81
Selected Listing of Active Retirement Communities
In North Carolina
General:
North
Carolina is a state
located on the Atlantic Seaboard in
the Southern United
States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to
the west and Virginia to the north. North
Carolina contains 100
counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its
largest city is Charlotte.
North Carolina is now ranked as one of the top 3 leading States for Green
Technology, Bio-Chemical Engineering, Medical Sciences, and Computer Engineering
through the long-range research and development programs of Research Triangle
Park (RTP), UNC Chapel Hill, and North Carolina
State.
The state was the
location of the first successful controlled, powered and sustained
heavier-than-air flight, by the Wright brothers, at Kill Devil Hills, approximately
6.4 miles (10.3 km) south of Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903.
It is a fast-growing state with an increasingly diverse economy and population.
As of July 1, 2009, the population was estimated to be 9,380,884 (a 16.7%
increase since April 1, 2000). Recognizing eight Native American
tribes, North Carolina has the largest population of Native Americans of any
state east of the Mississippi River.
North
Carolina has quietly become one of the most popular states in the country for
retirement. Not everyone wants to move to Florida: North Carolina is blessed
with a varied topography, from seacoast to mountains; an equable, four-season
climate; and a choice of social settings ranging from quiet small towns to
booming and vibrant cities. Add in the wide array of cultural and recreational
choices, and North Carolina is virtually a microcosm of America.
Geography:
North Carolina
consists of four main geographic sections: the coastal plain, which occupies the
eastern 45% of the state; the Piedmont region, which contains
the middle 35%; and the Appalachian Mountains and
foothills. The extreme eastern
section of the state contains the
Outer Banks, a string of sandy, narrow
islands which form a barrier between the Atlantic Ocean and inland waterways.
The Outer Banks form two sounds--Albemarle Sound in the north and
Pamlico Sound in the south.
They are the two largest landlocked sounds in the United
States.
Mountains-- One of the most popular retirement
destinations in the United States today was once the part of the nation that
nobody wanted. The Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina--the Blue Ridge, Great
Smokies, and Black Mountain ranges--were the county's original high frontier, a
forbidding barrier to westward expansion and a sparsely-settled and impoverished
region. But that began to change after the midpoint of the 20th century, when
highways, leisure time, and disposable income brought visitors to the high
country in droves. Many fell in love and stayed...while others vowed to come
back.
Whereas
Florida's original attraction was its warm, sunny winter weather, the
Appalachians offer the opposite: they're cooler in summer by about 15 degrees
over the surrounding lowlands. Add in the fact that in winter they're a prime
destination for skiers, and the recreational possibilities in the area rival
those of any other area in the country. The cultural attractions have recently
caught up as well, led by the city of Asheville, which offers a sophisticated
arts and restaurant scene as well as serving as the center of traditional
mountain culture--bluegrass music, clog dancing, and the unique crafts that
thrived in the area's long isolation.
Asheville is also home to the
Biltmore Estate, built by George Washington Vanderbilt in 1895. It remains to
this day the largest private home ever built in America...and is still owned by
Vanderbilt's descendants. Now, however, it is open to the public, and tours of
the house and grounds are among the most popular attractions of the
area.
Foothills-- North
Carolina's Foothills region is the part of the Piedmont closest to the
Appalachian ranges in the western part of the state. It shares many features in
common with the Piedmont region--even its name (Piedmont is nothing more
than the French for "foothill")--but also with the Mountain region to the west,
making the Piedmont something of a hybrid
area.
Some of the
states largest urban areas are located here, including the largest city,
Charlotte, to the south, and the "Triad" of Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High
Point farther north. Between them is a land of rolling hills and small towns.
Some of them, such as Lexington and Thomasville, developed into major
manufacturing centers for furniture and textiles during the 19th century.
Another, Mount Airy, became world famous through its fictional avatar: Mayberry,
Andy Griffith's affectionate tribute to the town of his
birth.
Piedmont--North Carolina's Piedmont region is a
broad, upland plateau lying between the coast and the Appalachians far to the
west. It is usually considered to start at the fall line--the point at
which the numerous rivers drop suddenly in waterfalls or rapids from the plateau
to the coastal plain. Because this once represented the limit of waterborne
traffic upstream--and because of the opportunities for exploiting the rivers for
power at this point--the fall line developed into a densely settled region of
prosperous towns and cities. It's no accident that the state's capital, Raleigh,
is located in this region.
The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area--also known as the Research
Triangle--is the most densely-settled area in the Piedmont, and the cultural and
economic heart of North Carolina. Here, three important universities were
established within 25 miles of each other: the University of North Carolina in
Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University in Raleigh, and Duke University in
Durham. The presence of the universities influenced everything from local
culture to jobs to population patterns, and the area remains one of the most
popular in the state for new residents.
Farther to
the south, Fayetteville is home to the Army's Ft. Bragg, and to Pope Air Force
Base. The land around Fayetteville is mostly rolling farmland dotted with small
towns, and retains much of the flavor of the old rural
South.
