12 Most Hospitable Retirement Towns In North Carolina
North Carolina stands out as a Southern state due to its geographic location and its coastal beaches to the east; however, the western part of the state is equally remarkable for its proximity to the Smoky Mountains. From the foothills to the sandhills, North Carolina offers ideal small towns suited for retirees, whether the goal is to spend most days relaxing on the beach or staying active by hiking and biking in the mountains. Twelve retirement towns in North Carolina stand out as the most hospitable, offering walkable access to top destinations, friendly communities, and a slower pace of life.
Mountain towns like Highlands and Hendersonville offer four seasons that northerners might miss. In contrast, coastal cities like Pinehurst and New Bern offer year-round warm temps, abundant golf courses, and equestrian communities. Whether retirement looks like weekend festivals and porch-sits with neighbors, or farmers markets and watersports, one of the following destinations is bound to match.
Hendersonville
Hendersonville is a small town about 20 minutes south of Asheville. It’s surrounded by the peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains, features a walkable historic downtown with classic storefronts like Mast General Store, and is just minutes away from hiking, biking, and water sports on the French Broad River.
Downtown features independently owned antique, book, and boutique clothing shops, as well as restaurants to please any palate, from sushi at Umi to Indian cuisine, brick-oven-baked pizzas, and even high-end dining options. Find several performance theatres downtown, as well as a children’s museum, a pinball museum, and even a gemstone museum. Play minigolf, attend the weekly farmers market in the summer and fall, and look out for bears - painted ones and some real ones. Festivals are big here, too, including the annual Apple Festival and Christmas parade. Plus, Park Ridge and Advent hospitals are both located within the town.
Brevard
The majority of the 500,000-acre Pisgah National Forest lies within Brevard, making it an ideal scenic destination for hikers, mountain bikers, and waterfall enthusiasts. One of the easiest to reach is Looking Glass Falls, a 60-foot waterfall with an observation deck and stairs to its base. Walk behind Moore Cove Falls, a 50-foot fall with an easy 1.4-mile hike, round-trip.
Brevard’s downtown shops, top restaurants, locally brewed beer, and foot traffic are bustling during the annual White Squirrel Weekend. The festival weekend celebrates the quirky animal found only in this part of Western North Carolina, featuring live national touring bands, activities for kids, and, of course, a visit from Sammy the Squirrel. In addition to festivals and outdoor recreation, the city is also home to Brevard College, which is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the "Best Colleges in the South."
Highlands
With an official elevation of 4,118 feet and the distinction of being one of the highest incorporated towns east of the Mississippi River, Highlands is in the mountains of Western North Carolina, but is best known for its golf communities and historic inns.
The town’s approximately 1,000 year-round residents explore a downtown filled with boutique shops for clothing and outdoor gear, as well as historic structures, such as Old Edwards Inn. Several of downtown’s restaurants, including Wolfgang's Restaurant & Wine Bistro and Ristorante Paoletti, have won national awards, and numerous buildings, such as Highlands Inn, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Like Brevard, Highlands is located within a national forest, the Nantahala. Weekend excursions include hiking to Bridal Veil Falls and Dry Falls, which stands 65 feet high and offers a paved walking path behind it.
Blowing Rock
The Blowing Rock is a rock that hangs over a granite cliff over the Johns River Gorge. The rock got its name from the winds that blow upward from the gorge. Blowing Rock is one of the towns that gets occasional snow in the winter, so it’s close to skiing, as well as an old-fashioned railroad, and plenty of mountain hiking.
The Tweetsie Railroad is the site of North Carolina’s first theme park, and offers a three-mile trip on a historic steam locomotive. The train features themed rides during holidays. For hiking fans, the trails at Moses Cone are relatively easy, and the area's abundance of lakes and rivers makes kayaking, canoeing, and rafting popular summer activities.
Pinehurst
Pinehurst and its surrounding towns in the Sandhills are known as the “Home of American Golf” for its abundance of golf courses, including Pinehurst No. 2, which has hosted the U.S. Open. GoBankingRates named it America’s safest and wealthiest retirement town. With 40 golf courses within a 15-mile radius, it’s easy to see why so many retirees aspire to spend their golden years here. Not a fan of 18 holes? The Village of Pinehurst Disc Golf Course offers 10 challenging holes.
Pinehurst Harness Track has been home to 10 champion standardbred horses over its hundred years. To get a nature fix off the track or the green, venture to the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens on the campus of Sandhills Community College. The gardens feature a variety of plants, including a fruit and vegetable garden, succulents, a holly garden, a rose garden, a Japanese garden, and a wetland trail garden that serves as a bird sanctuary and nature conservancy, complete with a boardwalk.
Davidson
The college town of Davidson offers a delightful downtown and proximity to Charlotte and Lake Norman. To stay active, the Randall R. Kincaid Trail is a great spot for walking, biking, or gentle strolling to observe the trees and wildlife. Speaking of strolling, take time to enjoy downtown's restaurants and shops, including Main Street Books, an independent bookstore that has been open since 1987. The shop offers a wide selection of new fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, and more on Main Street.
