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I'm a California (Sacramento) native looking to purchase a home & settle down in either Phoenix metro or Raleigh metro. I've visited both, and seemed to like both equally.
Although, I visited Phoenix (in the winter) and Raleigh (in the fall).
I've narrowed it down to these two cities after extensive research.
I don't have that many requirements; I'm simple family man (although without a family or a spouse yet lol)
Just looking for a safe-ish place, decent economy, where I can buy an average sized home, rent out temporarily, and then move into in the next couple years.
Which would you recommend between the two metros?
Some things I like/don't like about each
Phoenix
- Sunshine nearly all year round
- I like warmer climates
- Really good food options
- I like the style of the homes built there
- I don't like, nor do I think, I could handle the extreme heat
(100 Fahrenheit and below for a few weeks is Ok for me, but I've heard the heat in Phoenix can last months)
- Some areas seemed really unsafe
- Technology & Medical jobs don't seem to be what Phoenix is known for, economy seems a bit limited, etc.
- Real estate doesn't seem as stable
Raleigh
-Seemed like a safe place to live
- Not as hot as Phoenix in terms of temperature
-Technology/Healthcare jobs seem abundant
- Good food options
- I already own a home in California, so owning a place in the East Coast sounds like a good idea
- Close to DC/NYC
-Real estate seems more stable
- I don't like the lack of sunshine days
- I've heard it can get really cold compared to California/Arizona
- It seems a little too quite/boring, compared to what I saw in Phoenix
- Threat of flooding/hurricanes can destroy home
The technology economy is better in Raleigh with the companies in Research Triangle Park. It’s pretty comparable to Silicon Valley on a smaller scale. I’ve had a few Bay Area friends move there and they enjoyed the change and the housing prices!
The heat from May onward in Phoenix is tough to manage.
Just research flood prone areas in the Raleigh/Durham area. I've had family there for decades who have never had any issues whatsoever. I do agree with you about Raleigh not having that much to do. Very limited for a metro of 2 million. Though there's not "as much" sun as Phoenix, they still have plenty of sun. Much more lush and green, as opposed to dry and barren. Closer to beaches.
Much more to do in Phoenix. Much more sun.
Both are pretty affordable and have great economies. But Raleigh/Durham has more tech and health care options.
I'd personally pick Raleigh ONLY because of the extreme heat in the summer in Phoenix. I don't like desert climates at all. Raleigh/Durham has more of a 4-season climate, which I prefer. BUT, you need to balance out everything to come up with what works well for you. You actually chose two of the better metros in the nation to live. Both have high qualities of life. Good luck wherever you end up.
Seems like Raleigh has “nothing to do” I don’t know what that means really! There are gorgeous mountains nearby, very green and very beautiful with Charlotte, Asheville, Biltmore close by and lots of seashore. The Outer Banks a couple of hours away are one of the best attractions on the east coast. I lived in Raleigh only shortly but I enjoyed the area a lot. It’s also within driving distance of many other metros with lots to do. I wouldn’t dismiss it and I would pick it over Phoenix if I had to choose mainly because Phoenix is just too big, too impersonal and I don’t want to live that lifestyle.
Two different city tiers being compared and neither is considered especially vibrant compared to their actual peers. That said, Phoenix is much bigger and will have much more to do in terms of man-made activities.
Raleigh is known as a good place to find a decent job, especially in tech, and raise a family. People don't move there for the excitement.
Phoenix used to be known as a good place to retire, now it's more of a place to move to be able to find an ok job and still be able to buy a home. I don't think that people move there for excitement either, but I could be wrong. Their economy has been known to be somewhat circular in that building and housing (for all of the new people moving there) are a significant part of their economy. Phoenix crashed harder than most places during the housing crisis.
They're so different that it's really just personal preference. I like Raleigh more, but that's probably because I see so many similarities between Phoenix and the IE that it puts me off.
This "Raleigh has nothing to do" narrative is overblown. Is it Manhattan? No, and it never claims to be. But Raleigh does not lack for things to do, pandemic notwithstanding.
At the end of the day, Raleigh is not a tourist town, though it has events that bring large groups of people to the city at various times throughout the year. It's a place to live, work, learn, and grow. It's a very safe, intelligent, stable and rapidly growing place. If that interests you, then it might be for you. If it doesn't, then that's fine too. Just go somewhere that you can enjoy your life.
I would choose Raleigh. There are simply beautiful mature neighborhoods with tree canopy and access to lakes and hiking trails. While Raleigh is much smaller than Phoenix, it is growing and has a better economy. The weather is mild compared to Phoenix summers. As you mentioned its location on the East Coast places you near the north east and several day trips to other medium and large southern metro areas. Flooding and hurricanes are a concern, but not more than the wildfires you likely have experienced.
Flooding and hurricanes is absolutely a concern down east. It isn’t a big concern in Raleigh proper, or even Wake County. My neighborhood runs alongside the Neuse River, and my main concern during big rains is hydroplaning on 540, not flood damage. More troublesome is losing trees in hurricanes, though in living memory, Fran in 1996 is the standard that no other storm has come close to approaching. At least here. Again down east is a different matter, as Matthew wreaked a ton of damage just a few years ago.
You can find stuff to do in the Triangle. Museums, operas, plays, sports, music festivals, restaurants, breweries, etc. You can find more stuff in Phoenix to be sure though. However if heat is really a dealbreaker for you, Raleigh doesn’t get Phoenix hot. I suppose you should factor in dry heat vs humid heat which some people also have strong opinions on. But between the pools and air conditioning and day trips to the beach, Raleigh’s humidity is manageable to me. Then again I’m not a desert heat person. Dry heat at 110 degrees is my nightmare.
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
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I would choose Phoenix between the two, but then again, I'm biased. I just notice that we are the perennial whipping boy on this site, and seem to lose almost every comparison poll. In my opinion, California is the only other place I'd live besides here
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