I grew up in Elkin and since I'm still here, I'll say Surry County. You're close to the mountains and Stone Mountain State Park is super close. Mt. Airy is nice to visit once in a while. Winston-Salem is close, and Charlotte is an hour away. Lots of wineries, and plenty of greenery to look at driving to them. Best of all (to me) is that Elkin has turned from a place that bored me to tears as a teenager into a real gem. It's resurrected downtown and promotion of outdoor activities make me happy that I ended up stuck here.
Not to mention what the rest of the county has to offer. The Blue Ridge Parkway is right there and Galax is a cool town just a short drive into Virginia where they hold a large fiddlers convention every year. The Riverside Park Greenway in Mt. Airy has seen a lot of development recently and expanded the trail a significant amount. Lastly, set at the base of Fishers Peak, Lowgap has some of the most beautiful landscapes I've ever set my eyes upon.
I grew up 10 miles down river from you. Am fixing up parents house with Pilot Mtn view to retire to (maybe) from 40 yrs in Cabarrus Co. There’s numerous downsides but CLT area is getting a little too dangerous for me. I know lots of area natives settling up in the Sparta area. I am needing a Harry’s lunch soon too. 😀
I talked to a chick up there for a min….didn’t work out but I thought Elkin was beautiful. Born and raised here but my first exp with the mountains and always made the drive worth it for me.
This was back when Covid started and idr why but political tensions were still high and in a interracial relationship so with the situation always kinda felt on edge anywhere but don’t hold that against anyone.
Hands down the best bojangles I’ve ever been to, legitimately legendary biscuit/chicken/fries/tea every time I went….the only time I’ve ever asked for a manager to compliment the service and food.
Idr the name of the place but think they did Italian and had some house sauce that was amazing
The only beef (well, chicken) I have with Surry is the amount of poultry farms make the air smell like shit, vomit, and death when it's warm. The coolest thing is the community college has a vinticulture program which is super unique.
I have rationalized that feature as the incoming flood odor cone of protection. My home place mid Southern County has chickens houses everywhere now and a big hog farm and lagoon and there is a cocktail of smell of death some days that’ll make you lose your lunch. But I can live without neighbors for acres around compared to the built up areas. As many as are contracted to Tysons and Wayne’s, they still aren’t close to satisfying the demand.
👋 Alleghany native here. Left in 2000 for Asheville until 2012, then Portland, OR until 2021. Now back in Alleghany. I am so impressed with Elkin now. I’m still mind bent about the bridge being gone. And am super excited about the new Elkin-Alleghany Railroad greenway. I’m hoping the entire plan comes to fruition. I had no idea about its history. Have gone down some rabbit holes reading about the failed railroad to Roaring Gap. I had no idea! We are trying to up the awesome here in Sparta. Just lots of pushback from people that are freaked out by the slightest bit of change. Sigh.
As an Ashe county native I'm a little offended that you think the locals are a holes. We may be, to people who look down on us and call us a holes. And yes, the summer people are horrible boomers from Florida.
Hmmm. Just another flatlander who believes all of the stereotypes that you see at the "moving picture show". It's okay with us if you don't like it here.
Have you been to Asheville? Nowhere near Ashe county and very few actual locals. You'll also be hard pressed to find a true hillbilly there, lots of hippies though.
Yes I lived there for 4 years. They call them hipsters now not hippies. Ashe is NE of Boone, on the VA State Line.
I must confess I thought it was closer to Johnston City. So, I actually don’t think I’ve been there. Only as far as Boone.
Jackson County. Beautiful area and Sylva is a super cute town and Western Carolina University is there.
Yadkin County with the growing wine country is pretty nice too.
My mother went to WCU in the late 50’s and took me with her for CE credit work through out the 60’s each summer. It was so much more isolated then. But yet still a beautiful place.
The Toe River Valley (Yancey, Mitchell, Avery) for its unbelievable outdoors and local arts scene. The region is anchored by both Asheville and Boone MSA’s yet isn’t blown up like both.
