Raeford offers small city living west of Fayetteville
Surrounded by a patchwork of pine forest and pastures, Raeford is a rural city about 24 miles west of Fayetteville in the North Carolina Sandhills. With a historic downtown, sprawling parks and abundant natural scenery, this community of around 4,500 people attracts those looking for a small-town feel within driving distance of big-city amenities. One of Raeford’s biggest draws is its proximity to Fort Bragg, which is one of the largest military bases in the world and a top employer for the region. “Probably 90% of the people moving to Hoke County are military,” says Corinne Smith, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Advantage - Fayetteville, who has over 20 years of experience. “The housing market has always been good here because of Fort Bragg.”
Hoke County is known for being one of the leading turkey producers in the United States, and Raeford is home to a Butterball production plant. The county’s ties to the poultry industry are honored with a festival every October that draws around 30,000 people to downtown Raeford. The city’s economy is diverse, however, with most people working in the education, retail and manufacturing industries.
Raeford's housing median is below the national figure
The median price for a single-family home in Raeford is around $320,000, lower than the national median of about $405,000. Homes near downtown are laid out on a traditional street grid, while those on the outskirts dot winding, country roads with lots of open space. Early 20th-century bungalows and midcentury ranch-style homes, as well as Colonial and Greek Revivals, are most common, but new construction is also available. “We’re seeing a lot of new builds in Hoke County and Raeford right now,” Smith says.
Shopping and dining in the Raeford Historic District
Downtown Raeford offers a glimpse of the past. Many of its preserved buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including some examples of Colonial Revival and Queen Anne architecture built in the early 1900s. It’s also home to the historic Hoke County Courthouse. “It’s small and quaint. It kind of puts you back in time,” Smith says. Local business is the beating heart of this district, where family-owned restaurants neighbor mom-and-pop shops like Raeford Hardware, which has been in operation since 1903. Raeford offers some national retailers and grocery chains, but for name-brand shopping, many residents head to Fayetteville, which has its own bustling downtown district and many shopping centers.
Family-friendly fun at the North Carolina Fall Festival
Raeford swells with tens of thousands of visitors for the North Carolina Fall Festival, held each October. The long-running celebration that was originally called the North Carolina Turkey Festival fills Main Street with dozens of vendors and food trucks, carnival games and live music from local bands. Artists and makers can compete in an arts and crafts contest, while classic car owners can show off their vehicles with a car cruise-in. A week of events lead up to the festival, from an annual high school football matchup known as the Turkey Bowl to a golf tournament and a parade. In previous years, the festival has included a turkey cooking contest.
Outdoor recreation in and around Raeford
There are several centrally located parks in Raeford. Tall pines shade McLauchlin Park, which features a playground and hosts the Hoke County Farmer’s Market twice a month. The sports-focused Robbin Heights Park offers a baseball diamond, multi-purpose field and basketball courts.
Several popular recreational facilities are outside the city proper, including the James A. Leach Aquatic & Recreation Center, Paraclete XP, which offers traditional and indoor skydiving, and Carolina Horse Park, which is a well-known equestrian center that hosts national and international events. While the golfing capital of Pinehurst is less than 30 miles away, golfers can hit the links nearby at the Bayonet at Puppy Creek, which offers an 18-hole public course.
Calloway Forest Preserve and Lumber River State Park offer outdoor adventures, from hiking and camping to fishing and kayaking.
Students can attend Hoke County schools
Hoke County Schools serves Raeford and is the county’s largest employer. The district earns a B-minus overall rating from Niche and has about 8,600 students and 14 schools. Raeford hosts the A-plus-rated SandHoke Early College High, which Niche ranks as the top public high school in the Fayetteville area for 2025. The city also has a satellite campus for Sandhills Community College.
Commuters have close highway access to reach Fort Bragg
U.S. Route 401 hugs Raeford, offering commuters a straightforward route to Fayetteville and Fort Bragg. It’s about 17 miles to the nearest Interstate 95 on-ramp, a major north-south corridor along the East Coast. Fayetteville Regional Airport, which offers nonstop flights to destinations like Charlotte, Atlanta and Dallas, is about 23 miles away. The nearest hospitals are FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital and Hoke Hospital, about 6 miles east of the city.
