For families considering options for senior living, North Carolina is often at the top of the list — and for good reason.
Whether you prefer laid-back beach towns, mountain hikes, or something in between, North Carolina has something to offer — and that’s what makes it an ideal retirement destination. The Outer Banks region along the state’s eastern coast is a popular tourist spot, featuring lighthouses, beaches, and countless other aquatic activities. It’s also home to Kitty Hawk, the seaside town where the Wright brothers made their historic first airplane flight. Then, on North Carolina’s western edge is where the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains run through the state. Peppered throughout all of North Carolina are small yet vibrant college towns like Asheville and Chapel Hill, along with larger metropolitan areas like Charlotte. Add mild weather and low property taxes to the mix, and it’s clear why the Tar Heel State has one of the fastest-growing populations in the United States.
Currently, A Place for Mom partners with more than 150 independent living communities, sometimes simply called retirement communities, in North Carolina.
The median monthly cost of independent living in North Carolina is about $2,600.
A year and a half ago was a challenging time for my mom. She was torn between continuing to stay in her home or moving to a senior living community. She felt the need for community but didn’t want to loose...
They have been wonderful to work with and I would highly recommend using their facilities. [name removed] went above and beyond during the move from [community removed]to Meadowmont. I couldn’t have done it...
The staff at Brookdale have been so helpful and welcoming to my parents. They are meeting new friends and attending daily events. The experience has been very positive in the month they have been living...
Mother is happy here and staff are very responsive! They are very caring people who have responded to mother's request quickly. They could improve on the food by having more selections and time meals are...
I wish I realized the importance of continuum care. And you just don't know or predict the future. We LOVED providence meadows for independent living. It's bright and open and ALWAYS clean! The meals are...
A year and a half ago was a challenging time for my mom. She was torn between continuing to stay in her home or moving to a senior living community. She felt the need for community but didn’t want to loose...
Waltonwood at Lake Boone is the 4th retirement complex we’ve lived in. Though we don’t consider ourselves to be experts on the subject, we do feel we are very knowledgeable. We’ve learned bigger is not...
What we like the most about Atria Oakridge is their ability to have in-house access to rehab and nurses aides if needed. Yes, we would recommend this community to other families.
We recently moved mom into a one bedroom apartment. We had toured four assisted living facilities and then Arbor Ridge. The room sizes, really nice staff, friendly residence's, the size of the facility, and...
The friendliness and the administrative staff gets a 10! Heritage Woods is welcoming, with caring neighbors and faculty ensure that a new resident settles in and all needs are met, while facilitating and...
Harmony at Reynolds Mountain is very friendly. You feel at home the minute you walk in. Everything looked clean and well-kept. It looked like they had plenty of activities. You find anything you would like...
I think that I would recommend Bella Vista to others. My mom's biggest complaints are about the food and how long they have to sit for the meals, but she does like all of the activities that they have for...
Julian Woods Retirement is an excellent choice. What we like the most about this community is the staff, they are great and caring and they pay attention to details. We would absolutely recommend this...
Independent living communities are not regulated or licensed like senior care facilities in North Carolina. While independent living communities typically offer senior-focused features and amenities and have age restrictions, they are treated as regular rental properties.
Some North Carolina independent living communities may share a campus with other senior living facilities. This may include assisted living or memory care communities which offer a higher level of care and are subject to regulatory oversight and licensing requirements. For information senior living communities that offer care services, you can visit our overviews of assisted living and memory care in North Carolina.
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Stand-alone independent living communities don’t share a campus with other senior living facilities and often closely resemble an apartment building or other multi-family home dwellings. Unlike typical rental properties, independent living facilities are allowed to impose age restrictions which usually require residents to be 55+ or 62+.
In North Carolina, residents of independent living facilities are entitled to certain rights as outlined in the state’s landlord-tenant laws. These rights may include the following:[01]
Many towns and counties in North Carolina have housing codes that offer additional protections for residents of rental properties. Examples of local house codes may require a rental home to have screens on windows, specific types of locks on the doors, and regulations around hot and cold water. For an example of other municipal housing codes, see the city of Charlotte’s Code of Ordinances page.
The federal government and the state of North Carolina protect residents of rental properties against discriminatory practices. Property owners cannot refuse to rent to someone based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or family status.[01]
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
101 Blair Drive
Raleigh, NC 27603
Phone: 888-893-1162
Overview of Independent Living in NC
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The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical, legal or financial advice or create a professional relationship between A Place for Mom and the reader. Always seek the advice of your health care provider, attorney or financial advisor with respect to any particular matter, and do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of anything you have read on this site. Links to third-party websites are only for the convenience of the reader; A Place for Mom does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites.
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