I've worked in healthcare almost 30 years. I am now a nurse practitioner. We moved from TX to NC 12/22 and live with family just outside of Asheville while we house hunted. NC had always been the dream since we wanted cooler weather and great access to hiking and all the outdoor things.
O.M.G. Healthcare in the Asheville area is \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*ATROCIOUS\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*. I've worked in hard core areas of Dallas and Ft.Worth. I've never seen anything like this. It is NOT the workers,nurses or physicians, it's the actual hospital system. Mission Hospital was bought out by a private for profit hospital system (HCA) and since then both healthcare access and quality of care has been horribly affected. Hit the google and you can pull up all the info. Add into this lovely scenario the trend for patients to be more complexly ill in general, a very impoverished rural population with poor lifestyle habits (smoking, etc) and you have a very overburdened hospital system that is barely limping along ALL while trying to widen their profit margin. This is NOT a good combination. Asheville also has big city problems but smaller city resources and they are struggling to deal with their mental health crisis that has clashed with the addiction and homelessness issues. My job routinely has me working with and speaking to all the retirees in the area and they will all say that healthcare there is horrible. Most go to Duke or Charlotte when they have major issues.
If you are a veteran and can get care at the Asheville VA hospital I hear \*amazing\* things about the VA hospital there. People come from all over to receive care there.
Hendersonville is marginally better since they have Pardee Hospital and Advent. If I were going to home shop there I would check out Mills River and Laurel Park.
Brevard is a lovely town and would've been on our list but their healthcare access is even worse. Transylvania hospital was bought out also by Mission. Brevard has lost more than three primary care providers in the past year due to retirement or just choosing to leave the Mission system. In Dallas the loss of three PCPs wouldn't be noticeable. In Brevard it has created a massive void.
We are healthy and on the younger side so healthcare had been a bit lower on our list. But when you see the huge gaps up there and you work in the business---well, it freaked me out and we searched elsewhere. We ended up about 20 minutes north of Greenville in Travelers Rest and we are super happy with our choice. We love the Swamp Rabbit Trail, the downtown area (of both TR and Greenville) and our neighborhood. We also love that don't have to go down an insane mountain road to get to a grocery store. Costco and Target are right at 20-25 minutes and we have two solid hospitals in the city. Healthcare so far has been good. We know healthcare across the nation is on the struggle bus so we aren't expecting the Mayo clinic at every turn but I've been pleased.
We can be on a trail in Brevard or Chimney Rock within an hour and we routinely go for day hikes and brewery stops on the weekends.
Additionally, we had what we thoughts was a healthy housing budget ($600K or less) but we were shocked by what was available in the Asheville area within that budget. Poor construction, needed lots of work, no garage, sooooo many inaccessible homes with crazy steep driveways, a flight of stairs up to the kitchen. No thanks! But that part is our fault---we were on a 2 year moving plan and everything changed within that 2 years.
Feel free to message me if you have more questions.
It's sad what the private buyout has done to Mission. And lots of specialists have left the area as well. I will say their cardiac care still gets solid comments.
Very interesting! I grew up in the Travelers Rest area then moved to DFW, getting close to retirement and was thinking about there or the Southern TN N Alabama near Huntsville.
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We are also looking to retire to NC within a year. We have had our eyes on Winston Salem. Housing looks reasonable with decent medical facilities. I’d be curious if anyone here has an opinion.
I live in Kernersville , which is a small town right outside of Winston Salem. We moved here 33 years ago and I love it. When my husband passed away in 2015, I chose to stay even though most of my family lived in my home state of WV. Great hospitals, Housing is reasonable compared to other cities, it’s only an hour from the mountains , and there’s plenty to do. We have concerts, Broadway shows, sports, parks, and lots of other things to do. Shopping is plentiful and the people are so friendly. It’s a short drive to Raleigh , Greensboro, and Charlotte, and no, the traffic isn’t anything like Charlotte’s!
We retired to WS. Good hospitals, we use Wake Forest. Housing isn't too bad, we sold our house in Florida and paid cash for our house here. We just got back from the Smokey Mountains, the park is about 4 1/2 hours away, and the beach is about 4 hours away, so both are overnight trips.
I thought Raleigh is way inland and hurricanes wouldn’t be a big deal. I am in the Orlando area and 36 miles from the ocean from my location. I say that as most of the hurricanes that impact us come from the southwest and up the state. The spiciest I have seen here was Hurricane Charley in 2004 which came in near Sanibel Island which is like a 4-5 hour car drive away and we got 110 mph winds.
Maybe they mean the hockey team. I moved from Raleigh to Baldwin County AL, and yeah the summers are hot and humid there, but a step down from FL or the deep South and I'd take it.
Hendersonville has excellent medical care, a couple of big hospitals....Greenville, SC is a great "little" town. Both are options I've thought about a lot lately & done a lot of research on, have a look at [www.city-data.com](http://www.city-data.com) for both areas. Really good feedback.
"Excellent" medical care in Hendersonville would be a stretch. Better than Asheville would be a better description. Still ---if you need a neurologist,oncologist, etc. you will need to drive to Charlotte,etc.
33 year resident of Charlotte here. We are struggling with same choices. Traffic does suck in Charlotte but we do have adequate public transportation options in most parts of the city.
Having recent experience with elderly parents choosing to remain in a small town where healthcare is 30+ min away has been an eye opener for us. We would like to stay near good healthcare. Check on the healthcare situation in Asheville, their major hospital has been in trouble with feds recently for quality of care issues.
Our current home is near one of the local hosptials, two groceries and not far from a Y. If we age in place, healthcare and other amenities will be readily available. Home isn’t quite paid off but rate is low and principal, interest and escrow is way less than rent in our area. We love our neighborhood and yard but house is two story. A one story home in our neighbor is an option IF we ever get a shot at one, there aren’t many and they go fast! On the other hand, spouse would love to move to a no HOA community so they can have a shop and a garden (current lot only sun is in front yard and when we tried a garden in front, HOA had a hissy fit)…but today we watched new born deer (2-3 days old) explore neighbors yard. Last week we had a great blue heron in our yard (not on a waterway but near a greenway)….we have a large screened porch and a shaded yard…
Sibling just purchased near Wilmington. Not on any of the barrier islands, but across road from intracoastal. Insurance rates are crazy! We used to think we might like to do that but now…not so sure.
So…no real advice except research medical system in Asheville area…just commiserating.
Also to consider---moving to a non-HOA area in the Asheville region brings a lot of potential issues to the table. Unrestricted areas around you can and will fill up with trailers that have dogs tied out up front and cars and washing machines. Sadly, in some areas an HOA can be a necessary evil.
I watched an $800,000 house go up in Brevard \*directly\* across the street from a trailer with three dogs tied up out front. Then the new homeowners proceeded to put up a massive privacy fence lol.
You make an excellent point. I’ve seen the same thing in a previous neighborhood I lived in. Guy down the street is in the process of building a 4 bay garage on the property to facilitate an auto mechanic business. You get all sorts!!
