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Greensboro, NC

Population: 282,177 livability score shield

Key findings

  • Greensboro has a Livability Score of 66/100, which is considered below average
  • Greensboro crime rates are 71% higher than the North Carolina average
  • Cost of living in Greensboro is 4% lower than the North Carolina average
  • Greensboro real estate prices are 5% lower than the North Carolina average
  • Rental prices in Greensboro are 4% lower than the North Carolina average

Best Places to Live in and Around Greensboro

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Compare Greensboro, NC Livability

      vs

      What do the locals think about Greensboro?

      66%Family friendly 56%Public transit is accessible 47%Walkable to grocery stores 44%Yards are well-kept 69%Lots of parks 50%Walkable to restaurants 56%Friendly neighbors 44%Safe at night 69%Pet friendly 72%Streets have sidewalks 28%A quiet area 50%Sense of community
      Based on 32 votes from AreaVibes users. See all Greensboro poll results.

      Greensboro Real estate & Rental prices

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      Greensboro Demographics

      Population282,177 Median Age34.7 Have Kids (under 18)47%
      See more Greensboro demographic data

      Greensboro, NC

      Although a smaller town than those in the surrounding area, Greensboro is still full of excitement and adventure as well as numerous businesses that allow residents to comfortably make their home in this part of NC. With a suburban feeling, residents can easily walk on the sidewalks in the downtown area, bike along trails in quiet neighborhoods, or take a drive on one of the busy highways. Many of the residents in Greensboro own their homes, but there are several apartment complexes and private rentals available if you aren't sure about permanently moving to the city.

      It's common to see people out and about in the city as the weather tends to be quite comfortable throughout the year with warm temperatures in the summer and a mild winter compared to surrounding states. Storm systems that do pass through can sometimes drop several inches fo snow if the timing is right.

      Center City Park is a popular attraction in the city where residents and guests enjoy the outdoors whether it's playing a friendly game of football, using the playground equipment, or listening to live music during one of the festivals that are held in the city. Movies are shown in the park when the weather is warm so that families can sit on a blanket and enjoy the company of each other and that of their neighbors. The Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden is another area where people gather for walks on the trails or enjoy the large lake in the center of the garden.

      Several tournaments are held in Greensboro throughout the year, giving the city the name of Tournament Town. The ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament are two basketball events that draw hundreds of people from several states. Figure Skating Championships have also been held in the city. The Greensboro Grasshoppers call the city home so that residents and visitors can enjoy a striking game of baseball.

      If you enjoy shopping, then take a stroll through downtown on South Elm Street. There are small shops that are owned by families who live in the city as well as a few larger shops that are a bit more well-known to other areas of the state. Art galleries and antique shops make up a large percentage of the stores that you'll see as well as cafes with outdoor seating.

      There are a few moments that stand out in Greensboro's history. Four black residents were shopping in a department store in 1960 and refused to leave after being asked. This started a protest that soon led to stores desegregating, allowing people of any race to join together and shop whenever they desire.

      Top Rated Schools in Greensboro

      Name Grades Students Proficiency
      Early College At Guilford9 - 1219792%
      Stem Early College @ Nc A&T Su9 - 1218792%
      Philip J Weaver Ed Center9 - 1230785%
      Greensboro AcademyKG - 875681%
      Middle College At Gtcc-Greensboro9 - 1313178%
      Uncg Early/Middle College9 - 1220575%
      Northwest Guilford High9 - 122,09973%
      Northern Guilford Elementary SchoolKG - 563172%
      See all Greensboro schools

      The best places in North Carolina

      Here are the best places to live in North Carolina10 Best cities in North Carolina for employmentSee the best places to live in & around GreensboroCheck out the 10 safest cities in North Carolina

      Greensboro Reviews

      Write a review about Greensboro Tell people what you like or don't like about Greensboro…
      Greensboro. Don't. Move. There!
      Attractions6/10
      Community5/10
      Nightlife4/10
      Dining6/10
      Shopping6/10
      I lived here for the first 30 years of my life and I'm so glad to be out of there. Yeah there is alot of good neighboring towns, but Greensboro itself is horrible. The amount of crime alone should be enough to leave. There are alot of options as far as shopping and entertainment. But at your own risk once the sun goes down. I'm glad to have gotten out, beach towns are much safer and still have a ton of the same amenities.

