8 Reasons People Are Moving Away From Raleigh
Top Reasons Why People Leave Raleigh
Are you considering relocating to another state and Raleigh, North Carolina is on your radar as a possible good place for you and your family to move? My family and I were in the same situation six years ago when we decided to move here. And if you're like us and have been doing your research, you noticed that Raleigh consistently receives accolades in state So many categories for the past decade or so when it comes to quality of life.
Raleigh offers a blend of urban amenities and a relaxed southern atmosphere known as the City of Oaks due to the majestic and beautiful oak trees that line the streets. Raleigh has a lot to offer from a thriving job market, quality of education, cultural scene, diverse dining, museums, multicultural events, breathtaking outdoor greenways to enjoy, and a city rich in history and charm.
Not to mention its close proximity to beaches, mountains, and lakes. Raleigh recently tied Durham ranking as the third best place to live in the country. Raleigh even ranked third for state capital for affordability and 13th for quality of life for the best place to call home based on jobs, safety, educational opportunities, and more according to Wallet Hub.
It's also among the best state capitals for safety and was ranked Second hottest real estate markets in the U. S. for 2024. Yet, despite all of this, many people who live here have decided to leave Raleigh. Today, we'll be diving into the top reasons why people have decided not to live here in the Raleigh Triangle area.
And, if you stick around to the end, we'll talk about why. I'll share why my family and I almost left Raleigh as well. Our first year here. Okay. Let's just go ahead and jump right on in and we're going to start with. Yes, North Carolina is a beautiful state that many of us love to call home. However, there are a lot of things people may not be sharing with you that may make you want to avoid moving here.
As I mentioned earlier, my family and I relocated here from sunny California to the Six years ago, sight unseen, and there were definitely some things that surprised us and we wish we would have known before moving here. And if we could do it all over again, I'd highly recommend to my past self to visit and explore the area first.
In the past decade or so, Raleigh has had some growing pains, and currently the date in 2024 continues, in my opinion. Setting proper expectations of what Raleigh is versus what Raleigh isn't, is a challenge. when moving here will definitely help you decide if it's the right lifestyle for you. Known as the tech hub, Raleigh is considered a mid sized city that is still growing while holding on to some of its southern roots.
And one thing it's not is anything like the fast paced life in Los Angeles or Orange County, California or even New York or Chicago or again any other fast paced nightlife city that you can think of. If you're fine with that and having a slower pace of life, you'll do just fine here. On the other hand, due to the continued growth and influx of people coming in at roughly 70 per day, some think quality of life as they once knew it is diminishing with each passing day and they want to get away from the ever growing pains of the area.
And before deep diving into understanding why people leave Raleigh, North Carolina, I will say that these are thoughts and opinions of others as my family and I are still in Raleigh and while I can understand and some of these perspectives coming from the outside here, this information is based on personal experience.
information I've collected over time between my clients I've helped move here to friends who have lived here longer than myself and even the community boards where people will share their experiences living here in the Raleigh Triangle area. My hope is by sharing this information with y'all that you can decide if Raleigh is going to be a good fit for the lifestyle that you want to live.
Or should you keep on researching for another area? The number one thing I hear from many is that the culture is changing And when I hear that I have to assume that they either are originally from here Or they've been here long enough to see all the changes going on in the last 10 to 20 years I will agree.
Raleigh has changed Just in the past six years since we moved here and it's amazing to see the surrounding suburbs and all the tobacco and sweet potato farms that are now full on developed housing communities. And it seems like every time I drive by a rural farm, there's another piece being sold to developers who are cutting down the trees.
and building more houses. But just like growing up in California, I'm sure wherever you're moving from things have changed over the years and decades and it's just not like it used to be. Overall, many of the people who live here or are moving here think the change in and around Raleigh is positive and being that our housing market is the second hottest in the country, goes along with it.
With all this progress, it does lead to more population, high rise buildings, master planned housing communities, and the infamous traffic that we all want to get away from, but As it gets more crowded, many locals don't like it and have chosen to leave the area in search of the culture they once knew here.
