Just off the Interstate between Raleigh and Durham, Morrisville, North Carolina, offers the unique opportunity to live between two of the state’s most vibrant cities while maintaining the feel of a much smaller town. Southwest of Raleigh-Durham International Airport and William B. Umstead State Park, the town of Morrisville provides easy access, whether you are looking to retreat into nature for a while or retreat out of the country. It’s mix of urban amenities and suburban charm draw many families with young children to the neighborhoods and subdivisions of Morrisville NC.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Morrisville’s population of approximately 23,000 residents makes it less than a tenth the size of Durham and about a twentieth the size of Raleigh. Its population density of 3,200 people per square mile is below Raleigh’s density of 3,800, but higher than Durham’s population density of only 2,600 people per square mile. The median home value in Morrisville is higher than in both Raleigh and Durham at $269,000, but the median household income is higher too - $84,000, compared to Raleigh’s $55,000 and Durham’s $50,000.
Despite the number of families with very young children in Morrisville, which makes the town’s population under the age of 18 about 4 percent higher than either Raleigh or Durham, the town’s median age is actually slightly higher than both of those major cities at 34 years, compared to Raleigh and Durham’s 33 years each. Married couples and families make up the vast majority of Morrisville households at 64 percent, with a nearly equal distribution of residents living in their own homes and renting, and a nearly equal divide between those under the age of 18 and those over the age of 65.
The number of residents with college degrees in Morrisville is higher than in both Raleigh and Durham. Nearly 39 percent of Morrisville residents hold a bachelor’s degree, compared with 33 percent in Raleigh and 26 percent in Durham, and just over 20 percent of Morrisville residents hold a master’s degree, compared with 12 percent in Raleigh and 13 percent in Durham. Almost 3 percent of Morrisville residents hold doctorate degrees, compared with 2 percent in Raleigh and nearly 6 percent in Durham.
Source: flickr.com
With 26 percent of residents foreign-born, and as home to one of the area’s largest Asian populations at 28 percent of the town’s population, Morrisville very much embraces its multi-ethnic melting pot culture. The East Meets West Festival, held late each spring, pays homage to the city’s ethnic diversity with a day of food and performance.
While Morrisville isn’t exactly a cultural hotspot on its own, it doesn’t need to be. Twenty minutes from both Downtown Durham and Downtown Raleigh, Morrisville’s culture borrows from both neighboring cities. From the concerts and multiple film festivals that take place at Durham’s Carolina Theater throughout the year to Raleigh’s multiple free museums, any culture you could want is always just a short drive east or north.
The North Carolina Museum of Art, which hosts concerts throughout the summer and features a highly walkable sculpture park, and the PNC Arena, which is home to North Carolina State basketball and the North Carolina Hurricane hockey team and brings in multiple events each year, from concerts to the rodeo, is just ten minutes away from Morrisville.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
While Morrisville remains a small town in a large metropolitan area, it has been undergoing expansion and development over the past few years that has brought some of those metro amenities right to its door. A number of shopping centers and commercial developments have sprung up, providing easy access to anything you might need, from groceries to sportswear.
Due to its multi-cultural populace, restaurants in Morrisville are highly diverse, more so even than in Raleigh or Durham, with Indian, Mediterranean, Thai, and Vietnamese options alongside barbecue places and pizza joints.
With its immediate access to William B. Umstead State Park and metro parks both small and large, greenery isn’t hard to come by in Morrisville for those who like to spend as much time as possible outdoors, and the town holds many holiday and special events throughout the year, including movies in the park, fostering a sense of community.
Morrisville is also one of the safest areas in the Raleigh-Durham metro area, according to safety and home security research site SafeWise. Its crime rate in the last reported year was less than 50 percent of Raleigh’s crime rate and less than 30 percent of that in Durham.
While it may not be on everyone’s radar, for those who enjoy rock climbing, especially during the cold winter months when they can't get outside to do it, Morrisville’s Triangle Rock Club is a landmark. Featuring some of the tallest indoor climbing walls at 27,000 feet and the largest, tallest climbing expanse in five states, Triangle Rock Club offers rope climbing, bouldering, and a fitness center. Personal instruction and camps are available for everyone from newbies to advanced climbers.
For the most part, though, Morrisville is known as a safe, serene suburb of both Raleigh and Durham. With access to everything you’d want in a metropolitan area, but less traffic and crime, it’s a great alternative for those who want a partial city feel. It’s also a perfect location for those employed in the Research Triangle. Just eight miles and a 15-minute drive away, it provides one of the quickest commutes in the area.
