Fayetteville is a great place to raise a military family. Not only is it known as a military town, but it was also named the “World’s First Sanctuary for Soldiers and Their Families” in 2008. This means that, within the county, soldiers are provided with local services, ranging from free childcare to job placement for soldiers’ spouses. There may not be a ton to do, but activities in Fayetteville can be enjoyed by the entire family. If your family likes being outdoors, check out the [**Cape Fear River Trail**](https://www.fcpr.us/parks-trails/trails/cape-fear-river-trail) or the [**Cape Fear River Botanical Garden**](https://www.capefearbg.org/). There are also a ton of festivals to enjoy in the summer, and the beaches are only an hour and a half drive away!

Looking at the statistics, the crime rate in Fayetteville cannot be ignored. You’ll hear a divided view of Fayetteville from both current residents and past residents. If you talk to a local, they’ll tell you to take steps like making sure to lock your doors at night and not to leave any valuables in your car. Overall, the sentiment seems to be that things are getting better, and the city has committed the dollars to make it so. 


Pro-Military

LookyLOO Review of Fayetteville 

Fayetteville is, above all else, a military town. A high proportion of residents work for defense, at either Fort Bragg or Pope Army Airfield. With such a high proportion of residents enlisted, it makes sense that it would seep into the everyday life of the city. It’s a very diverse city with a focus on family and family-friendly activities. The median age of residents is 30 years old and, yes, the military also affects the dating pool. Most of the people you find on dating apps or *gasp* in person will either be involved with the military or moved to the city for someone who is. 

If you want to see what happens in Fayetteville check out the [**calendar of events**](https://www.distinctlyfayettevillenc.com/events/?bounds=false&view=list&sort=date). 

We highly recommend visiting Fayetteville and staying in the community in a [VRBO](https://vrbo.com/affiliate/p4JS4ZC) rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our [partnership with Expedia](expedia.com/affiliate/9NZ8LBQ) as well.


Lifestyle 

Fort Bragg is the backbone of the local economy, being the top employer ahead of [**Cape Fear Valley Health System**](https://www.capefearvalley.com/) and [**Cumberland County Public School System**](https://www.ccs.k12.nc.us/). Besides Fort Bragg, there are 8 of the top 10 defense contractors located in the area, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Gruman, and others. The military brings in an almost unbelievable amount of money to the city, and, by design, it is a huge retail destination. 


Worklife

Fayetteville is a great place for currently enlisted or military veterans to call home. It has a small town feel and a lot of family-friendly activities to enjoy. There are plenty of neighborhoods that cater to different families' needs, whether you work on base and want a short commute, or you want to be near the action of downtown, there’s a space in Fayetteville you’ll be happy to call home.


Military Families

Why You Should Move Here Now? 

**arandomblackgirl**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉

Fayetteville is fine I'm not sure how many of the posters currently live there or just commute but I've lived in Fayetteville from 2009 to now. Crime in Fayetteville follows the national trend. It's ticked upward, but is also heavily sensationalized. Take basic precautions that you would in a mid to small city. Many people out here don't lock doors and fall victims to crimes of opportunities. The area is growing rapidly and is a great place to start a business, invest in real estate among other financial endeavors. The city received a bunch of federal money and underwent a government study to determine the best industry options should Bragg close back in 2016. They've used a lot of this money and info to make some decent changes to bring more business and leisure industry here.

As far as living, I would not recommend the places super close to base because they are often cheap temporary housing. Apartments in North Fayetteville are great, those near the Jack Britt area, and there are a few hidden gems in neighborhoods and elsewhere (pm me I have a few friends that work in leasing). There is also the city of Raeford, or Hoke County, about 15 mins from Fayetteville that has a few good rental neighborhoods and apartments as well.

For more reviews of what living in Fayetteville is like from locals, check out [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/fayetteville/reviews).

Reviews of Fayetteville from Locals

Young professionals looking to work and life in Fayetteville will have an easy time finding houses to rent if you want the extra space. If not, there are apartments in almost every neighborhood that will be close to amenities and the available nightlife.
- Downtown
- Hope Mills


Young Professionals

Downtown

Young Families will love the low cost of living and the peaceful feel of the city. These neighborhoods feature great homes, a close location to amenities and/or the base, as well as good schools.
- Hope Mills
- Spring Lake
- Raeford


Young Families

Hope Mills

Families have their pick of great neighborhoods in Fayetteville. You’ll definitely want to map out these neighborhoods for your commute, but all are spacious, diverse, and have decent schools for the growing brood. Rockfish is a good example of these neighborhoods/suburbs. With a blend of suburban and rural vibe it works for those who want to be on big land and feel apart from the city. 
- Rockfish
- Eastover
- Arran Hills
- Westover


Established Families

Rockfish

Fayetteville

**DeerFlyHater**
1y ago
🦉🦉

Fayetteville has cleaned itself up quite a bit in the last 30 years(RIP Rick's Lounge), but is still not a place I would seek to live in.

It's amusing that you note it is walkable and I'll bet you're talking Hay Street. Hay street is one of the examples of Fayetteville cleaning itself up.

I lived there off and on for about 10 years. Highly transient population with Bragg there-don't like your neighbors and they'll change every year or two, midway stop on 95 for north/south traffic brings transient crime, some very scummy areas that will always be scummy, and Cumberland county sucks just to suck anyways.

I would look towards Raleigh or Winston Salem if you want city garbage.

**LoveIslandNC**
1y ago
🦉🦉

Right, I think the worst part abt Fay is mostly the military culture and ppl it brings because of it. I mostly had an awesome little childhood growing up in Fay and it’s very cheap and affordable to have a very decent house there. Had tons of great teachers, too. Fay has lots of options for activities for families also, and lots of food choices. It’s not fancy, but it is a full experience if you make it

**NCGranny**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉

We do have great walking trails and an awesome zip line excursion.

The beach and mountains are within driving distance along with our world class zoo.

Crime is a little high but Fayetteville is a melting pot of cultures due to Fort Bragg. The same reason why the drivers stink. The restaurants aren't that great either but our housing is decent and affordable, for the most part.

**arandomblackgirl**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉

Fayetteville is fine I'm not sure how many of the posters currently live there or just commute but I've lived in Fayetteville from 2009 to now. Crime in Fayetteville follows the national trend. It's ticked upward, but is also heavily sensationalized. Take basic precautions that you would in a mid to small city. Many people out here don't lock doors and fall victims to crimes of opportunities. The area is growing rapidly and is a great place to start a business, invest in real estate among other financial endeavors. The city received a bunch of federal money and underwent a government study to determine the best industry options should Bragg close back in 2016. They've used a lot of this money and info to make some decent changes to bring more business and leisure industry here.

As far as living, I would not recommend the places super close to base because they are often cheap temporary housing. Apartments in North Fayetteville are great, those near the Jack Britt area, and there are a few hidden gems in neighborhoods and elsewhere (pm me I have a few friends that work in leasing). There is also the city of Raeford, or Hoke County, about 15 mins from Fayetteville that has a few good rental neighborhoods and apartments as well.

Fayetteville, North Carolina

The Ville

Looklyloo Score: 79

Reviews

What's it like to live in Fayetteville?