      I have been robbed at gunpoint, car stolen another time, and had to fight someone to protect my wife in greensboro. So yeah not my idea of a "safe place".
      • Anonymous (Former resident)
      • Mar 11, 2020
      8 -5
      I Love Greensboro
      Attractions10/10
      Community10/10
      Nightlife10/10
      Dining10/10
      Shopping10/10
      I loved living in Greensboro, and cannot believe this wonderful city ranked so low.? Compared to other places in the states, the crime rate is really low. No serial killers, rapist, murders, heavy drugs to speak of here. Housing prices are low and if need be you can go to smaller neighboring towns, for even cheaper housing, with about 20-45 minute drive to Greensboro, Winston Salem and other larger cities. Up town Greensboro has been renovated with great restaurants, antique shops, Lebauer Park, Outsoor Ice Skating Rink, Museums, Natural Science Center, Coffee Shops and more. The outskirts of Greensboro you will find Wet’n’Wild Water Park, Golf Courses and National Tournaments, Piedmont Drag Strip, Ball Parks, City Lakes(fishing, swimming, boating), Geeat Restaurants from Southern Comfort Foods To Italian Cuisines, Several Colleges, City Stage, Theatre, Ballet, Street Festivals, Reinassiance. so much to do. Schools are good, not sure about test scores.. however a schools ratings shouldn’t be based on great test scores anyway. Suburbs are great, Forest Oaks, Oak Ridge, Summerfield, Starmount, Southern Guilford. Lots of nightlife if you looking. Weather is mild and good compared to other places in the states. Greensboro should be ranked as one of the top 10 cities to live. I now live In a small town 15 minitesvsouth of Greensboro that is even better.
      • tawaciwi
      • Oct 11, 2017
      2 -5
      Stunning life in NC
      Attractions8/10
      Community8/10
      Nightlife7/10
      Dining7/10
      Shopping8/10
      i was surprised that the crime was put at an F! i love it in Greensboro i live in http://www.drhorton.com/North-Carolina/Greensboro-Winston-Salem/Whitsett.aspx and it's been amazing. i have a great community around us and the crime hasn't been that bad around us. we love it here and it really is gorgeous.
      • HerbertB
      • Nov 08, 2016
      0 -3
      The Vibrant Colors of Greensboro, North Carolina
      Attractions9/10
      Community8/10
      Nightlife7/10
      Dining7/10
      Shopping8/10
      If you love flowering dogwood trees in the spring and colorful foliage in the fall, Greensboro is the ideal place to live. The beautiful landscape, particularly on the outskirts of town, is definitely the region's most appealing characteristic. I lived in this mid-sized city briefly while my daughter attended graduate school at UNCG. It is a college town with several postsecondary schools to draw students from far away. The local government is currently working to revitalize the downtown section; residents already enjoy a variety of restaurants and nightclubs in the area. A nice little selection of specialty shops and antique stores give Greensboro a quaint, charming atmosphere.

      Both Charlotte and Raleigh are within a couple of hours driving distance, but I rarely needed to travel outside the Piedmont Triad sphere which includes Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem. It is a perfect mixture of urban convenience and small town serenity. During our stay, my daughter was asked to be a bridesmaid in a close friend's wedding. Although the bride lived in a neighboring town, she chose to hold her wedding in Greensboro where the venues were near the university she attended. The town proved to be the optimal location, offering professional services while maintaining its down-home semblance. The airport just west of the hub, along with the hotels that provide transportation by shuttle, made travel plans easy for out-of-town guests and participants. The ceremony was held at the Canterbury School in a lovely brick, cathedral-style chapel situated on a large plot with plenty of background scenery for photographs. Afterwards, we celebrated in the events center at Revolution Mill Studios, a turn-of-the-century textile plant that is currently under renovation. The beautifully restored reception space is an enchanting assimilation of brick, wood, and wrought iron.

