Eastern NC Info from a Native. (Wilmington, Jacksonville: sales, violent crime, unemployment)

[bgpeacock]

OK I was born in eastern NC lived here until college moved away and am now back for now. I will type some info from a very blunt honest viewpoint of a native f the area who has been out and lived other places extensively for others looking to move here. Feel free to add.

Eastern NC is roughly defined as anything east of I95, that being said a huge difference from area to area there but first a few commonalities.

Very rural for the most part with pockets in smal communities and towns with a few larger cities(for purposes here anything over 20,ooo we will call a city.( I know not big but i is a cut off point). Once you leave a city it can be a 30-40 mile drive to get to another city and some of the smaller ones do not have much. Wilmington is the largest in eastern NC with a population of 150,000(including surrounding areas) give or take depending on the time of the year. After that is Greenville with roughly 80,000 and Jacksonville close behind. Other cities. Rocky Mount around 55,000, Wilson and Goldsboro around 40,000 give or take. Other smaller cities, New Bern 29000, Kinston 22000, Elizabeth City 18000 and Morehead City/Beaufort together around 15-20000. Rest are smaller towns and communities.

Honestly, the only ones I would consider living in and raising my family these days are in no particular order, Wilmington, Greenville (both college towns UNCW and ECU), Morehead City, Wilson and Goldsboro, also Swansboro which is just outside Jacksonville. And of course anywhere on the coast.

Jobs..... unemployment is pretty high in eastern NC. There are jobs out there but wages for the most part are lower here than other parts of the state. Most tend to be processing jobs, loads of turkey and hog processing. Tourism and education other main employers along with health care.

Weather. Winters for the most part are mild with the occasional cold spell. It hardly ever gets below freezing and stays for more than a day or so. That being said I have been in shorts and a tshirt on the beach in Jan. and I have been bundled and seen snow in the same place. Spring and fall are very very nice here, minus the pollen. Lots of that. Summer very hot very humid. Number one thing I hear from folks who locate, I knew it was hot but I had no idea, this is ridiculous. Summers here you can pretty much count on 90-100deg with 90-100% humidity. That is June through mid Sept. Sometimes it gets so hot you feel like your clothes are wet.

Coastal areas are incredibly busy in the summer. traffc along Emerald Isle, Wrightsville Beach and the Outer Banks can be a nightmare at times as most of it is 2 lane roads on the islands. That being said it is the beach. Fishing is great, surfing at times is good and it is in general a beautiful place.

Hurricanes, ehhh it is a part of it. Have a plan to put in action and head the warnings. trust me evacuating and not having anything major happen is far better than being stuck on the islands in a cat 3 or above. Gas pretty much like everywhere else atm, 3.80 and up close to 4 on the actual coast.

I could add more if you are curious ask. That is the lowdown on what it is like. There are perks as well. Outdoors, not so crowded most of the time, inexpensive property and taxes. But it is the bible belt.

[kmlankford]

What do you think of the Cape Cartaret area? The schools seem to be rated about the same as Morehead City?

[bgpeacock]

I actually spent many many years in the cape carteret area. we lived on EI just across the sound. Remember when the they built the shopping center and now it has changed loads. Nice thing about Cape Carteret is it is easy to get across the bridge to the island and ocean but also a quick way into Morehead or Jacksonville without being so crowded. If I were to move back to the Crystal Coast I would put it as one of the 2-3 places I would look. Now it does have lots and lots of bugs! Waterbugs, mosquitos etc but all of eastern NC has them. Couple of nice golf courses in easy access to CC also if that is your thing.

Oh and schools, I think it is now Croatan HS and I believe still White Oak Elementary All good schools. The high school is fairly new maybe a decade old give or take a year or so. But all three HS in Carteret County are pretty good, always have been

[Richard Martin]

Originally Posted by bgpeacock

After that is Greenville with roughly 80,000

Greenville proper is now almost 90,000 and if you add in the surrounding areas (like you did with Wilmington) it is probably closer to 115,000 or so. As of 2 years ago Greenville had a official population of 84,554. It is adding residents at about a 2,000 a year pace. Winterville, which abuts Greenville, is close to 10,000 and there are a ton of subdivisions that are right outside of the Greenville city limits. Both the east and west side areas, just outside of the Greenville city limits, has seen massive single family developments in the last 12 years.

