Quality of Life Information
Healthcare
Hospitals
The region offers residents ample access to state-of-the-art health care. There are more than a dozen hospitals serving the people of the Region, including Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, the flagship hospital for the nationally ranked Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Your organization’s people can count on great health care in Eastern North Carolina.
- Brynn Marr Behavioral Healthcare System, Jacksonville, NC
- Carteret County General Hospital, Morehead City, NC
- Caswell Center, Kinston, NC
- Cherry Hospital (State Psychiatric), Goldsboro, NC
- Craven Regional Medical Center, New Bern, NC
- Duplin General Hospital, Kenansville, NC
- Halyburton Naval Hospital, Cherry Point, NC
- Heritage Hospital, Tarboro, NC
- Lenoir Memorial Hospital, Kinston, NC
- LifeCare Hospital, Rocky Mount, NC
- Nash Health Care Systems, Rocky Mount, NC
- Naval Hospital, Camp Lejeune, NC
- Onslow Memorial Hospital, Jacksonville, NC
- Vidant Health, Greenville, NC
- Walter B Jones Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center Greenville, NC
- Wayne Memorial Hospital, Goldsboro, NC
- Wilson Medical Center, Wilson, NC
Recreation
Arts & Culture
Quality of Life
People work best in a place they love. That’s a major reason why employers here enjoy such a high degree of stability and productivity in the work force. The simple fact is, people like it in Eastern North Carolina.
You can hardly name a national publication that hasn’t raved about our quality of life. Perennially ranked among the best places to live, Eastern North Carolina is populated by communities where the neighborhoods are safer, the people are friendlier, the lifestyle is more relaxed, the commutes are shorter, and just about everything is more affordable than in larger urban areas.
To the east is the famously beautiful Carolina coast, while to the west is the Research Triangle Park which is surrounded by Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. As a result, the east offers residents a winning blend of down-home and uptown, of surf and sophistication that people love.
A thriving arts community and East Carolina University fuel the cultural scene in the region, and the outdoor recreation opportunities are almost endless. So whether someone’s idea of fun is browsing a funky art gallery, taking in a planetarium exhibit, spending a day at the lake, or cheering on the ECU Pirates, there’s never a shortage of things to do.
A mild climate, and plenty of ways to use it.
A temperate four-season climate means outdoor recreation opportunities are almost endless. There are more ways to enjoy the great climate than you can shake a 5-iron at. Or a fishing rod. Or a beach umbrella. Golf season stretches year-round. The same is true for fishing, hunting, boating, cycling and other outdoor activities. Outdoor recreation is, to put it mildly, huge here.
More than 65 miles of white sand beaches beckon our residents to some of the most attractive seaside communities on the Atlantic seaboard. Golf season stretches year-round, and can be enjoyed at courses and resorts that are among the best in the world. And the region is among the east coast’s most popular venues for fishing, hunting, boating, cycling and other outdoor activities.
Outstanding healthcare and education.
More than a dozen hospitals provide region residents with access to state-of-the-art health care. Click here for a comprehensive list of hospitals based within the Region. One of four academic medical centers in North Carolina, Vidant Medical Center in Greenville is the flagship teach hospital for the nationally ranked Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Vidant is a regional resource for all levels of health services and information, and provides acute, intermediate, rehabilitation and outpatient health services to more than 1.4 million people in 29 counties.
Public school systems are strong throughout the region and are recognized for their progressive curricula. The Region is home to East Carolina University (the state’s third largest), as well as to smaller colleges. The state’s community college system, with 21 campuses serving all 29 counties of the region, is regarded as one of America’s best. Click here for more details about our educational resources.
Cost of Living
Eastern North Carolina has lower overall costs when compared to national averages—100 equals national average. 2020 data.
| Composite (100%) | Grocery (12.49%) | Housing (29.84%) | Utilities (9.94%) | Transportation (10.73%) | Health (4.07%) | Miscellaneous (32.93%) | |
| Jacksonville | 84.3 | 95.5 | 58.6 | 97.7 | 72.4 | 122.8 | 103.6 |
| Greenville | 83.2 | 95.5 | 54.5 | 101.1 | 75.4 | 118.8 | 102 |
| Kinston | 75.8 | 93.0 | 41.3 | 97.3 | 61.8 | 117.8 | 102.2 |
Housing
With all the change that accompanies relocation, a move to the Region will make for a change you’ll love when it comes to affordable living. Generally our housing costs are very low and living here is below the national cost of living index. Housing costs are an average 81% of the national composite index, making it easier for families to enjoy their daily lives and have the room they need to get the most out of life in the East. Our transportation costs are also lower, so getting out and enjoying the scenery and the lifestyle you’ve longed for is affordable.
COST OF LIVING COMPARISON CHART:
The Region has lower overall costs when compared to national averages -100 equals national average. 2020 data.
| Composite (100%) | Grocery (12.49%) | Housing (29.84%) | Utilities (9.94%) | Transportation (10.73%) | Health (4.07%) | Miscellaneous (32.93%) | |
| Jacksonville | 84.3 | 95.5 | 58.6 | 97.7 | 72.4 | 122.8 | 103.6 |
| Greenville | 83.2 | 95.5 | 54.5 | 101.1 | 75.4 | 118.8 | 102 |
| Kinston | 75.8 | 93.0 | 41.3 | 97.3 | 61.8 | 117.8 | 102.2 |
Visit & Play
There’s more than business in the Eastern North Carolina. Here you’ll find a starting point for our nation’s history, cultural events, shopping, sports, music, recreation and much more. What will you find in the region? Here’s a sampling:
- The beautiful beaches of the Crystal Coast
- The charming village of Oriental for boating and fishing
- Fascinating shops of all kinds throughout the Region
- Quaint bed & breakfast inns, world class resorts
- Division I college sports at East Carolina University
- Sailing—and fishing—on the Pamlico Sound, in our rivers and in the Atlantic Ocean
- Golf courses and resorts that rank among the state’s—and the eastern seaboard’s—best
- Historic New Bern and Tryon Palace, the 18th century home of North Carolina’s colonial governor