      The city of Greensboro hosts cultural festivals and features many museums. The area is quite community-oriented. In the summer months, you can visit the coast about 200 miles to the east or escape the heat and humidity by taking a two-hour trip west to the mountains. I liked driving along the nearby winding, hilly roads. The cold months are not unbearable; my favorite pastime was renting one of the mountain farmhouses and sitting with my family by the fire pit listening to the coyotes yipping.
      • Anonymous
      • Jan 13, 2015
      2 -2
      A nearly perfect city!!
      Attractions7/10
      Community10/10
      Nightlife6/10
      Dining6/10
      Shopping10/10
      Greensboro will really surprise you! I recently relocated here from Raleigh and to my surprise Greensboro has more to do and a lot more options that the larger Raleigh-Durham metro. Greensboro is highly under-rated compared to it's neighboring cities in North Carolina, which makes Greensboro a true hidden gem for those who enjoy life with just the right amount of hustle and bustle. Only a small section of the city has crime issues (and you'll immediately pick up on the fact that it's not the safest part of town), but the rest of the city is safe, peaceful, with plenty of green ways. It's a perfect city for the outdoors enthusiasts and every corner of the city has convenient places to shop, eat, or lounge. People are really friendly and always willing to assist you, which is rare in most places these days. The city does lack a vibrant nightlife. The options for mature singles or even couples are slim, after hours. The best thing about the location of Greensboro is that it's centrally located between Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, and Asheville. The options are endless, the cost of living is low, and the peace of mind makes this city one of the best cities I've lived in by far.
      • chrism885
      • Jul 25, 2014
      3 -3
      I love Greensboro, NC
      Attractions9/10
      Community10/10
      Nightlife10/10
      Dining10/10
      Shopping9/10
      I currently live in Greensboro, and I really enjoy the city. There are many attractions in the city, such as the National Science Center of Greensboro and The Bog Garden. From time to time I like to head over to Wet N Wild Emerald Pointe, which is a great amusement park. There's also tons of restaurants to eat at. The best restaurants, bars and night clubs are located in downtown Greensboro, mainly the South Elm Street area. The night light is very laid back too. I love going to the South side when I want to go shopping. There are many unique and inexpensive shops in the area.

      The part of the city I live in, College Hill, is very laid back but very close to the center of the city. The community is very relaxed and everybody knows everybody where I live. Downtown Greensboro is a bit more fast paced and a lot of people are usually out and about. However, the center of the city is more than safe and I never feel unsafe when I am in downtown. I do recommend not going into the east side area of the city, as there seems to be a fair bit of crime there, but other than that most areas are very safe.

      Getting around all areas of the city is easy for me. There's never a huge abundance of traffic. I lived in LA before moving to Greensboro and I prefer Greensboro's traffic to Los Angele's traffic. If anybody wants to move to Greensboro, then I recommend looking for an apartment to rent in the N.Battleground Avenure corridor area, as rent is cheap there and close to everything. The Adams Farm road area is also a good area to live in and is close to the GTCC Campus.
      • Anonymous
      • Dec 21, 2011
      1 -1
      Greensboro - "Greens-boring" No Longer
      Attractions8/10
      Community8/10
      Nightlife7/10
      Dining7/10
      Shopping8/10
      When I first moved to this mid-sized city nestled in the foothills of North Carolina, I was amused to hear it called "Greens-boring". Over the last ten years though, Greensboro has experienced a revival of the downtown area. Greensboro restaurants, attractions, stores and nightclubs have sprung up, so that now they don't roll the sidewalks up at 5:00. Because Greensboro is small compared to New York or Washington, it's easy to get around in, and it doesn't take very long to get anywhere in the city.

      Many great attractions were already here, such as the Children's Museum, Emerald Pointe Water Park, the Natural Science Center, Tannenbaum Park and the Battle of Guilford Courthouse Park. Every March there is a re-enactment of this important Revolutionary War Battle, attended by thousands of local residents of Greensboro and travelers alike.

      Triad Stage is an award-winning theatre in downtown Greensboro, and we also have other theatres, a ballet company, and a symphony orchestra. There are six colleges in Greensboro, which encourages the arts and cultural scene to flourish.
      • Anonymous
      • May 03, 2010
      1 -1
      Source: The Greensboro, NC data and statistics displayed above are derived from the 2016 United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
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