I'm just setting the record straight.

[Wallop the Spot]

I'm curious what you think about Tarboro. From what I understand (and from what I can tell using Google Earth), it's like a smaller Goldsboro, with a large historical district of southern cottage architecture. Downtown looks like it still has some life to it. Also, do you have any opinion on Edenton?

[Richard Martin]

Originally Posted by Wallop the Spot

I'm curious what you think about Tarboro. From what I understand (and from what I can tell using Google Earth), it's like a smaller Goldsboro, with a large historical district of southern cottage architecture. Downtown looks like it still has some life to it. Also, do you have any opinion on Edenton?

You have to have a reason to live in either of those places, and not just because you think it's quaint. High unemployment and low wages are the name of the game there. I have a friend that tried to make a go of it in Tarboro. He lasted 6 months. He's back where he came from now.

[bgpeacock]

very true richard, i should have done that for Greenville as well. winterville and a little further out Ayden are pretty nice towns that are essentially suburbs of Greenville now as is the case going NE as well. So yes the Metro for the area is around that. Thanks for catching. Probably my biggest gripe about Greenville are the roads. For a smaller city traffic stinks as the city has grown at a pace that road development cannot keep up with, although it is getting better.

Tarboro, ehhhh. It is like many of the other small rural towns in eastern NC. Pretty economically depressed and while "fixing" up downtown I would not mark it off as a highlight to visit. I personally would not settle in the Nash/Edgecomb County area which is the Rocky Mount area. For the most part, minus a few small pockets anything north of US 264/ east I95 (ie NE corner of NC) is not exactly a happening place. (minus the coast) Very small towns, schools are soso to poor, not any significant town unless you go to Rocky Mount, or instead go to Greenville. But property is cheap there and taxes usually low. But not for me. Highlights of that part of the state, Merchants Mill Pond State Park, very cool old mill pond with gators and a nice setting. Murfeesboro is about the nicest small town up that way imo. Small 4 year private university there. Anyway I rambled but hope this helps somewhat.

[Wallop the Spot]

Thanks. Will cross Tarboro off my list of possible retirement spots; "economically depressed" doesn't sound very appealing. Still wondering about Edenton, though.

[Richard Martin]

Originally Posted by Wallop the Spot

Thanks. Will cross Tarboro off my list of possible retirement spots; "economically depressed" doesn't sound very appealing. Still wondering about Edenton, though.

Edenton is much like Tarboro. I thought you'd get the connect.

It has a quaint waterfront but not much else.

One of the huge disadvantages to living so far out in the boonies is a lack of health care. To get to any real medical facilities you have to go to Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads or Greenville . If you're at retirement age then medical care availability should be high on your list even if you are healthy right now. The chances are excellent that you won't always be in prime shape and having to drive great distances to see a specialist can be a problem.

Shopping also sucks pretty bad out there with a little more shopping in Williamston and again with VB and Greenville being the shopping hubs.

There is a bit more shopping and medical in New Bern. New Bern also still has that small town feel, a great waterfront and a nice historic district.

I'd hate to see you buy something in an out of the way place, then need to sell it to move closer to civilization, only to find out that no one wants what you have.

[runnerguy45]

My sales territory is in NE NC. I live on the Outer Banks and travel all the way to Roanoke Rapids and visit every town, city and village in between every week. I think Tarboro is a nice town. I have clients there who moved from other areas and love it. There is a big difference between living somewhere and having to make a go of it and retiring there with a pension. I could easily live in Tarboro because of my job and my wife is a nurse. She could work at three different hospitals within an easy commute. I don't see how anyone could live in Greenville but many do. I think its a huge dump with open drug dealing at night.

Edenton is a nice town. A place lots retire to is called Albermarle Plantation outside of Hertford. I have many well to do clients there. Rocky Mount is totally off my list. But Tarboro would be on my list. I love the historic area. You have to take things on here with a grain of salt, I laugh when someone from Greenville says Tarboro isn't a good area. Thats like a bum commenting on a business mans attire !! My son went to ECU and I can tell you all kind of stories about crime, violent crime. Well we are all many and varied thats for sure.