It is the only city in North Carolina that exists within four counties, and is known for its heavy influence on the furniture industry. Located in the Piedmont Triad region ot the state, High Point offers opportunity for business expansion.
Interested in moving to High Point, and need help making a decision? Look no further than here at Movers.com. This guide will offer tips and information to help make your decision to relocate an easier one. After that, you can get started by comparing free moving quotes from reputable services here as well.
High Point Climate
If you move to High Point, you will experience four seasons, but the city has a humid subtropical climate. Rainfall averages 111 days out of the year, evenly spread out throughout the four seasons.
Winters are mild, with highs in the mid 50s during the day, but dropping in temperature at night. Fall and spring temperatures are also mild, ranging in temperature from high 60s to low 80s.
Summers are typically humid and range from the mid 80s to high 90s. The area has, in the past, been hit by tornadoes and hurricanes, but these occurrences are generally rare.
High Point Neighborhoods
If you have children that will need to go to public school, locals say to look into neighborhoods in High Point that are in Davidson County. The Delmar neighborhood has single-family homes that run from approximately $150,000 to $250,000, and is generally more upscale than some other areas of High Point.
Other residential neighborhoods in High Point include: Hampton Park, Emerywood West, Ashton Oaks and Laurel Oak Ranch.
Registering Your Car
New residents wishing to obtain a North Carolina driver's license and license plates must visit the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Upon moving to High Point, you must transfer your license within 60 days of relocating. To receive a license, you must pass the road sign recognition, written and vision tests.
The necessary paperwork to get your new license includes two forms of identification, Social Security card, proof of residency (a bill, for example, addressed to your new home), and proof of insurance.
To register your vehicle, you are required to present documentation proving you have liability insurance and that your car was inspected.
High Point Schools
Since High Point is the only municipality in North Carolina to span four separate counties, four different public school systems service public education in the city. Guilford County Schools serve the area of High Point in Guilford, and the district has over 100 schools in the system, including six charter schools. Davidson County Schools serves High Point's Davidson County students, Randolph County Schools serves the Randolph County area, and Forsyth County Schools serves Forsyth County with five charter schools in addition to various public schools.
There are also several private and independent schools in High Point like High Point Christian Academy and Immaculate Heart of Mary.
For higher education opportunities, High Point is home to Laurel University, High Point University and a Shaw University program center.
High Point Employment
The economy in High Point is influenced dramatically by the furniture and textiles industry, and draws international business to the area. The High Point Market is said to be the largest furnishings industry trade fair in the world.
According to the city's 2011 annual financial report, some top employers in the area are: Bank of America, 2,145 employees; High Point Regional Health System, 2,036 employees; Guilford County Schools, 1,769 employees and City of High Point, 1,289 employees.
As of May, 2013, the unemployment rate in the High Point-Greensboro area was at 9.5 percent, higher than the national state average.
Living Costs in the City
For the most part, North Carolina is lower than the national average in terms of living costs, and High Point is even lower still. According to Area Vibes, you will spend more than average on health care and groceries, but less on goods and services, housing, transportation and utilities. As of early July, the average listing price for single-family homes in the area was approximately $183,000, whereas the median sales price was $126,000.
If you rent, one-bedroom apartments begin at approximately $500 per month and upwards, depending on size and accommodations in the apartment complex.
Gas pump prices are slightly lower than the rest of the country, depending on where you previously lived. Electric bills for a smaller apartment run at least $80 a month, but will rise during hotter or colder months, and will be more towards $120. These prices will rise based on usage and the size of your home.
High Point Moving Resources
Moving and storage companies are eager to service your move to High Point, whether you're moving from out of state or from another county in North Carolina. Make sure you get estimates from multiple moving services before you commit to hiring any (at least three estimates). Check back to our guides for tips on how to choose your moving service wisely with important questions to ask, differentiating between types of estimates, and mistakes to avoid. Visit the following pages at Movers.com to get quotes for the following services:
High Point Transportation
For traveling by rail, Amtrak's Crescent, Carolinian and Piedmont trains connect the High Point Amtrak station to large eastern cities like New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh and Richmond. These trains also provide transportation to Birmingham and New Orleans.
If you need a bus, the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) operates within the city, shuttling riders between cities in the northwestern Piedmont region.
When traveling by personal car, highways most used in the city are: Interstate 40, 74 and 85; U.S. Route 29, 70 and 311; and North Carolina Highways 62, 66, 68 and 610.
Culture & Contemporary Life
For the outdoor adventurist or the theatre buff, High Point has something for almost anyone. You can explore the Mendenhall Plantation to get a glimpse of historic Quaker living, then head off to view the World's Largest Chest of Drawers, built in 1926, to commemorate High Point as a heavy hitter in the furniture industry. You may also want to check out some other outdoor recreational facilities like Oak Hollow Festival Park, that offers a performance stage and picnic areas that can accommodate up to 10,000 people, or one of High Point's golf courses like Blair Park Golf Course. There's also the All-A-Flutter butterfly farm and Theatre Art Galleries (TAG) that offers visual art exhibits and community education.
Of course, you can also find your fair share of restaurants and retail stores, including the Amish Trading Post. In addition, you can try boating or paddling at High Point City Lake Park to enjoy the natural scenery.
High Point Relocation Tips
- The unemployment rate isn't ideal, so it is a good idea to do plenty of research and job applications prior to your move, so you will have employment upon arrival.
- Get a subscription to your local newspaper so you can have a sense of what's going on in your new city.
- You might want to get a head start on hooking up your utilities so you don't have to worry about the lights not being on when you get to your new city!