One of the biggest downsides of living in Raleigh is it’s generally not very walkable. You will most likely need a car to live in Raleigh, which is important to consider if you want to avoid a long commute. Its higher cost of living compared to other cities is likely to be a downside for many people, too.
Additionally, while it’s not incredibly far from the beach, it’s not minutes away like in other famously coastal cities like Los Angeles or Miami.