last electric bill was $493. Up by the Frederick area or that way may be a bit more reasonable in terms of house costs????

We don't have anything in Maryland along the lines of what GA has in regards to the college benefits for your kids, however Delaware does. Wish MD did... What MD & northern VA do have is a lot of private military contractors, so there could possibly be many opportunities for jobs. Of course, Northern VA is not exactly a cheap place to live either.

Good luck to you & your husband in your decision making!

(my parents moved us from New Jersey to rural Delaware when I was 12 - I survived just fine)

We pay $13,500 in taxes on a 1500 square foot house on a 60 x 110 lot. My SIL’s husband is retired military close to DC in Virginia, Delaware is on their short list for retirement. They’ve lived in NJ, CA, HI, Wales, and really want to live somewhere affordable.

 

[easyas123]

Delaware is on their short list for retirement.

Folks are streaming into LSD (what we locals refer Sussex County as...Lower, Slower DE) from all parts these days.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Kind of why I came here… we were there 20 years ago and it didn’t feel too much more than where I grew up in northern minnesota except housing. 20 years is a long time for the economy to change. I know I was making about 13-14$ an hour as a teachers assistant in Anne Arundel county when I was 22. Which was about 3-4$ more than my Midwest counter parts were making… as an rn I i currently make 38$ an hour week days and 42 weekends. No benefits I just work per diem…. Googled some nurse wage info and it looked about the same in Maryland which surprised me. Thought it would be more.

Wow, are you in a hospital? I am shocked that anywhere is paying nurses that. I work in Philly and xray techs are making more than that, and per diem get paid even more. Nurses usually do way better than xray.
My hair dresser's sister is an ER nurse at CHOP and making $150/hr. So many nurses are quitting everywhere so they keep begging her to stay and keep giving her more $$. Travel nurses there are getting $250/hr.
I would definitely look around.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Don’t suppose you could give me a ball park on peak winter and peak summer electric and gas for your home and about how big it is? That would be super helpful.

I can't speak for MD but here in NJ, when we are contemplating buying a home, we can call our gas/electric company and ask what their average and peak bills were like. The only time that isn't helpful is if a home has been vacant for a while.
It can't hurt to look up some homes for sale on zillow and ask.

That is such a hard decision. My 80 yr old dad is still living in the same house my parents bought when they were in their mid 20's and I was 1. When I was a child in school, I always felt bad for the new kids. We get very attached to our houses and I only live around 2.5 miles from him. Our kids stayed K-12 in the same district because I never wanted to uproot them and all our family is in within 2 counties. It sounds like you're in a great place in GA. I personally would need to see something absolutely spectacular to make me want to relocate. I am probably an oddball.

 

[cvjw]

Long time georgia resident here - just wanted to chime in about the Hope scholarship. The kids who have a 3.0 get the Hope scholarship, which pays the majority of tuition, but no books or fees. My younger son had Hope and we paid about $2000 per semester at UGA. There is also the Zell Miller which pays all tuition - no books or fees. You need a certain higher gpa and a certain SAT score for the Zell. My older son went to UGA on the Zell. Both wonderful programs - a real asset to the state of Georgia.

After reading this whole thread, I think you should stay in Georgia. Your 15 year old is most likely settled, with a friend group. Hard to replicate at that age in a new state and new school. I also think you are under estimating your cost of living in Maryland. I bet it will be much higher with all the new and higher taxes. We have pretty low taxes here in Georgia.

Also, if you decide to stay in Georgia, tell your 15 year old to really buckle down in school. Getting into UGA or GA Tech is really competitive - lots of top tier kids who would go to school out of state don’t due to Hope and Zell. Makes the top schools much harder to get into!

 

[auralia]

Long time georgia resident here - just wanted to chime in about the Hope scholarship. The kids who have a 3.0 get the Hope scholarship, which pays the majority of tuition, but no books or fees. My younger son had Hope and we paid about $2000 per semester at UGA. There is also the Zell Miller which pays all tuition - no books or fees. You need a certain higher gpa and a certain SAT score for the Zell. My older son went to UGA on the Zell. Both wonderful programs - a real asset to the state of Georgia.

After reading this whole thread, I think you should stay in Georgia. Your 15 year old is most likely settled, with a friend group. Hard to replicate at that age in a new state and new school. I also think you are under estimating your cost of living in Maryland. I bet it will be much higher with all the new and higher taxes. We have pretty low taxes here in Georgia.

Also, if you decide to stay in Georgia, tell your 15 year old to really buckle down in school. Getting into UGA or GA Tech is really competitive - lots of top tier kids who would go to school out of state don’t due to Hope and Zell. Makes the top schools much harder to get into!

