Contemplating moving from MA to NC

I work in tech, and live in the Greater Boston area with wife and 3 kids all elementary school aged. We've been living here for 10+ years. I've been contemplating moving to NC and visited the Raleigh area thrice already.

I liked the area overall, but my concerns stem from watching WRAL news citing crime/gun violence and quality of schools relative to MA.

Primary reasons NC appeals to us for a move:

* Have family nearby in southern VA
* Strong tech presence in RTP area so perhaps job opportunities in tech
* Newer home builds than MA at the same price point/more affordable home prices in general relative to MA
* Annual weather is slightly less extreme, especially in the winter relative to the Northeast/MA

In general, I don't hear about gun violence in MA as often as I do when checking out NC news, so that is a concern I have. Also, when calling some school districts in NC, they told me a lot of the good ones are capped and full due to so many people already having moved there.

I know everyone and their aunt has been and is still moving to NC in recent years and locals probably don't want any more crowding, but hoping folks can give me some unbiased and honest takes on whether the move is worth it given to two major concerns *gun violence*/*crime* and *school quality* . School quality concerns are a bit less weighted for me than the safety factor, since homeschooling in NC is relatively easier than MA (stricter requirements/regulations) so it's always an option.