The 10 Best Places To Live In North Carolina - Job, Retire, Family & Education 

I’ve lived in North Carolina all my life (55 years), and all I have to say is whoever created this video is OBVIOUSLY not from NC. Most of this information is based on income, job market, and housing cost. There is SO much more to LIVING and LOVING North Carolina than this! All I can suggest if you are debating on moving here, do a LOT of research! The large cities usually aren’t worth the money when it means sacrificing your safety and mental health.

Charlotte does not have a low cost of living. I guess compared to cities like nyc or san fran yes but it's not low

I am Korean. I miss NC so much especially Chapel Hill where I received my Ph.d. at UNC. Now I live in Seoul but my mind hovers around CH much of my time.

I watch several RU-vid videos on how to trade in the stock market but haven't made any headstart because they are either talking some gibberish or sharing their story of how they made it and I do not want to make mistakes by taking risks in my own hands

Asheville has the highest cost of living in the state. Housing is in very short supply and is very expensive to say the least. Asheville enjoys the highest water rates in the state along with mostly low paying service jobs. As a native of Asheville, I can say the local government is doing a great job in pricing out the natives and replacing them with transplants!!

Who ever did this video did zero research on NC

Those of us that live in NC are laughing at this video. So untrue

Hello from Sanford NC! As the daughter of a career Air Force veteran I can tell you that every state has its charms and it's downfalls. It is up to each individual to decide their own path. Home is where you make it, wherever that may be. I am a frequent visitor to Wilmington and know the areas to avoid, much like my hometown of North Charleston, SC. Charleston and Wilmington are both beautiful with lots to see and do. My parents were both from rural areas of North Carolina and I choose to live in one of those areas that I love. By the way, not one mention of Fayetteville, home to one of the largest military posts in the world. Our population has grown by leaps and bounds but I welcome the men and women who keep us safe. Do not rely on a video to decide where you live, rather get in your car and take a day trip. You might be pleasantly surprised.

i live in winston-salem and you put a picture of wake forest university when talking about wake forest nc. the university is actually is winston

No need to watch video just read the comments🤣🤣🤣

Couple of things this video does not mention if you are thinking of moving to NC. 1 Yes we have all 4 seasons, often in the same day. There will be days you will want a coat in the early morning, light jacket by mid morning, t shirts by noon, shorts in the afternoon. 2 If you have seasonal allergies get on something. If you have never had seasonal allergies get tested before you come here. If not, come late February or early March, you will be miserable. The pollen season usually lasts into Mid May or early June. 3 Please note, if you do move here you will find most native North Carolinians to be welcoming and friendly. JUST DON'T TRY TO CHANGE THINGS TO HOW THEY WERE WHEREVER YOU CAME FROM. There are reasons we don't do things like they did in Buffalo.

Having lived in North Carolina all my life, I know this state quite well. This video is full of errors, misleading information, and improperly identified photos. Production qualities are OK, but being factually weak makes it all but useless.

as someone who has lived in NC for 17 years (born and raised) these are pretty false

Just remember north Carolina is being the #1 state for the past decade in open new business that has potential to grow with no problem

Charlotte. Traffic, high enough crime rate. Just no. Parts of Asheville are nice yes....but it is NOT cheap.....also their traffic sucks. Cary traffic is sometimes insane, and the housing is not as affordable as they make it sound. Do actual research and not just regurgitate what Wikipedia says.

Dont watch a video about NC made from someone that does not know ANYTHING about NC. If you are from the north and thinking about moving to NC, please stay away from Apex and Cary. If you do move here, stop trying to turn our culture into the same culture you're moving away from or else we will have the same issues as NYC.

When they showed asheville most was the parkway. Expensive to live there

They forget to mention that Wilmington is 45 minutes from Camp Lejeune and you'll get drunk Marines there every weekend.

Video: people are friendly Comments: please don’t come to my city

Durham also made the top ten worst place to live in NC. 😂

i live in Wilmington NC, Inside the city limits, 230K will get you a one room shack.

The woman talking gets on my nerves for some reason

NC doesn’t pay people according to cost of living

"Raleigh is a very well educated city" didn't know this was a comedy video, that got me good

The Narrator can’t be from NC lol

Raleigh-Durham is an Airport, not a city.

Durham has lots of crime. Raleigh's traffic is horrendous and Charlotte is quite crowded. Small towns a long the coast, such as New Bern and Washington have charm, low taxes as well as offering easy access to the beach. Indeed most of coastal Carolina is a better alternative for those wishing to move here.