99% sure we are staying. 9th grade so far 4.0. She starts AP classes next year to try to boost it over 4. I know the acceptance rates are rough. I think she may be smart enough to get the zell. Fingers crossed she tests in the top 2% of the state and is in all gifted/advanced classes and has been since second grade

 

[Olivia'sMom]

99% sure we are staying. 9th grade so far 4.0. She starts AP classes next year to try to boost it over 4. I know the acceptance rates are rough. I think she may be smart enough to get the zell. Fingers crossed she tests in the top 2% of the state and is in all gifted/advanced classes and has been since second grade

GA Mom of a freshly graduated HS senior here. Take Dual enrollment classes instead of AP classes as soon as they are able. I believe 11th grade. The state pays for 100% tuition, fees & books. My daughter graduated HS as a college Sophomore and it was ALL on the states dime. Amazing program.

 

[auralia]

Wow, are you in a hospital? I am shocked that anywhere is paying nurses that. I work in Philly and xray techs are making more than that, and per diem get paid even more. Nurses usually do way better than xray.
My hair dresser's sister is an ER nurse at CHOP and making $150/hr. So many nurses are quitting everywhere so they keep begging her to stay and keep giving her more $$. Travel nurses there are getting $250/hr.
I would definitely look around.

Travel nurses in my area can make 75-125 depending but if you work in a hospital it is 30-40$ an hour absolute top is 45 an hour with 20+ years… I work step down icu and float to med surge and icu, fill in charge

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Then I am guessing this is part of the difference of COL between GA and the Northeast. If you only look at the salary levels and think to move north, it's not so rosy as one might think.

 

[Alison_in_Wonderland]

disregard

 

[Alison_in_Wonderland]

I live about 10-15m from Ft. Meade (depending on traffic) and my kids go to Meade HS (on base.) The school certainly has issues, but they are completing renovating the entire school (should be done fall 2024) and they just got a new principal. The teachers have been great. Anne Arundel County also has magnet programs (IB, STEM, performing and visual arts) hat kids can lottery into for middle/high school. Meade has one of the IB programs for the county. My kids went to a charter school for elementary/middle school.

We live in 20724 and you can get a SFH for about $600-650k right now (townhouses for $450k.) There is a community pool, lot of biking trails, lots of kids, etc. There is a community swim team, soccer/baseball/basketball teams nearby. We are equidistant from Baltimore/DC/Annapolis. We've lived here for almost 20y and it has been a good place to raise the kids.

I work in healthcare (not a nurse) and have been commuting to DC for all of the 20y to work at a hospital there. There are a ton of hospitals in the area (DC/B'more/Annapolis.)

Let me know if you have any questions.
Alison

 

[auralia]

I live about 10-15m from Ft. Meade (depending on traffic) and my kids go to Meade HS (on base.) The school certainly has issues, but they are completing renovating the entire school (should be done fall 2024) and they just got a new principal. The teachers have been great. Anne Arundel County also has magnet programs (IB, STEM, performing and visual arts) hat kids can lottery into for middle/high school. Meade has one of the IB programs for the county. My kids went to a charter school for elementary/middle school.

We live in 20724 and you can get a SFH for about $600-650k right now (townhouses for $450k.) There is a community pool, lot of biking trails, lots of kids, etc. There is a community swim team, soccer/baseball/basketball teams nearby. We are equidistant from Baltimore/DC/Annapolis. We've lived here for almost 20y and it has been a good place to raise the kids.

I work in healthcare (not a nurse) and have been commuting to DC for all of the 20y to work at a hospital there. There are a ton of hospitals in the area (DC/B'more/Annapolis.)

Let me know if you have any questions.
Alison

Do you have any idea about hourly nurse pay in the area? I have step down experience med surge, lots of wound care, burns, and stable icu… basically not on a vent or stable chronic vents.. bachelors degree working on masters… I have been a nurse for about 5 years.

 

[Alison_in_Wonderland]

Do you have any idea about hourly nurse pay in the area? I have step down experience med surge, lots of wound care, burns, and stable icu… basically not on a vent or stable chronic vents.. bachelors degree working on masters… I have been a nurse for about 5 years.

From what I can see...$36/hr or so for local (not travel) nursing in the area.

 

[auralia]

From what I can see...$36/hr or so for local (not travel) nursing in the area.

That is just sad… my base rate is 38 week days, 42.50 weekend and it is so much cheaper to live here. Travelers make 80-120 depending.