Shopping Bag
Raleigh, NC: Best Situated for Economic Recovery
Raleigh, NC is not just the state capital but the second largest city in North Carolina and it’s not hard to see why it’s attracting so many people looking to relocate or retire in North Carolina.
Okay, this week we are looking at a city in North Carolina with a population of 300,000 plus and there aren’t a lot of places like that in North Carolina or South Carolina.
I have to say visiting the best places to live in North Carolina and South Carolina has been a lot of fun and special thanks to those of you who wrote in suggesting we look at our best places by population.
Now, without further ado, this week we move east from our visit last week in Greensboro, NC and visit one of the most popular places to live and work in the nation, Raleigh, NC, population 404,892.
Obviously Raleigh, NC is a government town so it’s the kind of place that attracts a diverse and professional workforce and tends to enjoy a fairly stable local economy even in a down economy.
Raleigh is also a college town and home to not only North Carolina State University but eight other smaller colleges and technical schools which means a lot of young people and a vibrant social and economic scene.
It also means that education is a big deal here and as with other government/college towns we’ve looked at you’ll see more support for education and quality local school systems.
While state government and the university are major parts of the local economy, what puts Raleigh, NC on the map is the nearby Research Triangle Park and the hundreds of national and international companies doing some of the most advanced bio-medical research and high tech manufacturing in the world.
All this means a higher standard of living, investments in the things that add to quality of life as well as great career and business opportunities for you.
And don’t worry about access or transportation because in this part of the north Piedmont region you’ll find several major national and state highways converge near Raleigh, railroad lines with Amtrak service to much of the East Coast and Raleigh Durham International Airport providing air service to just about anywhere.
In terms of housing, Raleigh, NC has something to fit any budget. You’ll find single family homes are the most common but condominiums, townhouses, multi-family housing and manufactured housing are all popular options.
A little less than half of Raleigh residents are renters which bodes well for those of you not looking to buy.
What I personally like about Raleigh is that for a big city is quite walkable and almost feels smaller than its over 400,000 residents would suggest.
Most of downtown Raleigh is dominated by business and historic government buildings but moving outward you find all manner of cool neighborhoods where the businesses are small, the shops are funky and the food and entertainment are first rate.
And another thing, there’s a reason why they call this place the “City of Oaks” because there are beautiful lush trees everywhere. In fact, there are times where you’ll feel like you are living in a forest not a city and the people here genuinely love their parks and greenways. I highly recommend hitting the Capital Area Greenway and see what I mean.
Raleigh, NC also has an active arts and culture community and home to some of the best museums in the state and quite possibly the East Coast. I really like visiting the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science and the state of the art North Carolina Museum of History.
Of course if museums or art galleries aren’t your thing, college sports, especially big time Division 1 basketball are king in this part of the state and the rivalries between the NC State Wolfpack and neighboring UNC Tarheels and Duke Blue Devils make for a lot of excitement.
And if you love golf, there are so many great local golf courses its no wonder people describe this area as “tees, trees and PhDs.”
Well that’s it for this week and our visit to Raleigh, North Carolina.
Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll see you next Friday!
Bob
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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