Retirement relocation
Retiring in Pinehurst, North Carolina
Most people who retire here are choosing three things at once: a hospital within minutes, golf and walking within the village, and a tax picture that holds up. Here is how each of those actually works on the ground, and where the trade-offs are.
The four things that decide it
Healthcare at the center
FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital is roughly 0.7 miles from the village center, with specialty offices clustered around the campus. For most retirees this is the single biggest practical reason Pinehurst works.
Golf without a club obligation
Pinehurst Resort anchors the golf identity, and the village adds greenway trails, Cannon Park and Tufts Memorial Park. Club membership is a separate decision from where you buy — dues and requirements vary by community.
A predictable tax picture
Pinehurst's municipal rate of $0.225 per $100 is the lowest of the county's towns, on top of the county's $0.29 per $100 of valuation. North Carolina does not tax Social Security benefits.
Housing that fits a next chapter
Villas and townhomes generally start in the mid $300s, established village-area homes commonly run from the mid $500s through the $900s, and CCNC, Forest Creek and larger custom homes move past $1M. These are my field estimates, not published statistics.
What to weigh honestly
- Major airports are over an hour away — RDU is about 69 miles from the village.
- Historic-district design standards can limit exterior changes and new construction.
- Resort and championship weeks bring visitor traffic through the village.
- Single-level homes and low-maintenance villas move fastest; be ready to act on the right one.
- If the budget is tighter, Southern Pines, Whispering Pines, Seven Lakes and Pinebluff each offer a version of this lifestyle for less.
Let's build your shortlist
Tell me your must-haves — single level, walkable, near the hospital, golf frontage, low maintenance — and I will send back the communities that fit and the ones to skip.
Blake Altman · NC License #326008 · Keller Williams Pinehurst
(910) 995-1411
Questions I get every week
- Does North Carolina tax Social Security benefits?
- No. North Carolina does not tax Social Security retirement benefits. Other retirement income, including pensions and withdrawals from retirement accounts, is generally taxed as regular income at the state's flat individual rate — confirm your own situation with the North Carolina Department of Revenue or your tax advisor.
- What is the property tax rate in Pinehurst?
- The Village of Pinehurst municipal rate is $0.225 per $100 of valuation for 2025-26, added to the Moore County rate of $0.29 per $100. It is the lowest municipal rate among Moore County towns, though village home values are among the county's highest.
- How close is the hospital?
- FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital sits roughly 0.7 miles from the Pinehurst village center, which is why so many retirees and healthcare professionals concentrate here.
- Do I have to join a club to live in Pinehurst?
- No. Club membership is separate from home ownership. Some communities carry mandatory dues or amenity fees while others do not, so membership requirements and costs need to be checked community by community — and in some cases home by home.
- Can I find single-level homes?
- Yes. Ranch and single-level plans exist across the village, the newer enclaves, and nearby communities, but they are the most competitive segment of the market. If a primary-suite-on-main is non-negotiable, that filter should shape the search from day one.