But in comparison to the higher populated and denser cities of the northeast, Raleigh will have a smaller town feel.  Raleigh’s downtown is growing with big plans for the future, but it still has a long way to go to even be in the same conversation with many US cities. 

One thing that people from the northeast are surprised about Raleigh though is how spread out it is.  Many people are used to going downtown for the vast majority of their entertainment, and while Raleigh does have good entertainment downtown, it’s offerings are spread all around the city, its’ suburbs, and even neighboring Durham. 

Another difference is the greenery in Raleigh, as it’s nicknamed the City of Oaks for a reason.  One of the first things you’ll notice is how many trees there are, and the lack of tall buildings in the area allows this greenery to be seen.  Raleigh also does a good job overall preserving trees, and has the 4th most tree canopy in the nation.

Jobs 

Moving into the job market, much of the Northeast is built of big business and manufacturing.  Raleigh will be different, as it centers around technology with its’ massive Research Triangle Park.  Learn more about the Research Triangle Park in our latest blog.

There are plenty of jobs in finance, education, healthcare, and more in addition to engineering and technology, and the Raleigh-Durham area has been high on the lists for the best places to start a business as well as being great for tech start-ups. 

And with the 5^th hottest job market in the country, there are plenty of opportunities in Raleigh.  The average salary of $76k is less the larger cities in the Northeast, but Raleigh’s cost of living is much less in general.

Cost of Living

 While many of the cities in the Northeastern portions of the United States are above the national average in cost of living, recent data shows Raleigh is 3% below the national average overall.

Cost of Living Data – Q3 2023 – Council for Community and Economic Research

Other videos have shown how much housing costs have increased in Raleigh over the past few years, but relatively speaking, Raleigh is still just 91% of the national average when comparing housing costs. 

So those from the Northeast will be surprised at how much further your money goes for most items in Raleigh, North Carolina. 

General Lifestyle

Moving into general lifestyle, Raleigh is always high on the lists ranking cities with the best qualities of life. 

First off, the major difference Northeasterners will notice is the weather, as Raleigh winters will feel like nothing!  There may be 1-2 minor snow events per winter if we are lucky, but in general, winters average highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s.  This allows outdoor activity to continue year around.

Summers will be hotter than you’re used to as it can get up into the 90s and sometimes even triple digits with the heat index, and the humidity can make some days make you sweat as soon as you step outside, but there are plenty of pools and water attractions around to keep you cool. 

Raleigh is also known for its’ outdoor offerings, as it has an impressive number of parks and greenways.  The park system is very well maintained, and has a great variety of parks for kids, hikers, mountain bikers, boaters, and more to keep everyone entertained.  Raleigh even has its’ own version of central park in its’ 5600 acre park in the middle of the city.

The biggest difference you’ll notice from up north is how often you see parks, as they feel like they are around just about every corner, especially in the suburbs of Raleigh.

Now, food and entertainment will be a major change for those coming from the Northeast.  Starting with food, I hear many complaints from Northeasterns who first arrive about finding the best NY Style pizza and bagels, or the best Philly cheesesteaks. 

Raleigh and its’ suburbs have an under the radar food scene, and Northeasterners have found their go-to spots for pizza, bagels and more once they knew where to look, but it won’t be quite as in your face as you’re used to. 

What is in your face in Raleigh is breweries, there are tons of them, so if you like craft beer, Raleigh is the place for you.

Entertainment wise, the Northeast is known for big time entertainment in their big cities.  Raleigh is growing, but it’s obviously nowhere near the level of cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.

So, while those markets have all the major, professional sports teams, concerts, and more, outside of the beloved Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL, Raleigh is centered around college sports with NC State, Duke, and UNC all within 45 minutes of each other. 

Raleigh does usually get the big name concerts though, and if the acts skip Raleigh, they are usually in Charlotte just 2.5 hours away.

But one thing you will enjoy if you’re from the Northeast is the reduction in the amount of time you spend in traffic everyday, as Raleigh’s traffic is nothing compared to what you experience up north.  Raleigh was actually named the BEST large city in the nation to drive in despite recent increases in traffic from the population surge. 

It benefits from being spread out as it in turn spreads out the traffic throughout the city, and it can still get pretty backed up on I-40 and I-440 during rush hour, but it is still nowhere near the same scale as major cities up north.

Education wise, Raleigh is in the Wake County Public School System, which typically ranks in the top third in North Carolina that already scores well nationally.  But the biggest difference between Northeastern education and Raleigh is that there are a ton of options in Raleigh that include a large selection of both charter and private schools. 

This can be a bit overwhelming to wade through all your options at first, but overall, Raleigh provides an excellent education that feeds the nationally renowned NC State, Duke and UNC colleges.

Safety wise, Raleigh has always been known as a safe city, and was recently ranked as one of the safest large cities in the US in 2024 by Far & Wide.  And while our homeless population has grown since the pandemic, it is still very low overall compared the vast majority of US cities.

Overall, people here are very welcoming, social and friendly.  Social interactions are much different here than up north in that you’re more likely to strike up a conversation with a stranger while waiting in-line at a store or in an elevator.  And people generally have good manners and are respectful to others.

So, all of these factors combined are why Raleigh is also known as an amazing place to raise a family.  Not that other places aren’t, but being family oriented is something that Raleigh and its’ suburbs really excel at and focuses much of its’ energy on when planning new developments or putting on events. 

As you can see, there are a number of major differences between living in Raleigh, North Carolina and living in the Northeastern part of the United States, but both are really great places to live.

For more information on the area, check out our blog on the pros and cons of Raleigh NC and why Raleigh NC is so great for families.

If you need any help finding your next home in the Raleigh, NC area, please don’t hesitate to reach out as our team specializes in relocation, and would love to help you too!

Please reach out via our contact information below:

Phone:  919-504-5265

Email:  alison@thewgroupraleigh.com

Website:  www.thewgroupraleigh.com