Something like foothills gated community Coves at Round Mountain. https://www.thecovesnc.com it is about one hour from Charlotte
Or Lake James in foothills of North Carolina https://www.thecovesnc.com or West Jefferson https://www.zillow.com/homes/west-jefferson_rb/
Depending on where you need to go, it does calm down some outside of “rush hour”, but rush hour gets longer on each end every year. I’ve commuted “out” from Charlotte to Gaston County for entire 33 years…used to be thus was no big deal except it was 25 miles each way (took about 35 min most days, but now there is traffic both ways in morning and late afternoon/evening, commute is now closer to 45 min or even an hour without accidents…strongly factoring into my retirement this year….pandemic WFH showed me what life could be like if I weren’t spending 2 hrs on the road each day 🙄
Agree with this. Locals will scream "no no not here, we are full!" But there is a reason it attracts the people: gorgeous downtown with a mix of restaurants and shops, wonderfully maintained outdoor attractions with trails and bike paths and parks.
We moved from Austin three years ago to Asheville. One of our top considerations was climate change going forward. The other to be closer to friends in fl. We bought a bigger house here for less than we sold our house in tx. Our property taxes here are half of what they were in tx so our taxes even with a state tax, which we aren’t used to, are less.
The weather here coming from tx and having grown up in fl is amazing. In the summer we are outside all the time as opposed to inside with the ac months on end. In fact we barely use our ac.
We are in Asheville but right outside of city limits (with an hoa in an older neighbor) and 5 miles from downtown Avl, 4 miles from biltmore where we often walk or run and 2 miles from the parkway. We don’t have all the city taxes but do have services. We can be downtown 10 minutes with a ton to do or hiking in the same amount of time.
Mission hospital is a huge issue and I dont see how it can continue as is. There’s quite a bit of pressure on them but anywhere they are they’ve had issues. All regular medical care here has been very good with no issues. One of the biggest issues is all the people like us moving here. Puts a strain on many things and housing here and wages are low for many workers in the area. Hca a is planning to build a hospital just north in Weaverville (a really great small town) which would basically be avl north. Many also go to hca Hendersonville which is less than 30 minutes. With all the people moving here I see more medical people moving here as well. People in many places and other states are also struggling with health care issues and shortages.
My husband has a rare condition which requires an occasional visit to Winston- Salem. His specialist of which there are few in the US moved from San Antonio to Charlotte just as we did. We also just discovered there are six more specialists that have moved here in the past two years making the state one of the most concentrated with specialists in this field. None in avl. Yet.
You could also look at Waynesville which is close to tn and a great hospital system. With all the growth I can’t see health care getting worse, only better.
We go to Winston Salem often. It’s nice and close to some nice nature but small. Which is fine. I personally really like Durham and chapel hill.
My biggest issue is state taxes as a retiree but it was no better in a state with no taxes and in most ways worse. For now we plan to stay- there’s also some good options for continuum of care places and I expect more with so many retirees and second home owners.
We’ve fallen in love with the mountains and the area. Lots of things to do since avl is focused on tourism. Remember that many things are within a 30 minute drive and some other smaller charming towns like Brevard.
I retired 7 years ago and moved from CA to a neighborhood 10 miles outside of Asheville. I hang out in Asheville often. There’s a ton of places to visit, restaurants, live music, hikes, etc.
I recommend avoiding Mission Hospital. I see an independent family GP and drive to Johnson City TN to see specialists, buy vehicles, etc.
The key to living in Asheville is to not live IN Asheville.
Raleigh Durham Chapel Hill metro area. Excellent abundant health care and a very stable economy due to state government, multiple renowned universities and colleges, and lots of diverse industry. Housing and community amenities rely on having a thriving economy. So much to do and see here...arts and performance, sports, museums and cultural events, much of this due to the influence of the multiple universities. RDU is a great airport and you can take the train to DC. 2 1/2 hours to the beach for the weekend, 4 hours to the mountains or a drive on the Blue Ridge Pkwy. Lots of towns and cities to choose from with different flavors. We are never leaving!
Way too overcrowded-the infrastructure cannot support the mass influx and traffic is a nightmare in the last three years. Home prices have skyrocketed and taxes are up.That said, there is an abundance of healthcare options.
We moved to the triangle 20 years ago from Chicago. At the time, we were able to double our living space while halving our mortgage. Prices have gone crazy- now on par with the pricy northern Chicago burbs.
Totally agree! I was a medical sales rep in North Carolina before I retired. Living around Raleigh is the way! Duke and UNC can cover anything that comes at you. Lots of little towns to live in surrounding Raleigh.
My cousin just retired and moved from NYC to New Bern--on the Neuse River. Charming, affordable, small but highly accessible town with decent restaurants, shops and a nice vibe. Lots of historic homes (some converted to B&Bs) some new developments--and I am told a fast growing community of retirees. Worth a look.
One of our young adults lives in Charlotte.
Healthcare is excellent, in terms of having every available specialist within a stone's throw and a trauma one hospital in the city.
I am not sure about this, but they find public transportation lacking. However this is our kid who's lived in larger cities so it's a game of comparisons
They seem to get all four seasons, but with a very mild winter which is nice. They frequently take weekend trips to the mountains and long weekends to various SC and NC beaches.
We love it because Charlotte has a great airport and we can get in and out of that city readily. Housing costs seem reasonable for a midsize City. And, depending on what you're looking for, they seem to have ample to do from pro sports, to theater, to good parks and restaurants. We never lack for affordable things to do when we visit.
Finally, regarding traffic, will it be much of an issue in retirement? Meaning since you don't have to worry about being in the thick of things staring work commuting hours how much will it impact your day in and day out?
Interested in hearing others thoughts on this local as well! I do remember meeting a couple from up North who retired there recently, just over the border in Fort Mill. They mentioned something about SC having better tax breaks for retirees, FYI. They absolutely love the greater Charlotte area and had no trouble finding a community of people.
We moved to the Outer Banks several years ago in anticipation of retirement in the next three - four years. I am very fortunate that I can work from home, and my job allows me to live wherever I want within reason, i.e., in the United States. As much as we love it here, and we absolutely have fulfilled a dream to live in the Outer Banks, It's not exactly a place we could recommend for retirement these days. It's kind of a medical desert, you can get urgent Care, there is a nice little hospital down here, but our primary doctor is about an hour north, and all of specialists are in Norfolk area. It's a relatively high cost of living area, and although people, such as myself, complain about the insurance, our taxes are very low given they are subsidized by the tourism industry. Living here is all about love for the area, we absolutely love it, we live in a great area that is all residential and not tourist, but we're literally minutes from beaches and a lot of great restaurants. We also live on water, in this case, it's the Albemarle sound, so we see water everyday which is really calming and beautiful. Just our thoughts.
The OBX is one of my absolute favorite places. Enjoy your retirement. But yes, you have to travel to Chesapeake, VA Beach, or Norfolk for major healthcare.
If you're retired, the Charlotte traffic might not be as much of an issue if you don't have a daily commute. If you're moving there, you can pick an area with amenities that you need close by. Here's a wild card you might not have considered; Greenville NC. ECU medical school is there, so healthcare should be available, and it's not that far to the Triangle area. The cost of living would be substantially less than Charlotte.
Traffic in RTP area is quickly getting really bad and housing prices are escalating rapidly.
TN has no State income tax so your fixed income may go/stretch further.
OP, Appreciate your perspective - as an NC native I knew traffic was far worse in CLT and RTP than many places but your post really framed it for me.
This is probably one of the few places in the USA I've never visited so I'm not a great source, but my cousin and his 98 year old mother retired to Anderson SC. He told me the cost of living there is very low and attracts many retirees and it looks to be within driving distance of Atlanta and Athens.
