Advantages & Disadvantages of Retiring in Raleigh

You think about retiring in Raleigh but want to get additional information about the city, senior life, living costs, housing situation, entertainment, safety, public infrastructure and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of retiring in Raleigh in the following article.

Retire in Raleigh – Overview

Reasons to Retire in Raleigh

1. Many retirees in Raleigh can get around by bicycle
2. Distances are rather short near the city center of Raleigh
3. Pensioners in Raleigh can spend lots of time in nature
4. Mild climate is attractive to many people who retire in Raleigh
5. You can spend lots of time outdoors
6. Many recreational spaces in Raleigh
7. Raleigh is a pretty safe city
8. People in Raleigh are pretty relaxed
9. Raleigh is a pretty tolerant place
10. Easy to socialize in Raleigh
11. Decent bars and restaurants in Raleigh
12. You can meet up with other retirees in senior centers
13. Living costs in Raleigh are relatively low
14. Raleigh is not the most crowded city
15. Retirees in Raleigh can get around by car in an efficient manner
16. Raleigh has an international airport
17. You can stay connected to the world thanks to good internet connection
18. Raleigh may still be underrated
19. Raleigh will be an attractive place to retire for quite a long time

Many retirees in Raleigh can get around by bicycle

One advantage of retiring in Raleigh is that it is a pretty bicycle-friendly community where getting around by bike is pretty easy.

Consequently, you can save lots of money on fuel and also do good for our environment at the same time by driving short distances by bike instead of using a car.

Distances are rather short near the city center of Raleigh

Since distances are rather short near the city center, retirees in Raleigh can also walk many short distances since they find most things they need pretty close to their homes and can therefore stay fit in the long run and also don’t have to worry about running out of important material goods.

Pensioners in Raleigh can spend lots of time in nature

Since Raleigh is surrounded by nice forests and lakes, you can also spend lots of time in nature and can go fishing, hiking or do many other nice things that may greatly improve overall quality of retirement life in Raleigh.

Mild climate is attractive to many people who retire in Raleigh

Another upside to retiring in Raleigh is that you can also enjoy warm and sunny summers while winters are moderately mild and you therefore don’t have to deal with the same cold winters as people who retire in Chicago or other colder regions.

You can spend lots of time outdoors

Thanks to mild weather and many things you can do in nature, pensioners in Raleigh also get the incentive to spend lots of time outdoors and you can therefore get lots of fresh air and can also get in a pretty good mood.

Many recreational spaces in Raleigh

There are also many parks and other green spaces where you can sit down and relax in quiet environments as a retiree in Raleigh and this can greatly improve your overall quality of life since you can reload in those spaces without getting distracted by loud noises or other unpleasant things.

Raleigh is a pretty safe city

While people retiring in Philadelphia or other regions with high crime rates often have to worry about getting involved in serious incidents, retirees in Raleigh don’t have to worry much in this regard since Raleigh is just a pretty safe city.

People in Raleigh are pretty relaxed

Another benefit of retiring in Raleigh is that people in this region are usually pretty relaxed and supportive and in case you need assistance in various parts of life, chances are that you will find people who will help you out.

Raleigh is a pretty tolerant place

Since Raleigh is a pretty tolerant city, you also don’t have to worry about your background since people from all over the world will be welcome in this city and as long as you are willing to adapt to local customs and traditions at least a little bit, chances are you will become a valued member of society rather quickly.

Easy to socialize in Raleigh

Since people in Raleigh are friendly and tolerant, you will also have a rather easy time getting in touch with other retirees and can therefore make many new social connections rather quickly so you will never run out of conversation partners and can really enjoy your retirement life in Raleigh in the best possible manner.

Decent bars and restaurants in Raleigh

You also find many good restaurants and bars in the Raleigh region where you can meet up with other people of your age and can discuss what’s going on in the world right now so you can get a more comprehensive picture of reality and can also enjoy delicious foods at the same time.

You can meet up with other retirees in senior centers

There are also decent senior centers where you can meet up with other retirees in Raleigh and can share useful and valuable advice so everyone can benefit from those insights.

Living costs in Raleigh are relatively low

Compared to many other big cities in the US, living costs are rather low and while people who retire in San Francisco have to spend quite a lot of money on drinks and many other things of daily life, people who retire in Raleigh have to spend far less and are able to afford more nice things with the same budget.

Raleigh is not the most crowded city

Since Raleigh is not the most crowded city, you also have more than enough public spaces where you can be on your own during times you don’t want to be distracted by other people and will also not run into people on a regular basis so you can have a much more convenient senior life in general.

Retirees in Raleigh can get around by car in an efficient manner

Since traffic is not a big problem in Raleigh yet, many pensioners can also get around in a pretty efficient manner and will not lose as much time in traffic as retirees in New York City or other places where traffic jams are much more common.

