Polk County (Henderson, Hendersonville, Forest City: real estate, 2009, how much)

[dogcrazy]

Hey guys!So i'm coming down in a few weeks for a week to look around.As i was browsing online last night i came across Polk County.Can we say seems too good to be true?When i was reading about it i felt like thats where i'm supposed to be.I know it was rated as one of the top 10 places.Anyone on here from Polk County?Or have any info they could give me.They dont have too much on the web about it.I hope to hear some responses from you all!! Thanks!

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Hopefully I can help. Do you have any specific questions to ask? I'm not sure where I should start...

[dogcrazy]

Yes i could think of a ton of questions!Are the home prices up there?Is it in the middle of nowhere,will i have to drive 2 hrs to get to work?Any information at all would be so helpful,since i pretty much know nothing about it.I was also told about Rutherford county as well.I want a few acres for my animals too.

[cowboy_wilhelm]

The 2000 population of Polk County was 18,324, an increase of 27.1 percent from 1990. The county is definitely growing at a fast rate, but still small (even by North Carolina standards).

Some helpful links for basic information:

Polk County Quick Facts - U.S. Census Bureau.

Polk County Profile - North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, Inc. - Rural Data Bank

Tryon Climate Summary - Southeast Regional Climate Center

It probably depends on who you ask if it's in the middle of nowhere. You won't find any fine shopping here. There are just a few pharmacies, grocery, dollar, and liquor stores. Plenty of antique stores, though... You'll have to drive 15-20 miles just for a Wal-Mart.

At the same time, that may be exactly what you want.

Employment is very limited. I don't remember the exact figure, but I believe over 50 percent of employed citizens of Polk County commute out of the county to work. But, it comes down to how specific your field is if you need to commute.

Polk County is well served by highways. Interstate 26 from Columbus provides access to the larger areas of Spartanburg, S.C. (25 miles away) and Hendersonville (18 miles). I-85 is 22 miles to the "east" and I-40 is 36 miles to the "west" (since I-26 is a diagonal interstate, "eastbound" and "westbound" or often more "northbound" and "southbound"). U.S. 74 is more-or-less an interstate highway (it lacks wide enough outside shoulders to meet federal requirements of an interstate) that goes east from I-26 into Rutherford County.

There are several high-dollar golf course developments that have made Polk County their home. I'm afraid there will be some shock when tax revaluations are done in 2009.

It seems that the closer you get to the mountains, the more you pay. Farther east into Rutherford County and south into Spartanburg County, S.C., real estate values drop off significantly. It comes down to how much you want mountain views, or if you actually want to be in the mountains to how much you want to pay.

Here are some useful links for newspapers in the area:

The Tryon Daily Bulletin - Polk County

BlueRidgeNow.com - Times-News Online - Henderson County

The Daily Courier - Rutherford County

goupstate.com - The Herald Journal - Spartanburg County, S.C.

Hopefully that's a start for now. Keep asking and I'll do my best to keep answering.

[dogcrazy]

Thank you so much!I'm definately going to take a look at some of those links.I'm coming down in a few weeks to check the whole area out.Basically what i want is a few acres a nice country home(with a porch!!) and that small town feel.Not too much congestion,because that's another reason for leaving New York,but still have a decent commute to work.Do you have any other suggestions for me?Any other counties to research before i come?

[milder30]

My family is interested in Tryon. I was wondering if there was a homeschool group or a private school in the area. How are your public schools? Does anyone know of a house that might need a little work that has a yard big enough for a horse. How far is a Wal-Mart from this area.

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Originally Posted by milder30

My family is interested in Tryon. I was wondering if there was a homeschool group or a private school in the area. How are your public schools? Does anyone know of a house that might need a little work that has a yard big enough for a horse. How far is a Wal-Mart from this area.

Carolina Classical School in Columbus would be the closest, but I believe they're closing and merging/consolidating with a school in Fletcher, if they haven't already. I'm not completely sure on that one, but there is contact information on that page.

There is also Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in Rutherford County and Spartanburg Day School in Spartanburg, S.C. There are a few in Hendersonville as well, but I can't think of their names at the moment.

The public schools are good, especially Tryon Elementary. They have received the North Carolina Honor School of Excellence distinction for nine consecutive school years (1997/98-2006/07). I'm not sure if any other school in the state has done that.

The middle schools consolidated into a single county middle school in 2005 (Polk County Middle).

Same story for the high schools in 1992 (Polk County High).

The other elementary schools are Polk Central, Saluda and Sunny View.

Polk County Schools

N.C. School Report Cards - Public Schools of North Carolina

As far as the closest Wal-Mart, it will depend what part of the county you live in. For Tryon, the closest Wal-Mart would be in Hendersonville, followed by Boiling Springs, S.C. and Forest City.

From the I-26/U.S. 74/N.C. 108 interchange in Columbus:

Hendersonville store: 19 miles
Boiling Springs: 20 miles
Forest City: 23 miles

[IntoTheMystic]

The elementary in Saluda is art based

[milder30]

Thank you I will read the link you sent me. I was also wondering if there is hores teen group. My daughter loves horses and take lessons here but would rather be in a group of kids her own age. Here she is with all adults. Thanks again.

[milder30]

Sorry should have read my post before posting it. I was in a hurry. I was wondering if there was a teen group that rode horses around Polk County.