Living in North Carolina: The Best Places, Pros & Cons, and Local Insights

 Avoid Living In These Suburbs And Cities

Are you considering relocating to the Raleigh area and wondering what the best areas are to live and which ones you may want to avoid? I was in your same situation six years ago when my family and I relocated here from Southern California. And we moved to a town that we thought would be a good fit and ended up regretting it and moving just four months later.

Hey y'all, I'm Brandy Nemergut, a local REALTOR here, right here in Raleigh, North Carolina. And each week I get calls and talk to so many people that are looking to relocate and their biggest question is where they should move. And they don't want to make the wrong decision like we did and have to move again.

So today we'll be deep diving into the suburbs, towns and cities that surround Raleigh. So you can make a decision based on the lifestyle that you want to live, which may work best for you, and which areas you may want to avoid. Let's go ahead and jump right on in and get started with Cary. Now Cary was one of the top cities people suggested that we move to.

Now one thing that you'll notice about Cary is that is there is a lot of transplants from other states and even the world, especially New York and California. When we asked some locals what they liked about Cary, everyone seems to love to let you know what Cary actually stands for by many locals, which is Centralized Area for Relocating Yankees.

Which, considering my husband is a Yankee, he was okay with it, but was like, well, is that a good thing or a bad thing, according to the locals? Personally, coming from California, I will say it does have a bit of an Orange County vibe and has a lot of great dining options and diverse cuisines. and plenty of grocery stores to choose from.

From high end to ethnic stores and some great boutiques and Fidden which offers outdoor shopping and dining. Cary also has some great greenway trails and a beautiful newly renovated downtown. It's a very well planned out town and it's easy to get around the roadways. Though it can get a bit congested during peak hours.

There are some beautiful communities and it has a very established feel with many areas with beautiful trees. Because Cary was built up in the early decades in the 60s and 70s versus a lot of the other surrounding suburbs, many newcomers comment about it having an older feel to it. But in saying that, you can find some newer homes as well.

And now that most of the land has been developed. You will even find some neighborhoods where people will actually buy an older home, flatline it, and build a multi million dollar home. Cary is one of the biggest suburbs of Raleigh with around 185, 000 residents. So if you want to move to a quiet, charming southern town, then you may want to avoid Cary.

Next up, we have Morrisville. If you love airplanes and going on trips, but you don't want to see and or hear them over your home and while you're driving around town, then you may want to avoid Morrisville. Morrisville is going to be the city where the Raleigh Durham International Airport is located.

Now there are parts of Morrisville that aren't quite as apparent with the airplane noise as others. There's also an air traffic noise map that can help you decipher which areas are more affected with aircraft noise versus others. So you definitely want to do your research and visit the area to find out.

before you decide to make a home purchase. When it comes to houses, you will find many are on smaller lots and there's also a lot of townhome living in Morrisville. But if you need to travel for work or to be close to the Research Triangle Park and you don't mind living in a townhome or smaller lot size communities, then Morrisville may be a viable Next, let's talk about Apex.

Apex is another top suburb of Raleigh. Apex has a great downtown and is another one of my top favorites. It's definitely a hoppin downtown and has some really great shops, boutiques, coffee shops, and restaurants. I love Scratch Kitchen and Tap Room. They have some amazing mac and cheese. And Common Grounds Coffee is a great place for coffee and pastries.

And they have unique and colorful fun clocks all along their wall. From cats and cows and rainbows and even mermaids to cars. It's just a lot of fun clocks. Apex also has some great parks like Apex Community and the Pleasant Park which is a 92 acre park. with a jaw dropping playground that has an impressive climbing structure and a giant 35 foot tall slide.

And there's also an enchanted forest that has nine exclusive play villages for kids of multiple ages and abilities. Apex has some great communities and if you're looking for townhomes you'll also find a lot of communities including new build townhomes. One of the downsides of this is many that are being built are next to busy streets.

So if you are looking for a quiet, tucked away community, that might not work. Apex also has a newer feel than Cary as people started pushing out towards Apex when Cary got so expensive. But now, Apex is pretty close to the price point to carry. And Apex has just over 76, 000 residents. So it's still a little under half the size of carry.

Some of the downsides to Apex are going to be the congested roadways, especially during peak hours. The 64 can get backed up and it can be a bit difficult to make left turns. Depending where you are, the train noise could also be annoying, and some parts of Apex are within a 10 mile radius of the Sharon Harris Nuclear Plant, which is located in New Hill, which may be enough for some to want to avoid Apex.