. traffic in Raleigh is horrible, gets even worse on US 1 towards Wake Forest and 401.

I live in NC and would not live in any of the mentioned areas. I don't even like driving through them.

Man, the info in this video is off. 1) I don’t even know why Durham was on the list. The crime is high unless you’re in the suburban areas. 2) The household income of Apex is not 80k it’s over 100k. 3) The household income of Cary isn’t 90k it’s near 100k. 4) Why wasn’t Holly Springs on the list? Again another town with a household income over 100k.

As someone who lives in Asheville area they absolutely hate transplants and I laughed when they said it was low priced

Winston-Salem is my favorite small city in NC. Winston prides itself on the arts, and it’s history. Old Salem, Reynolda, and Tanglewood are unique to the city. The education is good, with graduation rates in the 90 percentile. Not to forget, Krispy Kreme was made here. Winston-Salem is a thriving city and should have been on the List. I also noticed you put the Wake Forest University picture in Wake Forest NC. Wake Forest and the HBCU Winston-Salem State are two famous universities. Winston has everything of a big city, but it’s relatively small.

FYI - Wake Forest University is in Winston-Salem, not Wake Forest...

*In action movie narrator voice:* Do you want to live on the edge? Move to Durham, NC if you want to be on the edge of getting shot on a daily basis.

If NC can figure out how to get Internet to homes in the mountains, that’d be great. Out here in Franklin, we might as well have dial up modems.

I moved to Winston Salem last year. Its weather is wonderful..its housing prices are low.I payed 164500.in 18..its fabulous.Taxes are 1700 for 2000 sq ft. Theres no comparison to this beautiful place..people are the best.

No HBCU’s were even mentioned and that’s one of North Carolina’s best assets!!!!

From Raleigh live in Concord (Charlotte)...go elsewhere TRUST ME! Charlotte is HIGHLY overrated.

They used a video of Wilmington when they were talking about Greensboro 😂

I live in sprawling rural Grimesland. Moved here from the west coast. I love it here. I love the quiet. The clear skies. The clean air. The economy is less than where I came from, although new construction is rampant while infrastructure hasn’t been ramped up. I fear the open areas are being taken over by greedy developers.

I live in Greensboro and it's not all that. If they could charge you for air they would. Yes rent is low but with a separate bill for everything it adds up

People who complain about Charlotte COL never lived in a major city before, maybe you can’t live uptown or in expensive zip codes but affordable places do exist....The problem with Charlotte is that rent and home prices are outpacing income unless you work in finance, tech, or sales....you must get in those fields if you want to live comfortably here, fast food jobs ain’t gonna cut it, also I would not retire here unless you are coming from up north, move to surrounding counties in SC for that

Despite the hype places like LA,NY,FL get. once you get there you realize people boost it up overcrowded, expensive etc. NC is one of the few states that has mountains, beaches , and cities all in the same state good food, nice people , jobs, affordable

As someone who lived in NC for 7 years , they used photos of Wilmington several times throughout this video..... Lol

Don't move to Raleigh, Durham, Wake Forest, Apex or Cary unless you like LOTS of rain and high humidity. Seriously, the humidity is so high in that area that you can actually see mold growing on people's roofs! The area is very vulnerable to hurricanes, and can get tornadoes during severe storms. There's even an article on Wikipedia about the multiple tornadoes that went through the area in 2011, even going through downtown Raleigh. They just had between 5 - 8 inches of rain yesterday in a 24 hr period. They should change the nickname of Raleigh from "City of Oaks" to Rainy Raleigh.

I'm from cherryville I recently moved to TN but cherryville is pretty a one horse town used to be a town you would hear in a country song but everyone moving in from Charlotte is running the once peaceful and quiet town to a place you want to lock your door at night

I have lived in Raeford NC for 20 years and I really like this state ... I travel 3 times a month to Wilmington, kure Beach and Carolina Beach, for fishing.

Everything is so beautiful on this video...I almost believe it... I've been living here for about 6 years...I wish was that way...

The downtown shown for Greensboro and Wake Forest was actually Front and Market streets in Wilmington. Good lord, is anything real on YT?

LOL. We do not have beautiful weather. 🤣🤣 it literally flash flooded one day, snowed the next, and shined all in 3 consecutive days. Hahaha

I studied at uncg from 2014 until 2019 it was beautiful I liked it I wish I come back again and drive around I really can’t forget our friends there, for me people over there are friendly. Btw when I came to NC I couldn’t speak a ward in English, I didn’t speak at all but work hard and be social helped me a lot especially 180 bar and jack lol in spring garden street. That’s what’s up baby. I love you all NC. From Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦

Undoubtedly these people don't live here and didn't bother to ask those who do, the home prices are higher than they tell you , the government corruption is ridiculous, and lets not forget our crime rates , drug traffic corridor and that we rank very high on the list for human trafficking! Makes it lovely doesn't it !

