North Carolina Communities | Best Places to Live in NC

This remarkable lifestyle community sits majestically on North Carolina's Albemarle Sound. Surrounded by water, ancient Cypress and live Oaks, there is no other place as unspoiled. Featuring an Arnold Palmer Signature golf course, marina, swim pavilion, Scotch Hall Preserve offers waterfront, golf and woodland homesites. Read More...

Carolina Colours brings to life the very best of small Carolina towns-past, present and future. A mere 30 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean, the waters of the Trent and Neuse Rivers converge to surround the vibrant waterfront town of New Bern, NC. Community amenities include the 25+-acre Carolina Lake, a Harris Teeter grocery, parks, trails and sidewalks, an Activity Campus with golf, fitness, tennis, swimming, pickleball and-for those quiet moments-rocking chairs Read More...

Enter the home of your dreams and the lifestyle you crave in RiverLights ™, Wilmington's newest waterfront community. Designed to foster a coastal, wellness-centered environment, RiverLights offers the energy of a city amid miles of tranquil beauty. Set along the naturally magnificent Cape Fear River, it's a new kind of community that celebrates family, honors nature and breathes new life into Southern heritage. Read More...

Sunset Ridge is located in Sunset Beach, North Carolina and has been one of Bill Clark Homes' longstanding flagship communities. At its completion, it will showcase just over 400 single family homes and is planned for 100 townhomes. Just 3 miles from the Sunset Beach barrier island, Sunset Ridge offers its residents the easy access to both the beach and the Intracoastal Waterway all at a very affordable price point. Read More...

On the North Carolina's Inner Banks is a golf and marina community with a lifestyle like no other! Perched between historic Edenton and Elizabeth City, NC, it's an easy drive to any major city along the coast going north or south. With easy access to Tidewater Virginia and the Outer Banks of North Carolina, you will experience small town charm and big city culture at its finest. Read More...

Compass Pointe is more than a community. It's a destination. Only 10 minutes from historic downtown Wilmington, NC, and 20 minutes from Wrightsville Beach, it is the very best of coastal North Carolina. Read More...

For many, the dream of owning a home at the North Carolina coast has been just that-a dream. Until now. Located in historic Beaufort, NC, Beau Coast offers a relaxed atmosphere with a wide selection of homes to fit every pocketbook and lifestyle. Best of all, each home is located in an amenity-filled neighborhood that makes living in Beau Coast that much more desirable. Read More...

The Wilmington area's premier master planned community; TidalWalk is designed to be the essence of North Carolina coastal living. Everything about TidalWalk makes it a community of neighborhoods that encourages residents to spend time with each other and to take pleasure in the quiet joys of life near the Atlantic Ocean. Read More...

Del Webb at Traditions, located in Wake Forest, North Carolina, is within the Master Planned community of Traditions minutes away from downtown. Specifically designed for active adults 55+, our upcoming clubs and classes will be for residents and by residents with the help of an onsite Lifestyle Director, Read More...

At Champion HIlls you'll enjoy life in perfect balance. Our golf and tennis community and country club, situated in the mountains of Western North Carolina with breathtaking views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains, is secluded, but not isolated-casual yet elegant-relaxed, but with easy access to the unlimited activities and entertainment of Asheville and Hendersonville. Read More...

Nestled between Historic Hendersonville and Lake Lure's picturesque coves is Vista at Blacksmith Run-an exclusive Western North Carolina mountain property designed for residential development. Blacksmith Run's secluded mountain lifestyle and four season climate turns an ordinary day into an unforgettable experience. With convenient access to all of Western North Carolina's treasures, this quiet mountain gated community was developed for those who appreciate the best that life has to offer. Read More...

Brunswick Forest, the Coastal South's fastest growing community, is located on North Carolina's Cape Fear coast, just minutes from historic Wilmington. This 4,500-acre retreat features a wide array of neighborhoods and lifestyles, 18 holes of golf at Cape Fear National, a Clubhouse, River Club, Fitness & Wellness Center, parks and more than 100 miles of walking, biking and nature trails linking residences and amenities. Read More...

Bill Clark Homes provides quality and affordable new homes for sale in every price range. Many of Bill Clark's communities include popular amenities such as pools, clubhouses, walking trails and gazebos. Great locations and well maintained communities make Bill Clark communities a solid real estate investment. Read More...

Encompassing 370 woodland acres, Cresswind Charlotte is a 55+ community in Charlotte, North Carolina. This active adult community is situated away from the congestion of the city with resort-style amenities and a variety of activities. Miles of walking trails meander throughout the community, and the 18,000-square-foot clubhouse will feature a fitness center, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis, pickleball, and bocce. Read More...

Conveniently located within Wilmington, NC, The Village at Mott’s Landing features new homes, a pool and clubhouse, tennis court, and - above all - a peaceful setting. This new home community has been thoughtfully created for retired and semi-retired active adults (those who have paid their dues, raised children, worked hard throughout their lives), looking to enjoy retirement living at its finest. Read More...

A place where adventure meets the arts, Cullowhee River Club is nestled in the mountains of Cullowhee, North Carolina, less than 55 miles west of Asheville, NC. This mountain riverfront community boasts 1.3 miles of river frontage to the Tuckaseegee River, known for its superior fly fishing that makes Jackson County the Trout Capital of NC. Cullowhee is also home to the largest university west of Asheville, Western Carolina University, bringing fine & performing arts, sporting events, and life-long learning opportunities, all within walking distance! Read More...

It begins with a yearning to escape. To leave the stress. The job. The traffic. The busy-ness. You want a place that takes you away. Where you can free your mind, unplug, and reconnect. With family. With friends. With yourself. Chinquapin gives you what you've been missing. A pristine mountain preserve that's just three miles from downtown Cashiers, North Carolina. Read More...

