Small towns near Chapel Hill?

[ArtemisLiCa]

Thanks so much for the suggestions so far!

Sorry I completely forgot to include a few things. We are looking to rent rather than buy for right now. The budget will be a bit tight at first until my sister and I find jobs. I can handle a longer commute for a better rate for rent.

We are looking to try to save up for a downpayment for a house so we are cutting costs where we can for now.

[paytonc]

Originally Posted by TarHeelNick

could utilize the free bus system. Especially valuable for OP as parking on UNC's campus is a pain.

There's also a pretty extensive park-and-ride system around Chapel Hill:
https://move.unc.edu/transit/park-ride/

As noted, though, the job opportunities are considerably better within Orange County than outside.

[zasikoro]

I live in North Chatham and highly recommend it!

[Francois]

Originally Posted by zasikoro

I live in North Chatham and highly recommend it!

Yes, and parts of it are (for now) still VERY rural. I knew some folks who rented a house in that area but it was decades ago--still, I bet houses for rent to grad/med students can be found if you start looking early. Pittsboro is in the other direction and has a lot of retirees, so probably good for looking for retail jobs much moreso than Chapel Hill/Carrboro which are teeming with 20somethings.

Right now is when a lot of students are moving out, so a great time to be checking rentals in the area.

Also, if you're headed to a grad program, don't overlook the Student Service contact for your department; they tend to be a repository of all kinds of info including housing, pt jobs, etc.

[aylinap]

I think Mebane would be a good fit from your criteria. I’ve been living in Mebane on and off for several years. Hillsborough is pretty small, and there’s not many choices when it comes to grocery shopping or retail there. It’s also pretty hard to find housing to rent there. Mebane has the Tanger Outlets, so finding a retail job won’t be a problem. There’s always a store hiring there and new stores popping up. There’s plenty of apartment complexes. It’s also a 25-28 minute commute to Chapel Hill and a closer commute to High Point than Hillsborough.