Wellness in Raleigh, NC: Active Living, Healthcare & Well-Being

Wellness isn’t just about scheduling your annual doctor’s visits or hiking in the great outdoors. Holistic wellness is about taking steps to improve your physical, mental and social well-being at all stages of life. Raleigh takes well-being seriously, with facilities and city institutions dedicated to everyday wellness. The result is residents who are among the happiest in the nation and a world-class healthcare system.

Everyday Wellness & Outdoor Recreation

Raleigh consistently ranks as the third-sportiest city in America, and from its plentiful sports facilities and miles of greenway, it’s easy to see why.

Active Infrastructure

For those who prefer organized spaces for running, walking, cycling and group fitness, Raleigh has an exceptional network of parks and recreation facilities that make it easy to stay active.

• Walnut Creek Athletic Complex: Home to the City of Raleigh Adult Softball Leagues and youth softball and baseball games, the 204-acre complex has nine fenced, halogen-lit fields with 18 bullpens, skinned infields, and hybrid-grass outfields.
• Dorothea Dix Park: Explore 308 acres of urban Raleigh parkland, featuring the Gipson Play Plaza, the Southeast’s largest adventure playground, a 2.5-acre dog park, and art installations throughout.
• Fantasy Lake Adventure Park: This 100-acre former quarry is now a crystal-clear adventure lake with floating obstacle courses, zip lines, paddleboards, cliff jumps, sandy beaches and some of the area’s best scuba diving.

Trail Networks & City Greenways

The City of Oaks prioritizes an active outdoor lifestyle for its residents.

• Capital Area Greenway Trail System: Raleigh’s expansive greenway covers over 120 miles of paved and unpaved trails, connecting the city’s lakes, universities, parks and diverse neighborhoods, stretching from Lake Johnson Nature Preserve in the south all the way to Falls Lake in the north.
• Active Mobility Program: This city program advances active infrastructure, continually adding to and updating the over 75 miles of delineated bike lanes and increasing the share of city roads with sidewalks to over its current 55%.

Anchor Healthcare Systems

Raleigh is home to three standout health systems: WakeMed, Duke Health and UNC Healthcare. These hospitals, outpatient facilities, urgent cares and physician practices serve tens of thousands of residents every year, providing world-class care.

Consistent medical research and investment define Raleigh healthcare, including the planned NC Children’s Hospital, a first-of-its-kind partnership between UNC Health and Duke Health to build the Carolinas’ only freestanding children’s hospital. The 220-acre campus will feature 500 pediatric acute care beds, 70 behavioral health beds, more than 300 pediatric specialists, and a major pediatric research program, bringing together clinical care and medical education for specialized children’s healthcare.

WakeMed

WakeMed operates three acute care hospitals, along with a dedicated rehabilitation hospital and a behavioral health hospital, providing a combined total of 973 beds. The health system also includes four Healthplex facilities with 24/7 standalone emergency departments, an extensive network of outpatient services and physician practices with more than 350 doctors across nearly every medical specialty, located throughout the region.

The WakeMed Raleigh Campus is the flagship hospital, providing first-in-class care for specialties including Brain & Spine, Children’s ER, and Neonatal Intensive Care. The hospital is also the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Wake County.

UNC Health

UNC Hospitals is a public academic health system serving North Carolina through a network of specialty hospitals, including the regional arm, UNC Health Rex, which is the top hospital for Bariatric Surgery in the nation. UNC Hospitals also include nationally recognized cancer, children’s, women’s, neuroscience and trauma care. With more than 1,000 beds and over 7,100 employees, the system combines advanced patient care, medical education and leading-edge research while treating more than 37,000 patients annually.

The UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of only 40 National Cancer Institute-designated centers in the nation, providing comprehensive cancer care in a single center. UNC Hospitals are recognized regionally and nationally for their expertise in specialties including rheumatology, digestive diseases, arthritis, endocrinology, ENT, gynecology and more.

Duke University Health System

Duke Health is one of the nation’s leading academic health systems, serving patients across 32 North Carolina counties through a network that includes Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, and Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital. Its flagship, Duke University Hospital, is a 1,062-bed academic medical center consistently ranked among the best hospitals in the U.S., featuring a Level I trauma center, 51 operating rooms, advanced diagnostic and surgical facilities, and national rankings in 11 adult and 10 pediatric specialties.

The system regularly receives 10s of millions in federal and state research grants, furthering global knowledge of autism, cancer, mental illness and more.

55+ Living, Senior Care & Eldercare Support

Aging well is a priority in Raleigh, and for older residents or those caring for aging parents, this is a huge perk. 12% of Raleigh locals are 65 and older, and that number is only growing. These residents look forward to safe, pleasant, and dignified aging in a city that supports seniors.

Continuing Care & Upscale Assisted Living

Senior living in Raleigh looks less like a traditional retirement community and more like an amenity-rich neighborhood.

• Resort-Style Assisted Living: Facilities like Independence Village of Olde Raleigh and The Willows at Raleigh offer luxury amenities, including chef-prepared meals served table-side, social groups, fitness centers and more.
• Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs): These facilities, including Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community, allow residents to age gracefully and in one place, moving from independent living to assisted living to memory care in the same location.

Memory Care & Caregiver Guidance

Raleigh has a wide selection of premier memory care facilities and in-home caregivers.

• Memory Care: Communities like Kingswood Reserve in nearby Clayton offer safe, engaging environments tailored for individuals with dementia. Each patient has personalized programming including social activities, medication management and more.
• In-home Care: Seniors don’t have to leave the comfort of their own home. With Home Instead, a licensed caregiver provides personalized in-home memory care.

Local Nutrition, Holistic & Mental Health

Wellness is more than medical care. How you nourish your body and care for your mental well-being matters too. Building a healthy lifestyle in Raleigh is easy thanks to the area’s abundance of farmers markets, local food producers, parks, greenways, fitness studios and community wellness programs.

Fresh Food Access & Farm-to-Table Options

The Triangle’s year-round growing season provides access to fresh, locally sourced foods. Whether you’re stocking your kitchen with seasonal produce or supporting regional farmers, you’ll find plenty of excellent options.

• Farmers Markets: There are plenty of options, from the 75-acre State Farmers Market where residents buy fresh produce and garden plants to the Cary Farmers Market, which highlights local small businesses.
• Specialty Grocers: Raleigh has a range of specialty stores from the Weaver Street Market co-op to the 30,000-square-feet Grand Asia Market.

Mental Wellness & Restorative Spaces

These Raleigh centers help you take care of your mental and physical health.

• Mental Health Care: Places like Raleigh Wellness and Behavioral Health are locally owned and provide private outpatient Psychiatric care for Raleigh residents.
• Holistic and Physical Wellness: Centers like Current Wellness offer yoga and movement classes, along with specialized coaching and mental health counseling, supporting members’ overall wellness.

Plan Your Wellness Scouting Trip

The best way to know if Raleigh is the place for you is to experience it for yourself. Visit to scout your move and spend time exploring beyond downtown: walk or bike part of the Capital Area Greenway System, browse the State Farmers Market, grab a coffee at a local cafe like Willow House Coffee, and drive from your favorite neighborhoods to nearby healthcare campuses to get a feel for your future routine.

Ready to find a Raleigh neighborhood that fits your healthy, active lifestyle?