A Great Life in the Carolina Piedmont
As we begin searching for our best place to live, retire, or relocate to in the Carolinas, one of the things we have to consider is the best climate that fits our lifestyle.
Our survey last month definitely confirmed that weather and climate is a top reason for all of us considering retiring or relocating to the Carolinas.
Once we have decided the type of weather and climate that fits our criteria for the best place to live, we are faced with learning about the various areas in North Carolina and South Carolina.
A couple of weeks ago we talked about the coastal regions of both North Carolina and South Carolina, the differences between the states, and some things to consider if coastal living is the lifestyle you want as you look for your best place to live.
While the coastal region was the top pick for South Carolina fans in the survey we conducted last month, you can see from the chart below, the majority of the participants (31%) who said North Carolina was their state of choice for their best place to live are most interested in living in the Piedmont region.
Only 15% of the survey participants that were undecided on which state was their best place to live, stated the Piedmont region, however 38% of the people were undecided which region of either state they were most interested in.
So, we continue our tour of both North Carolina and South Carolina into the Piedmont Regions.
In general, the Carolinas have what we call a humid subtropical climate with warm summers and mild winters, but there's some variation as to the weather patterns you can expect moving across each state.
We divide North Carolina and South Carolina into three distinct geographic and climate zones, and one of the more interesting of these three areas is the broad middle swath of each state known as the Piedmont plateau region.
Not only are the Piedmont's the most highly populated areas of both states but also they are the hottest in both temperature and general interest, so today we'll look at climate and weather in the Carolina Piedmont's and how it may affect where you find your best place in the Carolinas.
As noted earlier, the Piedmont plateau areas of both North Carolina and South Carolina are roughly the middle third of each state lying between the broad coastal areas to the east and the mountains to the north and west.
In North Carolina, the eastern edge of the Piedmont starts around Raleigh, NC and the western edge is around Forest City, NC while in South Carolina it runs from about Santee, SC in the east and over near Abbeville, SC in the north and west.
Much of the geography of this plateau consists of gently rolling hills between 200 feet and 1500 in elevation that slowly increase into higher elevations as you move further west into the foothills of the Appalachian mountain ranges.
The Piedmont plateau is the hottest part of the state in terms of average temperatures. The warm tropical air coming up from the Bahamas and moving out of the coastal areas is trapped by the western mountains and settles in over the Piedmont, making the springs there warm and the summers very hot and humid, with average temperatures in the nineties.
Those same western mountains also block the colder air masses coming down from the north making winters in the Piedmont very mild with average temperatures in the forties and very little in the way of snow, maybe one to four inches on average except for some of the northern parts of the Piedmont that can see six to ten inches a year.
What precipitation you will have is rain with an average annual rainfall of 40-50 inches most of which comes during the spring and summer months.
So how will the climate of the Carolina Piedmont affect you and the choices you make about your best places to live, retire or relocate to in the Carolinas?
You’ll find that historically the geography and climate of the Carolina Piedmont have made these areas more economically developed than other parts of the states.
A favorable climate made agriculture and other industries like timber extraction very lucrative, and provided the foundation for later industrialization, and the growth of more numerous and larger cities.
This is important to you for many reasons. Not only is the gardening great, but the diversity and variety of economic and career opportunities in the cities of the Carolina Piedmont is a definite plus.
The cost of living in both North Carolina and South Carolina is lower than the national average even in most of the cities in the Piedmont, and the variety of affordable housing options is quite good.
You will pay a little more for services and property taxes in the larger cities, but given the areas long history of agriculture there are smaller towns all over the Piedmont that allow you to enjoy more affordable living while not being far from all the services and amenities found in the larger cities.
Although traffic in some of these areas is not congested, the transportation infrastructure is more developed than in other areas of either state, especially in terms of the public transportation infrastructure and national and international airports.
While the weather is quite balmy in the summer, it also allows for a lot of outdoor activities from hunting, fishing, hiking, golfing, tennis, and boating in its many lakes and streams.
Frankly you’re only a couple hours away from skiing in the mountains of Asheville, NC or playing on the beaches Charleston SC.
See you next week when we head to the Carolina Mountains.
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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