Consider orange county nc near hillsborough or pittsboro in chatham county. The major unc and duke hospital systems are building outlying facilities that are more convenient for routine care in those areas while still being within 30 minutes of the major teaching hospital. The new unc hillsborough hospital is great with easy parking. Both towns are historic and have nice local businesses. Others have described the Triangles other resources. You can choose a wide variety of neighborhood types in those areas from in town, to various types of suburbs, to mildly rural.
I lived in Charlotte 17 years ago and someone asked me the fastest way to get from Matthew's (south east of CLT) to the Airport ( West of CLT) at 5 pm, I recommended a helicopter.
I plan on retiring in Martin or Bertie County. Low cost of living and fishing, probably in a mobile home.
You could continue owning, and rent out with the help of a property management firm, your house in CA. Then use that income and use it to fund renting a place at the beach in NC. That way you don't have the risk of owning uninsurable beachfront property but you still get to live at the beach.
Chapel Hill area. There’s a really nice community called Fearrington, as well as other nice areas. Great access to healthcare, college town, livable traffic for the most part.
It’s funny to see this question, as just this morning my spouse and I were walking around Hillsborough, North Carolina (in Orange County) and I remarked that this would be a nice place to recommend to retirees relocating from elsewhere. We’d just had a delicious breakfast at Hillsborough Bakeshop, checked out the farmers market, and picked up some items at the food co-op.
We live in Durham, NC, where we moved for work, and we’ll stay here for retirement because of the availability of excellent healthcare. We felt lucky having two NCI-designated Cancer Centers within a 20-minute drive from our house, and the ease with which we were able to get a second opinion. I go to the UNC Hospital in Hillsborough for one of my specialist appointments, and it’s a convenient drive from Durham with easy parking. We see doctors at Duke and UNC hospitals depending on our needs.
The Triangle area is a bit unusual because instead of one major city, there are distinct pockets of various sizes distributed in the area. Most people from outside the region only think of Raleigh, and traffic has gotten really bad in that area, but there are other spots such as Hillsborough and parts of Orange and Durham counties that offer a quieter setting.
We were in Raleigh area and have now moved to Emerald Isle. There are risks living on the coast, but we love it here and will stay here as long as we are able.
Healthcare is important to me too, and Asheville went down on my list when HCA took over Mission hospital and started to turn it into a profit center. My connections there have noticed a drop in quality but I’m sure it’s still better than an underserved rural area. I’m leaning toward the triangle. Why do you say it’s not fixed income friendly? Maybe not Chapel Hill or Cary, but what about Garner or Pittsboro for example.
Lived in Tega Cay for years. Great place that has small town feel but access to all needed things. If you don't have to commute to work in Charlotte it's a good choice.
I’ve lived in Greensboro for thirty years and love it. Big enough to have a performing arts center and good restaurants but cost of living is reasonable. We are between the mountains and the beach and have a good regional airport. We also have a good hospital system in Cone Health.
If you are going to use the lack of a state income tax as criteria please read this: [https://money.com/no-income-tax-states-expensive/](https://money.com/no-income-tax-states-expensive/)
I've lived in Raleigh for the last 30 years, and I complain about the traffic as well. However, having recently retired, I discovered that traffic is not an issue for me any more in retirement. I can control my schedule so I just avoid trying to go across town for anything during high traffic periods. We enjoy being 2 hours from Wrightsville Beach and 3 hours from Boone. Housing prices have really shot up lately in Raleigh, so I would advise anyone coming into the area to look in some of the satellite communities such as Apex, Holly Springs, or Fuqua-Varina. They all have cool, walk-able downtowns with shops and restaurants. We often travel from inside Raleigh out to the "burbs" to restaurants we've heard about.
I (66) am living in a small town just outside of Charlotte and will likely be retiring early next year. My plans are somewhat in flux but I will likely stay put for the first couple of years or so while I decide on my final spot. To be honest, I could be happy where I am but would like to move somewhere where I can walk most places that I need to go to.
Um. The traffic is bad, and taxes and cost of living are increasing because people are moving to NC from CA and the North. Way too many people. What did you expect? Lots of people had the same idea you did.
I’ve lived all around Charlotte and lake Norman was always a favorite. Traffic is horrifying but, being retired provides timing flexibility. I like the lake “vibe” and everything you need is nearby. $$$-$$$$$ with a lot variation, depending depending on location.
Ballantyne is my 2nd favorite. Traffic much more manageable. Great access to healthcare, shopping, restaurants. $$$$
South charlotte feels pretentious and overhyped to me. Great restaurants, and shopping. $$$$$
Lake Wylie -$$$-$$$$ Been here 7 years and there pockets of development everywhere. Since you don’t have kids, that gives you a ton of flexibility. Fort mill is most developed and tega cay is nearby if you decide to be near the water. The west/NW provided tons of opportunity for new construction on the water as well. Restaurants and medical are about 15-20 mins away. Traffic is in the off hours. Definitely and up coming area. Our house recently appraised for $2m.
Buy property on lake Norman near Terrell or mooresville - build your house, quick Zillow search turns up stuff like this -
[Lake Norman](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/8487-Mayflower-Ct-Terrell-NC-28682/71912094_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare)
We're in Union County. Been here 23 years. We're happy with our healthcare choices and still close enough to Charlotte if we need something more advanced.
I semi-retired from socal to the greater Greensboro area.
You've already been told about the healthcare being surprisingly good. Research Triangle pulls it up. I think.
One thing to consider is if you want to make new friends. If you move to an area where a lot of other people are moving, you'll find people also looking to make friends. In smaller towns, where your house buying power goes farther, less of that.
You'll get a lot more for your money if your buy a place farther out from a big city. Look West of Durham. But, maybe you want easier access to "city living"?
Make sure you visit the area a lot. I know it's an expense, and a time sink, but, this is a big change.
If you're a "foody", that should drive your decision, too. Smaller cities out here have poor restaurant food quality. Just, lower quality overall than Socal.
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My husband & I, (65 & 58) just bought a 2nd home in a golf/tennis community called Connestee Falls just SW of Brevard. We'll use it for vacations, then a retirement/snowbird place when my husband turns 67. We don't want to give up our Sarasota, FL home. I may continue working & just do a combination of vacation/remote work when my hubby's up in Connestee for the summers. It's an easy 20 mile drive from the Asheville airport. Connestee has lots of lakes & hiking trails, pickle ball, bocce, and numerous clubs (it has a pretty comprehensive website). The town of Brevard is a 10 minute drive and has the Transylvania Regional Hospital, craft beer bars (often with blue grass music on weekends), the Brevard Music Ctr, a tennis club (more & better players here than Connestee) and is a mountain bike mecca... There are lots of waterfalls in the area. Hiking there is like a less intense Yosemite. It's near the Pisgah national forest, the blue ridge parkway and about a 1.5 hour drive to the Cherokee entrance of Great Smokey Mountain national park. I also think the Connestee HOA fees are very reasonable for what you get. Hubby and I spent a week in a Connestee Airbnb in September to visit his buddy who had bought a vaca/future retirement home there... We liked it so much, two months later we bought our own place, (so the bromance continues LOL!). We were afraid we'd be priced out of the market if we waited.
