davidf17

Having moved to Wagga from Sydney (Hurstville) 15 years ago one thing is certain: I'd never move back 'home'.
Wagga has so much to offer couples with young families. The most obvious benefit is house prices. Wagga, unlike Sydney, offers families the chance to own a nice home with easy access to shops and schools. $400,000 will buy a near-new 4 bedroom home with a swimming pool in a nice area. I live 10kms east of central Wagga at Forest Hill (close to the airport and RAAF base). You can still buy a family home at Forest Hill for under $250,000. You may need to renovate the kitchen and/or bathroom, but for value for money Forest Hill can't be beaten; it's also a safe and friendly neighbourhood with very low levels of crime.
Some parts of Wagga have moderate to high levels of crime (parts of Tolland and Ashmont in particular). Break and enters and vehicle torchings are a regular occurrence in some areas. Rates of serious assaults and murder are very low.
Contrary to some other opinions here, work opportunities are very good in Wagga. The unemployment rate is 4.26% (December 2016), which is far less than west Sydney, Illawarra and Newcaslte. Affordable mortgages offer a dual income family plenty of scope to save for regular holidays, both within Australia and abroad.
Shopping is covered on all fronts. Large department stores (Myer, K-Mart etc.), as well as boutique outlets.
Wagga has also become very multicultural over the past decade and this fact is mirrored by a thriving and diverse restaurant culture. The annual Food and Wine Festival is truly magical! Ditto the annual Multicultural Street Festival.
If cafes are your thing then Wagga won't disappoint.
Wagga also has a thriving arts and literary culture.
And traffic snarls are non-existent!
The only major downside is the lack of decent and affordable public transport. Two cars are a must for couples with a family. Some of the roads are in a poor state of repair (a major talking point among locals).
It can also get very hot in Jan, Feb and early March. A swimming pool is a must!
All in all Wagga is a great place to live, work and raise a family.