Any real country left in southwestern NC (Jackson, Swain, Macon, Graham, Clay, Cherokee counties)? (Wilmington: houses, buying)
Western North CarolinaThe Mountain Region including Asheville
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I am a country girl from upstate New York. Within the next ten years my family (husband, two kids, and my parents) are thinking of relocating. The area we have been thinking of is Rabun-Towns-Union-White-Habersham-Stephens counities in Georgia or Cherokee-Clay-Macon-Jackson Counties in NC. Currentely, we live about three hours drive from New York City and that is close enough for us! We don't care about golf courses, country clubs, or shopping. I am wondering if this area is still genuinely rural and if all the city folks buying second homes have made it completely unaffordable to live there? I would love to hear about interesting communities/towns we should visit. By the time we move, my parents will be retired, I will be a nurse midwife, and it would be great if my husband could stay home and grow a few acres of organic vegetables for work or maybe do a little stone masonry and stove installation. We are definately the children of hippies (on both sides), but having grown up in rural areas we are used to being "folksy folk" in conservative lands. We are more back-to-land, crafty (knitting, sewing, build your own bread oven) and simple-living kind of hippies/children of hippies than New Age-y. Mostly, I am wondering if this area is still accessible to people who have less that $300-500K+ to spend on a "cabin". Ideally, we would sell our 160 year old farmhouse and 13 acres here and be able to buy something similar in NC/GA. We do have some good friends who are routing for the Asheville area where they live, but we definately don't want to live in the suburbs or even someplace that is going to become the suburbs. I would love to hear what the natives have to say - Thanks.
As you might be able to tell from the population densities above, many of the counties you listed definately still retain their 'rural' roots. Even the most populous counties in the area (e.g., Henderson, Buncombe, Watauga) have quite a lot of rural landscapes and communities if you know what parts of the counties to explore. That said, these areas are probably not exactly what you are looking for.
My suggestion, based on what you discussed, (rural/country atmosphere and affordability in the Southern Appalachians) is that you focus on counties like mitchell, yancey, macon and jackson in Western NC. They are beautiful (mostly rural) areas with prices a bit lower than the more populous areas. Do keep in mind, though, that in Western NC it is very difficult to find decent land (w/ full year access) for less than 12K an acre. Things are really quite expensive in the area as a whole nowadays, at least relative to 5-10 years ago, despite how 'rural' an area might remain (including the counties mentioned above). Then again, it is a magnificently beautiful area that just may be worth the price tag.
Another suggestion is that you check out Oconee County, SC. This is the county tucked in the NorthWestern Corner of South Carolina (bordered by North Carolina and Georgia) and has a good mix of beautiful mountains and foothills. It also has whitewater rivers, large beautiful lakes and a lot of federally and state protected lands. I suggest this area for you because the atmosphere is still very rural there (many beautiful 'agricultural' landscapes) and it is more affordable than WNC. The area is less than an hour from Greenville,SC and within 1.5 hours of Asheville,NC.
I hope this helps you in your considerations. Blessings~
I was born in Graham County, and lived there until I was about 10, when my parents moved to Wilmington, NC. All of the rest of my family though still live in Graham, Cherokee, and Jackson Counties. If you TRULY want to get away from it all and have the full on rural experience, you may really want to consider Graham County around Robbinsville. You won't have to worry about the city folk moving into that area; there's no fancy shopping, no golf courses, no day spa's, etc. There's a few restaurants, a grocery store, some smaller stores with various odds and ends, and that's about it. All the attractions in the county have to do with nature (Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest walking trail, the lakes, the Cherohala Skyway, to name a few). No large cities around for over an hour. Heck, the nearest Wal-Mart is 30 minutes away in Murphy. The average household income in the county, last time I checked, was in the upper $20K/yr range, so land and housing isn't too costly for the most part. You'll find some exceptions; sometimes someone decides to develop an area and put up some fancy cabins, but they almost always have to come down on the price because of the reason's mentioned above; none of your typical attractions around for a good ways. Hope that helps, and good luck!
Madison County (Mars Hill, Marshall, Hot Springs and an area called Shelton Laurel) would be a good match for you. A very strong community of like minded folks..like me
There is a very strong farmer's market and you will find lots of folks that grow their own food, raise their own livestock, spin their own wool and bake their own bread. I even have some "off the grid" friends.
It has a fantastic library system (thanks to my mother) that is as up to date as you can get with fantastic programs for the kids and movies with popcorn on Saturdays.
There are lots of parties.. everyone brings a dish and a tent because it is just too far to drive home. Let the kids run around in the creek while the parents sit around the fire eating bread and blackberry jam and drinkin homemade wine. And in the morning there are fresh eggs going on the fire beside the coffee pot.
Downtown Marshall has a great new natural foods store and Mars Hill has the Amish Store for all of your bulk needs.
Yep... you would fit right in.
Thanks chickenista! I will check out those areas - they are not becoming suburban Asheville???? Just worried - I have lived in two beautiful country towns that morphed into the suburbs in my 31 years.
Nah. Weaverville is taking over the slot of suburban Asheville instead. Now between Asheville and Weaverville is all stoplights and stores.
But Madison is fairly safe. The "future" 26 corridor is on the very eastern edge of the county and any development will be there, leaving the rest of the county free and clear for quite awhile yet.
In Madison there are only the three towns and the rest is just woods and mountains and creeks and rivers and valleys. There are a few developments hither and thither, but mostly will be summer folk. (except for along the 26..for ease of travel for the folks that will go to Asheville on a whim) Marshall can never expand for there is nowhere to expand to.. the river and about 100 yards away on eithr side of the river is steep cliffs.
You can be as far out as you want to be. I knew folks that lived so far out in the mountains that it took and hour and a half to even reach 26. You can find some great valleys back in the hills with very fertile soils and plenty of old houses to update. But be warned.. it is like stepping back in time and the area is not for everyone. You sound like you have it well in hand and could make it in that environment. You sound like you could easily put up for the winter and would have no problem with stacking a good woodpile.
As a midwife you will do great there.. it is the home of the home birth and everyone I know prefers natural methods to the hospitals. And they need another midwife in the area!
If you were to choose Madison County you would definitely have a "home" there. It would not take you long to meet up with some good people either. Just a day or two of hanging out in Marshall and having a coffee would start you well on your way. As would a Saturday at the Farmer's Market in Mars Hill. And as always.. the library is the meeting spot with a great playground for the kids and confy couches inside for the moms.
Let me know what you decide.. I am very curios. It is so rare to encounter another person into the "old" ways and willing to work hard at it.
Jen
Cheers to that notion. Living simply in a simple place is a beautiful thought and may provide a beautiful life. The area Chickenista describes is a very pretty, still rural setting. I love that area. Towns like Marshall, Spruce Pine, Bakersville,NC and Walhalla, SC delight the heart for their rural charm and their naturally beautiful surroundings.
Thank you both!
I am laughing because we live in upstate New York and my husband sells firewood for part of the year as a side business - I can stack wood! (Although I can't say it is my favorite thing to do.) Madison County sounds great as does Yancey - I am excited to come and visit. My friends from Asheville are coming to visit at the end of the summer and I hope maybe they have checked out Marshall and can give a first hand account. We are hoping to visit sometime next spring or summer.
I would absolutely love to find "some great valleys back in the hills with very fertile soils and plenty of old houses to update." I totally get that areas like this are old fashioned and not for everyone. Thanks again.
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Laughing . . .