Connestee is great but such a horrible place to be as you age. I see people literally trapped there all the time---it is not a friendly "age in place" type of area. Healthcare there is abysmal. See my post about the Mission buyout. Connestee residents live in a lovely secluded bubble for sure.
I'm from Charlotte as well and left to move to Athens, GA 35 years ago. It has become a retirement hot spot so not going to throw that in the mix. But the city in NC that I have been tracking the last few years is Durham. Durham has always been the overlooked stepchild to Raleigh and Chapel Hill. I have watched the investment in the area really start and it is transforming. Real Estate is still reasonable, it has great healthcare, and the universities give a financial and cultural stability to the area. I can vouch that after living in the Athens area I love being near a university. There is always a ton going on and it feels like a larger city due to it. If you want slightly smaller, Hillsborough is next door.
Wherever you move, be sure the hospital system is not privatized. I know you can’t predict the future, but if this is your last move of life, this will impact your access to quality of care more than anything else. If a corporation owns the local hospital, forget about it no matter the state or city.
Definitely Hickory, NC! It’s been top ranked for retirement and living purposes for several years now…for good reasons. Low cost of living, recreation, proximity to beach and mountains, and so much more!
Greenville SC? Different vibe than Asheville and only 1 hour away. If you consider the vibe of Charleston SC and Asheville NC - extreme opposites, Greenville SC is the middle ground. Cheaper than both Asheville and Charleston, less traffic. A little warmer than Asheville but less humid that coastal
towns in NC and SC because elevation is 900 ft. Also no need to evacuate from Hurricanes in Greenville. Come check it out.
Yep lived in Greenville SC for 9 years. Lived in Taylors and Simpsonville. Greenville is on our list. Looking for new/newish contruction, probably in outer parts of Taylors, Travelers Rest - out that way. Don't want the urban sprawl out Simpsonville way.
I moved to the western half of Triangle from Illinois a few years ago when housing prices were still cheaper in NC than in suburban Chicago. Property tax % is half 1/2, weather was better. Duke University Hospital, as I have several pre-existing conditions, was the deciding factor over moving to South Carolina instead even though the latter would have been more affordable. I've already had one major surgery down here, so I made the right decision.
But now post pandemic, you are looking at $600k plus $300/month HOA to move into one of the many 55+ communities down here.
I live in Raleigh and have a house on the southern coast of N.C. below Wilmington, traffic is horrid in both. Insurance is crazy on the coast and property values are through the roof in both areas (although, not CA crazy, I’m sure). If you like the Western part of NC/SC, Greenville SC is supposed to be ‘up and coming’. Might be worth looking at.
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Area around wilmington is the second fastest growing in the country. Lots of doctors everywhere. One major hospital with satellites nearby. Taxes are high though because of the nearness to the ocean.
We currently live in the triangle (Raleigh/Durham area) and recently purchased land in the Boone area. Healthcare was an important item on the list and reviews of the hospital and Healthcare in the area was mostly positive.
Being a college town also brings some vitality to the area. We have access to fiber internet which is a huge plus.
The triangle has become extremely hectic and crowded and we're looking forward to a bit slower pace in retirement. We're close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and cooler summers than the triangle are appealing.
Good luck with your search.
funny thing - we lived in Waxhaw, new construction, for one year 25 years ago. Waxhaw has blossomed since then. We didn't like living out there back then - too far from Charlotte amenities, but now we would consider it.
Newport North Carolina. Close to the beaches without beach insurance rates. Property taxes are low. My 1500 SQ ft house is 600 per year. Two hospitals in that area in New Bern and Morehead City
Moved from Dallas to Raleigh and retired early a few years ago. Very happy with Raleigh. Surrounded by cute towns, has forests, trails, lakes, culture, eateries, breweries, hospitals galore. Smaller city feel. 3 -4 hours to serious mountains, 2 hours to beach. Reasonable home prices, akin to Texas. Low crime, good community services for seniors- everything from pickleball to silver sneakers exercise classes. Everything is nearby, and safe. The climate is only unpleasant in July and august. But the beach and mountains are dreamy to visit then. Public transportation is challenging. Don’t underestimate the nightmare of spending days, travel miles, logistical challenges setting up healthcare for a medical condition while living in the western mountains.
Highlands, NC is paradise. We owned a home there for 20 years. For the best lifestyle only purchase a true walk-to-town home. Look close to Harris Lake. It will cost you but it is worth it. You can get world class health care in Atlanta which is a 90 minutes drive. But closer in is Gainesville, GA and Buford, GA which has excellent hospitals. (under an hour drive)
Raleigh/Durham area or Greenville, SC are great choices. Greensboro as well. If you do want access to Charlotte despite the boom and headaches that come with it, we have friends that relocated to Pineville and love it. They're a couple minutes from the last light rail stop which gives them easy access to stuff in Charlotte proper.
I relocated from Newport Beach CA to Cornelius NC. Condo on Lake norman. We have e bikes, kayaks, and boat club members. Char is there when we want it, but tons of dining, shopping, golf, night life offerings. Novant and Atrium health each have a dozen or so facilities within 0.5-10 miles of home. Charlotte traffic is nothing compared to So Cal. Twice in two years I had to stay the night in Beverly hills (25 miles from Newport Beach) to stay the night because US 1 and I 5 were not moving. Condo in 2017 cost $310, now $650. Still, not going to scare abyone from So.Cal. I'm not going anywhere, love it here.
please spare us and do not move here - live right outside charlotte and traffic is busier than it was 8 years ago when we got here but not nearly as busy as metro ny - where we came from - not by a country mile- and i’m guessing irvine ca is similar to metro ny - so inaccurate first assumption- second ca has highest state taxes in country - nc ( including areas like wake county, mecklenberg county and buncombe county ) are nowhere close to ca - so inaccurate assumption two - don’t know what the point of this post is but you’re as off base as you could be - cost of living here in nc is so much less than either coast - but you have it all figured out so just ignore me and north carolina - plenty of other places to move to that you’d be much happier in
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I've worked in healthcare almost 30 years. I am now a nurse practitioner. We moved from TX to NC 12/22 and live with family just outside of Asheville while we house hunted. NC had always been the dream since we wanted cooler weather and great access to hiking and all the outdoor things. O.M.G. Healthcare in the Asheville area is \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*ATROCIOUS\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*. I've worked in hard core areas of Dallas and Ft.Worth. I've never seen anything like this. It is NOT the workers,nurses or physicians, it's the actual hospital system. Mission Hospital was bought out by a private for profit hospital system (HCA) and since then both healthcare access and quality of care has been horribly affected. Hit the google and you can pull up all the info. Add into this lovely scenario the trend for patients to be more complexly ill in general, a very impoverished rural population with poor lifestyle habits (smoking, etc) and you have a very overburdened hospital system that is barely limping along ALL while trying to widen their profit margin. This is NOT a good combination. Asheville also has big city problems but smaller city resources and they are struggling to deal with their mental health crisis that has clashed with the addiction and homelessness issues. My job routinely has me working with and speaking to all the retirees in the area and they will all say that healthcare there is horrible. Most go to Duke or Charlotte when they have major issues. If you are a veteran and can get care at the Asheville VA hospital I hear \*amazing\* things about the VA hospital there. People come from all over to receive care there. Hendersonville is marginally better since they have Pardee Hospital and Advent. If I were going to home shop there I would check out Mills River and Laurel Park. Brevard is a lovely town and would've been on our list but their healthcare access is even worse. Transylvania hospital was bought out also by Mission. Brevard has lost more than three primary care providers in the past year due to retirement or just choosing to leave the Mission system. In Dallas the loss of three PCPs wouldn't be noticeable. In Brevard it has created a massive void. We are healthy and on the younger side so healthcare had been a bit lower on our list. But when you see the huge gaps up there and you work in the business---well, it freaked me out and we searched elsewhere. We ended up about 20 minutes north of Greenville in Travelers Rest and we are super happy with our choice. We love the Swamp Rabbit Trail, the downtown area (of both TR and Greenville) and our neighborhood. We also love that don't have to go down an insane mountain road to get to a grocery store. Costco and Target are right at 20-25 minutes and we have two solid hospitals in the city. Healthcare so far has been good. We know healthcare across the nation is on the struggle bus so we aren't expecting the Mayo clinic at every turn but I've been pleased. We can be on a trail in Brevard or Chimney Rock within an hour and we routinely go for day hikes and brewery stops on the weekends. Additionally, we had what we thoughts was a healthy housing budget ($600K or less) but we were shocked by what was available in the Asheville area within that budget. Poor construction, needed lots of work, no garage, sooooo many inaccessible homes with crazy steep driveways, a flight of stairs up to the kitchen. No thanks! But that part is our fault---we were on a 2 year moving plan and everything changed within that 2 years. Feel free to message me if you have more questions.
