Fuquay-Varina has absolutely exploded in population and growth and interest from the outside public in the last few years. These are the twelve things you must know if you’re considering a move to Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina.
Number one, Fuquay-Varina is on fire with growth. This is one of the fastest growing cities in the triangle. Everyone seems like they’re moving there or interested in Fuquay. And that’s a really good thing because it means there’s a lot of exciting things going on in the area. Lots of growth, lots of housing coming, certainly lots of restaurants and shops coming. Fuquay-Varina getting bigger is only going to help things out for the whole entire triangle.
The number two thing you need to know, it’s pronounced Few-qway Ve-REE-na not Few-way Varina, not Fuqua-Varna, it’s Few-qway Ve-ree-na. You can always tell someone who’s not from the area because they usually butcher those names. We’re not making fun of you just know that it’s Few-quay Ve-ree-na.
The number three thing you need to know about Fuquay-Varina. There’s still a lot of room for growth. Number one, Fuquay has absolutely exploded in growth. It’s gotten much bigger than it was in the past. When it was a little tiny village town city, it’s gotten a lot bigger, lots of stuff going on there. You’ve got Starbucks, you’ve got Target, Lowe’s, Home Depot all either inside the town or within a 15 minute from it in neighboring cities. There is still more room to grow. There’s a lot of farmland. There’s a lot of forest. There’s a lot of land available around Fuquay that the town can grow bigger and bigger. Therefore more opportunities for you to move there and plant your roots and buy a house.
The number four thing you need to know traffic is getting bad. Fuquay-Varina it’s a great place, but unfortunately traffic is increasing because interest is increasing. There’s very few ways to get in or out of Fuquay. If you don’t work in town, or you work from home and you have to travel into Raleigh or into other parts of the triangle know that traffic jams are going be reality. Fortunately, interstate 540 is coming to Fuquay-Varina. It will help alleviate some of the traffic, but just understand a growing town, or a growing city, means growing traffic.
The number five thing you need to know about Fuquay-Varina, there is a lot of new construction. This goes along with what we’ve talked about already. You’re seeing a lot of new construction, a lot of home building going on. If you’re looking for a new construction home Fuquay-Varina is definitely a town you’re going to want to look at. If you don’t like the sound of hammering and sawing and nails and tires, then you may want to consider not moving to Fuquay-Varina.
The number six thing you need to know, Fuquay-Varina has a thriving restaurant scene. Whenever we talk about Fuquay-Varina, we always rave about the restaurants and yes, there are the big chain stuff. McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A , Starbucks, Panera Bread, Chipotle. That is on the main drag coming into town. If you see Fuquay-Varina from that main drag, you may be disappointed that it’s just a town of big box stores, similar to what you see in Garner and Clayton. But it’s not that way at all. If you go to the downtown areas, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised by the town. Fuquay’s downtown is very dear to our hearts. There’s Stick Boy Bakery, where you can get cinnamon rolls that are amazing. Stick Boy has a location in Boone, North Carolina and in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. You have Vicious Fishes, which is this brew-pub restaurant. The food is always amazing. The Mason Jar Tavern is there and has really good food. Aviator Brewing is also in Fuquay-Varina. There are lots of local restaurants and shops in the downtown areas.
Number seven Fuquay-Varina used to be two separate towns. There used to be two towns called the town of Fuquay Springs and the town of Varina. In 1963, they conducted a major study, spent billions of dollars to try to come up with a new name. And they came up with Fuquay-Varina. Okay. They didn’t actually spend billions of dollars. They just basically merged the two and put a hyphen in the middle. Now there are two little towns that have become one big town, with two separate downtowns that are about a mile from each other. Varina is to the north and that’s where Aviator Brewing Company is. Fuquay Springs is to the south and that’s where Stick Boy, Mason Jar, and Vicious Fishes are located. The good news is if you’re buying in Fuquay- Varina, you’re not just getting one town, you’re getting two.
Number eight on our list, Fuquay-Varina is a bit isolated. If you have a job in Research Triangle Park and you live in Fuquay – Varina, you’re looking at a 35 to 45 minute drive one way. If you’re going into downtown Raleigh, you’re looking at about a 25 to 40 minute drive. So in other words, living in Fuquay-Varina can feel a bit isolated. You’re off to the southeast by yourself out there. You are close to Holly Springs. If you’re trying to get to Research Triangle Park, or trying to get to the airport or get to downtown Raleigh, expect that you’re going to have a bit of a drive.
Number nine on our list, Fuquay – Varina just got a brand new Costco. Costco opened up in November of 2021. It is the largest Costco in the state of North Carolina. This Costco is bordering Fuquay-Varina, Garner and Raleigh, but it’s close enough that Fuquay can claim it. If you’re planning on taking a trip to explore Fuquay-Varina to decide if it’s for you, definitely check out this Costco. It’s amazing. And incidentally, there’s a Chick-fil-A coming in front of it and a Starbucks coming in front of it and it has its own gas station. So definitely worth your time to stop in on your way to Fuquay.
Number ten on our list, Fuquay-Varina is still quite rural. Depending on what your lifestyle is, Fuquay-Varina could be a little on the rural side. A little slower paced and might not be what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a big city feel, there are a lot of fields, countryside, lots of roads where there’s not many houses on. And so you have to expect your going to have that sort of a vibe going on if you’re driving around in the Fuquay-Varina area. Again, if you’re looking for a quiet lifestyle where there’s not a lot of hustle or bustle going on, Fuquay-Varina may be what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for 24 hour nightlife, downtown New York city vibe, you’re probably not going to find it in Fuquay-Varina.
Number eleven on the list, Fuquay-Varina is less likely to get snow. The southern side of the triangle is less likely to get snow, especially compared to the northern side where Durham, Roxboro, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough is. So those people always get snow on the Southern side, there’s very likely to be rain. If you are a snow hater, like most of the local North Carolinians, you may want to consider Fuquay-Varina. No need to worry about sliding around on ice and snow. No need to worry about missing work or school. No need to worry about the hassle of being trapped in your house. Little known fact, if you’re not from the area, we don’t have many snow plows. The positive, if you don’t want the inconvenience of ice and snow, is to live in the southern side of Fuquay-Varina. Now that doesn’t mean that they will never get ice or snow in Fuquay-Varina but they are less likely to get it compared to Hillsborough, or Chapel Hill or Durham.
Number twelve, homes in Fuquay-Varina are a lot more expensive than people expect. When you are not from the area, you are from California or Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, you probably have never heard of Fuquay-Varina. It sounds rural. Homes must be a hundred thousand dollars. Actually detached single family homes in Fuquay-Varina are currently going for around $540,000. And while this is quite a bit less than median home values, you’re going to see in Raleigh or some of the other parts of the triangle, it’s still quite a bit more than what most people are expecting. You are getting the quality of life that you’re going to find from the slower pace of not having to be in a densely populated area like Raleigh. That being said, be prepared, you’re going to pay more to live in Fuquay-Varina than you would expect.