Best Neighborhoods in Raleigh NC

North Ridge

Price point: $300k – $5mil

North Ridge is located in a very convenient North Raleigh location with access to parks, shopping and restaurants. North Ridge is just 20 minutes from downtown Raleigh and 25 minutes to Research Triangle Park. 

The North Ridge Community is made up of a series of neighborhoods with a variety of different housing styles and price points. There are condos, villas, single family homes and estate homes. You’ll see a mix of moderate older homes, elegant custom older homes as well as some new construction and more modern homes.

North Ridge is anchored by the North Ridge Country Club. Each neighborhood in North Ridge has access to different amenities. Some have pools and tennis access. Some have exterior maintenance included. It varies by neighborhood so be sure to check with your agent when making offers. Find homes for sale in North Ridge here. Find homes for sale in North Ridge Estates here. 

• Housing Types: condos, villas, townhomes, single family homes, estate homes.
• House Sizes: Typically range from 1000 SF to 8500 SF sq ft.
• Lot Sizes: Ranging from 0 acres to ½ an acre.
• Amenities: Varies by neighborhood: Pool, tennis, trash pickup, exterior maintenance, etc.
• HOA Fees: Varies.
• Age of Homes: Mostly built from 1970s through 2024.
• Walkability: Very walkable 

Country Club Hills 

Price point: $900k – $3.2mil

Country Club Hills is a scenic Raleigh neighborhood located Inside the Beltline. This neighborhood is a mix of midcentury homes and newer homes. Country Club Hills is known for it’s beautiful architecture, lovely winding streets and abundant trees.

Although many of the older, smaller homes are well built and well maintained, this area is also seeing many older homes being torn down and replaced with larger, more modern homes. Country Club Hills sits along the Crabtree Creek Greenway which provides many miles of walkable trails right in the neighborhood, as well as walking access to the entire city of Raleigh.

North Hills is just minutes away providing access to an incredible number of boutique stores, restaurants, and activities. For its location and prestige it is certainly one of the best neighborhoods in Raleigh, NC. Find homes for sale in Country Club Hills here.

• Housing Types: Single Family Homes 
• House Sizes: Typically range from 2000 to 7000 sq ft.
• Lot Sizes: Ranging from ½ an acre to 1 acre.
• Amenities: City park and greenway within the neighborhood.  
• HOA Fees: NONE
• Age of Homes: Mostly built from 1950 through 2024.
• Walkability: Very walkable

The Hamptons at Umstead  

Price point: $1.1mil – $1.6mil

The Hamptons at Umstead is a lovely community in West Raleigh of homes on nice sized with direct access to Umstead Park, a 6000 acre oasis right in the city! The greenway goes through the community providing walking access to the entire city of Raleigh and many miles of trails throughout Umstead Park. Homes are traditional style and custom built. 

• Housing Types: Single Family Homes 
• House Sizes: Typically range from 2500 to 5000 sq ft.
• Lot Sizes: Ranging from ⅓ to 1/2 acres.
• Amenities: Community pool, exercise room, clubhouse, greenway
• HOA Fees: $110/month
• Age of Homes: Mostly built from 2012 through 2019.
• Walkability: Very walkable on trails. Closest restaurants are about 2 miles.

Brier Creek

Price point: $230k – $1.3mil

Brier Creek is a popular community in northwest Raleigh conveniently located near I-540 and Highway 70. It’s close proximity to shopping, the airport and both Raleigh and Durham makes it very popular.

Although the community is right next to the airport, current air traffic patterns do not cause noise pollution in the community. You can SEE the planes, but you can’t hear them. If regular air travel is part of your lifestyle, Brier Creek should definitely be considered. For the frequent flier, it is one of the best neighborhoods in Raleigh NC.

Brier Creek is also a large outdoor shopping mall. And most homes within this area are walkable to tons of shopping and restaurants in the Brier Creek Shopping Center. There are multiple different neighborhoods within Brier Creek and housing ranges from affordable condos to country club estates. 

• Housing Types: Condo, Townhome, Single Family Home, Estate Home
• House Sizes: Typically range from 1000 to 6000 sq ft.
• Lot Sizes: Ranging from 0 to .5 acres.
• Amenities: Varies by neighborhood. Pool, tennis, some utilities included in some condo/townhome communities.  
• HOA Fees: Varies by community. Commonly $140/month
• Age of Homes: Mostly built from 2000 through 2024.
• Walkability: Very walkable

Bedford 

Price point: $325k – $1.4mil

Bedford is a beautiful master planned community in North Raleigh just minutes from Falls Lake Recreation Area. Known for it’s tree lined streets and sidewalks, the community is designed to encourage community and outdoor activities.

The Neuse River Greenway runs along the side of the neighborhood making Falls Lake accessible for those who enjoy hiking, biking and boating. Bedford has an activities director with planned social activities for all ages. Community amenities include neighborhood playgrounds, resort style pool, pickleball and tennis. If you’re looking for a modern neighborhood with the feel of days gone by, Bedford might fit the bill. It was easy to pick it as one of the best Raleigh NC neighborhoods. Find homes for sale in Bedford.

• Housing Types: Townhomes, Single Family Homes, Estate Homes
• House Sizes: Typically range from 1200 to 6000 sq ft.
• Lot Sizes: Ranging from .05 to .5 acres.
• Amenities: neighborhood playgrounds, resort style pool, pickleball, tennis, greenways, falls lake nearby
• HOA Fees: $82/month for single family, $257 for townhomes
• Age of Homes: Mostly built from 2003 through 2012.
• Walkability: Very walkable

Ethans Glen 

Price point: $1mil – $1.3mil

Ethan’s Glen is an upscale neighborhood in the northern Falls Lake region of Raleigh NC. The community is known for its large wooded lots, executive style homes and community amenities with low HOA fees. Ethan’s Glen is located in close proximity to many outdoor activities. It’s less than 10 minutes to a boating, fishing and hiking at Falls Lake, ziplining at Go Ape Adventure Park. Ethan’s Glen is just 5 minutes to the Mountains to the Sea Trail, connecting hikers across the entire state of North Carolina.

