The capital of North Carolina, Raleigh is a beautiful city with plenty of greenery and a great mix of historic and modern. Today it’s the second largest city in the state, and the 42nd largest in the country so it’s a popular place to call home. Raleigh’s overall Walk Score of 41 isn’t especially high – it’s the 36th most walkable city in the United States so it’s mainly car dependent. However, not all of Raleigh’s neighborhoods are like this. Here are the top 5 neighborhoods:
Central Raleigh
Source: Wikipedia.
The neighborhood surrounding the city’s central business district is the most walkable in Raleigh. With a Walk Score of 75 most errands can be accomplished on foot in Central Raleigh, and being in the heart of the city there’s a lot here. Fayetteville Street is the main thoroughfare with the North Carolina State Capitol at one end, museums, a convention center, banks, offices, cafes, restaurants and bars. The Raleigh Farmers Market is in downtown for fresh and local foods. Despite being the heart of the city, Central is also great for families with six public, and three private schools here, and crime levels are not too high at 14 percent above the Raleigh average.
Hillsborough
Rated second in Raleigh for its walkability, the neighborhood of Hillsborough has a Walk Score of 71. Located just a little way west of downtown Raleigh you can complete most errands on foot here. There’s a population of 12,563 and especially around Hillsborough Street there are numerous places to shop and dine, and enjoy an evening out. There’s also Cameron Village Shopping Center for more shops. North Carolina State University is here so there’s a high student population, but just three public schools and one private school serve younger students. Cost of living is excellent though, and crime levels are 42 percent lower than the Raleigh average so Hillsborough is a safer place to live than 61 percent of neighborhoods in Raleigh.
Mordecai
Source: Wikipedia.
The neighborhood of Mordecai is just north of Central Raleigh and has a Walk Score of 69. Moredcai is home to 3,112 people and it’s a fairly small neighborhood of Raleigh, but among the oldest in the city. Mordecai House is said to be the oldest house in Raleigh and it’s part of the Mordecai Historic Park which also includes the site where 17th President of the United States, Andrew Johnson was born. Mordecai has two public schools and a crime index of 17 percent lower than the Raleigh average.
Five Points
Five Points is the fourth neighborhood on our list for Raleigh. It’s just to the west of Mordecai neighborhood and north west of downtown, and has a Walk Score of 64. Home to 8,553 residents the heart of Five Points is where Glenwood Avenue, Whitaker Mill Road, Fairview Road, and Glenn Avenue all intersect. There are shops, restaurants, a grocery store, movie theatres and other amenities here including Underwood Elementary School which is one of four public schools and one private school in Five Points. You’re also close to downtown and this convenience has pushed housing prices up a little above the Raleigh average, however, this is a very safe neighborhood with a crime index 59 percent lower than the Raleigh average.
North Central
Source: Wikipedia.
Raleigh’s fifth most walkable neighborhood is North Central, and with a Walk Score of 62 a few amenities are in walking distance for most residents. North Central is just north of downtown Raleigh though, so all the city center’s amenities and attractions are close by. Nearly 5,000 people live in the neighborhood, enjoying the restaurants, shops and other amenities. St Augustine’s University is in North Central but there’s only one public and one private school here so it’s not so good for families. The crime index is 4 percent higher than the Raleigh average, though cost of living is slightly lower.
