Kate Gosselin’s Move to North Carolina Is ‘a Better Way of Life’: ‘Finances Were an Issue’

Former Jon & Kate Plus 8 star Kate Gosselin's move to North Carolina was better for her family — and her finances — after TLC cut ties with the reality TV star, a source exclusively tells In Touch.

"Kate had been living a relatively normal life in Pennsylvania for years after her reality show fame began to fizzle out. The kids were in school and they kept her busy," the insider says about Kate's relocation in March 2021. "Finances were always an issue, though. Kate had been living way above her means for years."

"She had sporadic deals. ... It was not enough income to cover their way of life," the source continues. "Her bills were high [with] private school tuition, out-of-state college, a huge house and property."

Despite having earned as much as $250,000 per episode while a TLC staple, Kate has a net worth of only about $500,000 today, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Having been questioned about her finances before, Kate maintained during a 2013 interview with Bethenny Frankel that she used “coupons” and didn’t wear “top brands” in order to save money. “

“The majority of what we made, I personally took and put in a college fund for [the kids] because they will go to college,” the former TLC star said. “College, school and their house, where they live [are] important.”

Kate, 47, and Jon's two eldest children, twins Mady and Cara, 22, are currently attending Syracuse University and Fordham University, respectively, in New York State. As for their children, Jon, 45, remains in Pennsylvania, where he has custody of two of their sextuplets, Collin and Hannah. The remaining sextuplets, Aaden, Alexis, Joel and Leah, 18, live with Kate in Troutman, North Carolina. When the twins are home on break, they stay with the Kate Plus 8 star.

"The move just made sense, and it's a better way of life for her and the kids now," the insider says. "The younger four will be in college this year. Kate didn't need to keep their gigantic home in [Wernersville, Pennsylvania.]"

Kate purchased the $1.1 million Wernersville house 13 years ago while she was still with her former husband. In October 2020, she put the mansion up for sale for $1,299,990. The 7,591-square-foot home, which sat on 23 acres of private land, had six beds and seven bathrooms. The sprawling home also featured three ovens, two dishwashers, a six-burner stovetop, a three-car detached garage, a saltwater pool with a spa and a fire pit.

Following the move to North Carolina, Kate lives a much simpler life and has not appeared on television since 2019, when she attempted to rejoin the dating scene in Kate Plus Date. In September 2021, Kate obtained a “multi-state license” from the North Carolina Board of Nursing on June 30, 2021, and she currently works as a nurse. Prior to becoming famous on reality TV, the matriarch was a labor and delivery nurse at the Reading Hospital and Medical Center in Pennsylvania.

Jon and Kate continue to be in an intense custody battle after their divorce in 2009. They were married for 10 years.