by Robert Borges on January 13, 2025
Raleigh, North Carolina is considered a great place for retirees to live. This is because there are plenty of homes for sale in Raleigh, North Carolina in active adult communities, a more affordable cost of living, a wide range of outdoor activities, an ideal climate for older adults, and tax-friendly benefits for retirees.
Noth Carolina is considered one of the top states to move to for retirement. While the age of retirement is sixty-six, you can start receiving your Social Security benefits as early as sixty-two. If you’re planning for the next chapter of your life, Raleigh might be the right fit for you.
The Benefits of Retiring in Raleigh
There are numerous benefits to retiring in Raleigh, including:
Affordable Cost of Living
North Carolina has a cost of living that is 4% lower than the national average, placing it as number twenty-three on a list of the most affordable states in the country. While housing costs can vary across the state, Raleigh itself is a growing city with numerous affordable neighborhoods.
The cost of goods in Raleigh is also lower than the national average, making it a more affordable option for retirees looking to spend money on what they truly enjoy–not just basic necessities.
Wide Array of Outdoor Activities
Whether you love putting on the green or exploring lush nature trails, Raleigh has something for every active retiree. From parks, picnic areas, horseback riding, fishing, and paddling, you’re sure to fill your days with endless adventures. Raleigh is also an ideal location for day trips because the city is within a four-hour drive to the mountains and a three-hour drive from the beaches of the Outer Banks.
Plenty of Gorgeous Homes
While retirees and young families alike are flocking to Raleigh for its safe neighborhoods, there are still plenty of beautiful homes on the market. However, if you’re retiring, you might not enjoy the sounds of kids playing in the street or the baby struggling to go down for a nap next door.
Luckily, Private Communities is the one-stop-shop search engine for retirees looking for homes in fifty-five-plus communities. You can find stunning condos, lots, and houses on beautiful properties with endless amenities.
Tax-Friendly for Retirees
When you are living on a fixed income, it’s important to see how far your dollar can go. North Carolina is a moderately tax-friendly state, as it doesn’t tax Social Security retirement benefits on income taxes.
However, withdrawals from your retirement accounts, and private and pension income are fully taxes. Wages and other forms of retirement income are taxed at the normal state income rate of 4.75%.
Are property taxes higher in North Carolina or South Carolina? It’s important to take into account that North Carolina does have higher property taxes than South Carolina. The property tax rate in North Carolina is 0.82% and the property tax rate in South Carolina is 0.57%. This is something you should keep in mind when purchasing property.
Ideal Climate
For active retirees, North Carolina has an ideal climate. This humid, subtropical climate means that summers are nice and warm, while the winters are much more mild. In fact, many retirees from the northeast tend to move to North Carolina for their retirement years.
No matter where you move to in North Carolina, the weather will remain fairly consistent. If you retire on the coastal plains versus the Appalachian Mountains, however, you’ll definitely notice a difference.
Raleigh, however, tends to be warmer throughout the year; the average annual temperatures range from fifty-five to sixty-six degrees. You can still expect to experience all four seasons throughout the year.
Find a Fifty-Five-Plus Community With Private Communities
Taking your next step in life and embracing retirement can be a major change. Luckily, Private Communities connects you with highly-rated fifty-five-and-older communities so you can truly make the most out of your golden years.
From Carolina Gardens by Del Webb to Bear Lake Reserve, our search engine has found retirees their dream communities for decades. We make finding your next home easy with our simple-to-use search tool that lets you input the city, state, home type, and amenities you want. Try our free search tool today and see all that Raleigh has to offer!