Only minutes from the ocean's edge at both Oak Island to the south, and Southport, NC to the east.. Pine Forest features an abundance of nature trails and activities, beautiful lakes, creeks, nature parks, and unique to Pine Forest is a working Farm rooted in the heart of the community. Read More...

Mountains and a scenic river. A rare combination to find in Western North Carolina real estate developments. The 3,600 acre gated community enjoys five miles of river frontage along the Johns River connecting to Wilson Creek can be found at The Coves Mountain River Club Read More...

The Retreat at Ocean Isle Beach is a special community just 1 mile away from the beautiful sand and waves of Ocean Isle Beach. Residents at The Retreat are positioned uniquely within walking distance to the local grocery store, incredible restaurants and quaint shops that make Ocean Isle Beach so desirable. The colorful homes and lush landscape pay homage to the bold and bright colors you'll find lining the oceanfront streets just across the causeway. Read More...

Imagine the serenity of a completely nature front community lined with palmetto palms and walking trails created for long walks and naturalist activities. Located just minutes from Southeast North Carolina's beautiful beaches, Palmetto Creek offers nature and wildlife beauty up close Read More...

Located just 10 minutes north of Downtown Wilmington, NC (by boat or car) sits River Bluffs, overlooking the North East Cape Fear River. Residents enjoy a serene community where they live and play. Together, residents and the neighborhood's developers have established over 30 clubs. The clubs include boating, kayaking, dancing & more! Read More...

Located within Wilmington, Landfall is North Carolina's most diverse and historically interesting coastal community. A distinctive property of over 2,000 acres with lakes, ponds and four miles fronting on the Intracoastal Waterway and Howe's Creek, Landfall is only five minutes from Wrightsville Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. Read More...

Ocean Ridge Plantation is one of the most exclusive and luxurious beach and golf communities in coastal North Carolina. Ideally situated in Sunset Beach between the historic port city of Wilmington, NC, and the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach, SC, Ocean Ridge offers luxurious appointments, world-class amenities, and 72 holes of award-winning golf. Read More...

With its private oceanfront beach club, 81 holes of signature golf and Intracoastal Waterway marina, St. James Plantation personifies the relaxed coastal Carolina lifestyle. Read More...

Everything is within reach at Carolina Arbors, located in the Brier Creek area of Durham, North Carolina. Specially designed for active adults 55+, our clubs and classes are formed for residents and by residents with the help of an onsite Lifestyle Director. It's easy to see why neighbors quickly become friends here and you'll find everything you need with 11 inspired home designs from the upper $200s to $500s and 1,109 - 3,818 square feet. Read More...

This is life at its very best. The way it should be. For you and your loved ones. Along Sunset Beach - one of the most coveted island settings on the Carolina Coast enveloped by conserved marshland on one side, and the Intracoastal Waterway on the other: with your own bulkhead already in place for docking. This is a launching point for the life you've always dreamed of. To enjoy bonfires on the beach. Oyster roasts under the stars. Or fishing for red drum and flounder just offshore. Whatever you envision, it's all here-waiting. To draw you in with its gentle sea breezes, or urge you onward and outward amongst the soft whisper of sails. Read More...

A New Season Has Begun at Summerhouse. Imagine a warm, welcoming home where luxury meets coastal casual and the ocean is just beyond your front door. A community where you can go kayaking on the Intracoastal Waterway in the morning, relax by the resort-style clubhouse pool with friends in the afternoon, and check your crab pots for dinner at sunset! All this with the seaside village of Surf City and Historic Wilmington, NC nearby. Read More...

Perfectly shaped since the beginning of time, Bill's Mountain is your chance to experience the picturesque town of Lake Lure. Every contour...every pristine ridge of this Lake Lure property offers incomparable views Western North Carolina. Set just five minutes from Lake Lure's crystal blue waters in Rutherford County, Bill's Mountain's 800 spectacular acres invites you to reconnect with family and friends, nature and the spirit within you. Read More...

Logan Homes offers 80+ beautiful home plans, tons of choices, quality craftsmanship, energy efficiency and the innovation that will enhance your lifestyle - all for a very smart price. Read More...

This waterfront community is renowned for its stunning Bluffs overlooking the Cape Fear River and offer entertainment options for every member of the family. Welcome to The Bluffs on the Cape Fear, where privacy and tranquility are joined in a setting of transcendent natural beauty. Here you'll discover the best of both worlds - a private preserve in the midst of nature, but an easy drive from everything Wilmington and the Coastal Carolinas have to offer. Read More...

North Carolina's southernmost cape, Bald Head Island offers 14 miles of pristine beach, a rare maritime forest, and a 10,000 acre marsh and creek preserve protected in perpetuity. The island's proximity to the Gulf Stream provides subtropical weather conditions year round, with mild... Read More...

There is no better place to experience all the natural beauty and variety of the Western North Carolina High Country than right here. With one of the highest elevations in the area-and just three miles from the charming downtown of Banner Elk-Eagles Nest is a haven for year-round outdoor activity, catering to every age and interest. Read More...

Walk to downtown Clayton from The Walk at East Village. The Walk at East Village is a 300-home 55+ age-qualified community designed for active living and engaging with friends. If you're looking for the Mayberry feel with safe walking streets day and night, friendly neighbors, an active downtown, and access to city-level cultural offerings around the corner, you can't beat what The Walk at East Village offers Read More...

Unparalleled panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and pristine forests. This award winning mountain top community is removed without being remote. It is minutes from the conveniences of Hendersonville, NC and the Asheville Airport. Ideal altitude from 3,200 to 3,800 feet to enjoy cool summers without the harsh winters. Read More...