North Carolina
Best Places To Live In North Carolina In 2022
Editorial Be aware: We earn a fee from accomplice hyperlinks on Forbes Advisor. Commissions don’t have an effect on our editors’ opinions or evaluations.
North Carolina is a mid-Atlantic paradise for a lot of as you may get pleasure from gentle winters whereas avoiding the extreme summer season temps that Texas and Florida endure. The Tarheel State provides a coastal life-style within the east and extra temperate mountain climates.
With wonderful hospitals, universities and a aggressive value of residing, there are a lot of locations to reside in North Carolina for households, retirees and people trying to make a recent begin.
In the event you’re questioning the place one of the best locations to reside in North Carolina are, this information will help you discover your splendid location. We analyzed cities by pulling current information on key life-style elements equivalent to the world’s median dwelling value, private earnings per capita, and the unemployment and crime price.
8. Asheville
Asheville is probably the most outstanding metropolis in western North Carolina that balances its Appalachian historical past with an eclectic, trendy vibe emphasizing sustainable residing.
Open air fanatics will love mountain climbing within the mountains, trying to find waterfalls and driving the Blue Ridge Parkway throughout peak fall season. Town can be dwelling to the Biltmore Property and North Carolina Arboretum.
Nevertheless, this metropolis is usually a surprisingly costly North Carolina mountain city with a few of the state’s highest dwelling costs. Fortunately, North Carolina state taxes are comparatively low and assist offset the next value of residing.
7. Hickory
Hickory is an reasonably priced different to Asheville and Charlotte whereas roughly one hour from both metropolis. The city derives its title from the Hickory Tavern, an inn constructed beneath a hickory tree within the 1850s that finally had a thriving neighborhood spring up round it.
Town is the gateway to the Catawba Valley and is nestled on the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which makes it one of many state’s most budget-friendly cities to benefit from the mountains. This city can be family-friendly with its small inhabitants, low crime price and southern appeal.
6. Greenville
Residence to East Carolina College and a formidable medical heart that doubles as a educating hospital, Greenville is an exhilarating school city with thrilling social actions in the course of the 12 months for college students and residents.
For instance, the town is dwelling to the favored PirateFest, which may vary as much as eight metropolis blocks with swashbuckling enjoyable. There are a number of non-nautical cultural points of interest, too, and you will get to the Outer Banks in solely two hours for a seashore getaway.
5. Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem is without doubt one of the greatest locations to reside in North Carolina for households because the metro space has reasonably priced housing and a low value of residing. The Innovation Quarter enterprise improvement initiative additionally offers a thriving jobs market with numerous workplaces and labs.
There are additionally a number of leisure greenways for exercising open air. You’ll be able to chill out at Bailey Park or get pleasure from Wake Forest College athletics as nicely.
4. Charlotte
Charlotte is the monetary headquarters for a number of banks and is North Carolina’s largest metropolis. Healthcare and know-how are additionally thriving employment sectors.
The “Queen Metropolis” has all of it for younger professionals, households and retirees. Residents can get pleasure from skilled sports activities and a thriving nightlife, and so they even have entry to a significant worldwide airport for journey.
Nevertheless, you should be prepared to both reside in a significant metropolis or commute when you desire a quieter suburban setting. This could possibly be price it, although, as you’ll be simply over three hours away from the seashore and may get pleasure from a temperate local weather with milder winters than the remainder of North Carolina.
3. Durham
The Durham and Chapel Hill space’s declare to fame is likely to be Duke College and the College of North Carolina. These two universities are fascinating establishments to attend, and each faculties have a permanent basketball legacy.
This space additionally competes with close by Raleigh for profitable tech sector jobs. Healthcare is an important supply of employment, too, and is a fascinating amenity for residents. In actual fact, considered one of Durham’s nicknames is the “Metropolis of Drugs” because it’s dwelling to over 300 medical-related corporations, together with Duke College.
