Nashville/Franklin vs. Raleigh/Cary (living, best, cost, state)
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Hey there! This forum has been a huge help to me as I've been figuring out where to move. There's two areas that are near the top of my list and seem very similar, and I'm having trouble figuring out how to choose between them. I'm not really interested in living in the city center, but I like both Nashville and Raleigh, and I think Franklin and Cary would be the type of areas where I would end up (though I'm open to other ideas). A little more about me and what I'm looking for:
- I'm a male in my late 20s. I enjoy being active and getting outside, and would ideally like to find a city with a similar culture.
- I work from home, so commute is not an issue.
- I'm looking for somewhere to settle down. I got the traveling/partying bug out of my system when I was younger, so I'm not necessarily looking for a "fun" city, or somewhere that's appealing to visitors and tourists. I'd like to find somewhere I can stick around for a long time.
- That being said, it will be a new city for me and I need to be able to meet other single people my age relatively easily.
- I'll be renting for now, but would like to keep the housing market in consideration.
- Ideally, I'd be in a city that's slightly more conservative/moderate politically.
- I'd like a place with relatively low taxes and cost of living.
- I'd like a place with a large medical community.
- And I'd like to also keep in mind some of the typical considerations (crime rates, pollution, etc.)
While Cary will be technically more conservative than Raleigh or Durham, it's not conservative. The Triangle as a whole is more progressive than conservative. Then again, it all depends on where you're coming from and what you consider to be "conservative".
If it matters, Cary is closer to both Raleigh and Durham than Franklin is to Nashville.
Cary is a much larger town than Franklin and it's also more diverse.
Both Cary and Franklin represent the higher end of the income spectrum and costs of living in their respective metros. According to the Census, Cary's housing costs are somewhat lower for renters and buyers.
In general, the Raleigh area's crime rates are significantly lower than Nashville's. I am not sure how Franklin maps into that data, but I know that Cary's rates are among the lowest nationally for cities its size.
I think that both cities will offer you opportunities to get outside. For Cary, it has a robust network of trails and greenways in addition to a significant park system. Also, to its northeastern border lies a 9 square mile state park. Someone familiar with Franklin can fill you in on their resources. As for mountain access, the distance from Cary to Asheville is similar to the distance from Franklin to Knoxville.
From an overall terrain perspective, Franklin will be hillier than Cary. Cary will clearly be closer to an ocean.
Cary is within Raleigh's core county and is governed at the county level with Raleigh. Franklin is in a suburban county of Nashville and will not have any governance from Nashville-Davidson.
While Cary will be technically more conservative than Raleigh or Durham, it's not conservative. The Triangle as a whole is more progressive than conservative. Then again, it all depends on where you're coming from and what you consider to be "conservative".
If it matters, Cary is closer to both Raleigh and Durham than Franklin is to Nashville.
Cary is a much larger town than Franklin and it's also more diverse.
Both Cary and Franklin represent the higher end of the income spectrum and costs of living in their respective metros. According to the Census, Cary's housing costs are somewhat lower for renters and buyers.
In general, the Raleigh area's crime rates are significantly lower than Nashville's. I am not sure how Franklin maps into that data, but I know that Cary's rates are among the lowest nationally for cities its size.
I think that both cities will offer you opportunities to get outside. For Cary, it has a robust network of trails and greenways in addition to a significant park system. Also, to its northeastern border lies a 9 square mile state park. Someone familiar with Franklin can fill you in on their resources. As for mountain access, the distance from Cary to Asheville is similar to the distance from Franklin to Knoxville.
From an overall terrain perspective, Franklin will be hillier than Cary. Cary will clearly be closer to an ocean.
Cary is within Raleigh's core county and is governed at the county level with Raleigh. Franklin is in a suburban county of Nashville and will not have any governance from Nashville-Davidson.
You can't go wrong with either area. Cary and Franklin are excellent areas. Nashville is a much larger city than Raleigh and it shows in its amenities. Both cities are well known for their higher education. Raleigh has the more robust tech industry, while Nashville has the more robust healthcare industry.
Nashville: Significant growth in the city center with lots of new hotels, retail, residential, and commercial development. As a single male in your 20s, Nashville has a great singles scene with its many social networking events and gatherings. They are not all country music based either. Yoga, hiking, athletics, fashion, climbing, healthy foodies, arts, etc. are big here.
Franklin: Very corporate-based. Very conservative and experiencing fast growth. Franklin has many developments underway so traffic can be brutal.
You can't go wrong with either area. Cary and Franklin are excellent areas. Nashville is a much larger city than Raleigh and it shows in its amenities. Both cities are well known for their higher education. Raleigh has the more robust tech industry, while Nashville has the more robust healthcare industry.
Nashville: Significant growth in the city center with lots of new hotels, retail, residential, and commercial development. As a single male in your 20s, Nashville has a great singles scene with its many social networking events and gatherings. They are not all country music based either. Yoga, hiking, athletics, fashion, climbing, healthy foodies, arts, etc. are big here.
Franklin: Very corporate-based. Very conservative and experiencing fast growth. Franklin has many developments underway so traffic can be brutal.
eh Larger yes and Nash certainly has more of a city feel as well but much Larger No....both are fast growing Raleigh and the Triangle Area probably moreso....Outside of the tourism and music aspect not sure what amenities Nash has that Raleigh or the Triangle doesn't.
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The historic character of the Franklin CBD is what draws me in. It's larger and much more impressive than Cary's.
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