Next, we have Holly Springs. Some people love Holly Springs, while others want to turn the other way and run. Holly Springs has a newer feel, which many love. However, you won't find a lot of mature trees and landscapes, like some of the more established communities in the Triangle area. A lot of it was farmland prior to the housing developments, and you can drive around and see a lot of farmland being worked.

Holly Springs has their old downtown, which is small, but mighty, and has some great restaurants, shops, and a cute boutique. Our favorite is OSHA. I love their sushi nadi roll. It is so, so good, and they make some really fun drinks. You'll want to make reservations ahead of time, as it's usually packed. As it's not a very big place.

There's also the newer shopping area that has about everything that you can possibly imagine and want, including restaurants, a movie theater, and all of that was built when we were here within the last six years or so. So since we initially moved to the Raleigh area, Holly Springs does have some great parks.

There's Team Park, which has an 1800 seat stadium for baseball and other sports. Holly Springs has some great outdoor parks like Bass Lake Park and Sub Farm Park. And the community gets together throughout the year to celebrate with games, music, festivals, and more. Housing prices have really soared in the last few years here, and surprisingly, prices have risen right up there with Cary and Apex.

With just over 50, 000 residents, Holly Springs continues to see growth with continued new construction developments and the completion of the I 540 will better connect Holly Springs to the rest of the triangle as the 55 bypass can get pretty congested. during peak hours. And that's one thing you'll notice.

I've said about the other suburbs as well and a common running theme throughout much of the triangle as we continue to grow at around 74 people per day coming to the area. One of the downsides to living in Holly Springs for some communities is the South Wake landfill. If you live in one of the communities close to this landfill, you may actually just smell it.

Now, on a good note, in 2020, the county said they would spend 13 million over the next decade to address the stinky situation. Just make sure if you're considering Holly Springs, you do the smell test yourself and see if you're within the radius of that landfill. Personally, I've stood at homes and taken a deep breath and smelled absolutely nothing, while other people with me said they could absolutely smell it.

And just like parts of Apex, one of the downsides to Holly Springs is the proximity to the Sharon Harris nuclear plant. Which, in some areas of the town, you can see the rising smokestack. Now, there's a lot of people living in Holly Springs that, of course, are not bothered at all by this. But if these things happen to worry you, then you may want to just avoid living in Holly Springs.

Next, we have Fuquay Verena. And when I first moved here, one, I couldn't even pronounce the name. We'd say Fuquay, Fuqua, and two, Fuqua Verena. Not many people live there. It was known as super rural living and being inexpensive, which I did like that part. But, it did seem so far removed from the rest of the triangle.

Now, fast forward, this little town has actually doubled in size in the last decade to just under 47, 000 residents. And inexpensive living is no longer in many vocabularies here. Now there are some great communities, parks, and they even have their very own Target coming soon. I know the moms are definitely excited about that one.

And they have not one, but two downtowns, as this used to be two towns. The town of Fuquay and the town of Barrina. And they're actually just one mile apart from each other. Now there are some great restaurants here, coffee shops, breweries, boutiques, and more. And my favorite bakery, Stick Boy. There's also some great parks and one of our favorites, has a 6, 000 square foot splash pad for the kids.

If you can work remotely, many love the option of living in Fuquay Marina, as it's close to Holly Springs, so you can just head that direction and enjoy the parks, the shops, the restaurants, and everything it has to offer. But, if you need to commute into Durham or Chapel Hill for work or the universities, it may just seem a little bit too far.

And you may just want to avoid living in Fuquay Marina. Next up, we have Garner. With just under 36, 000 residents, this town is still small and rural feeling, but it is seeing some rapid growth and a lot of new construction communities hopping up. With its close proximity to Raleigh and fairly inexpensive home prices, it is.

People have been gravitating to the area. We also have the I 540 extension being completed in the next few years, which will help better connect this town to the rest of the Triangle area. Depending on what side of town you're on, bordering Clayton or Fuquay, you may feel there's not too much going on.

Yet, the roadway can get congested due to all the construction on the roads. If you don't want to be around a lot of construction and fast growth, you may just want to avoid Barnard. Next up, we have Clayton. This is a very popular town that many consider and love living in, while others decide to avoid living in Clayton after learning more.

Clayton has a great downtown with some cute boutiques and great restaurants like Manning's. who makes some excellent shrimp and grits. Or there's the Clayton Steakhouse, which is a local favorite. There's also some great parks and greenway trails running along the Neuse River. With just over 32, 000 residents, Clayton has increased in population by 277 percent since 2000.