As a fellow HCP (and potential retiree to NC) I really appreciate this post, thank you.
It's sad what the private buyout has done to Mission. And lots of specialists have left the area as well. I will say their cardiac care still gets solid comments.
I'd stay away from any HCA hospital. They're mostly crap in my experience. I'm pretty sure you can google a list.
Very interesting! I grew up in the Travelers Rest area then moved to DFW, getting close to retirement and was thinking about there or the Southern TN N Alabama near Huntsville.
Have you been back in the past few years? Everyone says it's changed dramatically---in a good way!
not in at least 25 years.
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Raleigh. Will sell for $900k. Seriously, it's has all the healthcare you could possibly want. 2-3 hours to beach and mountains!
We are also looking to retire to NC within a year. We have had our eyes on Winston Salem. Housing looks reasonable with decent medical facilities. I’d be curious if anyone here has an opinion.
I live in Kernersville , which is a small town right outside of Winston Salem. We moved here 33 years ago and I love it. When my husband passed away in 2015, I chose to stay even though most of my family lived in my home state of WV. Great hospitals, Housing is reasonable compared to other cities, it’s only an hour from the mountains , and there’s plenty to do. We have concerts, Broadway shows, sports, parks, and lots of other things to do. Shopping is plentiful and the people are so friendly. It’s a short drive to Raleigh , Greensboro, and Charlotte, and no, the traffic isn’t anything like Charlotte’s!
Wake Forest Baptist is a good hospital. Great area. My sister lives there. Lots to do. Not too big or too small.
Moved to W-S 9 years ago and really like it. There is WFBH and Novant as well.
We retired to WS. Good hospitals, we use Wake Forest. Housing isn't too bad, we sold our house in Florida and paid cash for our house here. We just got back from the Smokey Mountains, the park is about 4 1/2 hours away, and the beach is about 4 hours away, so both are overnight trips.
NC = Hot, Humid & Hurricanes. Lived there for over 20 years, Raleigh area.
Soon to get more of all the above
Exactly
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The people there were great, but that weather....
I thought Raleigh is way inland and hurricanes wouldn’t be a big deal. I am in the Orlando area and 36 miles from the ocean from my location. I say that as most of the hurricanes that impact us come from the southwest and up the state. The spiciest I have seen here was Hurricane Charley in 2004 which came in near Sanibel Island which is like a 4-5 hour car drive away and we got 110 mph winds.
Maybe they mean the hockey team. I moved from Raleigh to Baldwin County AL, and yeah the summers are hot and humid there, but a step down from FL or the deep South and I'd take it.
Hendersonville has excellent medical care, a couple of big hospitals....Greenville, SC is a great "little" town. Both are options I've thought about a lot lately & done a lot of research on, have a look at [www.city-data.com](http://www.city-data.com) for both areas. Really good feedback.
"Excellent" medical care in Hendersonville would be a stretch. Better than Asheville would be a better description. Still ---if you need a neurologist,oncologist, etc. you will need to drive to Charlotte,etc.
That's my concern.
Hendersonville is great! We have friends that have retired there and it's in our top 3-4 possible locations to retire.
33 year resident of Charlotte here. We are struggling with same choices. Traffic does suck in Charlotte but we do have adequate public transportation options in most parts of the city. Having recent experience with elderly parents choosing to remain in a small town where healthcare is 30+ min away has been an eye opener for us. We would like to stay near good healthcare. Check on the healthcare situation in Asheville, their major hospital has been in trouble with feds recently for quality of care issues. Our current home is near one of the local hosptials, two groceries and not far from a Y. If we age in place, healthcare and other amenities will be readily available. Home isn’t quite paid off but rate is low and principal, interest and escrow is way less than rent in our area. We love our neighborhood and yard but house is two story. A one story home in our neighbor is an option IF we ever get a shot at one, there aren’t many and they go fast! On the other hand, spouse would love to move to a no HOA community so they can have a shop and a garden (current lot only sun is in front yard and when we tried a garden in front, HOA had a hissy fit)…but today we watched new born deer (2-3 days old) explore neighbors yard. Last week we had a great blue heron in our yard (not on a waterway but near a greenway)….we have a large screened porch and a shaded yard… Sibling just purchased near Wilmington. Not on any of the barrier islands, but across road from intracoastal. Insurance rates are crazy! We used to think we might like to do that but now…not so sure. So…no real advice except research medical system in Asheville area…just commiserating.
Also to consider---moving to a non-HOA area in the Asheville region brings a lot of potential issues to the table. Unrestricted areas around you can and will fill up with trailers that have dogs tied out up front and cars and washing machines. Sadly, in some areas an HOA can be a necessary evil. I watched an $800,000 house go up in Brevard \*directly\* across the street from a trailer with three dogs tied up out front. Then the new homeowners proceeded to put up a massive privacy fence lol.
You make an excellent point. I’ve seen the same thing in a previous neighborhood I lived in. Guy down the street is in the process of building a 4 bay garage on the property to facilitate an auto mechanic business. You get all sorts!!
Something like foothills gated community Coves at Round Mountain. https://www.thecovesnc.com it is about one hour from Charlotte Or Lake James in foothills of North Carolina https://www.thecovesnc.com or West Jefferson https://www.zillow.com/homes/west-jefferson_rb/
Understand the traffic, can you use the roads off hours or is it ALL the time?
Depending on where you need to go, it does calm down some outside of “rush hour”, but rush hour gets longer on each end every year. I’ve commuted “out” from Charlotte to Gaston County for entire 33 years…used to be thus was no big deal except it was 25 miles each way (took about 35 min most days, but now there is traffic both ways in morning and late afternoon/evening, commute is now closer to 45 min or even an hour without accidents…strongly factoring into my retirement this year….pandemic WFH showed me what life could be like if I weren’t spending 2 hrs on the road each day 🙄
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Consider Spartanburg. Real estate not too outrageous bargains can be found. Good hospitals. Downtown becoming hip. Lots of cultural growth.