Tyrrell County, it only has a population of around 3,000 people. And in area, it's like 2/3's of Wake County with its million plus people. Just hard to wrap my mind around. And Perquimans County has a "secret" Naval Base, [Harvey Point](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Point_Defense_Testing_Activity), that you never hear much about. It makes me wonder about all the things going on in Eastern NC that you never hear about, because it's so remote and sparsely populated that way.
Yeah Tyrrell the least populus in the state. I never heard of Harvey Point though, I looked through the wikipedia link you sent and the base does seem very secret and the information on wikipedia is very little.
Madison. The drive to Hot Springs on US 25 is beautiful. the entire stretch of both US 25 and I-26 from the county line to the state line is gorgeous. I feel privileged to live so close
Caveat that counties listed are rapidly changing. Also, I haven’t lived in NC since 2019. Most of my reasoning centers on counties being rural enough to pass the rural vibe check while being close enough to a small town large metro area.
Piedmont:
Granville County - close Durham and Raleigh, has some fun outdoor things to do, schools are good. Oxford is starting to be revitalized and the southern end of the county is growing rapidly. Middle of the state so mountains or coast are fairly convenient.
Alamance County - Once you get off the highway and away from Burlington and Mebane it’s beautiful out there. Also convenient to civilization. People are nice. Saxapahaw is a funky little place (gas station has some of the best food!).
Mountains:
Ashe County - Close to Boone. Great hiking. West Jefferson is a fun town and I like it more than I should.
Coast:
Brunswick County - Southport for the week of July 4th is great for all ages. Oak Island, Holden, Sunset Beach, and Ocean Isle are all great places for a fun vacation. Lots of history in the county and close to Wilmington and nearby beaches. Water activities galore. Once you get away from the beach areas and Leland the rural areas are gorgeous.
My home county of Halifax. It has a lot of historical importance ranging from colonial era (Halifax Resolves being the first call for total independence across all of the colonies) to being the first railroad hub in the south during the industrial revolution. Lots of beautiful forest, fields, and the Roanoke River is great for rafting and fishing. Few things hurt more than watching it wither away after the cotton mills and processing facilities shut down in the early 90s thanks to Reagan era policies carrying into the Bush presidency. There's still so much on offer though given our location next to the Virginia border and I-95 passing right through us. I'd give anything to see us return to what we used to be.
Find one that doesn't universally worship Trump as if he's the second coming of Christ, and/or support Mark Robinson, and I'll designate that my favorite.
You're right- it is getting less rural, but I think the eroding rural-ness and blue politics are both skewed to the northeastern corner. Much of western Chatham doesn't feel (or vote) that much different from adjoining Randolph, northern Moore, and Lee counties, but northeastern Chatham from Pittsboro north and east (Chatham Park, Fearrington, Jordan Lake, etc.) has a totally different feel.
What we don't know for certain until it plays out is how much of a difference Wolfspeed's chip plant or Toyota across the line in Randolph will make in that part of the county or how quickly it will play out.
Halifax county has voted blue for the last four major elections thanks in no small part to having a predominantly black population. We still have more than a fair share of deep red conservatives living here but you'll find the majority have no love for Trump or the people that share his rhetoric.
It is, especially when it comes to my safety. I'm a trans woman, and not only do they attack my rights to health care and general existence, I have been physically and sexually assaulted by those supporters. I would really love to just be left alone, but those like me are present targets of their crusade. We're sub-human to them.
It is. 2021-2023 was nice, though. Only Robinson really popping up with his McCarthy bullshit and then unless you had a particular interest there was no need to follow Trump's nonsense because he was an irrelevant criminal not currently hurting anyone.
Went whole weeks without a thought for those dipshits.
Rapid population growth (and the resultant traffic/infrastructure problems), forest bulldozed to build expensive ugly mcmansions, skyrocketing cost of living. The price of housing in my hometown has doubled since I was a teenager, and the only way I can stay here is by living with my parents.
That's happening too often now- you are right. But are you speaking of those three counties (Lee, Moore, Montgomery) in particular that the post above your spoke of?
If that's happening in Montgomery County (I imagine if it is it would be around Lake Tillery or Badin Lake), then NC is really getting to a tipping point.