Just like Fuquay Verena, it used to be known as a small rural town and has continued to see a huge growth spurt. with a lot of new construction community opportunities at affordable prices. As I mentioned earlier, Cary used to be the place that so many would say to move to. Now, it seems like Clayton is the new carry, especially for a lot of transplants and people from New York who are absolutely loving this area.

The downside to Clayton with the continued growth, commute times into Raleigh have increased and now it'll take approximately 30 to 45 minutes to get into downtown Raleigh, depending on which side of town that you live. They also still don't have a target. Sorry moms. But there is a Walmart and still no Chick fil A.

I know the cows are happy about that one. But hopefully in time soon there will be one. For now people who live in Clayton head over to Garner at the White Oak Shopping where they have both Target, Chick fil A, and a whole lot more. The area continues to grow on both the Cleveland side of Clayton with new construction, as well as the side of Flowers Plantation, and they've done an excellent job building over 44 communities and growing, along with the new Thales Academy School.

You can find new housing on smaller lots, or you can find more established communities on larger lots. One of my favorites is Portofino, which has an equestrian center with beautiful horses, seven miles of natural trails, fishing ponds, and more. And many of the houses have a lot of space to enjoy. So if you can either work remotely or within the town or neighboring towns, like say Garner, Nightdale, or Windale, there's plenty to enjoy.

But if you have to commute into or beyond the Raleigh area, it just may seem a bit too far and have you wanting to avoid living in Clayton. Next up, we have Chapel Hill. Personally, I love, love Chapel Hill. There is so much character, historical history, beautiful homes, mature trees, and landscape with just under 67, 000 residents.

It is a college town home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which is the oldest state university in the country. The downside to living in Chapel Hill is it can get a bit crowded and hard to get into restaurants or find parking, especially Especially when college is in session or there's a football or basketball game.

We are known for our college sports here and there is definitely a lot of fans here. Go Tar Heels! If you work locally or go to the university, it's perfect. Or even staying between Durham, Pittsboro, or Hillsboro, you'll stay within a 20 30 minute commute. However, if you need to drive into Raleigh or further parts of the Triangle, it'll be a pretty far hike of up to an hour commute, which may have you just wanting to avoid living in Chapel Hill.

Next we have Hillsboro. This is another town that I absolutely fell in love with the very first visit. I love their downtown historical feel and the ruralness of the area. It has a character, all its own, and with just under 10, 000 residents, if you want to be tucked away from it all, but still be within a 30 minute drive to Durham and Chapel Hill, it's a viable option.

Now the downside to Hillsboro and reasons you may want to avoid living here is if say you're working in Raleigh or the other side of the triangle areas, it's going to feel pretty far removed as it's a town furthest north in the triangle and will take you up to an hour or even a little bit more to drive that direction.

But if you work in, say, Chapel Hill or Durham, or attend one of the universities, the location is great. Another downside that actually surprised me were the crime rates. Looking at the data, it's pretty high. But in looking, but in looking at the data map, visiting and even talking to many of the local residents, Many say they feel safe and love their town, especially on the southeastern part of town.

Next up, we have Pittsburgh. With just under 5, 000 residents, it's a town many think to overlook. However, it's part of Chatham County, which is home to just under 84, 000 residents and close to Chapel Hill. It's a quiet town that's building under the radar with some really beautiful homes. If you like a rural setting with the beauty of majestic trees, you will love this area.

It feels tuffed away, yet it's still close to so much you won't feel like you're on a deserted island. There are some beautiful communities, a surprisingly small but hoppin downtown with a cool vibe. It feels like a cross between old historic meets new. Now if you need to work in Raleigh or the eastern side of the Triangle, then Pittsboro will seem too far away.

It's the furthest to the west of the Raleigh Triangle area and you may want to avoid living here in Pittsboro. But, just like Hillsboro, If you work in Chapel Hill or Durham or attend the university in either city, it may be a good fit. Next up, we have Durham. With just under 300, 000 residents, Durham is the fourth largest city in the Raleigh Triangle area.

If you are looking for a quiet southern area, then you just may want to avoid living here. Durham has gone through a revitalization and spent millions and millions of dollars on development projects. It has a lot of character and has a cool artsy vibe. It's a pretty busy hopping area and there are some great museums, restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and more.

