Skip to Main Content
© Mapbox / © OpenStreetMap
Suburb0
Raleigh

Cary

#2 in Best Suburbs to Live in North Carolina
  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • Suburb of Raleigh, NC
  • 361 reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    A
  2. Crime & Safety
    B-
  3. Housing
    A
  4. Nightlife
    A-
  5. Good for Families
    A+
  6. Diversity
    A
  7. Jobs
    A
  8. Weather
    B
  9. Cost of Living
    B
  10. Health & Fitness
    A+
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A-
  12. Commute
    B+
View Full Report Card
Cary is a suburb of Raleigh with a population of 159,715. Cary is in Wake County and is one of the best places to live in North Carolina. Living in Cary offers residents a suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Cary there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families live in Cary and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Cary are highly rated.
About Cary...
Population
159,715

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$323,000
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$1,133
National
$949
Area Feel
Suburban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    31%
  • Own
    69%
Sponsored Mortgage Options for Cary
Get Rates
  • $0 Lender Fee on Home Loans Limited Time Only
  • Biggest Home Loan Sale Ever. Low interest rates. Get a quote today!
Niche may be compensated by the third party lenders and others who place ads on the website. Niche is not a lender and does not endorse the products of these advertisers. Fees that Niche receives for ads do not affect the terms you may be offered by the lender you choose. There are many additional borrowing options available.

Cary Rankings

Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.

Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety
B-
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Assault
    37.7
    282.7
  • Murder
    0
    6.1
  • Rape
    6.2
    40.7
  • Robbery
    26.3
    135.5
Property Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Burglary
    170.7
    500.1
  • Theft
    861.2
    2,042.8
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
    43.1
    284
Home Security Options for Cary
Learn More
  • 24/7 Whole home protection with no contract
  • CNET Editor’s choice winner 2018

Residents

Diversity
A
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Age
  • <10 years
    13%
  • 10-17 years
    12%
  • 18-24 years
    6%
  • 25-34 years
    12%
  • 35-44 years
    17%
  • 45-54 years
    16%
  • 55-64 years
    12%
  • 65+ years
    12%
Education Levels
National
  • Master's degree or higher
    28%
    12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    37%
    19%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    20%
    29%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    10%
    28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    4%
    13%

Working in Cary

Jobs
A
Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
Median Household Income
$97,755
National
$55,322
Search for Jobs in Cary
  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Colleges
Places like Cary
More

Cary Reviews

361 reviews
All Categories
It's a lovely community- no gaudy billboards or advertisements that get in your face, plenty of nature, a sweet little downtown with mom & pop shops, good restaurants, and good schools; quite frankly, I think we're experiencing an artistic and cultural renaissance down here! Our local Arts center is one of Cary's trademarks, and has garnered some beneficial urban development around it as well. I think it's a great setting for diversity and raising children, and has plenty of entertainment and resources to go around.
Start Your Review of Cary
Rate It!
Cary is my hometown. I love that while Cary is more or less a city, it still has some attributes of a small town. Downtown Cary with its plethora of historic buildings and its delightful lack of skyscrapers is one of my favorite parts! The beautiful landscape is another huge plus.
Cary is a good place to raise children with schools to tell them their dreams of corporate mediocrity without the constant fear of kidnapping- and that is all.
The traffic is horrible because everyone is moving here which creates terribly unattractive developments, destroying the nature that was once bountiful. If you want to get around easily, then drive at night. The streets are totally deserted by 10 PM.
The people all believe in the American Dream, yet are unhappy as I hear them complain about what their therapists said to them this week on my daily runs. A word of advice: strangers should not be able to make a story arc of where your hemorrhoids are traveling.
The mortgage is growing into a beast to be reckoned with and everything is more expensive than in the towns immediately surrounding it. Even gas is 5 cents more per gallon than in Raleigh.
Make sure to move here just for the money because you would not fit in here otherwise.