Coats maintains its rural feel amid commuter growth
Coats offers small-town living in Harnett County, just minutes from Campbell University and 30 miles south of Raleigh. “It’s a very quaint town, which is why I live here,” says Misty Lyons, Coats resident and owner of Lyons Group, eXp Realty. “I was raised in Lillington. When I was a kid, Lillington was two stop lights and a Hardee’s. When I was raising my family, we decided to buy in Coats because it’s two stop lights and a Hardee’s.” Like the rest of Harnett County, Coats has faced significant growth as a commuter area, with new developments continuing to change the town’s landscape. However, Coats still maintains much of its rural feel, while still within commuting distance of larger towns.
Ranch-style houses, cottages and newly constructed properties
In town, ranch-style houses and cottages sit along gridded streets. The area also has newly constructed homes with two-car garages and Craftsman-inspired details. Farmland extends around Coats, and many homes sit on spacious lots surrounded by fields. Homes usually sell for between $150,000 and $450,000. Homes with under 1,000 square feet of living space typically sell for under $200,000, while larger, newly built homes fetch more. McKinley Place Apartments and Highlander Green Apartments serve renters in the town. Coats has a CAP Index crime score of 2, below the national average of 4.
Coats Recreation Park and the Cape Fear River have outdoor fun
Coats Recreation Park has tennis courts, athletic fields and a playground, and Liga de Futbol Las Carolinas hosts adult soccer leagues on the eastern side of Coats. The Cape Fear River runs through the nearby town of Lillington. Here, locals can enjoy walking trails along the water at Lillington River Park and try kayaking or tubing at Cape Fear River Adventures. The Coats Senior Center also offers extensive programming for adults over the age of 55, including yoga classes, crafting sessions, Bingo, group trips and seasonal events.
There are several restaurants and businesses in Coats
Though the larger area is car-dependent, many Coats residents living in town are within walking distance of several businesses. Coats has a Charlie C’s IGA grocery store and Dollar General off N.C. Highway 55, and this small town has a handful of restaurants. These include ¡Viva Zapata! Mexican Restaurant, a casual dine-in with colorfully painted walls, and Cornerstone Cafe & Coffee, a rustic venue serving waffles and acai bowls alongside specialty drinks. Chains include Domino’s Pizza and Hardee’s. Coats also has several institutions, including a public library, places of worship like Coats Baptist Church and Coats Methodist Church, and a fire department. The Coats Museum in Heritage Square preserves and displays the town’s history. Central Harnett Hospital is nearby in Lillington.
Coats’ Farmers’ Day event is a big celebration
In October, the community comes together for the annual Coats Farmers’ Day celebration. This event, a town tradition that has spanned over 100 years, features a parade, vintage car show, gospel singers, and a farm equipment show. There are many other festivities and games that happen over the weekend, too: “On the Saturday of Farmers’ Day, they have a horse ride. People get together and go on a ride on their horses across Coats. They ride down the road, come by my house and then do an event,” Lyons says. “Last year, they had hula hoops on the ground, and your horse had to put its foot in the Hula-Hoop. Whoever doesn’t have a Hula-Hoop is out.” The Coats Area Chamber of Commerce also hosts the Farmers’ Day Golf Tournament at Chicora Country Club as part of the festivities.
Harnett County Schools for K-12 and nearby Campbell University
Children living in Coats may begin at Coats Elementary School and Coats-Erwin Middle School. These schools earn C and C-plus grades from Niche, respectively. Triton High School earns a B-minus. Beyond the standard curriculum, Triton High offers career and technical education in electrical systems & construction, family & consumer sciences, and agricultural & automotive engineering. Campbell University is less than 4 miles west of Coats. This private, Christian university enrolls 5,000 students. Central Carolina Community College’s Harnett campus is also about 7 miles west.
A new highway expansion will expedite travel to Wake County
Downtown Raleigh is 30 miles north of Coats, and Raleigh-Durham International Airport is 40 miles north. Fayetteville is 30 miles south and home to the Fort Bragg Army base. N.C. Highway 55 is being widened and extended with a new bypass, expediting travel between Harnett County and Wake County. “The new bypass is going to come dead in between Coats and Angier. It’s going to be huge. It’s an indication of a massive amount of growth that’s coming to our area,” Lyons says. The first two phases of the project are expected to be completed in 2027.
Written By
Faith Wakefield