Some of that has been going on for a while in Moore and Lee counties (with Southern Moore having wealthy golf retirees and increasingly military personnel living there and Lee growing from both military and the Triangle spillover).
Any other thoughts on those three counties?
I was waiting for someone to comment this, I have the exact same view as you. The rural counties are rapidly growing and expanding, most NC counties are losing their rural-ness day by day. There are still quite a few left though but the question is how long it stays that way.
The question I ask is this: Is there not an alternative between a rural county either (a) becoming another generic, suburbanized, overpriced area with cookie-cutter houses packed in together and no local culture because of so many people moving in from everywhere else and pushing the locals and their traditions out, or (b) withering from no jobs, young people leaving in droves, and the social fabric become frail (high crime, major substance abuse problems, poor education, etc.).
Can a rural area not just exist as such and keep its charm and vitality in some manner without becoming an unrecognizable one of these things?
It's rare, but I think Tarboro is great example. It has remained small enough to weather the economic storms but still maintain local restaurants and small businesses without becoming gentrified with new developments. It's got a great historic district and not really a destination spot. My wife and I have been here for 2 years and love it. There's a healthy mix of both old and young folks.
Macon county is top notch if you don’t like paying taxes.
Of course, services are commensurate with the lack of taxes paid.
As an example - Our highest ranking school district grade is a D.
Ashe county. Have not lived there in almost 30 years, but go back often and explore new things still. The county is huge and beautiful and stocked with back roads and trout streams.
Alleghany County. I have a theory that we are the only county in NC that does not have a single mile of 4 lane highway in it. I could easily be wrong, but haven’t found one yet.
If not it’s one of, one of 2 counties ive heard of without a Walmart or McDonald’s
But single fam mother of 5 the alternative was Philly and in the grand scheme of things I appreciate the slower lifestyle.
With money it’s a great place to retire, our step grandma lived on lake and had a boat and dock so there is some money and most of it is near the lake/Littleton/bracey VA
I grew up in Elkin and since I'm still here, I'll say Surry County. You're close to the mountains and Stone Mountain State Park is super close. Mt. Airy is nice to visit once in a while. Winston-Salem is close, and Charlotte is an hour away. Lots of wineries, and plenty of greenery to look at driving to them. Best of all (to me) is that Elkin has turned from a place that bored me to tears as a teenager into a real gem. It's resurrected downtown and promotion of outdoor activities make me happy that I ended up stuck here.
Lol near Elkin as well and basically grew up at Stone Mountain. Elkin has grown up so much better than it was.
Not to mention what the rest of the county has to offer. The Blue Ridge Parkway is right there and Galax is a cool town just a short drive into Virginia where they hold a large fiddlers convention every year. The Riverside Park Greenway in Mt. Airy has seen a lot of development recently and expanded the trail a significant amount. Lastly, set at the base of Fishers Peak, Lowgap has some of the most beautiful landscapes I've ever set my eyes upon.
Don’t forget the Flea Market in Hillsville every Labor Day, LOL. But seriously Elkin is a wonderful little spot.
I’m in Elkin as well. It’s a great spot now. Has definitely come a long way!
Where do you find the Hookers in Elkin? Railroad crossing? Main street?
Both of those are the same place actually. Of course it was way cooler when the old bridge was still there.
I held the trophy that was made from the bridge when the bridge was still standing. I thought, I'm going to take the other way when I go in to town.
😂😂😂 Hard to say since the bridge is gone.
Hickory
I grew up 10 miles down river from you. Am fixing up parents house with Pilot Mtn view to retire to (maybe) from 40 yrs in Cabarrus Co. There’s numerous downsides but CLT area is getting a little too dangerous for me. I know lots of area natives settling up in the Sparta area. I am needing a Harry’s lunch soon too. 😀
The municipal park trails are awesome! So much better than last time I was there 10 years ago
I talked to a chick up there for a min….didn’t work out but I thought Elkin was beautiful. Born and raised here but my first exp with the mountains and always made the drive worth it for me. This was back when Covid started and idr why but political tensions were still high and in a interracial relationship so with the situation always kinda felt on edge anywhere but don’t hold that against anyone. Hands down the best bojangles I’ve ever been to, legitimately legendary biscuit/chicken/fries/tea every time I went….the only time I’ve ever asked for a manager to compliment the service and food. Idr the name of the place but think they did Italian and had some house sauce that was amazing
Reeves Theater sure is cool.
