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Good morning, Folks! I've lived in SE PA (suburbs of Philly) all my life and find that now, approaching 60, I simply can't take hot and cold extremes anymore. I believe that that the Philly tri-state area gets just as hot in the summer as some southern states - and the cold is becoming unbearable to me as well. Looking to make a move, Lord willing, in a couple of years (or maybe even sooner).
Are there any areas, perhaps in the mountains, that don't get the suffocating humidity that I dread? Looking for affordability as well - perhaps a nice small single under 200K? I'll always have dogs, so many of the 55+ communities are out since I must have some type of fencing.
Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks so much,
Boone, NC is probably the least humid city/town in the state, as it is in the highest elevations of any town in the mountains. You shouldn't have a problem finding a decent house there on your budget.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Originally Posted by soulsurv
Good morning, Folks! I've lived in SE PA (suburbs of Philly) all my life and find that now, approaching 60, I simply can't take hot and cold extremes anymore. I believe that that the Philly tri-state area gets just as hot in the summer as some southern states - and the cold is becoming unbearable to me as well. Looking to make a move, Lord willing, in a couple of years (or maybe even sooner).
Are there any areas, perhaps in the mountains, that don't get the suffocating humidity that I dread? Looking for affordability as well - perhaps a nice small single under 200K? I'll always have dogs, so many of the 55+ communities are out since I must have some type of fencing.
Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks so much,
Sandy
I moved from Cherry Hill. Winter is somewhat better in the Piedmont & is a bit shorter. Summer humidity isn't ghastly since you almost never get the Bermuda Highs.
Will you need to be near a city for medical facilities & possibly work?
There are any number of choices of towns in the mountains at or above 2,500' elevation, which should keep the humidity at a comfortable level for you. Affordability is another issue. You may have to look a little harder, but it's doable.
A short list to consider: Banner Elk, Black Mountain, Boone, Bryson City, Franklin, Mars Hill, Sparta, Spruce Pine, Sylva, Waynesville, W. Jefferson, among others. Some of these towns aren't listed as being above 2,500', but being in the mountains, there are plenty of options near each of these towns with high enough elevation. And the exact point where the elevation is measured isn't necessarily indicative of the entire community.
I would not say that Boone is an area where it would be easy to find a single family, detached home on your budget, but it's not impossible. The High Country Assoc of Realtors (encompassing Alleghany, Ashe, Avery & Watauga counties) reports that median value of homes sold in 2016 was at or above $200,000 most months. And forget Asheville, it's one of the priciest real estate markets in NC.
You might want to peruse the Western NC sub-forum, narrow down your communities of interest, and then ask some targeted questions.
You won't see 90F at 3K feet, very few bugs, and low humidity. You can live in Hendersonville or Flat Rock, NC at that altitude and be near both Asheville and Greenville, SC.
The mountains of NC are actually the most humid part of the state, and also the cloudiest. Asheville, for example, is more humid than Wilmington, with the least humid part of the state being centrally inland (Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro). So if it is HUMIDITY you care about, you're best off centrally to take advantage of a more "continental" climate.
With the central continental climate, however, you get the widest temperature swings. Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro have the widest swings in temperature by far because they don't have the moderating effects of the mountains or the coast. The coast keeps the winters mild, and the mountains keep the summers mild. The worst cold days in Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro will be similar to the mountain and the worst hot days are painfully worse than the coast. One of the hottest summer days I've ever felt was in Raleigh. I'll never forget that day in June last year.
What you probably care the most about is "apparent temperature." The mountains are more humid than center of NC, but since the temperature is significantly lower you don't notice it as much. I, myself, would head coastal. The summers will feel the stickiest because you'll get the same persistent humidity levels of the mountains but with a much higher temperature. However, the other 9 months of the year are comparatively glorious. Over 2/3 of the year is spent in that 50-75 degree sweet spot. I suggest playing with this map, which is an EXCELLENT tool to hone in on your ideal climate.
No matter where you are on the East Coast, you'll have issues with temperature swings and humidity, but coastal climates have the least wild swings. I live in Conshohocken myself - I feel your pain, brother. The most perfect weather town, ranked, in North Carolina is Kill Devil Hills. It has the most "pleasant weather" not only in the state, but on the entire East Coast.
I have researched weather exhaustively and using these two map tools, you can approximate your ideal location. If you want to live in a climate of 50-75 degrees, Dare County, NC is the best choice on the East Coast with 252 days a year falling in that range on average.
I moved from Cherry Hill. Winter is somewhat better in the Piedmont & is a bit shorter. Summer humidity isn't ghastly since you almost never get the Bermuda Highs.
Will you need to be near a city for medical facilities & possibly work?
OOPS! didn't think about the medical end of things. Any well-rated hospitals in the area. Btw, I remember you from the Jersey threads...congrats on the move
You won't see 90F at 3K feet, very few bugs, and low humidity. You can live in Hendersonville or Flat Rock, NC at that altitude and be near both Asheville and Greenville, SC.
Very few bugs sounds live HEAVEN! PA holds the unfortunate distinction of the highest Lyme Disease in the country - I've had it TWICE IN 7 YEARS.
No matter where you are on the East Coast, you'll have issues with temperature swings and humidity, but coastal climates have the least wild swings. I live in Conshohocken myself - I feel your pain, brother. The most perfect weather town, ranked, in North Carolina is Kill Devil Hills. It has the most "pleasant weather" not only in the state, but on the entire East Coast.
I have researched weather exhaustively and using these two map tools, you can approximate your ideal location. If you want to live in a climate of 50-75 degrees, Dare County, NC is the best choice on the East Coast with 252 days a year falling in that range on average.[/quote]
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,813 posts, read 34,657,307 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by soulsurv
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OOPS! didn't think about the medical end of things. Any well-rated hospitals in the area. Btw, I remember you from the Jersey threads...congrats on the move
Thanks. Been here for a while. If you need decent medical facilities & more of an opening for work possibilities you have 2 choices. The Triangle for Duke or the Charlotte area for CHS the hospitals in CHS are connected with CMC in Charlotte. Frye in Hickory is supposed to be good. I'd suggest that you look at the I85/US74 corridor, west of Charlotte. Real estate is lower than most of the other Charlotte suburbs.
Asheville has a hospital, but I'd suggest that you ask on that subforum how it is for your needs. Winston Salem also has a good name hospital.
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