Aside from the obvious differences between the two areas, like urban development and the pace of day to day life, Wake County and Chatham County represent two very different approaches to living areas within the greater Raleigh Area.
More than ten years of research shows Chatham County is what’s considered a “2nd move area.” This means that it’s usually not the first choice for people moving to the area, but rather a later destination once people become familiar with the Triangle, and learn what all the surrounding areas have to offer.
Each year, large numbers of people move to North Carolina from highly populated parts of the country, like New York, Michigan, California, and Florida. Because of their national popularity, and developmental density, those moving more often than not choose to relocate to places like Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and Apex.
However, after several years of residency, many decide they don’t like the congestion, and choose to move to a less crowded area, such as Chatham County. As wake county is having such explosive growth, the frequency of these types of moves is accelerating year after year, giving Chatham County it’s own sort of boom, only much more paced and measured than in the neighboring county.
And for what it’s worth, many people find that living in Chatham County provides them with the life luxuries that most would imagine can only be had by living close to the city, while in truth, the exact opposite is true. The best example would be the commute into downtown Raleigh, which is 34 miles from downtown Pittsboro, but only 15 miles from Wake Forest. Conventional wisdom would have you think that it would take twice as long to get to Raleigh from Pittsboro than Wake Forest, but due to the population density, and heavy traffic, it’s actually quicker.
As these kinds of advantages become known to the people living close to the city, and the hustle-bustle life begins to wear on them, they decide that the grass really is greener on the Chatham County side of the fence.