I have lived in this area over 25 years. The good in rural towns near Raleigh is they are quaint, affordable. The south, in general, is a more on the street Hello friendly place. In regions recieving an influx of out of staters, there may be little or no xenophonbia. Truely rural areas..... another story. It is life as we think of it in the 1950s in many places. With high racial tensions.
Small town life is wonderful for the community focused person. There, the first questioned asked will be "what do you do for work?" or if your a woman, "what does your husband do for work?" the second is "what church do you belong to ?" I really didn't mind this or the fact that THERE ARE NO SECRETS in a small town. If you sneeze out the back door in a small town, by lunch, everyone will know you have a cold.
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So , if you are church loving, community building, scouts and 4-H folk, small town NC like Louisburg may be right for you. If you are young couple looking for winning, dinning and shopping and nightlife..... look at Glenwood south in Raleigh or Carborro, next to chapel hill, nc.