A small town close to big employers in southern Moore County
In the mid-18th century, Scottish Highlanders settled the section of North Carolina’s Sandhills region that is present-day Aberdeen. With the “Home of American Golf,” Pinehurst, less than 10 miles northwest, Aberdeen’s industry is linked to recreation, tourism and retirement. It’s also tied to healthcare and defense; FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst and Fort Bragg, a United States Army base in Fayetteville, are also top employers in Moore County. David Sinclair, a marketing coordinator with the Martha Gentry Team at Re/Max Prime Properties of Pinehurst, says Aberdeen’s convenient location in southern Moore County is a large part of its appeal. “This area has a tremendous number of transplants, which has a lot to do with its location. But the homes tend to be moderately priced,” he says, observing that the competitive housing market sets Aberdeen apart from the neighboring towns of Southern Pines and Pinehurst.
A short drive from Aberdeen, The Pinehurst Resort brings golfers from all over the world.
Aberdeen residents rely on FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital for their healthcare needs.
1/2
Established neighborhoods in central Aberdeen, new builds on the periphery
The median sales price for single-family homes here is nearly $400,000, about $33,000 higher than the state median. But prices here are still lower than in Southern Pines and Pinehurst, where the medians are closer to $550,000. He says it’s rare for homes in the two neighboring towns to sell for less than $600,000, which makes Aberdeen’s comparatively affordable market more appealing to first-time homebuyers and young families. Downtown Aberdeen features some of the oldest homes in town: early 20th-century Colonial Revivals, Minimal Traditional cottages and Craftsman bungalows. Neighborhoods like Forest Hill, just outside downtown, are filled with midcentury Traditional and ranch-style homes, while the outskirts teem with modern Craftsman-inspired new construction. Sinclair ascribes the recent building boom to the influx of military personnel commuting to Fort Bragg, observing that Aberdeen is ideal for folks who work on base but don’t want to live there.
Homes in the New Traditional style are common in Aberdeen.
Ranch style homes are a common sight in Aberdeen.
1/2
Highly rated Moore County Schools
Moore County Schools, which serves over 13,000 students with an average student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1, earns a B-plus from Niche. Aberdeen’s zoned schools include C-plus-rated Aberdeen Elementary, B-rated Southern Middle and A-minus-rated Pinecrest High School. Students can also apply to attend the Academy of Moore County, a public, tuition-free charter school for kindergarten through fifth grade. Pinecrest High offers dual enrollment and Career & Technical Education classes in partnership with Sandhills Community College. Originally chartered in 1963, Sandhills was the first comprehensive community college in North Carolina.
Students living in Forest Hills can attend the Aberdeen Elementary School.
Students enjoy attending Southern Middle School in the Forest Hills neighborhood.
1/2
Local parks and North Carolina golf country close by
According to the Trust for Public Land, nearly 30% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park or greenspace. The town maintains eight recreational facilities, including the Aberdeen Ransdell Sportsplex, a 32-acre park with lighted soccer fields, and Malcolm Blue Farm, a 19th-century farmhouse-turned-museum. The farm is decked out in 1800s-inspired décor every December for Aberdeen’s annual Old Fashioned Christmas event. Aberdeen Lake Park, a thickly wooded area with walking trails surrounding Pages Lake, is the largest park in town. “Back in the day, the lake was swimmable, but now it’s more of a fishing and hiking area,” Sinclair says. The Aberdeen Lake Park Recreation Station offers exercise classes and youth day camps. One of the three towns in Moore County known as the “Home of American Golf,” Aberdeen is close to famous courses like Pinehurst No. 2, about 6 miles northwest.
Aberdeen is near to famous golf courses like Pinehurst No. 2.
Parents enjoy bringing their children to the Aberdeen Lake Park.
1/2
Downtown Aberdeen’s Main Street shopping and dining
The commercial corridor on the town’s north end, surrounding the corner of U.S. Routes 1 and 501, features national chain retailers and restaurants. Downtown Aberdeen, where rows of vintage, brick-clad storefronts line Main Street, is the heart of the local shopping and dining scene. Sinclair says the town has worked hard to breathe life into the quaint downtown area since the 1980s, encouraging businesses to open. “And they are! There are cute shops and several really nice restaurants now,” he says. The growing downtown district is also home to the Union Station Railroad Museum, which exhibits railroad artifacts and memorabilia from when Aberdeen was a stop along the Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad line at the turn of the 20th century.
Downtown Aberdeen features an eclectic mix of shops and cuisine.
Aberdeen's Union Station Railroad Museum exhibits railroad artifacts and memorabilia.
1/2
Limited public transportation available in southern Moore County
U.S. Routes 1 and 501 run diagonally through Aberdeen. Southern Pines is about 4 miles northeast via Route 501/N Sandhills Boulevard and Route 1; Pinebluff is about 3 miles southwest via Route 501/S Sandhills Boulevard and Route 1. The former Fort Bragg, now Fort Bragg, is just north of Fayetteville, about 30 miles east of Aberdeen. No major highways span the distance, but the 40-minute drive is scenic, along a two-lane, rural road lined with skinny longleaf pines. Public transportation options are limited to an Amtrak train station in Southern Pines.
County crime rates remain lower than the state rates
Crime statistics for Aberdeen are not readily available; however, according to data in the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s 2023 Crime in North Carolina annual report, Moore County’s violent crime rate increased by about 13% while its property crime rate declined by about 1%. The county’s violent and property crime rates remain lower than the state's.
Tim Venjohn is co-owner of Rhodes & Co Real Estate. We are a small boutique real estate firm in downtown Southern Pines with 10 highly productive real estate agents serving Moore and surrounding counties. Having lived in the Moore Co. area since 1989, Tim has a vested interest in making our community a desirable place to live. As a local real estate agent and co-owner of Rhodes & Co. Real Estate Services in downtown Southern Pines, N.C., Tim carries both the knowledge and expertise to make your home buying experience stress free. Married for 29+ years to his high school sweetheart, Tim is the father of 3 amazing children. Their family enjoys biking, swimming, canoeing, hiking, and working in their orchard. With his life goal being to "live by example", Tim volunteers for community service projects. As a member of the Mid-Carolina Regional Association of Realtors since 2002, Tim strives to be a professional and has served as a member of the Real Estate Association at both the state and local levels. Previously a member of his church leadership board, Tim was also involved on the Legislative Committee for the N.C. Association of Realtors at the state and local level. Constantly seeking to improve himself and his business, Tim holds several designations, including the CRS, or "Certified Residential Specialist”, which is the highest level certification available in residential real estate. Tim served as President of the Mid-Carolina Association of Realtors in 2008 and the President of the local MLS board in 2014. Tim was awarded REALTOR of the Year in 2014. Specialties: Entering the Armed Forces out of high school, Tim served 4 years with the U.S. Army and was named the 1987 Battalion Soldier of the Year at Fort Bragg, NC. Upon completion of his military service, Tim obtained an Associate of Science degree from Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, N.C. Tim has 32+ years of sales experience, with the last 23 years being in residential and commercial real estate.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