2. Wilmington
Wilmington is without doubt one of the greatest locations to reside in North Carolina close to the seashore as it’s extra reasonably priced than the Outer Banks, which is the state’s hottest coastal trip spot. There are a number of pristine seashores—equivalent to Wrightsville Seaside and Oak Island—for time within the sand and solar.
The seaport metropolis has loads of trade that may assist everlasting residents with non-tourism vocations. This city additionally has a wealthy historic district, and also you’re additionally just a few hours from most main North Carolina cities for added sightseeing and massive metropolis facilities.
1. Raleigh
There are lots of favorable elements that might make Raleigh an awesome place to quiet down, together with a top quality of life and an optimistic employment setting. The Analysis Triangle Park has additionally helped convey high-paying tech-related jobs to the world from employers like MetLife, Citrix and RedHat.
As you would possibly count on from these tailwinds, Raleigh is considered one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing cities and it’s additionally the state capital.
Our Methodology
We in contrast the assorted North Carolina metro cities utilizing information from a number of platforms to measure variable standards for dwelling affordability, wholesome employment, inhabitants development and crime price.
The comparability standards and corresponding sources embody:
Sooner, simpler mortgage lending
Test your charges immediately with Higher Mortgage.
Enthusiasm is growing among Asian Americans in North Carolina.
With Kamala Harris stepping into the race and the potential for the country’s first president of Asian American heritage, it’s ignited excitement in the community.
“I’ve already participated in a half dozen Zoom calls about ways members of the Asian American community can help and turn out the vote,” said Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, a Democrat representing portions of Wake County.
Harris marked many “firsts” when she became vice president after the 2020 election: she was the first woman, first Black person, and first Asian American in that position. Her father is Jamaican and her mother is Indian.
Now she has the opportunity to become the first Asian American presidential candidate if she secures the Democratic Party’s nomination.
“What people are excited about is recognizing the historical significance of it, that her lived experiences as an Asian American and Black woman really bring a different, inclusive level of representation to the highest level of government,” North Carolina Asian Americans Together communications director Jimmy Patel-Nguyen said.
The organization is focused on channeling that energy into voter outreach efforts, as well as raising awareness and education about key down ballot races.
The Asian American and Pacific Islander population in North Carolina has steadily increased in recent years.
It’s grown 63.3 percent since 2012 for a population size of about 456,655 in 2024, according to AAPIVote — a nonpartisan group dedicated to strengthening civic engagement for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
There are roughly 235,900 eligible Asian American and Pacific Islander voters in North Carolina, marking a 55.4 percent growth in voter eligibility from 2012 to 2022.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up 2.97 percent of the electorate in the swing state. In 2020, then-President Donald Trump narrowly won North Carolina by less than 75,000 votes.
“It’s really important for us to acknowledge that major campaigns cannot ignore us anymore,” Patel-Nguyen said. “We are too consequential to elections — every election, local, state, and federal, where we’re changing the political landscape in North Carolina.”
The population is concentrated around urban areas. Wake, Mecklenburg, Guilford, Durham, and Orange counties have the highest proportions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Nearly 60 percent of Asian American adults in North Carolina speak a language other than English at home, according to AAPIVote.
Along with low voter contact, language barriers have accounted for low voter turnout for Asian Americans.
“We do see the gaps when it comes to language access and communication,” Rep. Maria Cervania, a Democrat representing portions of Wake County, said. “We know that we need to continue that and more so now.”
That’s why groups like NCAAT work to make voting as accessible as possible. In the past, NCAAT has translated mailers into different languages and made an effort to reach out to voters in their native tongue.
Another issue is avoiding treating the Asian American community as a monolith. With so many different backgrounds and cultures, there’s a wide variety of views across the political spectrum.
“A majority of AAPI voters in North Carolina are registered unaffiliated,” Patel-Nguyen said. “We’re really independent thinkers who are voting on issues and not all party lines.”
Top issues vary for individual voters, but there are general themes.