There's options like the Durham Performing Arts Center with Broadway type shows. I feel like you really can't get too bored in this city. On the downside, Durham does have a pretty bad rap when it comes to crime rates, but when you consider just how large of a metro area Versus other small towns and suburbs, just like any other large metro area.

It has its areas to watch out for, but there are a lot of amazing and beautiful areas, beautiful housing communities and parks to explore, like the Eno River State Park. where you can hike on the trails or take a dip in the river, and it's home to the prestigious Duke University and Sarah P. Duke Gardens, which is absolutely stunning and serene to walk through.

And in a recent annual satisfaction survey from the city, shared this year in February 2024, 2024. which showed that residents continue giving high marks for living and working in Durham, with 75 percent saying that they feel Durham is an excellent or good place to live. Next, we have Wake Forest. When we first moved here, Wake Forest was one of the top places people told us we should move.

Personally, I think Wake Forest has one of the best historic downtowns of all the suburbs here and many beautiful historical homes. Wake Forest is known for its beautiful communities, many of which offer nice amenities. Wake Forest also has some beautiful parks. A local favorite is Joyner Park with lots of open space and miles of trails.

along with Falls Lake, which is one of the largest lakes in the area. So if you love boating or kayaking, there's something, there's some great spots to venture. In the past few years, this town has been on a continued growth spurt, adding new shops and restaurants, along with continuing to build new homes.

There's a Publix, a Wegmans, which many people love, and of course, the Mom Love Target. And some eateries, like one of my favorites, which is Cava, and my husband's, Torchy's Tacos. Now, if you're in the market for a new construction home, Wake Forest is a great place to look. On the downside, some think that Wake Forest is too far away from things.

It'll take roughly around 30 minutes to get into Raleigh, which, personally, I don't think that's bad. Especially if you're a transplant like us. However, during peak hours, it does get congested off US 1 where Capitol Boulevard is, and that road has some questionable drivers. I'll just put it that way.

Bless you. And, if you work in the Research Triangle Park in Durham, it'll take you around 30 minutes as well, taking the 98. It can get a bit congested as well during peak hours. With just over 58, 000 residents, Wake Forest has seen a growth of 307 percent since 2000 and some think Wake Forest is just a little too busy, especially with all the new construction going on and the way you travel in and out of the area.

through those main veins that I just mentioned. While others feel like Wake Forest has enough of what they need, that they don't have to venture too far out, but if you don't want to be part of a town that's going through a growing spurt. with a lot of new construction, then you may just want to avoid living in Wake Forest.

Next, we have Roseville. If you're looking for a town with southern charm and a lot of character, I'd say you'll probably want to avoid Roseville. This town is a sideway forest, but aside from some nice community homes, personally, I just don't think there's a lot going on. With just under 12, 000 residents.

It has your basic necessities of stores and some shops, a handful of restaurants, but that's really about it. I feel like the people that live in Roseville head over to Wake Forest for more to do between the shops and restaurant, and it's more of a bedroom community. There is a new development underway called Cobblestone Village, which will bring much needed shops and restaurants.

to the area. So that will definitely be nice. And there's still a lot of undeveloped land with new construction building coming in. So if you like a more rural feel and don't mind crossing over to Wake Forest for more options for shopping and dining, then it's a viable option. Next, we have Night Vale.

With 000 residents, this town has seen its population double since 2000. It really doesn't have a downtown as most of the original was burned down in a fire in 1940. But this town is set to see a boom between all the continued new developments from housing communities to new apartments to new shopping centers on the horizon.

I actually made a video called Boomtown that talks more about the future development projects underway if you want to learn more. Personally, I think Nightdale is underrated. And is a hidden gem for commuters heading into the Raleigh area. You can be in downtown Raleigh in 20 minutes or even downtown Cary in 25 minutes.

There's a wonderful park here called Nightdale Station Park that has walkway trails that wind through the forest trees, open play fields and a railroad playground, and even a dog park. They have great communities, both established and new, along with some new construction homes. On the downside, there's not much as far as entertainment.

There's no bowling alley, no movie theater, and there's really not much for teens to do. And if you need to commute into Durham or Chapel Hill, just like Fuquay Varina, it'll be a bit of a stretch and these may be reasons you want to avoid living in nightgown. Next we have Window. With just under 15, 000 residents, this town is continuing to grow and we are seeing a lot of new construction communities popping up along with window falls.

and the tree light shopping area that is continuing to build out shops, restaurants, grocery stores, and more. There's the new Publix, fire station, hospitals, schools. There's a whole lot going on.