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I live in Raleigh and I generally like it here, but I’m curious how it compares to neighboring metros. The first one I think of is Richmond because it’s a similar sized area in the region. Which of these two areas do you prefer? In which ways do they each differ the most? Why is population growth in Richmond slower than in Raleigh? What are the biggest downsides to each?
Other than the fact that both are state capitals of neighboring states, I don't think that Raleigh and Richmond (city and/or metro) are very similar at all. The Raleigh area includes not only the city of Raleigh but the cities of Durham and Chapel Hill as well as three major research universities (NCSU, Duke, and UNC). This Research Triangle area of North Carolina contains the largest research park in the U.S. with over 300 companies and 65,000 workers. I suspect this enormous economic engine is what powers Raleigh's amazing population growth to a large extent.
OTOH, Richmond has a very diversified economic base (manufacturing, education, government, finance, tourism) that favors slow but steady population growth that is fairly recession proof. There are other factors such as Richmond's status as an Independent City which hinders the city's growth, a situation Raleigh does not have to deal with (Raleigh's land area is twice Richmond's probably due to easy annexation while Richmond is all but prohibited from annexing land from surrounding counties).
I much prefer Richmond (the city) over Raleigh (the city) simply because Richmond has the feel of an established city with old, dense neighborhoods whereas Raleigh feels more like a small city that has experienced explosive growth over the last few decades (in 1950 Richmond had 230,000 people vs. 65,000 for Raleigh. Today Raleigh's population is twice that of Richmond's).
The major downside of Raleigh to me is the tremendous suburban sprawl of the Triangle region. The major downside of Richmond for me is the loss of arguably the finest downtown retail core of any Southern city. If Richmond today had the downtown it once had, I'd probably be living in Richmond today instead of Philadelphia. Still, I think Richmond is real gem of a city.
The Triangle = Newer, more suburban, spread out, lots of growth, tons of transplants, a booming economy, RTP, tech jobs, better universities, a stronger southern/Sun Belt feel, Carolina Piedmont culture (BBQ, college basketball, etc.)
Richmond = Older, more urban, walkable neighborhoods such as the Fan, lots of history, a stable economy, Fortune 500 companies, finance jobs, a stronger mid-Atlantic feel, Virginia Tidewater culture (Chesapeake Bay cuisine, etc.)
The Triangle has a better job market and higher paying jobs too (that’s likely why the growth is faster). Richmond has benefited from remote work and the fact that so many people in NoVa are priced out and can’t afford to live here. That said, that doesn’t take anything away from Richmond, there are tons of good schools, parks, etc. that’s why people are moving there but it doesn’t have as strong of an economy like The Triangle. Your best hope there is to work for the local government or VCU hospital, the pay also isn’t aligned with the cost of living.
Overall, I think The Triangle offers a higher quality of life but both are good affordable areas.
Just curious about what makes the QOL better in the Triangle. (Only because we've thought of moving there). Thx.
The job market is better and isn't only limited to one or two industries (VCU Hospital and Virginia government). I also feel like the salaries in The Triangle are better aligned with the CoL. Richmond isn't that cheap these days, it's obviously not as expensive as the counties north of it near DC but the salaries there haven't caught up with the CoL. But honestly both areas are similar and both would be good places to live but I think the Raleigh area has a few extra advantages over Richmond.
For me QOL is higher in Richmond because it offers more things that interest and entertain me.
To me: The weather is better in Richmond, the traffic is better in Richmond, the variety of architecture styles is greater in Richmond. The museums are better in Richmond. The art scene and music scene is better in Richmond. The natural setting is better in Richmond. Biking and river access is better in Richmond. I like the fashion better in Richmond. Richmond is closer to the mountains and closer to beaches. Richmond has crazy good access to the Bo-Wash corridor. The food is probably a draw but I like the locations and vibes of Richmond restaurants better. Fancy dinning at a restaurant with a parking lot and drop- in tile ceiling isn’t elegant, IMO. I like to walk to dinner and bar hop on foot after (which of course you can do in parts of the Triangle, Richmond neighborhoods are contiguous though so you can walk for miles along a network of sidewalks in any direction without interruption).
I get the appeal of Raleigh and I’ve never had a bad visit there. The universities are better and it’s fun to have multiple towns to explore within one metro area. The job market is probably better there but Richmond’s market is very strong with 8 Fortune 500 companies (BTW, I don’t know a single person that works for VCU Health Systems, I’m not sure why it is getting singled out as the only employer in town, that would be Capitol One and CarMax lol). There just isn’t any there, there in Raleigh for me.
The two areas attract different kinds of people too. For example Richmond has the 3rd highest rate of people living alone in the USA. 49% of all housing units is occupied by a single person. I believe we have the highest percentage of women living alone. You just don’t see large families and swarms of baby strollers. It’s sexy, single introverts all the way down….just the way I like it
Just curious about what makes the QOL better in the Triangle. (Only because we've thought of moving there). Thx.
Some things that are typically a standout for Raleigh and the greater Triangle are quality of public schools (particularly Chapel Hill and Wake County), higher education, healthcare, jobs/economy, diversity, and general growth. From measurable metrics, Raleigh performs particularly well in objective categories and often finds itself near the top of "best of" lists. Niche.com rates Raleigh an A+ while it rates Richmond a B+. There's sort of a "sky's the limit" air about the city right now with so much happening and changing.
Raleigh has been booming for a while. Richmond may be starting to. If you love urbanity, I would say the Richmond fan district is the best of this group. Raleigh has a better economy though, so this may be a consideration. Overall despite Richmond's advantages in urban footprint. I would still give a slight edge to Raleigh, It seems like a city well poised for the future.
Would someone be able to elaborate on why the job market is so much stronger in Raleigh than Richmond. I understand that Raleigh has a lot of tech and research jobs however some of these jobs are available in Richmond too. VCU may not be Duke or UNC Chapel Hill but it is still a major research university. Also they are both state capitals. Not to mention Richmond has more fortune 500 companies than Raleigh and is home to one of 12 Federal Reserve Banks.
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