The Davidson Farmers Market provides local farmers a venue to sell their produce, as well as grass-fed beef, free-range chicken eggs, North Carolina seafood, and more. Its primary open months are spring through fall, but winter tailgate and holiday markets take place afterward. Any time spent in the town calls for a tour of Davidson College, especially if a trip down the aisle is in one’s retirement future. According to campus lore, couples who kiss at the Old Well are destined for marriage.
Beaufort
Beaufort is a historic seaside town filled with interesting things to see and do. The legendary pirate Blackbeard ran his Queen Anne’s Revenge ship aground in Beaufort Inlet in 1718, but it wasn’t discovered here until 1996. It is now a protected underwater archaeological site on the National Register of Historic Places. The ship is not alone; several homes from that period of time are also on the register and are viewable in The Beaufort Historic District.
Beaufort’s position on the water makes for a prime location for coastal research. Don’t miss the well over 200 species of birds at Rachel Carson Reserve, and be sure to keep an eye out for dolphins swimming in the water. For a taste of the sea, reserve a table at City Kitchen, a waterfront restaurant with local seafood and a blend of American and global cuisine.
Bath
Speaking of Blackbeard, the tiny town of Bath, North Carolina, is believed to be his last known home, as it was the location where the governor pardoned him. According to legend, Blackbeard lived in a home on Plum's Point, visible across the bay from what is now known as the historic Bonner House. A room at the Bath State Historic Site is dedicated to Blackbeard and his men.
The Historic Bath Walking Tour includes destinations such as Palmer-Marsh House, estimated to have been built sometime between 1744 and 1751 for a colonial officer. Believed to be one of the oldest residences in North Carolina, it was deemed a National Historic Landmark. St. Thomas Episcopal Church, built in 1734, is believed to be the oldest church building in the state, and the parish was the first to house a public library.
Boone
Named for explorer and pioneer Daniel Boone, this town in the Blue Ridge Mountains is an adventure-lover’s paradise. Grandfather Mountain is one of the tallest mountains in the Blue Ridge mountain range and the home of America’s highest suspension footbridge, which spans 228 feet at an altitude of 5,305 feet. The hovering bridge offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains above and below, and is wheelchair accessible.
For retirees who prefer a more laid-back atmosphere, Appalachian State University is an ideal campus to explore for its diverse cultural programming. Hickory Ridge Museum educators and tour guides lead visitors on an immersive experience through historic cabins that help tell the history of mountain settlers in the late 18th century.
New Bern
The first capital of North Carolina is home to historically significant buildings, including Tryon Palace, originally constructed as the governor's residence in the late 18th century. When the original palace was destroyed in a fire, residents rallied to raise enough money to reconstruct it and open it to the public. Its grounds and gardens are open for self-guided tours. The grounds are also home to the North Carolina Museum of History.
Get outside at the Croatan National Forest, a destination for boating, fishing, hunting, and camping along the shores of the Great and Catfish lakes inside the park. Several hiking trails weave through the forest, as well as a beach and picnic area along the bank of the Neuse River. Several golf courses dot the city, including Harbour Pointe Golf Club, a resort-style 18-hole par-72, 6,577-yard championship course. New Bern even has pickleball courts in the majority of its city parks.
Morehead City
The Crystal Coast town of Morehead City is warm year-round, situated on the water, and offers an aquatic lifestyle, featuring activities such as fishing, sailing, and boating, as well as relaxing on the beach and enjoying the fresh sea air. Every October, the city comes alive for the North Carolina Seafood Festival with its three days of seafood, concerts, craft vendors, and a boat show. Morehead City is also home to the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in the summer, one of the oldest sport fishing competitions in the country. It goes without saying that there are numerous seafood restaurants with fresh offerings and outdoor dining throughout the city.
Head downtown to check out independent art galleries like the Carolina Artists Gallery or BluSail Golitz Gallery. The Arts Council of Carteret County supports all artists in the community, whether visual or performing, and supports performances at the Carteret Community Theatre.
Southport
Southport is another coastal city with a rich history and scenic beauty. Coastal Living named it “America’s Happiest Seaside Town” for good reason. Since pirates and seafarers first arrived in the town in the 16th century, it has consistently been a top destination due to its strategic location on the waters of the Cape Fear River, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Atlantic Ocean. History buffs will delight in visiting Fort Johnston, the state's first fort, constructed in 1749. The Southport Museum traces the town's roots back to its founding in 1792, and the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport walks visitors through the city's importance to the state and the country's history.
Television and movie fans will get a kick out of seeing the filming locations for more than 40 productions that have taken place in Southport, including “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and the horror movie I Know What You Did Last Summer. With so much open water available, fishing is a key activity. Dutchman Creek Park features 30 acres of land, including a fishing pier and playground, and boat parking is available for all vessel sizes at the 82-slip Deep Point Marina, located along the Cape Fear River.
From mountain hamlets surrounded by stunning views to historic golf communities shaped by hundreds of years of history, North Carolina’s most hospitable retirement towns offer something for every lifestyle. These twelve towns blend natural beauty, rich culture, and genuine Southern warmth, with quiet walks on hiking trails, shopping and dining in historic downtowns, and spending time watching the tides roll in on the waterfront. With multiple opportunities for making community connections and ways to stay active or unwind, each destination offers its own version of the good retirement life.
