Small-town vibes in one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing counties
Pittsboro is conveniently located 17 miles from Chapel Hill and 30 miles from Raleigh in Chatham County, but it’s much more than a pit stop. This historic town is booming with new housing construction yet still retains its small-town charm. The 4,500 residents here relish the close-knit vibe that comes with knowing your neighbors and having thriving small businesses and an art scene. “It’s a great community. People really care about each other,” says Melinda Fitzgerald, a longtime resident and owner of Country Farm & Home, which has been open since 1993. “In downtown Pittsboro, there’s a very charming main street, and it’s not all boarded up. It’s very vibrant with cute little shops and fun things to do.”
Established in 1785, Pittsboro was originally a community of small farms. Today, the town is becoming a commuter haven for some of the 65,000 people employed by the tech companies at Research Triangle Park. “There’s a whole lot of housing popping up left and right,” says Fitzgerald, who adds that she’s noticing a shift. “Pittsboro used to be a place where you could avoid the real estate values of Chapel Hill, but now people who work in Pittsboro are having to live in Sanford and Liberty. The housing that is coming in is not at the right price point for the jobs in Pittsboro,” Fitzgerald says.
Those who don’t work from home or commute to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill or the RTP work in healthcare, manufacturing and professional, scientific and technical services. Chatham County is one of Pittsboro’s top employers. The town is home to the county courthouse and several government offices.
Pittsboro employs many residents in the courthouse and the municipal building behind it.
The blue signage for the Pittsboro Historic District.
UNC was one of the first employers to build space in the Chatham Park area of Pittsboro.
Chatham county is one of the main employers in Pittsboro for local residents.
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Historic homes downtown, brand new properties in Chatham Park
Home prices are on the rise in Pittsboro. The average price for a home is up 9% from 2023 to 2024. As of October 2024, the median price for a Pittsboro home is $618,590, above the national median of $415,700. Prices range from $300,000 for a townhouse to over $1 million for custom new construction. With a stocked inventory, the market is moving slowly. Properties sell after 82 days on average, nearly double the national average of 44 days.
Downtown Pittsboro features early 1920s bungalows and 1950s ranch-style homes. Brand-new builds are rising in the Chatham Park master-planned community. Construction is expected to go on for another two decades, but once complete, Chatham Park will feature more than 22,000 condos, townhomes, and single-family houses, as well as retail shopping, office space, and amenities like parks, pools, and pickleball courts. The UNC Chatham Park Medical Office was one of the first pieces of the development. It offers primary care, specialists and rehabilitation services.
A turquoise-colored bungalow with a North Carolina flag in the front.
Mnay Pittsboro streets feature spacious townhomes with sidewalks.
Aerial view of a brick ranch style house sitting on a large plot of land.
Chatham Park offers dining, retail and living to the residents od Pittsboro.
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ClydeFEST and a love for local business
With the Chatham Historical Museum at its center, downtown Pittsboro brims with local flavor. Along Hillsboro Street, red-brick sidewalks wrap around longtime shops, restaurants and art galleries. These community staples are joining a slew of new bars, pubs and breweries that ushered in the town’s new Social District, a designated area where people can walk around with open alcoholic beverages.
Pittsboro has long been a hub for the arts. This passion is highlighted each year during ClydeFEST, a children’s folk art festival by the Chatham Arts Council. Named after and inspired by the acclaimed folk artist Clyde Jones, the free event helps people tap into their creativity through various art mediums, from face painting to clay sculpting. Carnival games and live music add to the lively atmosphere. Jones, a former mill worker from Bynum, is known for his “critters” that he carves out of wood and brings to life with paint, glitter and bottle-cap eyes. His works have been featured in museums nationwide, including the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington. “Clyde became the poster child for the art movement here. It was much bigger than him, but he was the central figure,” Fitzgerald says. Jones’ largest work is a 28-year-old mural in downtown Pittsboro that a local muralist is restoring. It’s set to be completed in late October 2024.
A Pittsboro Halloween tradition also illustrates this town’s love for creativity. Residents carve ornate jack-o-lanterns that they line up along the Old Bynum Walking Bridge that crosses the Haw River. After trick-or-treating, families like to walk along the bridge to see the art pieces all aglow. “There’s no light out there except for the moon reflecting on the water below, and you have all those pumpkins. I run into at least 20 people I know,” Fitzgerald says. “And when you drive the 51-501, you can look over as you cross that night, and you can see these little twinkling lights.”
The historic courthouse downtown houses the museum and courtrooms.
Pittsboro offers many small businesses including the Carolina Cravings Bakery.
Pittsboro has a selection of art galleries offering local artisans work.
The Red Moose in Pittsboro's social district offers Karaoke on alternating Thursdays.
