Where is a good place to live in North Carolina? I'm not looking for a large city but not a hick town either. I'm looking for a place with a good cost of living, with lots of jobs available for nurses.

I loved Jacksonville, North Carolina -- not a huge city, but it is a military town, with a decent sized hospital, several doctor's offices and clinics, and lots of fun things to do. Additionally, it is right on the ocean, which was a big, big plus for me.

North Carolina is such a large state that it offers a wide selection of good places to live.
We've lived in North Carolina for 13 years and moved to Tarboro 3 years ago. Heritage Hospital is right here in our little town of 11,000 people and nursing positions are often available there as well as in several very nice senior living communities.
Some of what makes Tarboro great is the nice downtown for shopping and the 45-block historic district. The homes are VERY affordable, and the community is very involved in creative activities to make life here more enjoyable. We have a street fair EVERY month called Tarboro's 2nd Saturdays with live music, food, arts & crafts and more. We have a natural healing arts center with yoga, t'ai chi, meditation etc., bicycle trails, a terrific sports center, Riverfront Park and a 13 acre town common. The best part of living here is the people. You'll never meet a friendlier, more welcoming community. http://www.gotarboro.com

Wilmington, near the beach is a great historic, laid back town. Progressive, but not too huge.
Hickory is said to be a great place to live.
Winston-Salem/Greensboro area has several hospitals and surgery clinics, countless positions for nurses with a variety of specialties.

I would say Cary, Morrisville...anything outside of Raleigh but close enough to work at one of the many hospitals.

I stay in Morrisville, between Raleigh and Durham, it's small, but because of where it is, there is so much around it, and within 5-10 miles. Check it out.