I've lived in the RTP area for 25 years and I hope to never move. Below are my responses to your questions:
How are the local people - I have been to NC, SC and surrounding states many times - my hope is that Raleigh area is different from the rest of it due to all the universities and tech companies. I do not want to end up living among "righteous" people with "traditional" values - looking for community which is more about families, education,compassion and less about church events and what color you are. {RTP, Charlotte and Asheville are the liberal bubbles where people are nice but not super bible-belty. However, this is still the south. You will still encounter social conservatism just like anywhere else in the US, but especially outside of these 'bubbles'. Yes, church is a big thing down here but very few people are pushy about it.}
- How is air quality - I have a kid with asthma and one of the reason we are looking to move is allergies and my belief that high concentration of cars, planes and people is contributing to it. I know allergies are based a lot on micro climate, but how is the air quality in general - any concerns? {Air quality is good most of the year but July-August tend to be 'red' months and April is a nightmare for seasonal allergies- imagine a green film of pollen everywhere!}
- How are schools and education system in general - looking for any input on both sides of the scale - for kids in gifted programs as well as kids with special needs. I do not want to end up paying for private schools or homeschooling. {If you're comparing RTP to the rest of the state- it's really good- check out the year-round option, it is utterly fantastic. However, if you're comparing it to the US, eh. It's ok. NC doesn't pay it's teachers. However, there are TONS of enrichment programs/ camps/ magnet programs that you can take advantage of that are wonderful due to all the universities, tech and bio-tech}. On the college side, we have more 4 year universities per capita than any other state (hello in state tuition!)}.
- how are taxes compared to other places - where I am right now we pay highest combined taxes in the nation - highest property tax, high sales tax and all the other "taxes" - a lot of them attached to cars, like tollways and stickers. {Taxes, and most importantly, cost of living is lower than most states}.
-is tech job market still good, or should I consider other areas like Charlotte? I work for multinational corporation and most probably can continue to work for it, but in case I would like to switch jobs how are the opportunities - it used to be called "east coast silicon valley", but lately it is getting overshadowed by places like Seatle, Austin and even Charlotte. {yep! Still booming. Tech and bio-tech are still hot thanks to all the universities!}
-Traffic and other things that I should consider - I read that traffic could be brutal there - with kids I can't completely get rid of car, so I expect to be driving them to sport practices and so on. {It really depends. If you decide to live in North Raleigh but work in Chapel Hill, you're going to rot and die on I-40. If you live more centrally, you're fine. I live in a suburb south of Raleigh and adjusted my work hours to be 7am-4pm to avoid traffic. However, I've worked in Atlanta, L.A. and Dallas and Raleigh traffic doesn't even come close.}
There are some additional perks of living in this area: 1. TONS of FREE family and adult activities all the freaking time! 2. Very big outdoor culture so lots of green spaces 3. You are 3 hours from the mountains and 2 hours from the beach!
