Starting with the Pros of living in Wake Forest NC, Pro #4 is Wake Forest is a great place to raise a family.

PRO #4 – Family Friendly

There are tons of families moving to Wake Forest, and for good reason, as it offers a great environment and entertainment options for kids.  

There are multiple parks and playgrounds that are perfect spots to wear the kids out, such as Forest Ridge and Joyner Park, and the Factory has two ice rinks, an indoor soccer field, and basketball courts inside, and four baseball fields outside.

The town is constantly putting on events as well, such as the monthly Friday Night on White music series, or holiday themed events like easter egg hunts and halloween festivals.  

Wake Forest is in the Wake County Public Schools system, and has some excellent public schools like Heritage, but also has great charter and private schools as well.

Moving on to the next pro of living in Wake Forest NC, Pro #3 is all about Location.

PRO #3 – Location

Now Wake Forest’s location is initially viewed by many as a con, as on the map it appears further from Raleigh than many areas, but in my experience, I love where Wake Forest is situated. 

Wake Forest is directly above north Raleigh, one of the premier places in the triangle to live.  In just a few minutes, you can take advantage of all that north Raleigh has to offer, but not pay the premium to live there.  

Commute times are actually not as bad as they may initially seem, and part of that is because unlike many areas in the triangle, there are so many different routes you can take to get to the same place.  

It’s about 30-35 minutes into downtown Raleigh, 25 minutes to the airport, and 30 minutes to RTP.  So while some people may initially have the impression Wake Forest is far out, it actually feels very connected, and this is coming from someone who lived in the heart of Cary and Raleigh most of my life!

Next up, Wake Forest has beautiful outdoor recreation and parks.

PRO #2 – Outdoor Beauty

Situated right next to Falls Lake and the Neuse River, Wake Forest is a prime location to enjoy nature.  

Falls Lake is one of the area’s largest lakes and the most popular place around to enjoy freshwater fun.  Lake houses and water front properties are not allowed here, so the natural beauty is truly preserved.

There’s also the Wake Forest Reservoir that allows kayaking and has walking and biking trails.

The Neuse River is just minutes away, where you can enjoy Raleigh’s best greenway that spans  over 26 miles along the river and continues into Johnston County to the south.  

Both Joyner Park and Forest Ridge offer gorgeous walking trails as well, and for mountain bike lovers, there are quite a few trails in the area.  

So that brings us to our #1 Pro about living in Wake Forest NC, is that it’s very affordable in comparison to Raleigh and some of the its’ other major suburbs.

PRO #1 – Affordability

The home values in Wake Forest have appreciated just like everywhere else, but its’ housing prices remain relatively affordable.  

The average home value is typically in the low $500ks with a price per square foot of typically between $200-210.  That’s quite a bit less than Raleigh and some of its’ larger suburbs of Cary, Apex and Holly Springs.  

When compared to these other suburbs, Wake Forest also has the highest average square footage, which is indicative of all the new construction neighborhoods that are popping up.  

If you like new construction and custom homes, Wake Forest is the place to be, as there are tons of neighborhoods like Stonewater, Wexford, Waterstone, and Camberly that have amazing, newly built homes at a fraction of the cost that they would be in Raleigh or Cary.  

Many of these neighborhoods come with 1/2 to over an acre sized properties, which is great for those who need more space.

So those are some of the top reasons why people are moving to Wake Forest, but let’s now dive into some of the reasons people avoid living in Wake Forest NC.

Starting with #4, Wake Forest has minimal nightlife and entertainment of its’ own.

Con #4 – Minimal Nightlife & Entertainment

While suburbs aren’t typically known to have tons of nightlife options, Wake Forest is pretty quiet after 10 o’clock.  There are several options in downtown Wake Forest, like White St. Brewing and the Norse Brewing Company, but there’s not a large variety of bars to keep you entertained week after week.

Downtown Raleigh, North Hills, and Durham all have more options and are 30 minutes or less away, but that can be an expensive uber ride.

For sports, the main source of entertainment is in the form of high school sports, as the area’s football teams are good.  You’ll have to travel around 30 minutes to see the NHL’s Hurricanes or the minor league Durham Bulls.

Next up for the cons of living in Wake Forest NC, the lack of major shopping centers.

Con #3 – Lack of Major Shopping Centers

This is something Wake Forest is working to change, but there has been much more housing development than new commercial space over the past five years.

Unlike many of the suburbs on the western side of Raleigh, Wake Forest doesn’t have the major shopping centers that have anything you could ever need, complete with outdoor spaces and movie theaters.

There are certainly some larger shopping centers around that provide you the essentials like Target, Sam’s Club, and Kohls, but they are not to the scale of what other suburbs offer.

Shopping itself is fairly limited, and the closest mall in Triangle Town Center is on the decline and in need of revitalization.  The best and closest shopping options are Lafayette Village, North Hills, and Crabtree Valley Mall.

Moving into our next Con of living in Wake Forest NC is #2, Wake Forest does not have the most diverse restaurant scene.

Con #2 – Restaurant Diversity

Trust me, you will not go hungry, as there are plenty of great places to eat in Wake Forest like Over the Falls, Backfins Crabhouse, and Farm Table, but there is not quite the same variety and diversity in food that some of the other suburbs provide.  

Wake Forest has just about every chain restaurant you could name, and has its’ own fair share of staples in the area, but if you’re looking for authentic and diverse food, you will want to travel into Raleigh and Durham to experience more of the variety.

This doesn’t bother us, as our kids just want chicken and fries wherever we go, but if you’re someone who wants an endless variety of food options, you’ll have to plan on traveling to other areas of the triangle to get your fix.  

Moving onto the most complained about aspect of living in Wake Forest NC, is the traffic and crowding.

Con #1 – Traffic & Crowding

With the significant influx of new neighborhoods and residents in Wake Forest, increased traffic and crowding is bound to occur.  

The worst areas are in and around Heritage, which is one of Wake Forest’s premiere neighborhoods and includes the it’s own highly rated elementary, middle and high schools.  

The surrounding roadways are mostly single lane, which creates large backups during rush hour and school drop off and pick up times.  

There have been quite a few neighborhoods built in this area beyond Heritage, like Stonewater and Holding Village, as well as commercial development to add restaurants and grocery stores such as Chick-Fil-A and Publix.  

These developments are great for the area, but the infrastructure was not built to support the growing population and traffic in this area can be frustrating.

With the increased population, the limited number of popular restaurants and shops can get packed pretty quickly, so if you want to go to a Wake Forest staple like Over the Falls, you’ll want to arrive early or plan on an extended wait.   

Wake Forest is really a great place to live, but it doesn’t come without it’s pain points.  I hope this blog gave you some insight into the pros and cons of living in Wake Forest NC to help you make the decision as to whether its’ right for you! 

Fore more information on the area, check out our other blogs on the best neighborhoods in Wake Forest, the best luxury neighborhoods in Wake Forest, and everything you need to know about Wake Forest.

If you need help finding your next home, our team here at the W Real Estate Group would love to help! 

Please reach out via our contact information below:

Phone:  919-504-5265

Email:  Alison@thewgroupraleigh.com

Website:  www.thewgroupraleigh.com