Coastal--
North Carolina's coast remains largely undeveloped in
comparison with the rest of the Atlantic coastline. The 300 miles of barrier
islands and broad sounds are home to only one city of considerable size
(Wilmington). Most of the coast is overseen by the state's Division of Parks and
Recreation, which has prevented commercial and residential overdevelopment, and
kept the beaches accessible to the public. Still, the area is extremely popular,
and teems with tourists during much of the year. It is also beginning to fill
up, as more and more affluent home buyers push up housing prices.
The
area has a long chapter in the history of America. This is the part of the
United States that saw the earliest European settlement, and it is here that the
"Lost Colony of Roanoke" was founded in 1585. The coastline was of immense
economic and strategic importance throughout the Colonial era, and was fought
over in the Revolution and the Civil War. Later, it became the site of the
world's first powered airplane flight, at Kill Devil Hill near Kitty
Hawk.
Wilmington is the urban heart of the area; but even here the pace
is noticeably more laid-back than other coastal cities. Other towns of note
include Elizabeth City, New Bern, and Jacksonville, home of the U.S. Marine
Corps' Camp Lejeune.
Climate:
The geographical
divisions of North Carolina are useful when discussing the climate of the
state.
The Coastal
Plain is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean which keeps temperatures mild in
winter and moderate in the summer. Daytime high temperatures on the coast
average less than 89 °F (31.6 °C) during the summer. In the winter,
the coast has the mildest temperatures in the state, with daytime temperatures
rarely dropping below 40 °F (4.4 °C); the average daytime winter
temperature in the coastal plain is usually in the mid-60's. Temperatures in the
coastal plain rarely drop below freezing even at night. The coastal plain
usually receives only one inch (2.5 cm) of snow and/or ice annually, and in
some years there may be no snow or ice at
all.
In the winter, the
Piedmont is much less mild than the coast, with daytime temperatures that are
usually in the mid 50's, and temperatures often drop below freezing at night.
The region averages from 3--5 inches of snowfall annually in the Charlotte
area to 6--8 inches in the Raleigh--Durham area. The Piedmont is especially
notorious for sleet and freezing rain. It can
be heavy enough in some storms to snarl traffic and collapse trees and power
lines. Annual precipitation and humidity is lower in the Piedmont than either
the mountains or the coast, but even at its lowest, the precipitation is a
generous 40 in (102 cm) per year.
The Appalachian Mountains are the
coolest area of the state, with daytime temperatures averaging in the low 40's
and upper 30's for highs in the winter and often falling into the teens
(-9 °C) or lower on winter nights. Relatively cool summers have
temperatures rarely rising above 80 °F (26.7 °C). Snowfall in the
mountains is usually 14--20 in (36--51 cm) per year, but it is often
greater in the higher elevations. For example, during the Blizzard of 1993 more than
50 inches (130 cm) of snow fell on Mount
Mitchell over a period of three days.
Additionally, Mount Mitchell has received snow in every month of the
year.
Severe weather
occurs regularly in North Carolina. On average, the state receives a direct hit
from a hurricane once a decade.
Tropical storms arrive every 3 or 4 years. In some years, several hurricanes or
tropical storms can directly strike the state or brush across the coastal areas.
Only Florida and Louisiana are hit by hurricanes more
often.
Demographics:
The United States Census Bureau,
as of July 1, 2009, estimated North Carolina's population at 9,380,884
which represents an increase
of 1,340,334, or 16.7%, since the last census in 2000. This exceeds the rate of growth for the
United States as a whole. The growth comprises a natural increase since the last
census of 412,906 people (that is 1,015,065 births minus 602,159 deaths) and an
increase due to net migration of 783,382 people into the state. Immigration from outside
the United States resulted in a net increase of 192,099 people, and migration
within the country produced a net gain of 591,283 people. Between 2005 and 2006, North
Carolina passed New
Jersey to become the 10th most populous
state. The state's
population reported as under 5 years old was 6.7%, 24.4% were under 18, and
12.0% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51% of the
population.
African-Americans make up nearly a
quarter of North Carolina's population.
The state has a rapidly growing proportion of Asian Americans,
specifically those of Indian, Vietnamese descent; these
groups nearly quintupled and tripled, respectively, between 1990 and 2002, as
people arrived in the state for new jobs in the growing economy. Recent
estimates suggest that the state's Asian-American population has increased
significantly since 2000.
There is a high
concentration of Scots-Irish in western North Carolina. A concentration of
Welsh (usually included with
others from Britain and Ireland) settled east of present
Fayetteville in the 18th
century. For a long time the wealthier, educated planters of the coastal region
dominated state government.
North Carolina has
the largest American Indian population of any state on the East Coast. The
estimated population figures for Native Americans in North
Carolina (as of 2004) is 110,198. To date, North Carolina recognizes eight
Native American tribal nations within its state borders. Those tribes are the
Coharie, Eastern Band of the Cherokee, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Sappony,
Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation and
Waccamaw-Siouan.
North
Carolina is the leading producer of tobacco in the
country.
North Carolina is
an at-will employment state,
meaning employees in the private sector may be dismissed without prior notice or
reason.
Taxation:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Rlstate3.htm#NORTH%20CAROLINE
Cities with
Active Retirement Communities:
North
Caroline Costal--19
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