Magnolia Grove

Goldsboro is a charming city in Eastern North Carolina that offers the entertainment and amenities of a city with the peaceful atmosphere of a suburb. With a multitude of daily options for how you’d like to spend your time, whether at a park, a pub, or a shop, you can always find an activity to enjoy near home. D.R. Horton offers brand new homes for sale in Goldsboro, NC, all with spacious, open floorplans, new appliances, a smart home technology package, and more. Our homes are designed with modern life in mind, so you can settle into Goldsboro knowing you have everything you need.

Why choose Goldsboro, North Carolina

Wayne County’s quaint, historic city of Goldsboro provides residents with plenty to do and see, with a downtown area full of arts, culture, unique shopping, bars, and restaurants. Outdoorsy folks have plenty of options too, from local parks and playgrounds to paddle trails to thousand-acre state parks.

Goldsboro, NC is the midpoint between many of the state’s iconic locations, making it easy to expand your entertainment, recreation, or employment opportunities. Located one hour from Fayetteville, Fort Liberty, and the state capital of Raleigh; two hours from the beaches of the Crystal Coast; and home to the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Goldsboro offers a unique mix of opportunities, people, and lifestyles.

Entertainment and the arts in Goldsboro, NC

Downtown Goldsboro, NC is a great place to hang out and enjoy beautiful architecture, taste great food and barbecue, step into one of many thriving businesses, or attend an event. Foodies and beer and wine connoisseurs alike can enjoy downtown’s tap houses, craft beer rooms, local wineries, cocktail lounges, and restaurants for a wide variety of cuisine and beverages. If you’re not sure where to start, Goldsboro created The Culinary & The Crafted Crawl that guides you through several downtown spots with a great selection. Each location is unique, so you can discover pinball, pool tables, food cooked by the former chef for the King of Thailand, pet-friendly taprooms, live music, and more.

Downtown Goldsboro also offers several unique, artistic shops, offering handmade gifts, vintage clothing, vinyl records, and art, so you’re sure to find a boutique that piques your interest. Art isn’t limited to live music in a taproom or goods in a shop in Goldsboro, though. You can check out the Wayne County Museum in Goldsboro, explore an art walk past murals and sculptures downtown, enjoy live music and concerts at community events like the Center Street Jam summer concert series, catch a movie outdoors in a series of fall movie nights, and more.

Originally built in 1822, the Paramount Theater is a historic hub of artistic expression in Goldsboro. The building has been used for many different things over the years, from Goldsboro Rifles drill practices to a vaudeville genre theatre venue. Now, you can catch shows like concerts ranging from classical to a cappella to well-known or local bands, musicals, standup comedy shows, fashion shows, and theatrical performances. Center Stage Theatre, a non-profit community theater group established in 1978, provides entertainment to Wayne County and beyond. Center Stage Theater’s full-scale productions at the Paramount Theater, annual rendition of A Christmas Carol, and One-Act performances reminiscent of the improv comedy show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” are staples of the community.

Local art and performances can also be found through First Amendment – Goldsboro, LLC, a spoken-word performing arts theater that focuses on bringing a voice to those who feel voiceless. You can enjoy a night of spoken word poetry, music, stories, rap, songs, and voices of every kind sharing their talent and their truth at Open Mic events. Performances take place every third Saturday of the month and often feature an after party. A more upbeat local performance group to enjoy is A Drummers World Drumline, a non-profit organization known for bringing fun-filled and exciting performances to people in North Carolina. It is also the first Performing Arts School in Wayne County that entails drumming, dance, color guard, character building, and youth empowerment.

Trails and parks in Goldsboro, North Carolina

Goldsboro is home to many outdoor activities and parks, like local favorite, Herman Park. Herman Park is the oldest park in Goldsboro and features a playground, picnic shelters, 10 lighted tennis courts, a basketball half-court, a gazebo, a park house, a sculpture fountain, and open space to run and play. The picnic shelters, gazebo, and park house can all be reserved. Uniquely, Herman Park also includes a miniature train ride and a concessions stand on the weekends. Stoney Creek Park is another local favorite, featuring walking paths, picnic areas, a playground, a disc golf course, and a dog park.

