Garner 76 Excellent
Garner Livability #35 ranked city in North Carolina#3,421 ranked city in the USARanks better than 88% of areas
Is This the Right Place for You? Local Insights Report
  • Uncover the key details before you move
  • Use local data to guide a smarter investment
  • Compare neighborhoods side by side
Local Insights Report

Pros and Cons of Living in Garner

PROS
  • Commute Commute

    A high commute score suggests convenient, easy access to public transportation, with shorter-than-average work commute times to work.

  • Cost Of Living Cost Of Living

    The cost of living in this region is notably lower than the national average, encompassing everyday goods, housing, utilities, transportation and health care expenses.

  • Housing Housing

    High scores in the housing category are attributed to this area, possibly pointing to a favorable home affordability ratio, robust appreciation rates or elevated home values.

  • Health & Safety Health & Safety

    Achieving a high health and safety score relies on factors including great air quality and convenient access to vital health facilities such as hospitals, doctors, clinics and police stations.

CONS
  • Crime Crime

    This area exhibits elevated crime rates per 100,000 residents, which may suggest it's a potentially unsafe place to reside. These rates encompass both property and violent crimes.

What's it like Living in Garner?

Located in the state of North Carolina, Garner is a moderately-sized city with a population of 31,549 inhabitants. Long travel times to work can be one of the most frustrating things in the world - right behind housework! If you decide that living in Garner is the right fit for you, your one way commute time will average 28 minutes, which is about average when compared to the national commute time of 26 minutes.

Whether you’re relocating to a new city to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Garner could be a positive experience compared to other cities in North Carolina if you know where to look. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. To help you find the best places to live in and around Garner, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like amenities, crime, health & safety, housing and more.

Using data and statistics Garner has received a livability score of 77 out of 100. This score is ranked in the 91st percentile when compared to all other cities. Compared to the United States average, Garner ranks among some of the best places to live in the country! Garner also ranks in the top 10 percent of all cities, which is no small feat! If we check out each of the categories individually, we see that Garner ranks well for cost of living (A+), employment (B) and housing (A+). Garner does not score well for the following: amenities (D) and crime (F). It might be a smart idea to take a closer look at each category to find out why.

Finding affordable real estate and housing in Garner can be tricky. Having said that, this area might be the place to get the best of both worlds. Based on factors like home/rental affordability and appreciation rates, this area has received an above average score in the housing category. A healthy real estate market can lead to wealth appreciation for property owners, as rising property values can contribute to homeowners' equity, financial stability and the ability to build long-term wealth.

There are many factors that go into deciding if an area is the right fit for your lifestyle. Certain “must haves” like low crime, great schools and nearby amenities are all at the top of most people's lists. But before even considering if those options are attainable, we'll need to know if the real estate in Garner is actually affordable. The median home price for Garner homes is $385,160, which is 33.1% higher than the North Carolina average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Garner, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 3.9, which is 4.9% lower than the North Carolina average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Garner

See all the best places to live around Garner

How Do You Rate The Livability In Garner?

1. Select a livability score between 1-100
0
Awful
25
Poor
50
Average
75
Good
100
Great
2. Select any tags that apply to this area
View results

Compare Garner, NC Livability

City Image
    City Default Image
      vs
      Compare Neighborhoods & Addresses Local Insights Report

      Why stop at city-to-city? With Local Insights, you can compare neighborhoods, zip codes, or even exact addresses. Access 300+ hyperlocal data points—from schools and crime to housing and amenities—to see which area is the better fit.

      Local Insights Report

      Garner transportation information

      Statistic Garner North Carolina National
      Average one way commute28min24min26min
      Workers who drive to work78.2%81.1%76.4%
      Workers who carpool6.6%9.8%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit0.0%1.1%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle0.1%0.2%0.6%
      Workers who walk2.1%1.8%2.8%
      Working from home12.4%4.8%4.6%
      Source: The Garner, NC data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and include 2026 modeled data developed using proprietary methodologies.