Small towns near Charlotte/Gastonia? (Lincolnton, Mount Holly: for sale, cheap apartments, rentals)

[pterodactyl]

I am hoping that someone can give me some advice. I live in Illinois and plan to move to NC this summer and attend Gaston College in the fall. I have never been to the area, so I don't know what it's like. We would prefer a smaller town with a short commute. Any suggestions (good or bad)?

[abcornwell]

Which location of the college will you be attending? Will you also be working part-time? Will you buy a house/condo or rent a house or an apartment? Is it just you or spouse and family?

Is tuition at Gaston College lower if you live in Gaston County? That could affect your choice of location.

When I looked at cost of housing in Gastonia (including Lowell and Ranlo), Cramerton, Belmont, and Mount Holly, Gastonia came in the lowest. If you are attending the location on the east side of Gaston County, you'd want to look at east Gastonia, and the area that is Gaston County between Gastonia and Cramerton. It might be listed as Gastonia, or Cramerton (if it east enough to bump into Cramerton).

So much depends on your budget. And remember, gas prices probably won't drop significantly anytime soon, so calculate the trade-off in a possibly lower cost of housing as you go west versus what it costs to commute.

[SunnyKayak]

Cherryville (pronounced Chair -vul)

Dallas

Lowell

[pterodactyl]

abcornwell-
Just answering your questions. Dallas campus. working part-time. renting (house or apt). just me and my fiance.
I will have to pay out of state tuition for the first year until residency is established. I have not found info. about tuition rates being different in Gaston county.
We are looking to rent for $500 or less, if possible, so we have a fairly low budget.
Are there any good rentals in Dallas?

SunnyKayak- thanks for the response. The information about Cherryville and Lowell was helpful.

[abcornwell]

Try Craigslist - craigslist: charlotte classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events - I just did a search on Apts using Dallas as a search term and got a few hits. Also tried Cherryville, Stanley, Alexis ... a few more hits. It's a start ...

Does the school offer any input as to housing?

Originally Posted by pterodactyl

abcornwell-
Just answering your questions. Dallas campus. working part-time. renting (house or apt). just me and my fiance.
I will have to pay out of state tuition for the first year until residency is established. I have not found info. about tuition rates being different in Gaston county.
We are looking to rent for $500 or less, if possible, so we have a fairly low budget.
Are there any good rentals in Dallas?

SunnyKayak- thanks for the response. The information about Cherryville and Lowell was helpful.

[NC~Mom]

We have a Gaston College Campus in Lincolnton.
Gaston campus is just a few minutes down the road.

[LAMF]

I know there are some cheap apartments in Cramerton, and it is a very safe area.

[marndt]

Try Maiden, not far up 321 from Gaston College...Small / sleepy town. They have a Food Lion! Also look into Boger City...

[SunnyKayak]

Originally Posted by marndt

Try Maiden, not far up 321 from Gaston College...Small / sleepy town. They have a Food Lion! Also look into Boger City...

What is reference as Boger City is nice area and good recommindation, but it no longer an individual city it has been annexed by Lincolnton for some time now.

[austinsmom]

I live in Dallas and the main Gaston College campus is less than a mile from my house. The housing is definitely more reasonable which is why we chose it along with good schools. My husband grew up in the Belmont/Mt. Holly area. Feel free to DM me if you have any specific questions. I've lived in Gaston Co. my whole life!