If you’re wanting to dive into nature, Cliffs of the Neuse State Park in Wayne County is located just 15 miles southeast of Goldsboro. The park features a landscape made up of the Neuse River, multi-colored cliffs rising 90 feet above the river, an 11-acre lake, creeks, and longleaf pine restoration areas. You can enjoy the scenery on four miles of hiking trails, just under four miles of biking trails, or while paddling or fishing on the water. Visitors can also enjoy camping areas for tents and RVs, an amphitheater, and picnic areas. The park also has seasonally available activities and resources, like boat rentals, a concession stand, and swimming in the lake, which has a beach area on the shore.

Cliffs of the Neuse State Park also provide opportunities for learning about the area’s history, as the cliffs date back to prehistoric times, with the Neuse River estimated to be over two million years old. The cliffs formed when a fault in the Earth’s crust shifted millions of years ago. Over time, the Neuse River following the fault line carved what is now the present day wonder seen at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. You can learn more about the area and its history—including human interaction with the area—from park staff and exhibits at the visitor center.

The river and trails in Cliffs of the Neuse State Park are also part of the greater Wayne County Paddle Trails system, which consists of more than 70 miles of interconnected waterways that flow through Wayne County. This trail system also extends well past county lines, becoming just a local piece of the larger North Carolina State Trails system. The massive Mountains-to-Sea State Trail, which will be around 1,400 miles long when fully completed, stretches from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the Coastal Plains region. The northern route closely follows the Neuse River near Goldsboro, with options for hiking, paddling, and, in some areas, biking and horseback riding. This Neuse River Trail segment of the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail is also designated as part of the East Coast Greenway State Trail on land. The East Coast Greenway is a walking and biking trail planned to be 3,000 miles long when complete and will run across the entire coast from Maine to Florida.

If you’re more interested in a day full of sun and sand, Goldsboro, NC is about two hours from favorite North Carolina beaches on the coast, perfect for a day trip or weekend getaway. Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach, both about a two hour drive, are known for their beautiful, clear waters and cute coastal towns, making them a popular destination for beach adventures. People who appreciate a more rugged coastline environment gravitate toward the Outer Banks area, a little over three hours from Goldsboro, for the area’s undeveloped yet beautiful beaches.

Whether you want a short hike or bike ride, a several-month backpacking journey across the coast, a calm paddle, or a relaxing day trip to the beach, Goldsboro has you covered. With so many options for outdoor recreation and multiple connections to major state trails, Goldsboro makes enjoying the natural beauty of North Carolina an easy task.

Businesses and economics in Goldsboro

Goldsboro’s diverse and thriving economy is owed in part to the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. The base itself plays a significant role in the economy, providing jobs to thousands of enlisted military personnel and nearly 2,000 civilians and reservists. The presence of the base draws in additional business, further strengthening the local economy. Goldsboro and the surrounding area also benefit from a large agricultural presence, with much of Wayne County’s land operating as farms and ranches.

Outside of military and agriculture, Goldsboro also thrives in the healthcare, service, education, and manufacturing industries. Major employers in Goldsboro and Wayne County include UNC Health Wayne, Case Farms, Butterball, Wayco Hams, Mt. Olive Pickle Company, Wayne County Public Schools, and NC State University, which is the Goldsboro campus of the University of North Carolina system.

Additional employment opportunities can be found in retail and service at many local businesses or major chains, with lots of coffee shops, well-known grocery chains, big-box stores, banks, restaurants, and more in the area. For even more opportunities, Goldsboro is located about an hour from Fayetteville, Fort Liberty, and the state capital of Raleigh, allowing residents to commute to a larger city if desired.

New construction homes in Goldsboro, NC

Goldsboro, North Carolina offers a range of recreational activities for every lifestyle, from being active in nature to hanging out at a cocktail lounge. With so much to do and plenty of employment opportunities, Goldsboro is a great place to call home at every stage in life. D.R. Horton’s homes in Goldsboro make that possible, with affordable new build homes you can trust and a variety of floorplans to choose from. Browse our Goldsboro home listings today, or reach out to us for more information.