Younger voters prioritize lowering the cost of living, protecting abortion access and reproductive rights, and making healthcare more affordable, according to a poll by NCAAT. Older voters are more concerned about crime and public safety, as well as the economy and job creation.
The Harris campaign has invested more money into more media than ever in order to reach Asian American voters, according to the campaign.
“In just the first week since Vice President Harris became the presumptive nominee of our party, we’ve seen a groundswell of support from AANHPI voters across North Carolina who are fired up to elect Kamala Harris as the first Asian American president in U.S. history,” according to Natalie Murdock, the campaign’s North Carolina political and coalitions director.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Monday withdrew his name from contention to serve as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. In a social media statement, Cooper thanked Harris for her campaign’s consideration and reaffirmed his confidence in her victory. “This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket,” he said. “She has an outstanding list of people from which to choose, and we’ll all work to make sure she wins.” A source told The New York Times, which reported Cooper’s veepstakes exit before his announcement, that his team had reached out to Harris’ campaign a week ago to say he did not want to be considered. Sources told Politico and NBC News that Cooper had dropped out for a few reasons, including a possible U.S. Senate run in 2026 and fears that North Carolina’s conservative lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson, might try to seize power if he left the state to campaign. Harris is aiming to announce her pick for No. 2 by Aug. 7, when the Democratic Party kicks off its virtual nomination process. The party convention is slated to begin Aug. 19 in Chicago.
Read it at The New York Times
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has informed Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign that he does not want to be under consideration in her search for a vice presidential candidate, the governor said Monday night.
Cooper said in a statement explaining his decision that although he was taking himself out of consideration for the role, he’s still backing Harris’ candidacy.
“I strongly support Vice President Harris’ campaign for President,” Cooper said. “I know she’s going to win and I was honored to be considered for this role. This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket.”
“As I’ve said from the beginning, she has an outstanding list of people from which to choose, and we’ll all work to make sure she wins,” he added.
The New York Times first reported that Cooper was withdrawing his name from consideration.
One source directly involved in Harris’ search for a running mate said Cooper took himself out of the mix because he wants to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026. The source said Cooper never indicated to the campaign that he wanted to be vice president and told Harris aides that he did not want to be considered.
NBC News previously reported that interviews with some Democratic insiders pointed to Cooper, along with Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, as top contenders to join Harris on the Democratic ticket.
Other governors, including Kentucky’s Andy Beshear and Minnesota’s Tim Walz, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are among those who have also been floated as potential running mates.
The Harris campaign previously said she plans to select a running mate by Aug. 7.
Detroit Auto Show releases schedule for January 2025 return
Man suffers life-threatening injuries in overnight shooting in SF Mission District
Owner of Val’s Cheesecakes in Dallas says he’s ready for a change
Offensive Line in the Spotlight and in a Fluid State
Red Sox Reportedly Land Much-Needed Pitching Help In Surprising Swap
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
At least 2 dead as tornadoes hit Alabama, damage homes across Southeast
Harris now backing away from several far-left stances she once promoted
EPP leader slams Hungary over easing visa restrictions for Russians
Updated timeline for attempted Trump assassination; crypto’s impact on the election
Biden calls Speaker Johnson ‘dead on arrival’ in odd response to criticism of proposed radical SCOTUS changes
The Take: The aftermath of Venezuela’s contested election results
-
Politics1 week agoManchin considers re-registering as Democrat to run for president
-
News1 week agoHow the Trump Rally Gunman Had an Edge Over the Countersnipers
-
World1 week ago‘Torn up bodies’: Israel intensifies bombing campaign in Gaza
-
News1 week agoDisruptions continue after IT outage affects millions around the globe
-
Politics1 week agoTop five moments from Secret Service director's hours-long grilling after Trump assassination attempt
-
Politics1 week agoTrump tells Jesse Watters that he was not warned about gunman, despite reports
-
Politics1 week agoDem strategists say Harris 'only practical choice' as party leaders begin endorsing her
-
Politics1 week agoTrump blows past Biden in June fundraising race, with July numbers expected to be worse for Democrats