Next is going to be the size of Raleigh. As I mentioned earlier, Raleigh is a mid sized city. It's not a major bustling city like Los Angeles or New York or even Las Vegas. It seems as though many people coming here have a perception of Raleigh being this massive city where in fact it's much smaller than people visualize and they get here and they're like, this is it?
Then you'll hear people say there's not much to do here. It's It's a boring city, there's no major sporting teams here, besides hockey, there's no nightlife, the food's just okay. If you compare it to, say, Charlotte, North Carolina, I'd say Raleigh is like its baby sister. And, when it comes to location, many people think it's just too far away from the beaches or the mountains.
Now, personally That one was a tough one for me when we moved here. We used to be able to go to the beach for a morning run or a dinner watching the sunset with the ocean breeze or head up to the mountains less than an hour away. So if you're coming from an area close to the beach or mountains, you aren't going to find that here.
It's about a two to three hour drive to get to either from Raleigh. And even though I'm sure people looked at a map when they moved here and saw there weren't any super close beach or mountain access, until you live here and have to drive the short two to three hours, reality might not really sink in of just how far away it's gonna be to enjoy the beaches or the mountains.
If you were used. to this type of lifestyle previously. And for those of you who are used to getting fresh fish from the dock or even catching it yourself, You won't find that fresh of fish here. And as a result, this is another reason some people are choosing to leave the Raleigh area. When it comes to entertainment, many people coming from major cities like California, New York, Miami, Vegas, say that Raleigh is just a sleepy city and lacks any kind of entertainment, especially nightlife.
Although Raleigh is a mid sized city with just under half a million residents, many people from bigger cities complain that The restaurants are just mediocre at best, and many of the restaurants and bars don't stay open late enough. There are some that even close during certain days of the week. This leads people searching further out into other cities and suburbs for things to do.
Personally, I don't consider it a bad thing. I think if you're a family that has your day to day job with the kiddos in school And you have the weekends or days off during the week and you're okay with venturing out to do your favorite food spots A local park or maybe even catch a monthly festival in one of the towns Enjoy the greenways and a visit to the museum movies or local game And you're back home in bed before midnight, you'll be just fine with the entertainment options Raleigh and the surrounding suburbs have to offer.
But again, there's some people from hopping, bustling cities that come here and say, this is just too sleepy. It's unsophisticated and leaves them wanting more choices. And while some may think that we are continuing to grow, build and attract businesses and people into the area looking for what Raleigh has to offer, not what it doesn't and what they left behind.
I can tell you from my personal experience, driving through Raleigh a decade or so ago, To now, it's definitely not a sleepy town or city like it used to be. I'll never forget rolling up on a Sunday afternoon and it was like a ghost town. I saw this guy walking and I asked him, What can I do here with my kids?
He literally started laughing and said, You ain't from around here, are ya? It's Sunday. Things are closed. Well, fast forward, Raleigh is no longer sleepy on Sundays, and now Raleigh even introduced the Sip and Stroll downtown social district a few years ago, where from 10 10 p. m every day, there's You can buy an alcoholic beverage and drink as you walk around the district, centered around Fayetteville Street and the Warehouse District.
And again, as Raleigh continues to progress, as I mentioned earlier, more and more options will become available. Unfortunately, for some people, it's not happening quick enough. Which is causing a lot of people to leave Raleigh, North Carolina. In the past couple of years since the pandemic and the changing dynamic of the workplace with employers allowing more of their employees to work remotely, we've seen an influx and people moving to the Raleigh area to either be closer to family or take advantage of the affordability Raleigh has to offer in comparison To other major cities across the country.
Meanwhile, we've seen the opposite scope of locals here, having the opportunity to get a job transfer out of the area and or work remotely and decide with a growing population in increasing cost in comparison to prior decade. and cashing out on their home equity for top dollar. It looks like an attractive and advantage to leave the Raleigh area.
