Livability Awards
Located in the state of North Carolina, Cary is a medium-sized city with a population of 155,822 residents. The majority of Cary residents report their race to be White; this is followed by Asian and Black. If finding a family friendly city is important to you, look no further. With more than 83% of the population considered married and 49% with kids under the age of 18, Cary could be considered a very suitable city for families.
Are you trying to decide if living in Cary is the right fit for your lifestyle? To ensure a great experience before relocating to any new city in North Carolina, you will probably want to make sure that you check all of the most important boxes. Finding the best places to live in Cary and nearby areas is a much easier task when you can rely on information and data from the livability score, which includes crime, weather, education, employment and other important metrics.
With a livability score of 86/100, Cary is ranked #301 in the United States and #4 in North Carolina. Compared to the United States average, Cary ranks among some of the best places to live in the country! Cary also ranks in the top 10 percent of all cities, which is no small feat! If we probe a little deeper into each category within the livability score, we see that Cary has higher than average rankings for the following: amenities (A+), crime (A+), weather (B-), education (A+) and employment (B+). There is at least one category that does not have great scores in Cary. The following was graded with a disappointing score: cost of living (F).
Conveniently located amenities and interesting attractions are a great way to continuously enjoy Cary on a regular basis. Knowing that there are an abundance of amenities and things to do can ensure that you always have access to nearby grocery stores, restaurants and coffee shops. Here are some of the more popular things to do in Cary: The Umstead Spa, Fred G. Bond Metro Park, and Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve.
Low violent crime (murder, rape, robbery, assault) is a must for most people when searching for a new area to live. At 64 crimes per 100,000 residents, Cary has a violent crime rate that is far below the national average.
The average school test scores in Cary are 68%. This far exceeds the national average and ensures that this educational system will provide your children with the skills and the tools they need to thrive.
Certain items on your wish list like shopping, restaurants, nightlife and proximity to public transportation are all important factors to search for. Having said that, perhaps the most important metric to consider when contemplating a move to Cary is real estate affordability. Median real estate prices in Cary come in at $309,800, which is 97.2% higher than the North Carolina average. The home price to income ratio compares the median home prices to the median household income. In Cary, the home price to income ratio is 3.3, which is 0% lower than the North Carolina average. Year over year appreciation rates for homes in the Cary area were 3.7% and the 5 year appreciation rates came in at 5.2%. Why is this important? Knowing the appreciation rates for any area is a quick and easy way to determine if you will see a solid return on your investment.
| Statistic | Cary | North Carolina | National |
| Average one way commute | 22min | 24min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 78.3% | 81.1% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 8.5% | 9.8% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 0.6% | 1.1% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 1.1% | 1.8% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 10.2% | 4.8% | 4.6% |
| Walk | Bike | Compact | Car | S.U.V. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | |||||
| Duration | |||||
| Cost/Month |
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