IIRC, the last 10-15 years it has been the most sought after destination for northeastern retirees.....
We call them halfbacks. They retire from the northeast to Florida then move halfway back. I grew up in WNC and it is even worse there than here in Raleigh.
Retirees tend to be pretty conservative overall.The older you get the more conservative you get.I think that the Research Triangle is more to blame.