As one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, there’s no shortage of good reasons to move to Raleigh. Known for its mild winters, lively downtown arts scene, and ever-expanding economy, Raleigh is a great place for young professionals to start their careers and young couples to start their families. Raleigh has some of the most valuable homes for sale in North Carolina, with properties going on the market every day. If you’re interested in moving to North Carolina’s capital, check out these 7 reasons to relocate to Raleigh.
1. Raleigh’s economy is booming.
Raleigh is forecasting future job growth of 44% over the next ten years and has seen a true economic revival since the turn of the twenty-first century. The city supports jobs in industries such as tech, finance, and health care. Whether you’re sixteen looking for your first job or sixty looking for some part-time fun in your retirement, Raleigh has you covered.
Raleigh is the easternmost point of North Carolina’s research triangle, a trio of three universities that pool together some of the best and brightest minds in the country. The cities of the triangle, Durham, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh, are closely linked, and if you live in one of them you live in all of them. Their economies are interdependent, and as all three cities have seen major growth over the last twenty years, the region as a whole has flourished.
Raleigh also has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, at 4.3% compared to the national average of 6%. This is in sharp contrast to major cities whose rates approach the 10% mark and is as sure a sign of Raleigh’s economic health as all the small businesses that line the streets in and around the city. If you’re moving to Raleigh and looking for a job, you’d have a hard time not finding one.
2. Raleigh has fantastic schools.
Raleigh takes its education seriously, which should come as no surprise for a city that forms ⅓ of a research triangle. Raleigh’s school district, the Wake County Public School System, is rated the third-best in the state and boasts a graduation rate of 86%!
Aside from traditional elementary and high school options, Raleigh hosts a number of Magnet schools, as well as International Baccalaureate schools and even early college high schools. If your main concern as a parent is getting your kids ready for higher education, Raleigh is the city for you. If you’re interested in going back to school yourself, whether for a nursing degree or a master’s program, you have the whole research triangle at your fingertips.
3. Raleigh Real Estate is booming
Raleigh’s real estate market is among the top-performing markets in the country, and resident homeowners could not be more pleased with how much their homes have appreciated over the past five years. The median listing price for single family homes for sale in Raleigh, NC is $379,000, just a little over the national average, so don’t feel like you’re too late to the party if you’re thinking about relocating to Raleigh.
There’s a lot of condos for sale in downtown Raleigh, most of which were built within the last ten years. Since the early 2000’s Raleigh’s suburbs have matured into picturesque, tree-lined neighborhoods, with three-to-four bedroom homes that are perfect for large families.
The market is hot but not too hot. Houses typically list for around a month before they’re sold, giving prospective buyers plenty of breathing room to find the right home for them and negotiate with the sellers. This should come as a huge relief for anyone used to the high-stakes markets characteristic of so many major American cities in recent months.
4. It’s easy to get around.
Raleigh was one of the first “planned” cities in the U.S. This planning resulted in Raleigh’s road work being among the most efficient in the country. No matter where you are in the city, you can get to almost any other point by car in thirty minutes or less. Raleigh’s beltways form an almost perfect ring around the city center, with well-spaced spurs that grant access to the downtown. You’ll run into traffic only during rush hour or major holidays, and traffic is rarely ever brought to a stop.
Raleigh’s transportation system also extends to its fellow research triangle neighbors, and you can easily drive from downtown Raleigh to Durham and Chapel in about thirty and forty minutes respectively. As we said earlier, if you’re moving to Raleigh, you’re moving to every town in the research triangle, so rest assured knowing that your commute will be among the easiest in the whole country.
5. There are plenty of green spaces.
Raleigh is far from a gray sprawl of concrete and asphalt. The “city of oaks” is so uniformly and heavily forested that you’ll rarely see the downtown skyline, even from the freeways. Nearly every neighborhood is well-shaded by mature trees, which will come in handy during the sunny summers. There are also plenty of parks to enjoy both downtown and in the suburbs. Many of these parks are walking paths that run along all the little creeks and ponds that can be found just about anywhere in the city. For those of you used to concrete jungles, relocating to Raleigh will be a literal breath of fresh air.
6. Raleigh is great for day trips.
Raleigh is perfectly located in North Carolina for lovers of the mountains and the beach. Drive west and in two hours you’ll be in the heart of Appalachia, well within reach of famous mountain towns like Asheville and Boone. Go east and you’ll be at the beach in under three hours, with the outer banks and all of Pamlico Sound to enjoy. The opportunities for day trips are endless, and the drives out are just short enough to not have to worry about the kids getting too anxious in the back seat.
7. Raleigh has a great downtown scene.
Whether you want to get drinks with your friends after work or take your kids to a science museum, Raleigh’s downtown has it all. With plenty of parking options and lots to explore, you could visit downtown every other weekend for a year and still not see it all. And if you’re into live music, the main outdoor music venue in downtown Raleigh, Red Hat Amphitheater, brings in great acts all summer long.
Raleigh’s renaissance is still ongoing and there’s no telling just how far the city will go in the near future. If you want to be a part of that growth, get in touch with an agent today to get started on relocating to Raleigh.