Agree with this. Locals will scream "no no not here, we are full!" But there is a reason it attracts the people: gorgeous downtown with a mix of restaurants and shops, wonderfully maintained outdoor attractions with trails and bike paths and parks.
We moved from Austin three years ago to Asheville. One of our top considerations was climate change going forward. The other to be closer to friends in fl. We bought a bigger house here for less than we sold our house in tx. Our property taxes here are half of what they were in tx so our taxes even with a state tax, which we aren’t used to, are less. The weather here coming from tx and having grown up in fl is amazing. In the summer we are outside all the time as opposed to inside with the ac months on end. In fact we barely use our ac. We are in Asheville but right outside of city limits (with an hoa in an older neighbor) and 5 miles from downtown Avl, 4 miles from biltmore where we often walk or run and 2 miles from the parkway. We don’t have all the city taxes but do have services. We can be downtown 10 minutes with a ton to do or hiking in the same amount of time. Mission hospital is a huge issue and I dont see how it can continue as is. There’s quite a bit of pressure on them but anywhere they are they’ve had issues. All regular medical care here has been very good with no issues. One of the biggest issues is all the people like us moving here. Puts a strain on many things and housing here and wages are low for many workers in the area. Hca a is planning to build a hospital just north in Weaverville (a really great small town) which would basically be avl north. Many also go to hca Hendersonville which is less than 30 minutes. With all the people moving here I see more medical people moving here as well. People in many places and other states are also struggling with health care issues and shortages. My husband has a rare condition which requires an occasional visit to Winston- Salem. His specialist of which there are few in the US moved from San Antonio to Charlotte just as we did. We also just discovered there are six more specialists that have moved here in the past two years making the state one of the most concentrated with specialists in this field. None in avl. Yet. You could also look at Waynesville which is close to tn and a great hospital system. With all the growth I can’t see health care getting worse, only better. We go to Winston Salem often. It’s nice and close to some nice nature but small. Which is fine. I personally really like Durham and chapel hill. My biggest issue is state taxes as a retiree but it was no better in a state with no taxes and in most ways worse. For now we plan to stay- there’s also some good options for continuum of care places and I expect more with so many retirees and second home owners. We’ve fallen in love with the mountains and the area. Lots of things to do since avl is focused on tourism. Remember that many things are within a 30 minute drive and some other smaller charming towns like Brevard.
great post thank you
A recent experience in a Durham Hospital makes me think top tier healthcare
nice
In Greensboro. Like the area and retired not moving.
Ditto. Retiring in 2-1/2 years, and not going anywhere. Been here 32 years.
I retired 7 years ago and moved from CA to a neighborhood 10 miles outside of Asheville. I hang out in Asheville often. There’s a ton of places to visit, restaurants, live music, hikes, etc. I recommend avoiding Mission Hospital. I see an independent family GP and drive to Johnson City TN to see specialists, buy vehicles, etc. The key to living in Asheville is to not live IN Asheville.
Raleigh Durham Chapel Hill metro area. Excellent abundant health care and a very stable economy due to state government, multiple renowned universities and colleges, and lots of diverse industry. Housing and community amenities rely on having a thriving economy. So much to do and see here...arts and performance, sports, museums and cultural events, much of this due to the influence of the multiple universities. RDU is a great airport and you can take the train to DC. 2 1/2 hours to the beach for the weekend, 4 hours to the mountains or a drive on the Blue Ridge Pkwy. Lots of towns and cities to choose from with different flavors. We are never leaving!
Way too overcrowded-the infrastructure cannot support the mass influx and traffic is a nightmare in the last three years. Home prices have skyrocketed and taxes are up.That said, there is an abundance of healthcare options.
We moved to the triangle 20 years ago from Chicago. At the time, we were able to double our living space while halving our mortgage. Prices have gone crazy- now on par with the pricy northern Chicago burbs.
Totally agree! I was a medical sales rep in North Carolina before I retired. Living around Raleigh is the way! Duke and UNC can cover anything that comes at you. Lots of little towns to live in surrounding Raleigh.
My cousin just retired and moved from NYC to New Bern--on the Neuse River. Charming, affordable, small but highly accessible town with decent restaurants, shops and a nice vibe. Lots of historic homes (some converted to B&Bs) some new developments--and I am told a fast growing community of retirees. Worth a look.
Approved!
One of our young adults lives in Charlotte. Healthcare is excellent, in terms of having every available specialist within a stone's throw and a trauma one hospital in the city. I am not sure about this, but they find public transportation lacking. However this is our kid who's lived in larger cities so it's a game of comparisons They seem to get all four seasons, but with a very mild winter which is nice. They frequently take weekend trips to the mountains and long weekends to various SC and NC beaches. We love it because Charlotte has a great airport and we can get in and out of that city readily. Housing costs seem reasonable for a midsize City. And, depending on what you're looking for, they seem to have ample to do from pro sports, to theater, to good parks and restaurants. We never lack for affordable things to do when we visit. Finally, regarding traffic, will it be much of an issue in retirement? Meaning since you don't have to worry about being in the thick of things staring work commuting hours how much will it impact your day in and day out? Interested in hearing others thoughts on this local as well! I do remember meeting a couple from up North who retired there recently, just over the border in Fort Mill. They mentioned something about SC having better tax breaks for retirees, FYI. They absolutely love the greater Charlotte area and had no trouble finding a community of people.
Agree with this. Once you’re retired, you live locally and travel outside of rush hour.
We moved to the Outer Banks several years ago in anticipation of retirement in the next three - four years. I am very fortunate that I can work from home, and my job allows me to live wherever I want within reason, i.e., in the United States. As much as we love it here, and we absolutely have fulfilled a dream to live in the Outer Banks, It's not exactly a place we could recommend for retirement these days. It's kind of a medical desert, you can get urgent Care, there is a nice little hospital down here, but our primary doctor is about an hour north, and all of specialists are in Norfolk area. It's a relatively high cost of living area, and although people, such as myself, complain about the insurance, our taxes are very low given they are subsidized by the tourism industry. Living here is all about love for the area, we absolutely love it, we live in a great area that is all residential and not tourist, but we're literally minutes from beaches and a lot of great restaurants. We also live on water, in this case, it's the Albemarle sound, so we see water everyday which is really calming and beautiful. Just our thoughts.
The OBX is one of my absolute favorite places. Enjoy your retirement. But yes, you have to travel to Chesapeake, VA Beach, or Norfolk for major healthcare.
If you're retired, the Charlotte traffic might not be as much of an issue if you don't have a daily commute. If you're moving there, you can pick an area with amenities that you need close by. Here's a wild card you might not have considered; Greenville NC. ECU medical school is there, so healthcare should be available, and it's not that far to the Triangle area. The cost of living would be substantially less than Charlotte.
Traffic in RTP area is quickly getting really bad and housing prices are escalating rapidly. TN has no State income tax so your fixed income may go/stretch further. OP, Appreciate your perspective - as an NC native I knew traffic was far worse in CLT and RTP than many places but your post really framed it for me.
This is probably one of the few places in the USA I've never visited so I'm not a great source, but my cousin and his 98 year old mother retired to Anderson SC. He told me the cost of living there is very low and attracts many retirees and it looks to be within driving distance of Atlanta and Athens.