It’s so so on info. I grew up on the border of VA and went military for over 20 years. I retired to Cary last year and it may be expensive for NC, way cheaper and safer than most parts of Cali or other locations I was stationed at (CA, HI, MD, NYC). So I’d agree with the Cary/Apex part.

if you walk down the wrong street in downtown Raleigh it's not rare to see people getting arrested, selling drug or just being naked.

Lived in North Carolina and nothing but good things to say about the state. God bless everybody from Patrick

CARY. Containment Area for Relocated Yankees

Forgot to mention the horrible traffic everywhere because of many new subdivision, the cutting down of the trees because of the same matter and the flooding everywhere. People are destroying the beautiful NC no more forest everywhere and now so much pollution on sides of the roads. 😔😔

We lived in Wilmington North Carolina for a short time in 2010 we found the people extremely friendly the rental prices were great and everything else was fantastic the beaches were wonderful so as far as anybody having a complaint hey are dead wrong from what I could have seen it said we enjoyed it

I used to live near Asheville and it is beautiful in that area...love to move back someday...

I'm doing some city shopping soon. thank you for sharing

I would like to know where the data came from to make this video. Wake Forest University is not in Wake Forest. Cary & Apex is just Raleigh, Only thing in Durham is Duke, and the Bulls. Most educated professionals don't actually live there. Chapel Hill isn't a city. It's a College town, and UNC makes up 70% of the population. Greensboro, really, its on the list. LOL. What about Boone, or Winston Salem. Charlotte #9 also? Come On Man.

Listen...Raleigh is Raleigh and Durham is Durham! I'm proud to be a Durham native! Please stop grouping us together! Btw...Duke is not in Raleigh...it is in Durham! We only share an airport, that's it people! Please and thank you!!

Stop encouraging folks to move here we have enough as it is already and if you vote blue take it elsewhere we don't want it.

I live in NC FOR 38 years and I loved it. I avoided the areas on this list like the plague! NC is an amazing place, if you get out into the country. After living in OH for 12 years, I can say NC is not cheap, food, housing, and healthcare are all pricey!

This is why our great state is FULL 🙄

In Charlotte, half of the people go to church and the other half steal their cars.

Good news for some Durham residents, according to the mechanized "voice" of this video, Duke University has relocated to Raleigh.

You can't afford to live in Asheville or something nere by cost of home here and rent is some of the highest cost in the world and wages are very low do your research before you come here

We moved here five years ago from Rhode Island and I absolutely love it the people are nice I love the climate and you can live comfortably without having to scrape which is nice we live in Kannapolis not Carolina and I have to say I will never leave I'm here for life thank you for being so welcoming

I moved from houston tx, several years ago..and today I am still in love with this land..the people are very kind and educated..I live in cary one of the best places to live in the usa

I was born and raised in Charlotte and at one time it was a nice place to live in or just visit. Now I wouldn’t live there because it’s just too crowded therefore too much traffic. Now I live in an adjoining county which I much more comfortable and because Charlotte is surrounded by interstate highways you can get all around the city on a six lane highway system. I live on a couple acres of land with about 20,000 acres of forest land surrounding our community. So the area of Charlotte is cramped but out in the counties that are around the Charlotte area living is more laid back and comfortable. It is expensive to live in or around the Charlotte area but it can be more so living out in the surrounding countries.

Durham? I've lived her all my life maybe 30yrs ago but now the crime rate has skyrocketed.

North Carolina is absolutely beautiful! If you love mountains 🏔you can live in the mountain rage. If your a beach person you can live in the beach! If you love the costal plains live there! NC is cheap,and beautiful!

They made a mistake on calling Winston Salem Wake Forest. Wake Forest is the college and a area in Winston Salem. I live in N.C and know the state well.

@Around The World Thanks I need this !!👏👏

I went back to work for a few years through a major corporation there. the nicest people I've ever met in my entire life I live in North Carolina

As a lifelong NC citizen, please, for the love of whichever God you worship, don’t move to Asheville. It shouldn’t even be on this list.

I love how every North Carolinian in the comments knows this is all false lol

Yeah. The cost of living in Asheville is ABOVE the national average... Like 2-3% I believe. And housing costs are already waaay above the national average.

