Is University Living in North Carolina for You?
College and university towns are increasingly popular as best places to relocate or retire to and that’s particularly true if you’re thinking of moving to North Carolina.
North Carolina has over 60 four-year public and private universities and 58 two-year community colleges in communities ranging from major cities to small towns in rural areas.
In fact, when we talk about North Carolina college and university towns, we usually are describing either one of two things.
A town where the local college or university is the town’s main center of economic and social activity, like Boone, NC or a much larger urban area not dependent economically or socially on a college or university but home to a major public or private institution, for instance Charlotte, NC.
Whether young or old, new student, young family or retiree looking to relocate to your best place to live, college or university living in North Carolina may be just the thing for you.
Among the many reasons people list for considering their best place to retire or relocate is a college or university town is that these towns have a younger population and there is vibrancy to the local social and economic scene.
College and university towns also tend to have cheaper housing options than most other places.
Moreover, college and university towns have populations that are higher educated and since these schools draw people from all over the region and nation, the communities are much more cosmopolitan.
This often means younger families can expect strong commitments to education and local schools, but also that you’re liable to find community with people just like yourselves who’ve made the move to North Carolina.
And let’s not forget culture and entertainment opportunities second to none.
Check out a campus museum or art gallery, attend an orchestra concert or enjoy a popular national or local touring band.
North Carolina is known for its competitive collegiate sports, especially basketball, and you can’t help but get caught up in NCAA basketball when the UNC Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils go head to head for local bragging rights.
Another popular feature of many North Carolina college and university towns is continuing educational opportunities especially for retirees.
The North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement (NCCCR) at the University of North Carolina-Asheville and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Duke University are particularly popular continuing education programs.
Another thing not often recognized about college and university towns is that they are fantastic places to either start a new business or a new career.
This is especially true in North Carolina where several major universities and the graduates they produce sowed the seeds for a booming tech industry in the Raleigh, NC /Durham, NC/ Chapel Hill, NC area.
Known as the Research Triangle, entrepreneurial businessmen and major corporations have flocked to North Carolina over the last couple decades to take advantage of high quality college graduates and local institutions.
If you’re looking for a job or simply looking for new challenges, college and university towns in North Carolina are great places to get your foot in the door with some very dynamic companies.
Also if you have money to invest, college and university towns are great places to buy and rent real estate given the transient nature of their student populations.
Be sure to read more about the 5 Best College Towns in North Carolina.
About Bob Bencivenga
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Bob Bencivenga is a professional site locator and location analyst for major corporations and has been researching the growth of NC and SC to find the Best Places to Retire or Relocate that are still affordable. |
| Visit his blog The Carolina Report and sign up for FREE updates by email,his FREE Affordable Best Places To Live Report and, get FREE Expert Advice on how to find Your Best Place to Retire or Relocate to in North Carolina and South Carolina, additional resources, and a lot more.
Bob does not sell real estate. |
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