I believe this is week number eight of our journey to find the best places in the Carolinas with populations of 50,000 to 100,000 people.
I just wanted to offer a reminder of what makes this group of best places to live so special and why you might want to keep them in mind as you look for Your best place to retire or relocate in North Carolina or South Carolina.
All the best places to live we’ve looked at offer:
- Affordability and lower cost of living
- Diverse economic bases that mean not only
- Jobs
- A more cosmopolitan population
- Growing investment in the services and amenities
- Higher quality of living
Also, many of these best places to live in NC or SC are on or near long established transportation routes meaning excellent access and ease of travel.
Another plus is many of these best places are college towns. These college towns have good public schools and great educational opportunities for young and old.
Lastly, this group of best places tend to be located near larger cities offering you access to all the great things big cities offer without actually having to live in one.
If you’ve been following me throughout our journey then you know the Charlotte, NC metropolitan area reaches into parts of northeastern South Carolina.
A couple of my favorite best places to live in South Carolina are in this area.
One being the small town of York, SC and the other is today’s stop, the city of Rock Hill, SC, population 64,698.
The European-American city was named for a flint hill of rock that was in the way of the Charlotte and South Carolina Railroad, which was building a rail line from Charlotte, NC to Columbia, SC.
The city of Rock Hill, SC sits along the I-77 corridor only twenty minutes south of Charlotte, NC.
What you might not know is that Rock Hill is actually the fourth largest city in South Carolina.
Being within the Charlotte, NC metropolitan area, Rock Hill, SC has seen its population increase by roughly 40% over the last ten years as people looking to retire and relocate to the Charlotte area.
Opting for an affordable small-town lifestyle with access to all the big city has to offer Rock Hill is a great option only a short drive away.
York County, SC has a very impressive history and rich heritage.
Despite the recent rapid growth, the people of Rock Hill have put a lot of time into regulating that growth and preserving the historic character of the city.
Preservation of its beautiful old historic buildings to the quaint downtown streets covered by awnings and the many parks and statues providing both beauty and spaces for relaxation.
The people here are friendly and the atmosphere calm and I love all the outward signs of civic pride and real community. Especially all the wonderful community clubs to get involved with.
You’re probably asking yourself what are some of the intangibles you’ll need to think about when considering Rock Hill, SC as your best place to relocate or retire in South Carolina.
Location, location, location is something to definitely think about.
Remember you're not only close to Charlotte, NC but with the combination of major interstate highways, railroad lines and regional airports, Rock Hill, SC is only an hour away from Columbia, SC and places like the Research Triangle area (Raleigh, NC, Durham, NC and Chapel Hill, NC), Atlanta, GA.
Let's just say with the availability of the various types of transportation in combination with it's location, Rock Hill, SC is readily accessible to just about anywhere in the country.
In terms of education, Rock Hill is home to three colleges including historic Winthrop University and York Technical College and the local Rock Hill School district serves over 30,000 kids and has a good reputation.
Overall the weather tends to be quite balmy in the summer and cool and dry during the winters.
There is a lot to do outside in this best place to live in South Carolina whether you want to spend time out on the Catawba River, hiking in nearby parks or hitting the links on one of York County’s many golf courses.
The median home value in Rock Hill, SC is approximately $92,800 and while single family homes are well represented in the local housing market, townhomes, and manufactured housing can also be found at reasonable rates.
About 46% of Rock Hill's residents are renters so for those of you not interested in buying a home at this time you’ll find renting is a good option.
That’s all for this week so come back next Friday when we visit another of the best places to live in South Carolina or North Carolina. My best places to retire or relocate in the Carolinas with populations of 50,000 to 100,000 people.
See You next week,
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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Hello!
Welcome back to our tour of all the best places to live in North Carolina and South Carolina with populations of 50,000 to 100,000 people.
I had so much fun in the Charlotte, NC area visiting Concord, NC last week that it looks like we’re going to stick around for a couple more days.
So…
Today we’re going to drive a short 30 minutes west of Charlotte, NC on Interstate 85 to the city of Gastonia, NC, population 70,618.
If you’ve done some research you’ll know that Gastonia, NC has been in the news within the last year being named not only a 2010 All-American City but also The Most Livable Small City in America in the same year.
Wow…
Both of these awards are important markers because they are recognition of the kinds of qualities we all hope to find when looking for Your best place to relocate or retire in the Carolinas.
Alright, this week we continue to look at our best places to retire or relocate in the Carolinas with populations of 50,000 to 100,000 people.
As you know, we've been in the Piedmont region of North Carolina for the past few weeks but today we’re moving out heading south to the Charlotte, North Carolina area.
While Charlotte’s sprawling upscale metropolis dominates the southern Piedmont area, it is the smaller towns and cities just outside of the “Queen City” that I think you may want to consider and seriously take a look at.
This area was known mostly for its cotton and textile industry and there are a number of old mill towns that offer you affordability and small town community while benefiting from the services, amenities and economic activity in nearby Charlotte.
You’ll remember we’ve already looked at one such city, Kannapolis, NC, and today we’re going to visit Concord, NC, population, 79,006.
Located only twenty miles northeast of Charlotte, Concord, NC is the county seat of Cabarrus County and the second largest city in the Charlotte Metropolitan area.
To give you an idea how much of an impact the recent economic and population growth around Charlotte has had on Concord, only twenty-five years ago Concord was a small town of around 18,000 people.
Since that time, Concord has developed into an outer suburban town of almost 80,000. Yes, in North Carolina Concord is considered a town regardless of it's population.
What that tells you is a lot of people want to live in this area and the demographic data shows that places like Concord, NC are attracting people from all age groups, education levels and income levels.
As I mentioned before, for people wanting to move to the Charlotte area, Concord offers lower costs, affordable housing, and a stronger sense of community than you’ll find in the big city.
Welcome back to another week of the best places to live in the Carolina with populations between 50,000 and 100,000 people.
This week we’re staying in the northern Piedmont region of North Carolina and moving a little more than an hour west from Chapel Hill, NC to an area also known as the Piedmont Triad area.
The Piedmont Triad area consists of three cities, Winston-Salem, NC, Greensboro, NC and our next best place, the city of High Point, NC, population 101,409.
As you may remember from other Carolina Reports, there are a significant number of towns and cities in the northern Piedmont region that owe their existence and growth to the railroads.
In the case of High Point, NC it was the state-owned North Carolina Railroad that looped north from Morehead City, NC to Greensboro, NC and proceeded down to Charlotte, NC.
In fact, much like with Apex, NC the name High Point came from the fact that it was located at the geographical highest point on the rail line.
Although tobacco, textiles and transportation were for a time important industries, what really put High Point, North Carolina on the map was furniture.
Today High Point, NC has over 125 local manufacturers and over 50 retail outlets.
Wow…shopping anyone?
Alright, here we go into week number four of looking at the best places to live in the Carolinas with populations between 50,000 and 100,000 people.
We started out on the beautiful coastline of North Carolina and have slowly been working our way up into the heartland of the state, the Piedmont Region.
Before we discuss today’s best place I thought I’d give you something to chew on.
Get Detailed Information on the Best Cities and Towns in the North Carolina Ultimate Guide!