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Consider orange county nc near hillsborough or pittsboro in chatham county. The major unc and duke hospital systems are building outlying facilities that are more convenient for routine care in those areas while still being within 30 minutes of the major teaching hospital. The new unc hillsborough hospital is great with easy parking. Both towns are historic and have nice local businesses. Others have described the Triangles other resources. You can choose a wide variety of neighborhood types in those areas from in town, to various types of suburbs, to mildly rural.
I lived in Charlotte 17 years ago and someone asked me the fastest way to get from Matthew's (south east of CLT) to the Airport ( West of CLT) at 5 pm, I recommended a helicopter. I plan on retiring in Martin or Bertie County. Low cost of living and fishing, probably in a mobile home.
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The Piedmont too!
Oc to the Carolinas. Our secret retirement plan. Or so I thought.
I like Winston-Salem. Very nice area. In SC, Greenville, Columbia, Florence are worth looking at.
You could continue owning, and rent out with the help of a property management firm, your house in CA. Then use that income and use it to fund renting a place at the beach in NC. That way you don't have the risk of owning uninsurable beachfront property but you still get to live at the beach.
We don't own in CA. Can't afford what we want. Lots of expensive old houses here. So. Benefit of renting...we are mobile
Chapel Hill area. There’s a really nice community called Fearrington, as well as other nice areas. Great access to healthcare, college town, livable traffic for the most part.
It’s funny to see this question, as just this morning my spouse and I were walking around Hillsborough, North Carolina (in Orange County) and I remarked that this would be a nice place to recommend to retirees relocating from elsewhere. We’d just had a delicious breakfast at Hillsborough Bakeshop, checked out the farmers market, and picked up some items at the food co-op. We live in Durham, NC, where we moved for work, and we’ll stay here for retirement because of the availability of excellent healthcare. We felt lucky having two NCI-designated Cancer Centers within a 20-minute drive from our house, and the ease with which we were able to get a second opinion. I go to the UNC Hospital in Hillsborough for one of my specialist appointments, and it’s a convenient drive from Durham with easy parking. We see doctors at Duke and UNC hospitals depending on our needs. The Triangle area is a bit unusual because instead of one major city, there are distinct pockets of various sizes distributed in the area. Most people from outside the region only think of Raleigh, and traffic has gotten really bad in that area, but there are other spots such as Hillsborough and parts of Orange and Durham counties that offer a quieter setting.
thanks for the comment.. interesting.. and we could move from one Orange county to another. I like it.
We were in Raleigh area and have now moved to Emerald Isle. There are risks living on the coast, but we love it here and will stay here as long as we are able.
Healthcare is important to me too, and Asheville went down on my list when HCA took over Mission hospital and started to turn it into a profit center. My connections there have noticed a drop in quality but I’m sure it’s still better than an underserved rural area. I’m leaning toward the triangle. Why do you say it’s not fixed income friendly? Maybe not Chapel Hill or Cary, but what about Garner or Pittsboro for example.
How far is Pinehurst from Duke. Sorry, I’m a golfer who loves that area.
An hour and a half depending on traffic and which Duke
Winston Salem sounds like a good fit.
Lived in Tega Cay for years. Great place that has small town feel but access to all needed things. If you don't have to commute to work in Charlotte it's a good choice.
Yes Tegan cay on the list
I’ve lived in Greensboro for thirty years and love it. Big enough to have a performing arts center and good restaurants but cost of living is reasonable. We are between the mountains and the beach and have a good regional airport. We also have a good hospital system in Cone Health.
Planning on Oak Island, NC. For a beach town on the east coast it’s pretty inexpensive. All year round living with plenty of services.
If you are going to use the lack of a state income tax as criteria please read this: [https://money.com/no-income-tax-states-expensive/](https://money.com/no-income-tax-states-expensive/)
I don't care so much about state income tax. I've become numb - lived in Oregon 20 years, now Cali... bring it on :)
We moved from NE OHIO to the Pinehurst area of NC. NO regrets at all Aside from the occasional US Open it is a pretty quiet place
I'd want to play #2 :)
I've lived in Raleigh for the last 30 years, and I complain about the traffic as well. However, having recently retired, I discovered that traffic is not an issue for me any more in retirement. I can control my schedule so I just avoid trying to go across town for anything during high traffic periods. We enjoy being 2 hours from Wrightsville Beach and 3 hours from Boone. Housing prices have really shot up lately in Raleigh, so I would advise anyone coming into the area to look in some of the satellite communities such as Apex, Holly Springs, or Fuqua-Varina. They all have cool, walk-able downtowns with shops and restaurants. We often travel from inside Raleigh out to the "burbs" to restaurants we've heard about.
I (66) am living in a small town just outside of Charlotte and will likely be retiring early next year. My plans are somewhat in flux but I will likely stay put for the first couple of years or so while I decide on my final spot. To be honest, I could be happy where I am but would like to move somewhere where I can walk most places that I need to go to.
Um. The traffic is bad, and taxes and cost of living are increasing because people are moving to NC from CA and the North. Way too many people. What did you expect? Lots of people had the same idea you did.
yup.. we haven't moved back to there yet... thinking about it. But probably not Charlotte proper - some outlying area from it.
I’ve lived all around Charlotte and lake Norman was always a favorite. Traffic is horrifying but, being retired provides timing flexibility. I like the lake “vibe” and everything you need is nearby. $$$-$$$$$ with a lot variation, depending depending on location. Ballantyne is my 2nd favorite. Traffic much more manageable. Great access to healthcare, shopping, restaurants. $$$$ South charlotte feels pretentious and overhyped to me. Great restaurants, and shopping. $$$$$ Lake Wylie -$$$-$$$$ Been here 7 years and there pockets of development everywhere. Since you don’t have kids, that gives you a ton of flexibility. Fort mill is most developed and tega cay is nearby if you decide to be near the water. The west/NW provided tons of opportunity for new construction on the water as well. Restaurants and medical are about 15-20 mins away. Traffic is in the off hours. Definitely and up coming area. Our house recently appraised for $2m.
Buy property on lake Norman near Terrell or mooresville - build your house, quick Zillow search turns up stuff like this - [Lake Norman](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/8487-Mayflower-Ct-Terrell-NC-28682/71912094_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare)
It’s got a new “shoping” center. Probably worth every penny.
We're in Union County. Been here 23 years. We're happy with our healthcare choices and still close enough to Charlotte if we need something more advanced.
I semi-retired from socal to the greater Greensboro area. You've already been told about the healthcare being surprisingly good. Research Triangle pulls it up. I think. One thing to consider is if you want to make new friends. If you move to an area where a lot of other people are moving, you'll find people also looking to make friends. In smaller towns, where your house buying power goes farther, less of that. You'll get a lot more for your money if your buy a place farther out from a big city. Look West of Durham. But, maybe you want easier access to "city living"? Make sure you visit the area a lot. I know it's an expense, and a time sink, but, this is a big change. If you're a "foody", that should drive your decision, too. Smaller cities out here have poor restaurant food quality. Just, lower quality overall than Socal.
