Mt. Airy/Pilot Mountain is too far away from Rocky Mount - in terms of the show - Mayberry must be in Central NC.
The fictional town of “Mayberry” was based on Mount Airy, NC. That’s where Andy Griffin is from. His ‘legacy’ is a big tourist attraction there, but I don’t think he has much to do with the place after he left it decades ago. That might have changed. I don’t really care about it, or follow it. Was just posting what I DO know.
It's Mt. Airy. Writers took liberties with geography and used town names they found interesting, I guess. The Darlings came down off the mountain to Mayberry from Cana, which is just over the state line in VA. That's one town in close proximity that they got right.
"Aunt Bea" retired to Siler City, which actually is more central NC and not that close to Mt. Airy. Not that close to Rocky Mount either but it's an hour or so to RDU. Appeared in parades and such, she was a beloved figure but became rather eccentric in her later years and unpleasant, surprisingly. The beautiful home she purchased was discovered to be pretty nasty inside after her death. Alzheimers maybe. Sad.