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My husband and I are considering a move to the Mount Airy/Pilot Mountain/King area from the Hudson Valley in NY(about 2 hours from NYC)to "semi-retire" and would love to hear from current residents on weather....number of sunny and rainy days?....snow/winter weather?....property taxes on home values at 200-300k?.....availability/cost of health insurance for individuals age 50-64? part time employment/business opportunities(I am a CPA/CFO for healthcare practice he is self employed/part time farmer)...community/neighbors/actitivities?...etc.
Mount Airy was our hometown for many years. You can find information to get you started about activities etc in my View from the Mountain blog.
In North Carolina if you are in a city you pay city and county taxes. You'll have to check for current rates, but back in 2004 our home which sold for mid-$200ks, the total tax bill was around $2,000 per year.
Mount Airy get very little snow, but it varies. I can remember storms with as much as eight inches but they were rare and never lasted long.
The Virginia mountains which are nearby get more snow.
The town's economy is somewhat dependent on tourism, but it has a very vibrant downtown. You can check some pictures that I have at Tour de Mayberry.
I think the economy is close to having gotten over the loss of furniture and textile jobs, but it's hard to make a definite statement now that we don't live there. You can find some general comments on Surry County in the comments section of this post, "NC snares Google equals Googlina."
As to business opportunites I remember a small farmers market.
I've heard that Mt. Airy is great if you are retired but, I haven't heard much about the people. Is it a liberal place? You always think of small towns as not so accepting or diverse. Different races, lifestyles, etc. My husband and I like living in areas that we've got a little of everything. (That's what makes the world go round!)
If you are looking for a diverse small town community in a North Carolina foothill mountain town you luck is going to be grim. Coastal small towns in this state tend to be more diverse than the mountain small cities.
Also keep in mine alot of our small cities like this one tend to be a generation kind of town the type your brother lives across the street your mom lives in her old moms house cousin lives up the road etc. So they tend to be more close knit.
I might offer a little different opinion of Mount Airy having grown up there, and having recently spent a couple of years back there after working in DC and living in Roanoke.
There are a surprising number of people in Mount Airy now who have come from outside. It is a fairly popular spot and it is an inexpensive place where you can buy a home with the money from cashing out up north or in Florida and then bank the rest.
It certainly still has its conservative elements but so does almost all of NC.
I would encourage you to go visit and make your own judgment. Walk the streets, talk to the people. It is one of the more vibrant small towns around and the downtown area is a lot of fun.
Our family moved there around 1900 and was one of the well known families in the area. I believe many of the changes brought about by tourism and new people moving into the area have been very positive.
We sold our home to people from Florida who turned it into a Bed & Breakfast. They liked the area so much they have convinced some friends to follow them. There is a bakery there run by folks from NY.
The people across the street from us moved down from the north years ago.
I live on the coast and I don't see much difference in the political opinions. Of course after coming down from southern Virginia, I find North Carolina much less tied to the past, but Virginia might be a special case.
There's a magazine that some of the locals put together that I think might interest you and convince you that no all of Mt. Airy is conservative, but I can't remember the name. I'll try to dig it up.
We live in the Charlotte area (1.5 hr. south of Mt. Airy) and visit often. We really love the town. It's Andy Griffith's hometown and was used as the model for "Mayberry". It has it's conserative element, but that's not a bad thing. You shouldn't have any problems finding your nich. The people there are the salt of the earth. As long as you respect them, you guy will do fine. Good luck!!!
I bought property in Pilot Mountain 3 years ago. Eighty percent of the people are some of the nicest people you will ever meet...twenty percent are resentful of outsiders, or anyone not from the area (not just the northeast).
The weather is great. You still have 4 seasons, with much milder temperatures in the winter. (40-50 day/30-40 nights) The summers can be hot and humid...but nice.
Taxes are reasonable, compared to NY/NJ. Depends on if you live in city limits...which could mean double property taxes, city & county of approxiamately 6-7%.
The job market in the area is horrible. The textile and industrial factories have closed and a lot of people have no work.
There is some crime...mostly theft to support methamphetimen addictions, which is kept hush-hush.
Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Charlotte have many events in theater, arts, and much more. All are within a two hour drive.
Hope this helps!
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Mt. Airy Info
Mt. Airy, Pilot Mountain & King area
