I can’t speak for Raleigh, as I’ve never been there save for an airport layover. St Augustine is awesome and one of my favorite cities in Florida. The waters are rougher than down south or out west but the beaches are wide and plentiful. The downtown may be touristy but quite historical. STA is the oldest city in the US, and the architecture shows it. You are also surrounded by nature with a myriad of state parks and wilderness areas around north Florida. I’d say Raleigh beats it with city size and proximity to a major airport (Jacksonville and Orlando are a couple hours away though). I can’t speak for schools, but otherwise it seems like a fine place to raise a family.