Why would anyone want to live in Raleigh, Durham, or Charlotte? Too much traffic, too expensive for everything, too much crime, too snooty, and Why would anyone want that?

There’s no car inspection in South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Etc... North Carolina should do the same.

Winston-Salem is better than Greensboro just saying

Reidsville and Eden in Rockingham County are great. Right now, I'm living in Auburn, Alabama. I plan on moving back to North Carolina. Just not sure when. I once lived in High Point from 2004 - 2016. If and when I do come back, I plan on living in Rockingham County again.

Lmao. Wilmington is far from affordable, and the only “historic walkable” part is smack in the hood, so good luck with that. This is so unrealistic

Moving there soon. 18.5 years in Florida is more than enough.

Nice to show pictures of Wilmington in other cities which concludes that Wilmington Is # 1

I’m from England but get to go to Greensboro twice a year as our head office is there . It’s beautiful . I remember a car slowed down to let me cross the road 🤷🏻‍♂️ it’s so friendly it’s like a different world lol

We lived in Raleigh and moved to PA hate it here so back to NC Winston Salem in April or May we can't wait.

I am slightly surprised Concord/Kannapolis isn't on this list, with it's constant growth, proximity to Charlotte, motorsport, and super low property taxes.

Asheville is beautiful, but forget finding work there unless you are in healthcare or restaurant business. The rent is also very high now.

If you decide to relocate to Asheville, it would be in your best interest to visit it first. There is a severe shortage of housing, and those buying should count on making a cash offer in the high six figure range. Most jobs are in the service industry, making it nearly prohibitive for young, first time buyers to even compete. Rentals are scarce and their prices have skyrocketed in the past year.

I live in NC but beware we got high crime in Raleigh and Durham and while you out go to a Durham Bulls game only 8-10 dollars a set

Let me go ahead and give you the real info with one sentence for some of the places I, as a North Carolinian am familiar with. 1. Cary - A hotspot for wealthy middle aged to old people to migrate from New Jersey and New York with cops that love to overcompensate 2. Ashville - It truly is nice up there, but the cost of living is extremely high and unlike the triangle, the job market is not nearly as versatile. 3. Charlotte - Great city and all but the traffic is terrible, nuff said. 4. Raleigh/Durham (One sentence for each?) - There are nice places in each but equally rough places as well. It's not uncommon to see homeless people in the park in downtown Raleigh and while Durham no longer has as significant of a crime problem shootings are not uncommon either, I will add however that Durham has recently revamped the downtown area and it is lovely. 5. Apex - Rich suburb home to thousands of Karens and Kyles, we're talking the kind of people who would sue you because their daughter crashed the lexus her daddy bought her into you because she was drunk. 6. Wake Forest - Listen closely video lady Wake Forest University is in WInston-Salem, not in the actual town, Wake Forest. 7. Greensboro - It's boring, not much happening, if you live there than you probably are saving to buy a beach or mountain vacation spot. 8. Wilmington - I like Wilmington, they got a massive drug problem and tourists trash the beaches but its a cool city. 9. Davidson - Only been here once but I consider it the Apex of Charlotte suburbs. 10. Chapel Hill - I'm a Tarheels fan so I'm biased but Chapel Hill at the heart of it is a college town, downtown is full of college students and a lot of the major infrastructure is there because of UNC (Rex Hospital and the like) That's pretty much all of them. Don't get me wrong I love my state and there are tons of great people and places here. The real problem is that through the rising industries in service, tech, medical care and education, many people from the northeastern states like New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and pennsylvania have almost over taken the major towns and cities and it's sort of made NC culturally ambiguous and that can be rather annoying to people like me who were born and raised in NC. If anyone has made it this far I salute you, I don't really know why I'm writing all this, I guess i'm just bored, ok whatever, Bojangles, Pepsi and Krispy Kreme for life baby!

I’ve got family in North Carolina and I’ve been having some trouble in my home town in England. So I’m going to be staying in North Carolina for a few weeks, I’m hoping to stay there for a few years if I can.

Asheville native, and just want to say this was a wonderful video but I think that they may need to check the figure as to how many live in Asheville it has to be closer to 100,000+. But thanks for sharing

Been here since 2000 and love it,,,,,

Most of these places are just too urban for my taste. I used to love to visit Asheville, but it's getting a little too crowded these days. Disappointed that nothing else in the west won out.

Born and raised is NewBern NC and drive 2hrs to and from Wilmington 6 days a week for work.

Asheville and the surrounding mountain areas are a favorite.

Basically this can be summed up by, "Move to a suburb in the Raleigh metro." Nice, will do!