And for those that live here and don't own a home, it has been increasingly challenging as many landlords continue to increase rent prices. Some with little to no warning. I've heard horror stories after story about people whose rents have increased anywhere from 150 to 300 per month, and some skyrocketing as high as 750 increase.
from their previous rent payments. Again, this has led many people to decide to leave Raleigh. Next, let's talk about the job market. Raleigh has a strong job market and sits at number 14 overall in the wall street journals, annual rankings of America's hottest job market. It's estimated the future growth over the next 10 years is precedent.
To be 44 percent which is higher than projected for the country and Raleigh has an unemployment rate of 4. 3 Which is lower than the national average However, even with all this many still struggle to find a job or have lost their job due to layoffs and downsizing Many jobs in this area are in tech medical and education Not to say if you're not within those fields, you won't be able to find a job, but the majority of jobs in this area are in these fields.
And while there are other jobs, many find it doesn't pay enough for what they're expecting. And even though our housing prices are considerably lower than other parts of the country, they are still not as expensive as they used to be. And many don't think. The decrease in salary with the cost of housing ultimately worth it.
So if you're considering moving to Raleigh, I would highly recommend going online to a cost calculator. I like going to best places. net. You can put in where you currently live and your salary and then enter the city you want to move to. In this case, Raleigh. And it'll show you how much you need to make to live here.
For us, there was a considerable savings, but for others, you may find it more expensive. Next. See what companies and job opportunities are within the Raleigh Triangle area. I've had some tell me they'd make a third less taking the same job here versus the state they currently live in. Again, you want to holistically compare everything from housing costs to daily and monthly expenses to see if it balances out in your favor or not.
For us, housing was 43 percent less expensive here in Raleigh versus California. Auto and home insurance was also less, while our health insurance and daycare costs were more. Groceries were about the same and in some cases they even cost more here, but we got instant relief at the gas pump. Another reason people ultimately decide to either leave Raleigh or not move here altogether is the lack of public transportation.
Many people who move here from major cities like California, New York, or even Connecticut are highly disappointed that they have to have a car to get around most places here. And we do have Amtrak train station, which runs from Raleigh to Charlotte and hits a few other major cities in North Carolina.
But some complain the travel time is long as the train stops every 30 minutes. As far as a bus system, Cary does have the Go Cary bus and Raleigh is currently in the works of the Bus Rapid Transit, which will allow for fast, reliable, and frequent transportation service along key corridors in Wake County.
However, they don't expect it to be fully available until 2035. And many who move to the area are used to living in walkable cities. I know in California, we were able to walk or bike from our neighborhood to get our coffee in the morning, to shopping, or even to the grocery store and restaurants. But all of that changed when we moved here.
We constantly have to hop in a car, Now there are outlier neighborhoods here where they are close enough to walk and do have sidewalks. However, Overall, the majority of the areas are not as walkable and too far spread out. So, it'll be more convenient and quick if you own a car here. Not to mention, when summer hits, it can get pretty hot and humid and you won't feel like going on long walks here in the middle of the day.
Until now, many of you may be watching and thinking, Really? Do people leave because of these things? These things are nothing. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below if Raleigh is still on your radar to move to. I know for my family and I, the pros and cons. still outweighed the cons at the end of the day.
Speaking of hot summers, let's talk about the weather. Many coming from the northeast consider it business as usual for the summer heat and find great relief from the harsh, cold, cold weather. snowy winters who gladly leave their snow shovel behind with their old neighbors. While people coming from the west coast have more of a transition to make.
I will say coming from California we loved that we could experience All four seasons here. And there's even a running joke here that we can experience all four seasons in just one week or even a day. And it's true. You can wake up and it'll be 30 to 40 degrees, but by midday it's 70 degrees. It's pretty crazy and you just don't know how to dress.
The weather in the fall and spring is most like California where I came from. Now the downside to spring is definitely the pollen. There is just a yellow film over everything and growing up in California, I have never seen layers and layers of yellow pollen like this. And I suffer from year round allergies, not just seasonal.
And it seems like when it rains, my allergies here get worse. And that's not good, considering we get an average of 47 inches of rain per year. And then there's summers. Yes, it's hot and yes, it's humid, especially coming from dry California heat. But, good news, it only took us about two summers and I feel like we really acclimated and can do a lot more outside in the summer now than when we first moved here.