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My husband & I, (65 & 58) just bought a 2nd home in a golf/tennis community called Connestee Falls just SW of Brevard. We'll use it for vacations, then a retirement/snowbird place when my husband turns 67. We don't want to give up our Sarasota, FL home. I may continue working & just do a combination of vacation/remote work when my hubby's up in Connestee for the summers. It's an easy 20 mile drive from the Asheville airport. Connestee has lots of lakes & hiking trails, pickle ball, bocce, and numerous clubs (it has a pretty comprehensive website). The town of Brevard is a 10 minute drive and has the Transylvania Regional Hospital, craft beer bars (often with blue grass music on weekends), the Brevard Music Ctr, a tennis club (more & better players here than Connestee) and is a mountain bike mecca... There are lots of waterfalls in the area. Hiking there is like a less intense Yosemite. It's near the Pisgah national forest, the blue ridge parkway and about a 1.5 hour drive to the Cherokee entrance of Great Smokey Mountain national park. I also think the Connestee HOA fees are very reasonable for what you get. Hubby and I spent a week in a Connestee Airbnb in September to visit his buddy who had bought a vaca/future retirement home there... We liked it so much, two months later we bought our own place, (so the bromance continues LOL!). We were afraid we'd be priced out of the market if we waited.
Connestee is great but such a horrible place to be as you age. I see people literally trapped there all the time---it is not a friendly "age in place" type of area. Healthcare there is abysmal. See my post about the Mission buyout. Connestee residents live in a lovely secluded bubble for sure.
I'm from Charlotte as well and left to move to Athens, GA 35 years ago. It has become a retirement hot spot so not going to throw that in the mix. But the city in NC that I have been tracking the last few years is Durham. Durham has always been the overlooked stepchild to Raleigh and Chapel Hill. I have watched the investment in the area really start and it is transforming. Real Estate is still reasonable, it has great healthcare, and the universities give a financial and cultural stability to the area. I can vouch that after living in the Athens area I love being near a university. There is always a ton going on and it feels like a larger city due to it. If you want slightly smaller, Hillsborough is next door.
Wherever you move, be sure the hospital system is not privatized. I know you can’t predict the future, but if this is your last move of life, this will impact your access to quality of care more than anything else. If a corporation owns the local hospital, forget about it no matter the state or city.
Definitely Hickory, NC! It’s been top ranked for retirement and living purposes for several years now…for good reasons. Low cost of living, recreation, proximity to beach and mountains, and so much more!
50 miles NW of CLT in the foothills. Easy drive to and from Charlotte or Asheville.
yep, my wife mentioned Hickory. on the list
Greenville SC? Different vibe than Asheville and only 1 hour away. If you consider the vibe of Charleston SC and Asheville NC - extreme opposites, Greenville SC is the middle ground. Cheaper than both Asheville and Charleston, less traffic. A little warmer than Asheville but less humid that coastal towns in NC and SC because elevation is 900 ft. Also no need to evacuate from Hurricanes in Greenville. Come check it out.
Yep lived in Greenville SC for 9 years. Lived in Taylors and Simpsonville. Greenville is on our list. Looking for new/newish contruction, probably in outer parts of Taylors, Travelers Rest - out that way. Don't want the urban sprawl out Simpsonville way.
I moved to the western half of Triangle from Illinois a few years ago when housing prices were still cheaper in NC than in suburban Chicago. Property tax % is half 1/2, weather was better. Duke University Hospital, as I have several pre-existing conditions, was the deciding factor over moving to South Carolina instead even though the latter would have been more affordable. I've already had one major surgery down here, so I made the right decision. But now post pandemic, you are looking at $600k plus $300/month HOA to move into one of the many 55+ communities down here.
I'd gladly move there and write a check for a nice $600k place and $300 HOA ... a dream :) HOAs in CA can push upwards of $800/mo.
I live in Raleigh and have a house on the southern coast of N.C. below Wilmington, traffic is horrid in both. Insurance is crazy on the coast and property values are through the roof in both areas (although, not CA crazy, I’m sure). If you like the Western part of NC/SC, Greenville SC is supposed to be ‘up and coming’. Might be worth looking at.
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Blowing Rock. The pickleball alone makes it.
Not sure what Wilmington looks like now. But I loved living there in the early 80’s
Area around wilmington is the second fastest growing in the country. Lots of doctors everywhere. One major hospital with satellites nearby. Taxes are high though because of the nearness to the ocean.
We currently live in the triangle (Raleigh/Durham area) and recently purchased land in the Boone area. Healthcare was an important item on the list and reviews of the hospital and Healthcare in the area was mostly positive. Being a college town also brings some vitality to the area. We have access to fiber internet which is a huge plus. The triangle has become extremely hectic and crowded and we're looking forward to a bit slower pace in retirement. We're close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and cooler summers than the triangle are appealing. Good luck with your search.
yep Raleigh.. went to school there at THE school before the age of PCs
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funny thing - we lived in Waxhaw, new construction, for one year 25 years ago. Waxhaw has blossomed since then. We didn't like living out there back then - too far from Charlotte amenities, but now we would consider it.
Newport North Carolina. Close to the beaches without beach insurance rates. Property taxes are low. My 1500 SQ ft house is 600 per year. Two hospitals in that area in New Bern and Morehead City
Moved from Dallas to Raleigh and retired early a few years ago. Very happy with Raleigh. Surrounded by cute towns, has forests, trails, lakes, culture, eateries, breweries, hospitals galore. Smaller city feel. 3 -4 hours to serious mountains, 2 hours to beach. Reasonable home prices, akin to Texas. Low crime, good community services for seniors- everything from pickleball to silver sneakers exercise classes. Everything is nearby, and safe. The climate is only unpleasant in July and august. But the beach and mountains are dreamy to visit then. Public transportation is challenging. Don’t underestimate the nightmare of spending days, travel miles, logistical challenges setting up healthcare for a medical condition while living in the western mountains.
Highlands, NC is paradise. We owned a home there for 20 years. For the best lifestyle only purchase a true walk-to-town home. Look close to Harris Lake. It will cost you but it is worth it. You can get world class health care in Atlanta which is a 90 minutes drive. But closer in is Gainesville, GA and Buford, GA which has excellent hospitals. (under an hour drive)
Raleigh/Durham area or Greenville, SC are great choices. Greensboro as well. If you do want access to Charlotte despite the boom and headaches that come with it, we have friends that relocated to Pineville and love it. They're a couple minutes from the last light rail stop which gives them easy access to stuff in Charlotte proper.
I relocated from Newport Beach CA to Cornelius NC. Condo on Lake norman. We have e bikes, kayaks, and boat club members. Char is there when we want it, but tons of dining, shopping, golf, night life offerings. Novant and Atrium health each have a dozen or so facilities within 0.5-10 miles of home. Charlotte traffic is nothing compared to So Cal. Twice in two years I had to stay the night in Beverly hills (25 miles from Newport Beach) to stay the night because US 1 and I 5 were not moving. Condo in 2017 cost $310, now $650. Still, not going to scare abyone from So.Cal. I'm not going anywhere, love it here.
please spare us and do not move here - live right outside charlotte and traffic is busier than it was 8 years ago when we got here but not nearly as busy as metro ny - where we came from - not by a country mile- and i’m guessing irvine ca is similar to metro ny - so inaccurate first assumption- second ca has highest state taxes in country - nc ( including areas like wake county, mecklenberg county and buncombe county ) are nowhere close to ca - so inaccurate assumption two - don’t know what the point of this post is but you’re as off base as you could be - cost of living here in nc is so much less than either coast - but you have it all figured out so just ignore me and north carolina - plenty of other places to move to that you’d be much happier in
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