The downtown areas of Morganton and Hickory are small but clean and exceptionally authentic examples of the Southern small town. There are some recreational opportunities in the nearby mountains to the west and large Lake Norman to the southeast. The area is in the heart of the Bible Belt, evidence of which is all around. Cost of living is low and crime is among the lowest in the state. Some may not find enough in the way of intellectual stimulation, including cultural amenities and higher education.

The terrain is mostly hilly and wooded. The Catawba River runs through the area and turns south into Lake Norman at the east edge of the county, where the land begins to flatten out into the Carolina Piedmont. The climate is typical of the region. The mountains to the northwest block and warm cold northwest winds. The ocean is too far away to affect summer temperatures but can moderate winter cold.

Summers are warm with frequent 90 degrees days and thundershowers. Winters are cool but not excessively so. Winter temperatures frequently touch freezing, but seldom go far below. Snow and snow accumulations are rare. Rainfall is evenly distributed through the year, with fall being the driest.