Thinking of Moving to Winston Salem?

Perhaps you recently accepted a job offer or in Winston Salem, or you just needed a change of scenery and decided now was the time to make that change. Uprooting your life isn't an easy feat—yet, it's exciting and new. You'll get to explore a whole new place and all that that the Triad has to offer! There'll be new activities, new restaurants, new friends, new parks, and more.

What should you know about your new hometown of Winston Salem? What research should you do ahead of time to ensure you relocate to a place you'll be comfortable living in? Here's what you need to know:

Do Your Research Before Buying (or Renting) in Winston Salem

The area you live in makes your home what it is. Check out Google Maps before your big move. Maybe even make a list of the advantages and disadvantages to each area you research—it can help make the decision easier.

As a smart shopper you'll likely want info on school zones. If you have kids, you may want them to attend a private or public school. The Winston Salem Forsyth County School website can be a great place to begin to gather info on our unique flexible public school zoning. What about grocery shopping? Winston Salem is filled with great grocery stores including Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Publix, Trader Joe’s, Lowe’s Foods, and more! You may want to see how easy your favorites are to get to. Do you like to have a gym nearby? Along with membership gyms the local Y’s are popular in our area. You may want to compare pricing and offerings of the gyms in different areas of town.

If you love parks, Forsyth County and Winston Salem has many options in different areas and some in the works! You can find out more on the Forsyth County’s Parks and Rec page and Winston Salem’s Rec and Parks department. Some of our favorites are Muddy Creek Greenway, Salem Lake Park and Marina, Quarry Park, and Schaffner Park. It’s great to ask yourself these questions ahead of time. Determine their importance to you and your family.

Research Winston Salem Events

With a new city comes a new list of annual events and festivals. Find out what big attractions take place in the Winston Salem area. If your family is into music, tennis, or biking, look to see if there is a place close by to partake in these activities.

Checking out holiday events can also help you connect with your new city. Winston Salem was begun by Moravians and much of their festive events have endured to today with local events and happenings at Old Salem. A few popular events in the area you may want to check out are Tanglewood Lights(if you love dogs don’t miss Paws in the Park) and Christmas by Candlelight in Old Salem.

Finding activities and fun events to look forward to can lessen the impact of a move, such as moving far away from friends and family. It's exciting, but it can also be really tough. You can make the best out of it!

Checkout Local Winston Salem Sports Teams

Winston Salem is home to over five colleges and universities including Wake Forest, Winston Salem State, and Salem College. Many of these collegiate athletic events are open to the public. Local sports teams also include the Winston Salem Dash a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, NASCAR at Bowman Gray. Even more top level sports are available within just a few hours drive including the Carolina Panthers (NFL), Checkers (AHL), Carolina Tarheels (NCAA), NC State (NCAA), Duke Blue Devils (NCAA), Carolina Hurricanes (NHL), and many more!

Research the Costs of Living in Winston Salem

This is a big one. Cities come with different price tags. Make sure you know what you'll be spending before you commit. Fortunately, the Winston Salem area is known for a low cost of living and low housing costs compared to many other cities nationwide.

You may want to calculate what you can expect to spend in Winston Salem—does it work for your budget? The worst thing that could happen is you move and find out you can't afford it. Financial planning makes all the difference, and it can help you avoid future panic or crises.