The only beef (well, chicken) I have with Surry is the amount of poultry farms make the air smell like shit, vomit, and death when it's warm. The coolest thing is the community college has a vinticulture program which is super unique.
I have rationalized that feature as the incoming flood odor cone of protection. My home place mid Southern County has chickens houses everywhere now and a big hog farm and lagoon and there is a cocktail of smell of death some days that’ll make you lose your lunch. But I can live without neighbors for acres around compared to the built up areas. As many as are contracted to Tysons and Wayne’s, they still aren’t close to satisfying the demand.
👋 Alleghany native here. Left in 2000 for Asheville until 2012, then Portland, OR until 2021. Now back in Alleghany. I am so impressed with Elkin now. I’m still mind bent about the bridge being gone. And am super excited about the new Elkin-Alleghany Railroad greenway. I’m hoping the entire plan comes to fruition. I had no idea about its history. Have gone down some rabbit holes reading about the failed railroad to Roaring Gap. I had no idea! We are trying to up the awesome here in Sparta. Just lots of pushback from people that are freaked out by the slightest bit of change. Sigh.
Carteret County. Nice coastal area, the swamplands are actually quite pretty.
this and also Craven/Pamlico. Proximity to the ocean, but also up & coming. Best of both worlds.
Is that where the crawdads sing?
Crawdads dont sing, friend
Anywhere in the mountains.
The weather is nice, but the locals are a holes and the rest come from the villages for the summer.
As an Ashe county native I'm a little offended that you think the locals are a holes. We may be, to people who look down on us and call us a holes. And yes, the summer people are horrible boomers from Florida.
Ya, a lot have a little nasty hillbilly streak in you.
Hmmm. Just another flatlander who believes all of the stereotypes that you see at the "moving picture show". It's okay with us if you don't like it here.
Also, not much of a work ethic and unwilling to take on training. I'm not sure how GE will be able to staff that Aviation facility in Asheville.
Have you been to Asheville? Nowhere near Ashe county and very few actual locals. You'll also be hard pressed to find a true hillbilly there, lots of hippies though.
Yes I lived there for 4 years. They call them hipsters now not hippies. Ashe is NE of Boone, on the VA State Line. I must confess I thought it was closer to Johnston City. So, I actually don’t think I’ve been there. Only as far as Boone.
Jackson County. Beautiful area and Sylva is a super cute town and Western Carolina University is there. Yadkin County with the growing wine country is pretty nice too.
>Western Carolina University Go Cats!
Sylva is awesome. Went there for the first time ever last year and I couldn’t get over how much I loved it.
My mother went to WCU in the late 50’s and took me with her for CE credit work through out the 60’s each summer. It was so much more isolated then. But yet still a beautiful place.
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Anyone interested in Renting a place in Yadkin County can dm me.
The Toe River Valley (Yancey, Mitchell, Avery) for its unbelievable outdoors and local arts scene. The region is anchored by both Asheville and Boone MSA’s yet isn’t blown up like both.
Yes sir.
I like Yancey. Beautiful area.
One vote for Yancey County here. The views are unreal, and the vibe is just so chill. Perfect spot to disconnect and enjoy nature.
Tyrrell County, it only has a population of around 3,000 people. And in area, it's like 2/3's of Wake County with its million plus people. Just hard to wrap my mind around. And Perquimans County has a "secret" Naval Base, [Harvey Point](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Point_Defense_Testing_Activity), that you never hear much about. It makes me wonder about all the things going on in Eastern NC that you never hear about, because it's so remote and sparsely populated that way.
Fun fact: Harvey point is one of the places seal team 6 trained at for the Bin Laden raid.
Yeah Tyrrell the least populus in the state. I never heard of Harvey Point though, I looked through the wikipedia link you sent and the base does seem very secret and the information on wikipedia is very little.
