Moving to Raleigh, NC: What to Expect & Tips for Your Move | Living In Raleigh NC

Are you considering moving to the Raleigh area and wondering if it would be a good fit for your lifestyle? You're not alone. The Raleigh-Durham metro area remains a top destination for relocation thanks to its affordability, strong job market, and high quality of life. For more than a decade, Raleigh and its suburbs have consistently ranked among the best and safest places to live, driving a significant influx of new residents to North Carolina.

Our Personal Relocation Story

My family and I made the move to Raleigh seven years ago, relocating from Southern California in just three weeks, sight unseen. Having lived in Southern California nearly our whole lives (with my husband growing up in San Diego), we were seeking a state with four seasons but mild winters, a strong job market, good schools and colleges, a slower pace of life, less traffic, more affordable housing, and an overall higher quality of life. Raleigh checked all those boxes for us.

While we loved California for its beautiful weather, sunshine, proximity to beaches and mountains, and great food, we were tired of the fast pace, congestion, high cost of living, and pollution. At the time, we had our three-year-old daughter and two older kids who were getting ready to consider college. My husband had the opportunity to get a job out of state, and we immediately felt pulled to search for something different – more space, a quieter lifestyle, and a deeper connection to nature.

Why Raleigh Won Our Hearts

We considered big cities like Austin, Denver, and Nashville, but none quite felt right. The Northeast states were too cold, Charlotte seemed too big, and Asheville, while dreamy with its mountains, had a high cost of living and limited job market. As we researched, Raleigh kept appearing in articles and rankings as one of the best places to live in the U.S.

The cost of living was a huge factor for us coming from Southern California. Raleigh's cost of living is 2% lower than the national average, and it's ranked fifth on U.S. News and World Report's 2024-2025 list of the 25 best places to live for quality of life. For us, the overall cost of living was 35% lower, with housing 42% lower than where we came from.

In 2024, Raleigh is ranked as the second hottest real estate market in the United States, with Durham coming in at fourth. The current median single-family home price in Raleigh is approximately $512,000, while popular suburbs like Cary, Apex, and Holly Springs range from $600,000 to $725,000. Townhomes average around $327,000 in Raleigh or between $390,000 and $467,000 in those popular suburbs. If you're willing to live 30-45 minutes from Raleigh, you can still find homes from the low to mid-$300,000s to $450,000 on spacious lots.

Quality of Life & Community

Raleigh has a reputation for offering a fantastic quality of life with a slower pace than bigger metropolitan areas while still providing access to everything you could want – good schools, job opportunities, outdoor activities, a vibrant cultural scene, and an incredible welcoming community. Raleigh and Durham even ranked in the top 60 among the happiest cities across the country according to WalletHub.

From our experience living here for seven years, people in Raleigh are genuinely friendly. It's so easy to have conversations when you're out and about, and you can easily make friends. We moved here sight unseen and didn't know anyone, but now we have wonderful friends to experience life with.

Job Opportunities & Education

Job opportunities were important to us, and Raleigh delivered as part of the Research Triangle Park (RTP), a major hub for education and innovation with over 300 companies employing more than 65,000 people. In 2024, Raleigh ranks 14th in job market performance, notably having the fifth-fastest growing wages among U.S. metro areas.

Education is another strong point. Raleigh consistently ranks as one of the top cities in the U.S. for education. The Wake County School District currently ranks fourth in North Carolina for best school districts. The Triangle area offers excellent college options with three major tier-one research universities: Duke University in Durham, North Carolina State University in Raleigh, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Additional institutions like Meredith College and William Peace University provide diverse educational opportunities.

Family-Friendly Activities & Location

One of our top priorities was having family-friendly things to do, and Raleigh has so much to offer: over 200 parks, the PNC Arena for Carolina Hurricanes hockey games and concerts, Durham Performing Arts Center for Broadway-type shows, and amazing museums (Raleigh has been nicknamed the "Smithsonian of the South"). The city is known for its Greenway system with hundreds of miles of trails for walking, biking, and hiking – one of our favorite weekend activities.

Perhaps best of all, you're just a short 2-3 hour drive from both beaches and mountains. Raleigh also offers beautiful lakes like Lake Jordan and Falls Lake, college sports, local breweries, and year-round festivals in every town. In recent years, many downtown suburbs have seen revitalization with new businesses, and the North Hills Innovation District, a $1 billion project, is transforming that vibrant neighborhood.

Tips for Making Your Move Smoother

If you're thinking about making the move, here are some practical tips from our experience:

Visit first – While we moved sight unseen, I recommend exploring Raleigh and its different suburbs in person before deciding. Consider visiting in various seasons; if heat bothers you, visit in summer to get a feel for the humidity. Spring and fall are absolutely beautiful with weather similar to California, and winters are mild with minimal snow.

Find your community – While searching homes online is helpful to see what's available in your price range, exploring different areas in person is crucial. We always tell our buyers that finding a home is the easy part; finding a community you love is what matters. Recently, a couple was set on a specific model home until they drove through the surrounding town and realized they didn't like the area, despite loving the home itself.

Consider practical factors like commute times (traffic isn't as bad as major cities, but some areas get congested during rush hour), school options (some schools are capped with waiting lists), and transportation (owning a car is essential as public transit is still developing).

Challenges and Rewards

Moving to Raleigh hasn't been without challenges. We had to adjust to country roads, highway signs (or lack thereof), wildlife, bugs, heavy rains, and the different driving culture. We were also surprised by the lack of comprehensive public transit and neighborhoods without sidewalks leading into town, though many rural towns have plans to add these features.

Despite these minor challenges, the rewards of living in Raleigh far outweigh the downsides. The sense of community, access to nature, good schools, affordable cost of living, and safety (Raleigh ranks as the third safest state capital and eighth safest city in the country) have made this move one of the best decisions we've ever made.

After seven years in Raleigh, do we think it's the perfect place to live? For us, it's a resounding yes. Raleigh has truly become our home in every sense of the word. While no city is perfect for everyone, if you're searching for a place that strikes an ideal balance between career opportunities, family life, and outdoor adventures, Raleigh could be the place you've been dreaming of calling home.

If you're considering relocating to the Raleigh area and looking to purchase a home, we would love to help. Reach out to us at 919-583-6895, whether you want to give us a call, shoot us a text, or send an email – we would love to chat about making Raleigh your new home.