Raleigh has an international airport

Since Raleigh has an international airport, your family and friends from other states also have a pretty easy time visiting you and chances are that you will have more company and guests in Raleigh than in other smaller regions that are often much harder to reach.

You can stay connected to the world thanks to good internet connection

Many retirees in Raleigh are also able to stay up-to-date with latest developments since they can use a pretty decent internet connection and can also make video calls or stay in touch with their loved ones via social media.

Raleigh may still be underrated

Since Raleigh offers everything you need to live a happy and convenient senior life while living costs are still fairly low, Raleigh may still be underrated and you may therefore be able to benefit from many nice things at a rather affordable price.

Raleigh will be an attractive place to retire for quite a long time

Since Raleigh is one of the biggest cities in North Carolina, it will also be an important place to retire for quite a long time and you don’t have to worry about too many people leaving this city or public infrastructure getting worse in the near future.

Now that you know the reasons for retiring in Raleigh, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of retiring in Raleigh so you can better decide whether you still want to retire in Raleigh or rather want to spend the last chapter of your life in a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Retiring in Raleigh

1. Many pensioners in Raleigh complain about poor public transport
2. You may need a car to get around in an efficient manner
3. Rents are barely affordable for many retirees in Raleigh
4. Many people who retire in Raleigh struggle to find a decent place to stay
5. Public infrastructure gets worse outside the city center of Raleigh
6. Raleigh is not the most exciting city
7. You may get bored with senior life in Raleigh sooner or later
8. People retiring in Raleigh can’t enjoy the beach
9. Pretty poor air quality in Raleigh
10. Some retirees in Raleigh still have to work at retirement age
11. You may end up in a rather dodgy district

Many pensioners in Raleigh complain about poor public transport

One downside to retiring in Raleigh is that public transport is pretty poor and you may therefore not be able to rely on buses or other means of public transport as much as people who retire in Washington D.C. or other places where public transport is much more sophisticated.

You may need a car to get around in an efficient manner

Due to rather poor public transport, you may urgently need a car to get around in Raleigh in an efficient manner and this may not only be bad for your finances since you may have to spend lots of money on gas, but it is also pretty bad for our planet and once you get older and are no longer able to operate a car in a safe manner, you may lack proper transportation alternatives and may just be less mobile compared to retirees in Denver or other big cities with better transportation infrastructure.

Rents are barely affordable for many retirees in Raleigh

Since rents in Raleigh have increased substantially over the past decades, many retirees in Raleigh complain about high housing costs and may no longer be able to pay rent in a reliable manner in the near future and may therefore get evicted in the long run.

Many people who retire in Raleigh struggle to find a decent place to stay

Since Raleigh has become a pretty popular place to retire, many pensioners in Raleigh also really struggle to find a decent and affordable place to stay within a reasonable amount of time while retirees in Tucson and other less popular places often have a much easier time in this regard.

Public infrastructure gets worse outside the city center of Raleigh

Another problem with retiring in Raleigh is that public transport gets significantly worse outside the city center and if you are not able to afford a decent place to stay near the center, you may have a harder time getting everything you need since distances will be longer and your senior life in Raleigh will be more exhausting.

Raleigh is not the most exciting city

While you will find many things to do, you should still know that Raleigh is not the most exciting city and you may also miss big city life and the special feeling of retiring in a big city in general.

You may get bored with senior life in Raleigh sooner or later

Since there are not as many exciting things to do in Raleigh, people who retire in Raleigh may also get bored with their senior life sooner or later while retirees in Los Angeles will have much more action.

People retiring in Raleigh can’t enjoy the beach

Since Raleigh is not located at the coast, you will also not be able to spend many nice days at the beach while other people who retire in Sacramento or other places near the coast will have more options in this regard.

Pretty poor air quality in Raleigh

Another disadvantage of retiring in Raleigh is that air quality is not great in this city and in case you already suffer from serious pulmonary problems, you may not want to retire in Raleigh but rather want to retire in Colorado Springs or other cities with better air quality.

Some retirees in Raleigh still have to work at retirement age

Since rents have increased quite a lot in Raleigh over the past decades, many retirees who don’t receive a pretty high pension still have to work at retirement age so they can make additional money on the side and can pay their bills in the long run.

You may end up in a rather dodgy district

While Raleigh is a rather safe city, there are still some dodgy parts of the city that you may want to avoid since in case you rent out a home in those regions, chances are you will just not feel comfortable and welcome and your overall quality of life may suffer quite a lot.

Top 10 Retiring in Raleigh Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Raleigh A Good Place To Retire?

While Raleigh can be a great place to retire since living costs are still relatively low and it is also a pretty safe city, you should still know that rents have increased significantly over the past decades and Raleigh is also not the most exciting city so you may get bored with senior life in Raleigh in the long run.

Alternative Cities To Retire

If you don’t want to retire in Raleigh, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Mesa

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Oklahoma City

Advantages and disadvantages of retiring in Omaha

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/raleighcitynorthcarolina/POP060210

Own research.

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.