Congratulations on your opportunity to move to the Raleigh area. Here’s your guide to getting to know what your new life will be like in Raleigh.
Raleigh Geometry
First things first. Raleigh is part of an important Triangle.
If you draw a line between the towns of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, the lines would form a triangle. It’s not a perfect, Triforce-looking triangle so much as an extremely slender wedge of cheese triangle, but it’s still a triangle, so don’t get picky. Know what you get when you draw a line between St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Orlando? A lump. On the basis of shapes made on maps with a Sharpie, Raleigh always wins.
And besides, it’s not a sinister, spooky triangle where things go in but never come out, so release any fears you might be carrying about a Bermuda Triangle in North Carolina. No, anyone looking to relocate to Raleigh has to contend with rain, an aversion to snow that borders on the comical, and the reality of college basketball mania. But not disappearing ships, so that’s a plus.
But whether it’s raining water or three-point shots, Raleigh has a lot going on within its borders. Wanna find out more?
Living in Raleigh
There’s a rule that seems to apply to every city south of the Mason-Dixon Line: panic at the first hint of snow. Like “close the schools and stay off the road because there’s two inches of snow on the ground” panic. One snowflake in the sky and everyone becomes a delicate tropical plant.
Raleigh appears to be no exception to this rule. If the weather guy predicts one inch of snow, except a run on milk, bread, and bottled water at the grocery store. The same rule applies to hurricanes, the only difference being liquor stores do crazy business during hurricanes. Being stuck inside can be unbearable without the bare essentials.
There’s also appears to be a rule about confusing geography with institutes of higher learning. Wake Forest University, home of the Demon Deacons, does not actually exist in the town of Wake Forest. At least not anymore; the school relocated from Wake Forest to Winston-Salem in 1946 but kept the name. So if you find yourself in Wake Forest looking for the school, you’ll actually find it in Winston-Salem.
To the new Raleigh resident, this might seem like traveling to Chicago in hopes of watching a New York Yankees home game, but rest assured it’s not a prank. Also, if you have a date in Constantinople, they’ll be waiting in Istanbul.
Weather Conditions to Consider Before Moving to Raleigh
Raleigh features a humid subtropical type of climate with hot and humid summers and cold winters. Basically, if you’re a fan of the seasons, Raleigh might be the place for you.
Unless, that is, you don’t care for rain.
On average, Raleigh gets 46 inches of rain a year. For comparison, the rest of the U.S. averages 38 inches. For those of you practicing basic math, that’s an 8-inch difference (we know because we checked the answer key in the back of the book). So what does an additional 8 inches of rain mean for your average resident of Raleigh? Nothing if you’re a native, but probably everything if you’re relocating to Raleigh from anyplace with less rainfall. Like Tucson.
Essentially, don’t leave your Raleigh home with a heavy rain coat if you’re a bad witch. At minimum, everyone should keep an umbrella and rain boots handy. But not to worry; Raleigh gets 200-plus days of sunshine, so banish any fears you might have about Raleigh resembling any of the featured cities of the Pacific Northwest. Raleigh is not Seattle and has no ambitions in that direction. Also, there’s snow.
Working in Raleigh
The Census ACS 1-year survey reported the median household income for the Raleigh-Cary North Carolina metro area was $72,576 in 2017, the median household income $19,824 higher than the median North Carolina household income and $12,240 greater than the US median household income.
Translation: it can be expensive to live, work, and play in Raleigh, but it’s still cheaper than certain sections of Miami and Sante Fe. Must be the water access.
As with most major American cities, the medical and healthcare fields in Raleigh tend to be the biggest employment draws found through online searches. But according to Zippia.com, some of the best companies in Raliegh to work for include First Citizens Bank, Red Hat, Martin Marietta, Progress Energy, and WakeMed.
It may cost a bit more to live in Raliegh, but the city does have some pretty good employment options.
Things to Do Once You’ve Moved to Raleigh
First things first: even if you’re not a basketball fan, you may find yourself swept up in March Madness just by proximity. It’s one thing to live near a college with a strong fan base, but being a resident in Raleigh means being among the triangle of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, and Duke.
To put it mildly, you won’t be able to escape the basketball on account of the basketball. You can run, you can’t hide, but the madness of college basketball will find you. Or at the very least, really enthusiastic fans will.
That being said, Raleigh also serves as the staging grounds for the North Carolina State Fair. October rolls in, and the state fair rides in on its coattails. And if you’ve ever experience a state fair, you’ll know what to expect: 4-H exhibits and events, rides, livestock and produce, live music, and at least one lane of food vendors that throw everything into a deep fryer and serve it in a fry basket.
Fried Oreos? Check. Fried hot dogs? Check. Fried butter on a stick? Amazingly, yes, and that doesn’t include strawberry shortcake with a doughnut instead of a shortcake. Seriously, though; whoever decided to replace fair food staples like buns and cake with doughnuts was divinely inspired.
The Culture of Raleigh
Using the term “Raleigh-Durham” has the ability to draw stares from the residents. It’s also the quickest way to out yourself as a recent transplant. Don’t be that guy. Raleigh is one city, Durham is another. Any mention of the two with a hyphen should be in reference to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Any tea ordered at a restaurant will be sweet by default, and Raleigh offers the options of two different styles of barbeque flavoring, the vinegary Eastern or the molasses-thick Western. And unlike college basketball, you don’t have to choose a side and stick with it.
Call Colonial and Get Moving to Raleigh Already
Basketball, culture, and a state fair? Sounds awesome, and since you can find all three in Raleigh, why not consider a move?
Because it sounds like too much work and stress, you say? Never fear; we’re here to help.
At Colonial Van Lines, we get that moving down the street can be stressful, and moving to a new state can be downright horrifying. But that’s all right, because we have the experience and the expertise to make sure your moving experience will be straight forward and stress free.
Call a Colonial Van Lines professional and find out how to start your journey to Raleigh.