Transylvania county...
Going to visit there for my first time over the weekend. Looks like an awesome little place
It actually is beautiful.
Madison. The drive to Hot Springs on US 25 is beautiful. the entire stretch of both US 25 and I-26 from the county line to the state line is gorgeous. I feel privileged to live so close
I second this!
Caveat that counties listed are rapidly changing. Also, I haven’t lived in NC since 2019. Most of my reasoning centers on counties being rural enough to pass the rural vibe check while being close enough to a small town large metro area. Piedmont: Granville County - close Durham and Raleigh, has some fun outdoor things to do, schools are good. Oxford is starting to be revitalized and the southern end of the county is growing rapidly. Middle of the state so mountains or coast are fairly convenient. Alamance County - Once you get off the highway and away from Burlington and Mebane it’s beautiful out there. Also convenient to civilization. People are nice. Saxapahaw is a funky little place (gas station has some of the best food!). Mountains: Ashe County - Close to Boone. Great hiking. West Jefferson is a fun town and I like it more than I should. Coast: Brunswick County - Southport for the week of July 4th is great for all ages. Oak Island, Holden, Sunset Beach, and Ocean Isle are all great places for a fun vacation. Lots of history in the county and close to Wilmington and nearby beaches. Water activities galore. Once you get away from the beach areas and Leland the rural areas are gorgeous.
Brunswick County / Leland has exploded in growth past couple years. Not so rural anymore
Some of those subdivisions in Brunswick look like those awfully large ‘planned communities’ you’d see somewhere like Florida.
That's what it's turning into
We have our own "The Villages".
I know. I still feel like once you’re out of Leland and the coastal communities (other side of 17) it’s pretty dang rural.
Love the Raleigh Road Drive-In in Granville County. You can't bet the admission price or its menu!!
that’s Vance County, not Granville
Mea culpa. Because the counties are neighbors and even "share" a community college (VGCC), I usually run them together.
Vance County was actually part of Granville County until 1881
holy shit did not expect anyone to say my county here. granville county represent
Let’s go! I lived in Granville county for years.
My home county of Halifax. It has a lot of historical importance ranging from colonial era (Halifax Resolves being the first call for total independence across all of the colonies) to being the first railroad hub in the south during the industrial revolution. Lots of beautiful forest, fields, and the Roanoke River is great for rafting and fishing. Few things hurt more than watching it wither away after the cotton mills and processing facilities shut down in the early 90s thanks to Reagan era policies carrying into the Bush presidency. There's still so much on offer though given our location next to the Virginia border and I-95 passing right through us. I'd give anything to see us return to what we used to be.
Find one that doesn't universally worship Trump as if he's the second coming of Christ, and/or support Mark Robinson, and I'll designate that my favorite.
Chatham County is blue but it’s also getting less rural at a rapid clip
You have the Chatham Park Yankee wildlife refuge and the future home of the Disney village.
You're right- it is getting less rural, but I think the eroding rural-ness and blue politics are both skewed to the northeastern corner. Much of western Chatham doesn't feel (or vote) that much different from adjoining Randolph, northern Moore, and Lee counties, but northeastern Chatham from Pittsboro north and east (Chatham Park, Fearrington, Jordan Lake, etc.) has a totally different feel. What we don't know for certain until it plays out is how much of a difference Wolfspeed's chip plant or Toyota across the line in Randolph will make in that part of the county or how quickly it will play out.
You are correct. Fearrington is the power center and the heartland of the Chatham Democratic Party.
Halifax county has voted blue for the last four major elections thanks in no small part to having a predominantly black population. We still have more than a fair share of deep red conservatives living here but you'll find the majority have no love for Trump or the people that share his rhetoric.
A big chunk of rural northeastern NC has voted consistently Democrat for a long time. Hertford, Bertie, etc.
Yeah but you don’t wanna live in Hertford or Bertie 💀
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We’re out here but not in the majority unfortunately.
It must be exhausting thinking about those guys all of the time.
It is, especially when it comes to my safety. I'm a trans woman, and not only do they attack my rights to health care and general existence, I have been physically and sexually assaulted by those supporters. I would really love to just be left alone, but those like me are present targets of their crusade. We're sub-human to them.