Ethans Glen feels removed from the hustle and bustle in a “vacation-like” spot of Raleigh. A high quality Harris Teeter grocery store is a mile away. Whole Foods, Target, Wegmans and tons of other shopping are all about 15 minutes. The neighborhood does not have sidewalks, which is typical of larger lot communities like this in outlying areas, but many people do walk on the streets as there are few cars given the population density. Find homes for sale in Ethan’s Glen.

• Housing Types: Single Family Estate Style Homes
• House Sizes: Typically range from 3500 to 5000 sq ft.
• Lot Sizes: Ranging from ½ acre to 1.5 acres.
• Amenities: Pool, Clubhouse. Very close to hiking, boating, fishing, biking, ziplines. 
• HOA Fees: $115/month
• Age of Homes: Mostly built from 2001 through 2017 .
• Walkability: Somewhat walkable

Stonehenge

Price point: $450k – $950k

Stonehenge is one of Raleigh NC’s most popular neighborhoods! Located right in the middle of popular North Raleigh, just west of Creedmoor Road, Stonehenge offers the best of everything: A lovely tree-lined community with pretty homes, walkable to shops, restaurants and cafes.

HOA is voluntary and only $20/month for those who choose to join. No amenities are included in the HOA, but the Seven Oaks Swim and Racket Club borders the neighborhood and offers multiple resort style pools, swim team, tennis and pickleball. Find homes for sale in Stonehenge. 

• Housing Types: Townhomes, Single Family Homes 
• House Sizes: Typically range from 1100 to 3200 sq ft.
• Lot Sizes: Ranging from ¼ acre to 1 acre.
• Amenities: Nearby public swim club
• HOA Fees: $20/month, voluntary
• Age of Homes: Mostly built from 1978 through 1994.
• Walkability: Very walkable

Falls River

Price point: $390k – $825k

[use falls lake + falls lake townhomes]

Known for its incredible location tucked just under Falls Lake Dam, Falls River offers an outdoor lifestyle like few others. Walk out your door and hit the Neuse River Greenway which connects you to Falls Lake Recreation Area with 5 sand beaches, and a network of hiking trails as well as connection to the Mountains to the Sea Trail.

Sidewalks throughout the community makes getting to the trailheads easy! Green Hills County Park connects to the neighborhood. Falls River is also close to a variety of wonderful shops, restaurants and cafes, walkable from the community! Find homes for sale in Falls River. 

• Housing Types: Condos, Townhomes, Single Family Homes
• House Sizes: Typically range from 700 to 3200 sq ft.
• Lot Sizes: Ranging from .15 to .25 acres.
• Amenities: Neighborhood greenways, connecting to city parks.
• HOA Fees: $335/year for single family. Additional $200-250 monthly for exterior maintenance and utilities for condos and townhomes. 
• Age of Homes: Mostly built from 1996 through 2003.
• Walkability: Very walkable to Falls Lake, parks, restaurants, shops and cafes.

Dutchman Downs 

Price point: $600k – $1.2 mil

Located outside the city limits of Southwest Raleigh and just on the border of Cary, Dutchman Downs is like living in the country, but in the city. Dutchman Downs is known for older custom homes on large densely wooded lots. The community has no city taxes.  Being outside the city limits, Dutchman Downs isn’t serviced by sidewalks and isn’t very walkable, but it’s location right in between Cary, Apex and Holly Springs makes it very convenient to everything those towns have to offer.

The community is less than a mile to Crowder County Park and to Kraft Family YMCA which offers swimming and a large selection of sports, clubs and fitness classes. It’s 10 minutes to both Waverly Place Shopping Center (Whole Foods) and 10 minutes to the new Costco in Garner/Fuquay.  For those wanting a relaxed suburban lifestyle close to the towns of western Wake County Dutchman Downs ranks as one of the best neighborhoods in Raleigh NC.

• Housing Types: Single Family Homes 
• House Sizes: Typically range from 1700 to 5000 sq ft.
• Lot Sizes: Ranging from .75 to 3 acres.
• Amenities: Street lights
• HOA Fees: $90/year
• Age of Homes: Mostly built from 1960 through 1995.
• Walkability: Not walkable

Hidden Valley  

Price point: $500k – $780k

Hidden Valley is a popular mid-century neighborhood in North Raleigh. Known for it’s sprawling lawns, curvy streets and well built homes, this neighborhood often has opportunities for quality “fixer upper” properties with really good bones.

While the community itself doesn’t have an HOA or neighborhood amenities, it is located just a mile from Shelly Lake Park and the Sertoma Arts Center, which offers dozens of classes, performing arts programs, as well as memberships to their popular jewelry making studio, painting studio and pottery studio. There is also a beautiful 2 mile walking trail around Shelly Lake. Find homes for sale in Hidden Valley. 

• Housing Types: Single Family Homes
• House Sizes: Typically range from 1100 to 3900 sq ft.
• Lot Sizes: Ranging from .4 to .75 acres.
• Amenities: None
• HOA Fees: None
• Age of Homes: Mostly built from 1959 through 2006.
• Walkability: Walkable. Sidewalks in neighborhood and trails nearby.