Holly Springs is home to biotech companies and a growing downtown
A friendly suburb in North Carolina's Triangle region, Holly Springs' population has grown to nearly 50,000 residents. Sprawling ‘90s neighborhoods border new subdivisions, while greenspaces sandwich downtown in the southwestern end. "The downtown area is very quaint with lots of restaurants, shops, and a farmers' market on Saturday," says Renee Rogers, Realtor with Keller Williams Legacy Apex. "There's even a new rooftop bar.” Public transportation is easily accessible, and a hospital and airport are nearby. The town is a life science and biomanufacturing hub, with flu vaccine manufacturing plant CSL Seqirus and biotechnology company Amgen. Residents can commute about 20 miles southwest to Raleigh or one of the many tech companies based in Research Triangle Park.
Holly Springs gives families the chance to spread out while being 20 miles from Raleigh.
Holly Springs is a s a life science and biomanufacturing hub with companies like Amgen.
Residents of Holly Springs can commute about 20 miles southwest to Raleigh.
Downtown Holly Springs is very quaint with lots of restaurants, shops.
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Craftsman-style architecture in friendly neighborhoods
With most homes built between the 1990s and 2020s, styles vary significantly in Holly Springs, with a median single-family price of $665,000. It's common to see Craftsman, traditional-style and custom homes throughout the leafy subdivisions. "In Holly Springs, you can get more land than you would in Raleigh or Cary," Rogers says. "Homes aren't going to be on top of each other like in other areas." Townhouses range in price from $330,000 to nearly $540,000 in subdivisions like Woodcreek.
In the popular Twelve Oaks neighborhood, a three-bedroom single-family house will start at around $530,000 and go as high as $1.7 million for a six-bedroom new build. These homes might back up to the 12 Oaks golf course or its club, which offers a pool and tennis & pickleball courts. “There’s a lot of golf course communities with clubhouses here,” says Zach Honeycutt, Real Estate Agent with Honeycutt Realtors. Towards the eastern end, Sunset Ridge and Sunset Oaks neighborhoods are “relaxed and social; kids ride their bikes here, plus the neighbors are friendly.”
It's common to see Craftsman, traditional-style and custom homes throughout Holly Springs.
Townhomes in Holly Springs range from from $330,000 to nearly $540,000.
In Holly Springs some homes might back up to the 12 Oaks golf course or its club.
12 Oaks golf course is a Holly Springs favorite place for families.
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Holly Springs Salamanders games at Ting Park
At Ting Park, Ting Stadium hosts the Holly Springs Salamanders collegiate summer baseball team and the Wake Football Club. The park also has a soccer center, tennis complex, pickleball courts and playgrounds.
Holly Springs has plenty of spots for fishing enthusiasts to cast their lines. "It's very close to the lake," Chan says, referring to Bass Lake. "People like to go boating and running; it's a good area for that." Bass Lake Park includes a nature center and greenway trails that connect to Sugg Farm. As the name suggests, this space used to be farmland but is now used for events, festivals and a dog park. Hunt Recreation Center has a gym, indoor track and group exercise rooms for indoor fitness.
Come see the Holly Springs Salamanders during summer league play at Ting Park.
Ting Park in Holly Springs has many different types of fields to play on.
Hunt Recreation Center in Holly Springs has a gym, indoor track and group exercise rooms.
Stick your toes in the sand, throw a line in the water or a take a canoe ride at Bass Lake Park.
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Highly rated Wake County schools
The Wake County School District serves over 160,000 students and earns an overall A grade from Niche. Holly Springs has five elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. In the 2022-2023 school year, the high school maintained a 95.4% graduation rate. Hannah Chan, a Realtor with Cary-Raleigh Realty, says the nearest private school, Thales Academy, is "very good." It enrolls Kindergarten through ninth grade students.
One of the newer elementary schools in Holly Springs, Oakview runs on the traditional calendar.
Home to nearly 1000 teenagers Holly Grove Middle School is a multi-track year round school.
Buckhorn Creek is 1 of 5 elementary schools in Holly Springs.
Holly Ridge Elementary School serves students in Holly Springs.
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HollyFest and holiday festivities
From the annual HollyFest to the Spring Fling Easter event, Holly Springs has a lot to celebrate. "They're having a big hot air balloon festival out in Bass Lake Park," Chan says, referring to The Balloon Glow & Laser Show flying into town. In the summer, residents can taste a variety of cuisines at the International Food Festival. The community also comes together for holidays with the Happy Holly Days Parade, Family Spooktacular and July 5th celebration.
Local eateries and Shoppes at Holly Springs
There are a handful of local restaurants in downtown Holly Springs. Whether it's Carolina Brewing Company or Bombshell Beer Company — North Carolina's first woman-owned brewery — there are multiple options for grabbing a drink. "The downtown Holly Springs area is definitely growing," Chan says. "But they also have a big shopping area with a T.J. Maxx. Mostly everyone goes shopping there." Shoppes at Holly Springs is home to well-known stores and several chain restaurants. Further north up the road is Holly Springs Towne Center, which features even more retail stores and restaurants, as well as fitness centers and boutiques. Locals can also pick up their groceries at the weekly farmers market.
This sign don't lie! Come hoist a pint or two at Bombshell Beer Company in Holly Springs.
Holly Springs has the small town feel with all the amenities you expect in the city.
Osha Thai in downtown Holly Springs has great sushi.
Holly Springs has well-known stores and several chain restaurants.
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Commuting on U.S. Route 401
State Route 55 provides access to most of Holly Springs, and U.S. Route 401 to the south leads to Raleigh. “Holly Springs has a lot of roundabouts to help the traffic flow better,” Rogers says. “I don’t know if it necessarily does.” The GoTriangle bus service links residents from downtown Holly Springs to downtown Raleigh and offers a park-and-ride lot at Ting Park. Commute times average 30 minutes during rush hour. WakeMed Cary Hospital sits roughly 9 miles northeast, and the Raleigh-Durham International Airport is about 23 miles north. Bike lanes sit to the south, and sidewalks will connect neighborhoods and parks near downtown by the spring of 2025.
State Route 55 provides access to most of Holly Springs.
Duke, UNC and Wake Med all have hospitals near Holly Springs.
Raleigh-Durham International Airport is about 23 miles north of Holly Springs.
Bike lanes connect neighborhoods in Holly Springs.
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Crime rates below the national average
Holly Springs has a CAP Index of 3 out of 10, slightly lower than the national average of 4. According to FBI crime data, violent and property crime rates were below the national and state averages in 2023. The town experiences all four seasons.
Gretchen Coley is a visionary in the real estate industry, leading the #1 Compass team in the Triangle with over 2,400 transactions and $5 billion in sales. Known for her concierge-level service and innovative marketing, she uses cutting-edge technology and video storytelling to achieve outstanding results for her clients. With more than two decades of experience, Gretchen has built lasting relationships with builders and developers, playing a key role in shaping communities from the ground up. Her "Best of Raleigh" video, blog, and podcast series highlights the city's vibrant lifestyle, connecting clients with the communities they will love to call home.
Beyond her business, Gretchen is deeply invested in her community. She holds leadership roles, including serving as a Board Member of RRAR’s Realtor Giving Network, focusing on giving back and supporting local businesses. Her passion for real estate and her love for Raleigh shine through in everything she does, making her a trusted advisor to her clients.
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