5/13/2009

Greenville, North Carolina

It is easy to understand why some consider Greenville, North Carolina (population 76,000) a great place to retire, and many residents speak highly of its quiet ambiance and steady growth.   It has been named one of the "100 Best Communities for Young People” by America’s Promise Alliance, and Forbes Magazine has named it one of the "Best Places For Business and Careers." It is situated among pretty bays, rivers and sounds in eastern North Carolina, and it has a cost-of-living roughly 12% below the national average.   The median home price is $140,000, also well below the national average.    Eastern Carolina University (population 26,000) sponsors activities, most notably sporting events and theater and musical presentations.   The University's Brody School of Medicine operates the Pitt County Memorial Hospital, a teaching hospital with a reputation as one of the leading medical centers in the state.  As a result, health care facilities are quite good.    The city is racially diverse, and of the population, 15% is age 45 to 64, and 9% is age 65 or better.  The ocean is just 90 minutes away.

All of that is very good, but on the downside, Greenville has a very high crime rate, nearly 70% above the national average.  This applies to violent crime as well as property crime.   A youth curfew has been imposed to help combat the increase in juvenile crime, which has been increasing at an alarming rate, but it seems to have had little effect so far.  Gang activity and drug use are also on the rise.  Despite all of the good things that Greenville has going for it, safety concerns keep us from recommending it as a retirement spot.

No   High crime rate