Reddit reviews Best Hikes with Dogs North Carolina

For tech companies, look at RTP (Research Triangle Park). The Triangle Area includes Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh (and the smaller places around this area are Cary, Morrisville, and Apex). If you want tech jobs, look in this area.

The entire state is good for hiking! The Triangle isn't far from Greensboro (about an hour) and you have access to a lot more food/breweries/culture. Cost of living is going to be a lot better than NJ anywhere you pick, but I'd say CH is the more expensive, and Wake County (Raleigh) and Durham (City and county share the name) are about even right now. If you want small town feel, look into Hillsborough or Chatham County. All of these would still allow you easy access to the jobs in the area. There are tons of farmers markets in this area, and honestly more and more popping up all over (is that what you mean by produce?)

Hiking is awesome all over the state, especially with pets, check this out:
http://www.amazon.com/Best-Hikes-With-Dogs-Carolina/dp/1594850550

Why should you move to NC?
If you live in the Piedmont region (central/middle area of the state) you can easily get to the mountains or the coast in about 3 hours (5-6 tops for the edges). You're a day trip away from a different world. We have a great zoo and very good, free museums. Durham was voted tastiest town in the south and we have good breweries (our mountains also have good noes, plus vineyards, though not on par with your area, still good).

Why not? Depending on where you fall politically, but we're having growing pains. If you're conservative, you would see us moving the right way. if you're liberal, you would see us falling back. Triangle Area is more liberal, Triad area is more conservative (That's where Greensboro is). But to me that's not a good reason to not live here - politicians change, our landscape does not. Our mountains are a billion years old, and the outer banks are unique to our country. NC has always been my home and while it has it's problems, it's a good place to live.

Avoid - Don't move to Fayetteville. It's military and has a higher crime rate right now. It's called Fayettenam here. Visit areas you want to live in and see what they are like at different times of the day. Durham is growing so much and it's not the same place it used to be. But being near I-40 and I-85 causes cities in our state to have slighter higher drug and gang related activity. Not on par with NY areas, but there are good and bad parts of town. Most of Durham is good and changing. Kids have more outlets in the community, crime is down significantly, and there's a huge push to revitalize downtown (all the old factories are now places people can go for bars, shops, and restaurants). I'm a fan of this area personally, but there are a TON of good places to live in the state. If you want more info on the Triangle or Triad specifically, feel free to PM me.