Get to Know Johnston County

Johnston County has exploded in population since the early 2000s, as residents looking to live near Raleigh and the Research Triangle have begun to move farther afield in search of more land and more affordable housing options. New residents of Johnston County are sure to meet more and more neighbors as the area continues to grow, especially with the newest 18-mile extension of I-540 across southern Wake County, which creates a more efficient (and faster) connection between Johnston County and Raleigh. The area is made up of a smattering of small towns that are being developed just as quickly as they are being settled. Clayton is the biggest community in Johnston County and the most well-known, with Benson being another popular choice for newcomers. Benson’s annual Mule Days Festival, a four-day affair with a rodeo, carnival, and bluegrass shows is a reminder of the county’s recent rural past.

Get to know our homes for sale in Johnston County

You can also check out our homes for rent in Johnston County

Living in the Research Triangle

The Research Triangle, or just the Triangle, is the three-sided region encompassed by the invisible lines that connect its three anchor cities: Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. This alliance came about in the late 1950s when academics at the three major research universities in each city — North Carolina State University in Raleigh, Duke in Durham, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — proposed the creation of a research park to allow the three schools to collaborate. The result, Research Triangle Park, which borders all three cities, quickly became an enormous success. As a result of RTP’s development, the Triangle has become an incredibly vibrant place to live, attracting newcomers with a combination of historic architecture, Southern charm, a delicious food scene, and an atmosphere of college town coolness married to high-tech employment opportunities and investment.