Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The University of North Carolina and the legendary Tar Heels are the two reasons most people know about Chapel Hill, and for good reason. An elite university with a legendary sports program is something any city would be proud of, and Tar Heel pride runs deep. But Chapel Hill is so much more than just the ‘Heels. The economy stretches beyond the university with health, finance and tech being major sectors of employment here. Chapel Hill is beautiful, the housing market is stable, and reasonably priced for all of the opportunities this city has to offer. Low crime rates, high paying jobs, and a foodie scene make Chapel Hill a great place not just for students, but families and young professionals as well.

Review from a local: Overall, it's a pretty good place to live. The library is freakin' amazing. In normal times, there are a fair number of events happening at any given time. And it's 2.5 hrs from the beach and 2.5 hrs from the ocean. Good basketball. The Pig has a fried baloney sandwich that will knock your socks off. You're 20ish minutes from RDU. There are a lot of trails for hiking within an hour's drive.

Being a major academic institution in the south, Chapel Hill has some conflicting characteristics. Conservatives complain CH is too progressive with affluent, close-minded liberals who won’t listen to them. Liberals complain CH is too conservative with too many racist, close-minded conservatives who won’t listen to them. Basically if you aren’t willing to stand in line next to a family wearing “Black Lives Matter” t-shirts OR fill up your gas tank next to a couple wearing MAGA hats, you’ll probably find Chapel Hill frustrating in one way or another.

Local pov on politics of the population in the area: It gets bluer as you go West. Cary is a little redder than most of the Triangle but Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, etc are all pretty blue.It's worth noting that Orange county is less liberal than either Carrboro or Chapel Hill

Apartments near the college can be difficult to get with all of the competition, even if you are a student. Most housing away from campus is single family homes, with most of the buildings built when the city expanded in the late 20th century. Housing prices are generally right around the national average, and the quality public schools around town make Chapel Hill a great place for families. Two common complaints about living here are that drivers are notoriously bad and that parking availability is abysmal outside of residential streets.