Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Not sure where you heard the crime rate is really high in Sanford, but as a long-time resident I can reassure you that you have nothing to fear.
There is some crime, as in all towns, but in 20 years of living here I have never been afraid. Like most, Sanford has a couple of less desirable neighborhoods, but there are plenty more nice ones to balance that out.
Overall it is a quiet medium (and growing) sized town, very livable. Excellent location for commuting to Triangle or south to Fayetteville or So Pines/Pinehurst. Strong industrial base of its own if you seek employment in town. You'll also get more for your money here and have a true sense of community. There are other threads for Sanford on this forum that you should look at for more information. Better yet, come on down and see for yourself.
I have also lived here for 20+ years and you have nothing to worry about. Yes, there is some crime just like every other city. But it is fine, safe place to live.
Plus, because of the affordability... many previously "depressed" or "challenged" areas in Sanford have become very attractive, and have had a lot of new investment and rehabilitation.
This is especially true of the historic residential districts:
Historic Preservation, Planning & Development (http://www.sanfordnc.net/Planning/historic_preservation.htm - broken link)
With this new investment, cleaning up, etc... areas that perhaps may have been associated with crime are now very safe and desirable.
And many of the residents taking the time to improve these neighborhoods are also forming neighborhood watch organizations, neighborhood associations, and taking other steps as simple as block parties and outreach to get to know everyone.
And that final point is the real key, and advantage of smaller towns. Once the neighbors get to know eachother, criminals are at a disadvantage, and they know it and move on.
This close knit community feel is one of the things we really like about our neighborhood in Sanford.
Al
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.