Small Towns near Raleigh, NC: Tired of the Rat Race?

These small towns near Raleigh, NC can get you out of the rat race, without taking you too far away from the shopping, dining, and recreation amenities we all love.

We’re going to look at 7 small towns near Raleigh, and all of them are on the northeast side of Raleigh. We’ll update this post with more small towns near Raleigh in the future, but right now we’re visiting Franklinton, Youngsville, and Zebulon.

I tried to focus on towns with different price points, and all of these towns had a lot more properties than the surrounding areas with at least an acre of land.

But there are also some really cool housing options that don’t involve land, but will give you that small town vibe as well. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I want to spend half my time on a farm milking cows and the other half in some urban loft in a downtown of a tiny little town like these.

The first one we’re going to is Franklinton.

Franklinton is home to about 2,500 people. You could probably meet everyone in the town if you set your mind to it.

The really cool thing about this town is you can get to the Whole Foods in Raleigh in about 30 minutes and the Wegmans in Wake Forest in about 15.

If you’re from New York, you know what Wegmans is, but for the rest of us, it’s an upscale grocery store in New York with lots of fans. I’ve been there and they really do have pretty good product selection… they have a whole aisle of gluten free stuff. 

Small Towns Near Raleigh, NC: Franklinton 

If you’re looking for small towns near Raleigh, NC, where you can get the best of both worlds, Franklinton is a really cool tiny town that might fit the bill.

24% of homes currently on the market have more than an acre of land. So lots of wide open spaces.

Downtown Franklinton

Plus the town is just really friendly with a lot of social activity happening for a small town. So if you want to come out of your hidey-hole on occasion, and listen to some music with friends, there are places to do that. There is this really cool micro park downtown where they have concerts and events.

This thing is tiny… I guess it doesn’t have to be that big when your town is less than 3000 people. Look at this picture….everybody can’t even fit in the park… they’re just hangin’ out on the sidewalk. 

Then we’ve got the Owls Roost Brewery…. With live music. This crowd looks like a boomer crowd to me. Seriously this looks like so much fun.

I bet you could make friends really quickly in this town. People think there isn’t nightlife in small towns, but in the right small town, there is. 

Of course, you have to have at least one boutique in a quaint downtown. Check out The Grey Brand and see it it matches your style.

There’s surprisingly lots of nightlife in Franklinton. There is a tavern, a speakeasy, a cigar bar and lounge, a wine bar. With a wine vending machine, which is totally new to me. 

Homes in Franklinton

The median home price for a home with at least an acre in Franklinton is $420,000. If you don’t need an acre, it’s only $409k and there are some townhomes going up in the 200’s if you’re looking for more affordable options. Or if you want an acre with a pool lot and a pond view, you can get something like this for only $787,000.

Small Towns Near Raleigh, NC: Youngsville

Next stop is Youngsville, which is just a bit south from Franklinton.

It’s actually about  6 miles south of Franklinton, which means it’s that much closer to all your shopping in Raleigh.

Now, once upon a time, the small towns near Raleigh NC were towns like Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, and Wake Forest. But they’ve all grown up now. They still might have that small-town vibe, but let’s not fool ourselves. They aren’t small towns anymore.

Youngsville is still a small town, but it will likely grow up a little faster than Franklinton just because it is closer in.

About 19% of homes here had an acre or bigger lot. Maybe this doesn’t sound like a lot but this is compared to 3% of homes in Cary or none in Fuquay Varina. 

Youngsville’s population is about 2,100.

Youngsville Town Life

Youngsville is a little lighter on the booze and heavier on the coffee and ice cream. Actually that’s not true they have some of both. And the live music is a thing here as well at the Burnt Barrel.

In a good small town you’ll see these spaces for social events. If there is no clear place where the locals gather, I’m usually going to pass. If a town is dead, like nobody lives there, it’s probably not a good place to live. So I look for this mix of everyone knows each other type of social activity with some good beautiful views like these. 

Youngsville has some really cool spots downtown. There’s some variety in both restaurants and watering holes. You’ve got North Cross Street Station for locally sourced seafood, Yacht Club Beverage, and Homeslice tavern are popular spots for drinks. 

Now, downtown Youngsville is only about 5 minutes from downtown Wake Forest. In Wake Forest you’ve got your big box stores, Target, TJ Maxx, Home Depot…which is right across the street from Tracie’s Boots and Buckles if you happen to need any boots or buckles. Which you might, depending on how much land you’re getting.  I think that’s Tracie in that picture.  

Homes in Youngsville

Homes in these small towns near Raleigh, NC can be pricey. You aren’t the only one that wants to live outside the rat race!

Prices are higher in Youngsville because it’s right next to Wake Forest. The median home price for properties with over an acre is $675,000. For homes in general it’s $475,000 so you’re going to pay for that land.

In the $600’s, you might get a new construction home on an acre + lot.

But if you want to go cheaper, I found this really pretty home on 2 acres. For $559,000. It’s a little older, built in 2003. It’s had some updates and it’s really light and bright with lots of windows.

