Looking to move our family to NC (Raleigh, Durham: low crime, new home)

[one2three4]

Sorry for the repeat of questions, but We are currently living in New England and are looking to move our family to the North Carolina area. I have been trying to do research as to which areas are best, low crime, as well as decent schools.

My husband and I have jobs that are semi flexible to relocate, so at this point its merely trying to pinpoint what sections of the state are most fitting for us.

We are looking to spend under $250,000 on a house, we are moving with 2 small children-one is school aged. We are looking for a decent public school, but are willing to put him into private school if necessary.
We prefer to live near the ocean, but we do not need to be right on the water, within 2 hours is ok.


I'm sorry for sounding picky but the thought of moving is very overwhelming.


So our list includes:
-Smaller town
-Low Crime
-Decent school systems
-Within 2 hours of the ocean
-housing under $250,000
-A couple acres (my son would like to attempt farming...we'll see....)

Thank you in advance for all your help! I appreciate any direction you can provide me with.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by one2three4

We are looking to spend under $250,000 on a house, we are moving with 2 small children-one is school aged. We are looking for a decent public school, but are willing to put him into private school if necessary.
We prefer to live near the ocean, but we do not need to be right on the water, within 2 hours is ok.

So our list includes:
-Smaller town
-Low Crime
-Decent school systems
-Within 2 hours of the ocean
-housing under $250,000
-A couple acres (my son would like to attempt farming...we'll see....)

You are limiting yourself to the eastern part of the state, roughly east of Interstate 95. Unfortunately, that leaves out the Triangle which has the best schools in the state. Also, the rural areas where you can farm tend to have the poorer achieving schools.

Anyway, here are a few recommendations, based on my overview of the map at Schooldigger.com. Look at the small towns around Wilson, Goldsboro, Greenville and Washington. The town of Winterville has good schools, otherwise you will have to do some digging to find an acceptable trade-off between acreage and decent schools.

Another suggestion is Richlands near Jacksonville. It is a historic farming area and it is easy to find housing in your budget. You might also find something in Havelock or Newport near Morehead City.

[one2three4]

Thank you so much, obviously education is more of a priority than the ocean, just living near one our whole lives has been comforting and familiar to us. Its such a big transition. I will definitely look into that site. I have look at a couple, but I'm not sure which are actually credible, since one site states county A has excellent schools, then the next site says county A has horrible schools.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by one2three4

I have look at a couple, but I'm not sure which are actually credible, since one site states county A has excellent schools, then the next site says county A has horrible schools.

I use Schooldigger and Greatschools to give people a general over-view. Howver, when you need to get specific about a particular school, use the NCReportCard web site. It gives very detailed reports based on achievement tests. However, keep in mind that some schools have suffered in the change-over to Common-Core standards.

I also suggest doing some reading on this site about budget cuts to teacher salaries. North Carolina now has some of the lowest starting salaries among all states, and it does not give raises for teachers obtaining the master's degree. I am not a parent, but I believe these cuts will affect the quality of schools if better teachers leave the state.

[JoeTarheel]

The western Triangle areas are right around 2 hours from the coast. It's a 2 hour 19 minute drive from Raleigh to Wilmington, so don't rule out Raleigh.

[poppydog]

It was shorter than 2 hrs from Raleigh to Wrightsville Beach the last time I drove it. Google gives it as 1:54 from downtown Raleigh to Wrightsville.

You might look at Clayton. A lot of folks seem to like it. It's just southeast of Raleigh, so slightly closer to the beach. Some people like the schools there — Johnston County Schools — and some folks don't think they're as good as Wake County Schools (Raleigh, Cary, Apex, etc). Clayton is a little more in the country, but still plenty of suburban neighborhoods.

I think your harder point will be a home on a couple of acres for under $250k. Are you looking for a new home, or an older home? If you're open to an older home you're more likely to find that closer to Raleigh. If you're wanting a new home you'll have to get pretty far away to find that. I've not been looking closely at the Wake County market, but I would be surprised if there are new homes on 2 acres for 250k.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by poppydog

It was shorter than 2 hrs from Raleigh to Wrightsville Beach the last time I drove it. Google gives it as 1:54 from downtown Raleigh to Wrightsville.

You might look at Clayton. ......

I think your harder point will be a home on a couple of acres for under $250k.

I did not realize one could get to the beach in under 2 hours from the Raleigh area, so Clayton, or the rest of Johnston County is a good suggestion. I'd also suggest Harnett County, although the schools are not as good as Wake County's.

Regarding the OP's desire to "try farming", many people don't realize how large 2 acres really is. In fact, one can grow a lot of vegetables for a family on only half an acre. There are plenty of houses on half to a full acre in Johnston or Harnett County that would be sufficient for a family garden plot.

Dropping the acreage requirement would allow the OP to be closer to amenities in the Triangle.

[rnc2mbfl]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

I did not realize one could get to the beach in under 2 hours from the Raleigh area, so Clayton, or the rest of Johnston County is a good suggestion. I'd also suggest Harnett County, although the schools are not as good as Wake County's.

Regarding the OP's desire to "try farming", many people don't realize how large 2 acres really is. In fact, one can grow a lot of vegetables for a family on only half an acre. There are plenty of houses on half to a full acre in Johnston or Harnett County that would be sufficient for a family garden plot.

Dropping the acreage requirement would allow the OP to be closer to amenities in the Triangle.

Yep. It's less than 2 hours from DT Raleigh to Wilmington. It usually takes me 1:45 during non-peak hours (meaning no afternoon rush hour out of Raleigh) and not making any stops along the way. Another few minutes from Wilmington to the actual beach puts the trip right at or just under 2 hours.

As for two acres, I can't agree with you more. It's a LOT of land. Finding a nice flatter acre with most of it in the back yard will probably be plenty. If the OP looks between Fuquay-Varina and Clayton near I40, they'll be likely to hit more of their stated requirements and be even closer to the beach.

[one2three4]

Thank you everyone for so much help!!

[march2]

For what you're describing, some of the more rural areas around the Raleigh/Durham area might be good. It's 1-2 hours from the beaches. Wilmington is a good metro area and has beaches, but the schools are a bit better in the RDU area. Good luck in your search.