Winters aren't as bad either. If we're lucky, it'll snow maybe one to two times a year, but it never seems to be enough to last more than a day or even a few hours since we moved here. But I will say, if there's even a forecast of a snowflake in the sky, the next two to three weeks, the store shelves will be empty of bread and milk.
It's pretty humorous. And if it snows, everything shuts down as we don't have the infrastructure to handle the icy roads. We aren't equipped with snow plows or salting of our country roads. But again, it's good news that there is only a chance of snow a few times a year. And we usually don't get much snow to affect things for too long.
It's more of an inconvenience for schools to close and the store is out of bread and milk because people thought it was going to snow. But if you do want to enjoy the snowy winters, we're just a couple of hours away from the mountains if you want to go ski, snowboard, or inner tube with the kids. So while some enjoy the four seasons Raleigh has to offer, others leave the area as it affects their allergies and sometimes their asthma.
and has them relocate to drier climates. Another thing that makes people want to leave and doesn't surprise me is the bugs. They say the bugs are big in Texas. Well, I say our bugs are probably first cousins with their bugs. But I think it's funny because no matter what state you live in, there's going to be some sort of bugs or critters to deal with, right?
I'd say the biggest bugs that people don't like around here are going to be The cicadas, they are big, ugly, and loud. The forest comes alive at night and sometimes even during the day, which can be deafening. They say this year has been the worst as it's bringing out copperheads, which are very poisonous.
That is another thing that people don't like here. Growing up, we worried about scorpions and rattlesnakes in the desert. Here it's mosquitoes, copperheads, cicadas, chiggers, ticks. and these huge bumblebees and hornets. There's also deer that run in front of your car, as well as possums and squirrels. I guess I could go on and on about bugs and critters.
We definitely see our fair share of them since we have a three acre forest that backs up an 86 acre farm. But overall, I don't think the bug and critters are so bad that it would keep one from moving here. Bye again! There are others who decide to move because they just don't want to deal with them. At the beginning of this video, I mentioned that we almost decided to leave the Raleigh area in our first year.
I was so homesick and I missed my friends, our favorite food spots, and especially food. Mexican food, Italian food, Mediterranean food. I missed the beach, sleeping with our windows open nearly year round, laying in our grass at night. Stargazing without being eaten alive by bugs, but after several trips back to California over a two year span, my hubby and I were driving back to our house from the RDU airport surrounded by the beautiful tree lined highway.
And we looked at each other and we said, we're home. This is our home now. And at that point we finally decided to stop complaining and stop comparing North Carolina to California. and everything it wasn't and what it didn't have and decided we would embrace all that it had and all that it was and not what it wasn't and we were just gonna love it.
and go on this adventure. And as silly as that may sound, it made a world of difference for us. Don't get me wrong, California will always have a piece of my heart. It's where I grew up, and I have many fond memories. However, The California I grew up in is not the California it is today, which was one of the deciding factors that made us leave in the first place when our daughter was just three years old in search of a better quality of life, a slower pace of life and a more balanced life.
And while it may not be perfect, it's now stolen a piece of our heart. And I will say for all the people who seem to leave Raleigh. For one or more of the things that we talked about today, there still seems to be so many people coming in their place, we don't seem to notice that they've left. Raleigh continues to progress and grow, receiving accolades in many categories including quality of life, education, jobs, cost of living, and affordability.
From its outdoor greenways and activities to the beautiful majestic trees and landscape, Raleigh will continue to lure people in just like it did for my family and me. If you found this information helpful, please click the like button below so others like you can find this information as well. And if you're considering relocating to the Raleigh area or anywhere surrounding the Raleigh area and looking to purchase a home, we would love to help.
All you have to do is reach out to us. My number is right here on the screen. Whether you want to give me a call, shoot me a text, or send me an email, we would love to chat. Till next time, we'll see y'all later.
Brandy Nemergut, Realtor ~ eXp Realty Raleigh, NC
919-583-6895
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