If you’re looking for something a little more estate like, there’s this gorgeous home with lake views in Hidden Lake for 1.8 million.  Or if you’re looking for more of a farm type property, this home sits on 7 acres with a pond. 

Small Towns Near Raleigh, NC: Zebulon 

Okay let’s head over to our final town, Zebulon.

This is in eastern Wake County. In fact, it’s the easternmost town in Wake County. It’s just on the other side of Wendell.

This small town in Raleigh NC has seen a lot of new construction homes lately, and new shops in the downtown seem to appear every time we visit.

Norse Brewing and the Fall Line are your hangout spots in downtown. There’s a really good coffee shop and several cute little stores downtown as well. Of course, there’s a boutique – Pinafore.

In Zebulon, you’re about the same distance to Whole Foods and other shopping in Raleigh as the other towns…about 30 minutes. But your closest shopping is going to be in Knightdale instead of Wake Forest.

Knightdale is about 20 minutes away and has most of your big box stores like Target, Michaels, Kirklands, Ross. All those stores that you usually see together are right there.

About 14% of homes on the market right now have an acre or more. And the median price for these homes is 469,000. Here is a home on 2.6 acres for 529,000 in the Pilots Ridge subdivision. 

Roxboro North Carolina

Roxboro is about an hour north of Raleigh, and 35 minutes north of Durham and Hillsborough. One of the coolest spots in town is the Kirby Cultural Arts Complex. IIt used to be a movie theatre but they have repurposed it into an arts complex where they have live performances by Roxboro Little Theatre, art exhibits, and you can even take arts classes there through Piedmont Community College. It still has a grand historic theater feel to it. 

Black Creek Brewery is another popular spot uptown. It was started by rocket scientist and engineer brothers who had a knack for brewing beer. They host food trucks on the weekends and they have really cozy sofas, a fireplace and game tables. It’s definitely the community hang out spot. For something sweet, For such a small town, only 8000 people, it’s was surprising to find a decent variety of food options. I saw cajun food, a local cafe that serves hot dogs and beef stew (Savannah Jacks), a butchers market and deli, plus boutiques, a coffee shop and a bakery. 

Small Towns Near Raleigh, NC: Clayton

If you’re looking for small towns near Raleigh on the southeast side, Clayton is one worth putting on your list.

It’s about 25 minutes from downtown Raleigh — close enough to commute, far enough to actually breathe.

Downtown Clayton has been quietly building up a really solid food and drink scene. Waterfall Brewing is a popular spot, and the Clayton Center for the Arts does live performances, which honestly surprised me for a town this size. There are some good locally owned restaurants and boutiques along Main Street that give it that “actual town” feel.

About 18% of homes in Clayton have an acre or more. The median home price overall is around $370,000, which makes it one of the more affordable options on this list — and there’s a lot of new construction if that’s your thing.

If you want land without blowing your budget, Clayton deserves a serious look.

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Small Towns Near Raleigh, NC: Wendell

Wendell is about 20 minutes east of Raleigh, and it’s in an interesting moment right now. It still has that small-town feel, but you’re close enough to Knightdale’s shopping corridor that you’re not roughing it.

Wendell Falls is a newer master-planned community nearby with its own little town center, coffee shop, and trails — it’s become a social hub even for people who didn’t buy there, which tells you something about what’s missing in a lot of newer developments.

Prices still reflect the fact that Wendell hasn’t fully blown up yet — median home prices are in the low-to-mid $300s, and you can still find larger lots at a price point that would be impossible closer in.

This one feels like a get-in-early situation.

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Small Towns Near Raleigh, NC: Lillington

Okay, Lillington is farther out — about 45 minutes southwest of Raleigh. So this one is for people who are serious about slowing down, not just thinking about it.

It’s the county seat of Harnett County, so it has a little more to it than some of the smaller towns on this list. The Cape Fear River runs right through here, and Raven Rock State Park is close by — so if kayaking, fishing, and hiking are your thing, you’re in the right place.

The trade-off for the drive is real affordability. Median home prices are well under $300,000, and the amount of land you can get here at that price point doesn’t exist anywhere closer to Raleigh. If acreage is the goal, Lillington is where the math actually works.

Campbell University is about 10 minutes away in Buies Creek, which adds some life and infrastructure to the area that you wouldn’t necessarily expect.

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Small Towns Near Raleigh, NC: Angier

Angier is one of those towns people drive through without stopping, and I think that’s a mistake.

It’s about 35 minutes southwest of Raleigh, just south of Fuquay-Varina. The downtown has been getting some real investment and it shows — there’s a growing local food scene, a Saturday farmers market, and a community pride thing that you can actually feel when you spend time there.

The Angier Christmas Tree Festival is one of those events that sounds like a small-town cliché until you’re standing there with a few thousand people who all seem to know each other. That’s exactly the vibe you’re looking for if you’re reading this post.

Median home prices are in the mid-to-upper $300s, and you’re in Harnett County, which means lower property taxes than Wake County. If you want the Fuquay-Varina lifestyle without the Fuquay-Varina price tag, Angier is your answer.