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Renovating Kiwanis Park and a new YMCA
Eight parks dot Pittsboro, ranging from pocket parks offering a moment of respite like Page Vernon Park downtown to expansive green spaces like the 36-acre Town Lake Park, where people go to fish and walk along wooded hiking trails. Kiwanis Park is well-known for its blend of art and nature. Featuring a giant tortoise sculpture, wood carvings and a colorful mosaic pathway, the park is a popular place for families of young children. Thanks to generous donations from the community, it’s slated to receive a big renovation in the coming years. Some of the upgrades include an accessible playground and bathrooms.
A new skatepark is set to open at McClenahan Street Park by winter 2024. In Spring 2025, the Chatham Park YMCA is expected to open off U.S. Route 64 in the town’s growing Chatham Park development. Along with programming for youth and adults, this new 36,000-square-foot facility will have a wellness center, group fitness studios, two outdoor pools, several gymnasiums and multi-use spaces.
South of town, Rock Ridge Park offers high-flying adventures. “There’s a zipline there, things to climb on and swing on. It all looks like it’s made out of the trees and it’s in the woods,” Fitzgerald says. The Haw River and Jordan Lake sit east of town. The Jordan Lake State Recreation Area is a popular summer spot for people around the Research Triangle. It offers campgrounds, hiking trails, and several small beaches. Fishing, boating and kayaking are popular activities along the Haw River.
The tortoise statue sits at the Kiwanis Park near downtown Pittsboro.
Pittsboro has planned communities with parks, and other amenities build in.
Jordan Lake has miles of beaches and open water for Pittsboro families to visit.
Chatham Park in Pittsboro features a greenspace with an amphitheater for performances.
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Commuting to Chapel Hill and Research Triangle Park
U.S. Route 15-501 runs through Pittsboro. The highway is an important route for commuters heading 17 miles north into Chapel Hill to work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or UNC Hospital. U.S. Route 64 heads west into Siler City and east to Apex, where commuters can take State Route 540 to reach Research Triangle Park and Durham, roughly 30 miles away. Both highways intersect at a roundabout in Pittsboro’s town center. Fitzgerald says traffic can be at a standstill there during peak commute times. “There is one traffic light that backs up everything at the roundabout. Coming out of my store, I have to take a back road because I can sit there for 10 to 15 minutes,” she says. While Pittsboro doesn’t have public transportation, Chatham Transit offers rides throughout the county for as low as $2. Reservations must be made 48 hours in advance. Raleigh-Durham International Airport is a 31-mile drive east.
Pittsboro is a car-dependent community with a highly walkable downtown, but town officials want it to be more accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists. The Pittsboro, NC Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan calls for upgrading 10 crosswalks and creating a network of connector streets with bike lanes or shared-use paths.
Chatham County Schools offers an early start on higher education
Chatham County Schools serves a little over 8,900 students and earns an overall grade of B-plus from Niche. The district has 20 schools, three of which are in Pittsboro: Pittsboro Elementary, George Moses Horton Middle and Northwood High. All three schools earn a B-plus rating. Northwood is notable for its acclaimed Modern Dance Program, a first-of-its-kind for the state when it launched in 1972. “The Northwood athletic department is strong. The arts program is strong. They really believe in educating the whole child, and there’s a lot of emphasis on caring for everybody,” says Fitzgerald, whose children attend school in the district. In 2024, Chatham County Schools began offering free breakfast and lunch to all students as part of its ONE Chatham Strategic Direction plan. The town has one private school, Thales Academy Pittsboro, an unrated kindergarten through eighth-grade school.
Pittsboro is home to Central Carolina Community College, which offers various associate degrees in fields such as art, science and business technology, as well as ESL classes and continuing education. The school partners with Chatham County Schools to offer Chatham Early College, a program where high school students can graduate with a diploma and an associate degree.
The front of Pittsboro Elementary School in the area.
An aerial overview of the sports fields at Nothwood High School.
The front of Northwood High School.
Central Carolina Community College in Pittsboro offers a local educational alternative.
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Crime in Pittsboro and a note on flood risk
Pittsboro's CAP Index crime score is 3 out of 10, compared to the national average of 4. According to the FBI Crime Data Explorer, Pittsboro Police investigated 58 violent crimes and 117 property crimes in 2023. In 2022, there were 58 violent crimes and 90 property crimes. Fitzgerald says many people feel safe in the community, “People don’t lock their doors. I don’t worry about crime at all.”
Pittsboro experiences all four seasons, with mild winters and hot summers. A few inches of snowfall are possible each year, and hurricanes can impact the town. A network of creeks flows through the area, and some properties are at risk of flooding.
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On average, homes in Pittsboro, NC sell after 71 days on the market compared to the national average of 50 days. The median sale price for homes in Pittsboro, NC over the last 12 months is $632,196, up 6% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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