The big picture
Relocating to Moore County.
If you are thinking about a move to the Sandhills, welcome. This guide is the whole picture in plain language: why Moore County is such a great place to call home, what each of the five towns actually feels like, how the schools and costs work, and what to do before the moving truck arrives. Every fact here comes from the town guides and the plain-language research on this site.
Why Moore County
A great place to call home, on purpose.
Terry has helped people buy and sell real estate here since 2003, and when she shows newcomers around, the same reasons keep coming up. Here is what makes the Sandhills work for so many kinds of life.
The Home of American Golf
Pinehurst Resort alone runs 11 eighteen-hole courses, and about 40 courses sit within 15 miles. The U.S. Open played Pinehurst No. 2 in June 2024, and the game shapes life in the village every other week of the year.
Walkable, human-scale villages
Southern Pines has a restored brick downtown full of shops, coffee roasters, and galleries, and Pinehurst is a golf-cart friendly village built around its green. Aberdeen keeps a working depot and a National Register historic district.
Four real seasons, none extreme
The county gets about 47 inches of rain a year, with April the driest month, and only about 2 inches of snow a year. Summers run to the upper 80s and winter lows sit in the 30s and 40s, which makes any move date workable.
A flavor for every move
Whispering Pines is a planned lake and golf village with six lakes and 36 holes, and West End is horse country with acreage and longleaf privacy. Lakes, fairways, cottages, or a barn with your house attached: the choice is real.
Schools with a clear pattern
Moore County Schools assigns by attendance area, and most local addresses feed toward Pinecrest High through Southern Middle and West Pine Middle. Zones are decided house by house, so the feeder follows the street, not the town.
Ties to Fort Liberty
Fort Liberty is about 45 minutes west, and the area has long been home to military families, veterans, and the services that support them, which keeps a steady stream of relocating families in the market.
Choose your neighborhood
Five towns, five different answers.
Every town in the Sandhills has its own rhythm, its own price band, and its own kind of neighbor. Here is the short version of each, straight from the town guides; the full pages go street by street.
Historic · Walkable · Village
Southern Pines, NC
A historic brick downtown, tree-lined streets of cottages, and the friendliest main street in the Sandhills.
About 17,357 residents (2025 Census estimate). Historic downtown shops, coffee roasters, taverns, and galleries, with golf within minutes.
Town guideGolf · Resort Village · Legacy
Pinehurst, NC
The Home of American Golf: a resort village of brick streets, white-columned clubs, and pines, planned around the game since 1895.
About 18,670 residents (2025 Census estimate). The World Golf Hall of Fame calls the Village home, alongside the resort and its 11 courses.
Town guideRailroad · Heritage · Value
Aberdeen, NC
A railroad-heritage town with a National Register downtown, a working depot, and some of the friendliest price tags in the Sandhills.
Incorporated in 1893, named for the Scottish city. Prices here typically sit below the Southern Pines and Pinehurst medians.
Town guideLakes · Golf · Privacy
Whispering Pines, NC
A planned lake-and-golf village from 1959, where six lakes and 36 holes sit quietly among the longleaf.
Established in 1959 with six lakes and 36 holes at the country club. Larger wooded lots and a quieter pace among the longleaf.
Town guideHorse Country · Rural · Quiet
West End, NC
Equestrian estates and longleaf privacy northwest of the resort towns, where horse country meets golf country.
Equestrian estates around McLendon Hills, acreage and longleaf privacy in ZIP 27376, and no main street, by design.
Town guideNot sure where to start
Talk it through with Terry.
She knows the streets, the feeders, and the stories behind every one of these towns. One conversation usually settles which one fits.
Ask TerrySchools & education
The schools, before the house.
Moore County Schools serves the whole county, and assignment follows the attendance-area map, not the town line. Most local addresses feed toward Pinecrest High through Southern Middle and West Pine Middle, and Pinehurst Elementary and Southern Pines Elementary are the elementary stops families most often ask about. Because zones are decided house by house, Terry pulls the exact feeder for any street before a client falls for the house.
Schools and Education in Moore County
The full picture: the Pinecrest feeder pattern, notable public schools by town, The O'Neal School, charter options, Sandhills Community College, and the nearby universities.
Read the schools guideCost of living
What life costs, honestly.
Recent public reports put the county median sale price around $430,000 to $445,000, with homes selling after roughly 56 days on market. Inside that average the towns split wide: Pinehurst runs near $550,000, Southern Pines near $489,000, and Aberdeen plus the edges of the county offer more approachable entry points. Housing, property taxes, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare are all covered town by town in the cost of living guide.
Cost of Living in the Sandhills
A realistic picture of everyday costs across Moore County, with the honest ranges for Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen, Whispering Pines, and Carthage.
Read the cost of living guideThings to do
Weekends that sell the area.
Golf at Pinehurst and the public courses, Weymouth Woods and Reservoir Park for the outdoors, six lakes in Whispering Pines, the brick downtowns of Southern Pines and Pinehurst, breweries, arts and music, and the festivals that fill the Moore County calendar. A short visit here tells you more than a month of browsing listings, and the things to do guide is the tour.
Things to Do in Moore County
Golf courses, parks and trails, lakes, downtown shopping and dining, arts and music, and the seasonal events that make the Sandhills feel like home.
Read the things to do guideBefore you move
The practical side of the move.
Four things worth doing before you start booking movers, and two guides that cover the rest of the ground.
Get pre-approved first
A pre-approval letter tells you the only number that matters, and it lets you act when the right house appears.
Confirm the school feeder
Zones are assigned by address, not town. Have the exact feeder for any street you like before you fall for the house.
Test the commute
Drive the route to work, school, and the grocery store at the times you would actually drive them.
Visit in two seasons
The Sandhills look different in April and in August. A second visit tells you whether you like the place or just the weather.
Moving to the Sandhills: Relocation Tips
When to move, how the housing market works here, and the surprises newcomers do not see coming, in the full relocation playbook.
Read the moving tips guideLocal Resources in Moore County
FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, urgent care, libraries, parks, utilities, county services, and senior and veteran support, all in one place.
Read the local resources guideYour move, your street
Ready to make the move? Let's plan it together.
Buying or selling a home is a big decision, and Terry's job is to make it easier, keep you informed, and always tell you what happens next. She has helped people through every kind of market since 2003, and the first conversation is free, straight, and zero pressure.
Phone
(910) 528-2078
YourHomeInThePines@gmail.com
Brokerage
eXp Realty
229 W Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387
