8 Things You Need to Know Before Moving to North Carolina

North Carolina is a fairly good state to relocate to. If you’re considering moving there, we can only congratulate you ‒ this is really a good choice. The landscape of the state is pretty diverse, the climate is moderate, and overall the state is considered to be very comfortable for living.

Moving your family or business there, retiring, or starting a completely new life ‒ North Carolina will fit your needs regardless of your goals for the relocation.

Let’s review some things you have to know about North Carolina before moving there.

Is North Carolina a good place to live in?

The short answer is ‒ yes, it is. The business climate is very comfortable, and the costs of living won’t heavily affect your bank account despite NC being a relatively big and fast-developing state. Luckily, the state offers a lot of opportunities for people from every social group ‒ from millennials looking for a new place to start anew to gen X and boomers looking for a perfect place to retire.

Geographically speaking, North Carolina is nearly perfect. It has everything you might want from nature: beautiful plains along the coast, rivers, islands, the Atlantic Ocean, and lakes. The beauty of nature is really something else from mountains on the west and plains on the east. This is probably why there are many national and state parks as well as national forests. With that in mind, you also have a lot of hiking and riding trails, camping locations, and simply picturesque sights. Some of them are more popular, some are less ‒ if you ask residents about popular camping locations, they will tell you about every closest one, anyways.

Another heavy advantage of life in North Carolina is the pretty peaceful life you can lead there. There are a lot of both job (more on that later) and entertainment opportunities, so maintaining a healthy work-life balance definitely won’t be an issue.

Of course, there are some downsides, too. Small towns in NC with high unemployment rates have more criminal records than more successful towns and cities. Overall, North Carolina takes 26th place in safety among other states, which is exactly the middle. Luckily, most of the cities in this state are much safer.

If you’re an enjoyer of seasonal climate change, NC will meet you with mildly stable weather throughout the year. Sure, it will be a bit hotter in summer and a bit cooler in winter, but overall, the weather remains the same.

And if you like this kind of weather ‒ well, great! Except hurricanes (especially in hurricane season) can become violent there. NC residents and their properties are always at risk of hurricane damage, especially in summer and autumn. It’s only logical that you have to get insurance for any damage a hurricane might cause to your property.

Best North Carolina places to live in

Regardless of whether you’re an enjoyer of nature or an urban person, North Caroline has a suitable and comfortable place for everyone.

You can settle in Charlotte, the richest and most populated city in NC. It has everything: entertainment, a lot of jobs, and higher education opportunities. These are also the reasons for the neverending growth of Charlotte’s population ‒ the city is thriving as ever.

Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill form a historical area named the NC Triangle Area, which is considered to be an educational and medical hub of the state. You can call it a Silicon Valley for medicine because the medicine and science research industry in NC Triangle Area is booming right now, attracting more investors, startups, and professional workers.

Durham is probably the most “medical” city of them all. It has the best hospitals in the US and a very high doctor-per-population ratio.

If you’re looking for something more affordable than Durham and Raleigh, you can consider moving to Wake Forest ‒ still beautiful, still NC, but life there is a bit more affordable.

Chapel Hill is commonly known for its education opportunities. It might look just like a boring college town, though, but there’s more to that in terms of job opportunities, museums, and leisure management.

For even more beautiful views and quieter life, you can settle in Wilmington. It has everything you might need for a comfy living, and the local community is very welcoming there. Besides, it has some scenic beach views ‒ a perfect soothing landscape.

Is it expensive to live there?

North Carolina holds the perfect balance there. It’s not too cheap to live there, but it’s also not the worst-case scenario in terms of spending. The cost of living in NC is a bit lower than the US average.

And as for housing, you can buy your own property for around $400000 ‒ not as high as in some big cities, but still.

Greensboro, Raleigh, and Charlotte are considered to be the most affordable places to live in.

Job opportunities in North Carolina

No matter the industry you’re in, North Carolina has plenty of job opportunities for you in every North Carolina city. Even outside the so-called NC Triangle, there are a lot of great opportunities for entrepreneurs and specialists. More and more communities are also adapting to the post-COVID reality, offering more remote jobs and creating wide co-working spaces.

The economy in NC is technology-driven, meaning the post-industrial society is quickly adapting and building a better work environment for all. Let’s see what you can get in some of NC’s top industries.

North Carolina is a well-known banking center ‒ the second-largest in the US. As you can tell, the business climate there is perfect both for finding a stable job in tech giants like AT&T and Microsoft and launching your own business in finance. Even if you run a small local business in North Carolina, you have every opportunity to live a financially stable life.

The energy sector is another fast-growing industry in North Carolina. The electricity production amounts are the third biggest in the US, not to mention a huge and ever-growing turbine manufacturing industry. Companies like Hitachi and Siemens have their turbine production in North Carolina, so you know this is a technologically advanced state.

If you’re looking for a job in biotechnology or pharma, North Carolina is also a great place for you. The state has enormous research capabilities and well-known institutions ‒ most thankfully to the high number of research unis in the NC Triangle area. Aside from research, the manufacturing is also done in North Carolina ‒ you’ll find pretty Bayer and Biogen factories in the state as well as other pharma giants choosing NC to manufacture their products.

As for defense and aviation particularly, NC holds a proud name of home for companies like Lockheed Martin and Honda Jet. Moreover, aside from headquarters, their manufacturing also takes place in North Carolina. This way, if you’re an aspiring engineer pursuing a career in aerospace, North Carolina will welcome you with some opportunities.

Now, what about crafts? North Carolina is the biggest furniture manufacturer not only in the US but also in the world. Trade shows, factories ‒ if you previously worked in the furniture industry, expect some great positive changes for your career in NC.

And, finally, North Carolina is home to many high-ranked universities. Some of them are also well-known research institutions. Applying for your post-graduate or undergraduate program in science, medicine, engineering, and business management in NC is a good choice that will provide you with a great job in the future, not to mention all the research and academic growth opportunities.

A good place for your retirement

Seems like North Carolina is perfect for youth and families, but what about older people? If you consider North Carolina as a place for your retirement, it’s definitely a good choice. Take into the account beautiful nature around with mountains and rivers, lower taxes, and a much lower cost of living for those who retired.

Settling down in NC is a perfect choice who want to enjoy their life to the fullest. The housing market has some great and affordable offers, and senior living and assisted living communities are also very welcoming. North Carolina is a great place to have a calm and joyful life after years of working for the country.

What you should know about NC traffic?

Many people mention North Carolina traffic, so we decided to talk about it here, too. Life in NC requires you to have a car regardless of where you live ‒ in a big city or a smaller town. Sure, there is a public transportation system, but the infrastructure is definitely more car-oriented.

The farther you move from city centers, the less walkable these streets become. Pedestrian infrastructure is well-developed mostly in city centers, and for far neighborhoods and smaller towns, a car is your must-have.

For example, if you want to spend an evening in Charlotte downtown while living in Huntersville, your only option to get there and then get back home is to drive a car. But it’s not like the situation is different in other states ‒ this is more of the US problem than NC.