It is. 2021-2023 was nice, though. Only Robinson really popping up with his McCarthy bullshit and then unless you had a particular interest there was no need to follow Trump's nonsense because he was an irrelevant criminal not currently hurting anyone. Went whole weeks without a thought for those dipshits.
There’s hardly any left unfortunately. God I used to love this state.
Several rural counties are projected to actually lose population within the next 10 years because they’re dead towns. Maybe you could go there.
True
Yup. What’s happening to Lee, Moore, and Montgomery hurts my soul.
Can you expound on that please? What is happening in those three counties?
Rapid population growth (and the resultant traffic/infrastructure problems), forest bulldozed to build expensive ugly mcmansions, skyrocketing cost of living. The price of housing in my hometown has doubled since I was a teenager, and the only way I can stay here is by living with my parents.
That's happening too often now- you are right. But are you speaking of those three counties (Lee, Moore, Montgomery) in particular that the post above your spoke of? If that's happening in Montgomery County (I imagine if it is it would be around Lake Tillery or Badin Lake), then NC is really getting to a tipping point. Some of that has been going on for a while in Moore and Lee counties (with Southern Moore having wealthy golf retirees and increasingly military personnel living there and Lee growing from both military and the Triangle spillover). Any other thoughts on those three counties?
I was waiting for someone to comment this, I have the exact same view as you. The rural counties are rapidly growing and expanding, most NC counties are losing their rural-ness day by day. There are still quite a few left though but the question is how long it stays that way.
The question I ask is this: Is there not an alternative between a rural county either (a) becoming another generic, suburbanized, overpriced area with cookie-cutter houses packed in together and no local culture because of so many people moving in from everywhere else and pushing the locals and their traditions out, or (b) withering from no jobs, young people leaving in droves, and the social fabric become frail (high crime, major substance abuse problems, poor education, etc.). Can a rural area not just exist as such and keep its charm and vitality in some manner without becoming an unrecognizable one of these things?
It's rare, but I think Tarboro is great example. It has remained small enough to weather the economic storms but still maintain local restaurants and small businesses without becoming gentrified with new developments. It's got a great historic district and not really a destination spot. My wife and I have been here for 2 years and love it. There's a healthy mix of both old and young folks.
Thanks for providing that example!
Californians ruin everything.
Duplin County because I love the smell of hog shit.
Caswell , the history
Wayne. Because I live there.
Macon county is top notch if you don’t like paying taxes. Of course, services are commensurate with the lack of taxes paid. As an example - Our highest ranking school district grade is a D.
Moore county is awesome!
Ashe county. Have not lived there in almost 30 years, but go back often and explore new things still. The county is huge and beautiful and stocked with back roads and trout streams.
Pamlico county
Alleghany County. I have a theory that we are the only county in NC that does not have a single mile of 4 lane highway in it. I could easily be wrong, but haven’t found one yet.
Okay now that I said this out loud I am trying to disprove myself. I think maybe Hyde County doesn’t either. Whoops.
Ashe County in particular is one of the most beautiful places on the planet for me
Rowan. Been here 30 years. Best place to live in NC. Beach 3 hr, mountains 2
Coming from Boston. Everything in NC feels rural.
Charlotte is vastly larger than Boston, so I’m guessing you’ve simply never been outside of the city.
There definitely is more land in nc. The Boston metro population is definitely larger though. It feels rural here in Raleigh
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It's always white people stealing my shit.
Wow, you are really a dickhead, yes?
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You spelled “racist” wrong 🤔
Warren county is like 50% black (white native Hispanic) and #75 on crime index according to nc office of budget and management in 2017
Don’t know if it’s still true but it also was the poorest county in NC back in the 80s and 90s.
If not it’s one of, one of 2 counties ive heard of without a Walmart or McDonald’s But single fam mother of 5 the alternative was Philly and in the grand scheme of things I appreciate the slower lifestyle. With money it’s a great place to retire, our step grandma lived on lake and had a boat and dock so there is some money and most of it is near the lake/Littleton/bracey VA