Raleigh is the second largest city in the state of North Carolina, as well as the seat of Wake County, the state’s capital city. Located in the northeast central region of where the North American Piedmont and Atlantic Coastal Plain regions meet, Raleigh is known as the fall line because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. Because of this, most of Raleigh is comprised of gently rolling hills that slope eastward toward the state’s flat coastal plain.

Raleigh is a major retail shipping point for eastern North Carolina and a wholesale distributing point for the grocery industry. The city is part of North Carolina’s Research Triangle metropolitan region – home of the nation’s largest and most successful research parks and a major center in the United States for high-tech and biotech research, as well as advanced textile development.

Raleigh’s industrial base includes banking and financial services; electrical, medical, electronic and telecommunications equipment; clothing and apparel; food processing; paper products and pharmaceuticals.

Renters in Raleigh can enjoy plenty of cultural resources in the form of museums and centers for performing and visual arts, as well as amateur and professional sports. The Raleigh Convention Center partners with state, regional and local museums, galleries and art organizations to showcase works of local artists in various mediums and styles. It hosts a wide variety of events to highlight the unique culture and growing appeal of the greater Raleigh area.

The National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes franchise moved to Raleigh in 1997 from Hartford, Connecticut (where it was known as the Hartford Whalers). The Hurricanes are the only major league professional sports team in North Carolina to have won a championship, winning the Stanley Cup in 2006 over the Edmonton Oilers.

The J. C. Raulston Arboretum and botanical garden in west Raleigh provides eight acres of natural beauty, open daily to the public without charge.

Leisure and recreation are well-served by over 150 parks and recreation sites including lakes, aquatic facilities, community centers, a BMX championship-caliber race track and tennis courts. Raleigh caters to its bicyclists and pedestrians with an extensive greenway system and public buses equipped with bicycle racks. Some roads even have dedicated bicycle-only lanes. The Maine-to-Florida U.S. Bicycle Route #1 goes through suburban Raleigh, along with N.C. Bicycle Route #2, the “Mountains to Sea” route.

If you are considering relocating to Raleigh, there is an apartment sure to fit your budget.

If you are interested in finding a cheap apartment for rent, the City Center and Shaw University neighborhoods are two places to consider. Meanwhile for apartment rentals priced at a medium range relative to the state and the nation, you may want to look in New Hope, Home Acres, Caraleigh, Parkland and Fairway Acres.

Looking for more affluent neighborhoods offering a selection of luxury apartments? Look in the neighborhoods of Method, around Meredith College, Glen Forest (subdivision), Millbrook, Auburn and Emerald Village. Colonial Heights and Williams Crossroads provide more upscale apartment choices, while keeping costs a little more moderate.