2019 Best Suburbs to Live in North CarolinaAbout this List

Morrisville

• Suburb of Raleigh, NC
• 58 reviews

Current Resident: Morrisville is very clean and fresh-looking! It's homey and very diverse. I have recently moved here for work and it was very easy to find my current job. Many people commute to Raleigh, Durham, or Chapel Hill to work as well. I like how Morrisville is right in the middle of the triangle, so everything is in easy access! Morrisville offers many wonderful places to eat as well, and a lot of them are privately owned so you get authentic meals. If you are more interested in night life, downtown Raleigh is just down the road, and makes for an easy way to go out with your friends.
Read 58 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• 23,873 Population

Cary

• Suburb of Raleigh, NC
• 404 reviews

Current Resident: Great town that is growing at a tremendous rate. I have seen how much development has occurred over the past 2 decades and it is immense! There are tons of new houses and apartment complexes that are located around many restaurants, sporting events, and attractions. There is great professional opportunities in the RTP area. In addition, there are many wonderful universities that offer great educations in all different aspects of focus. Only 2 hours from the beach or the mountains, the variety of experiences is unbeatable!
Read 404 Reviews

• A+

• A

• 159,715 Population

Davidson

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC
• 22 reviews

Current Resident: Small town atmosphere near the big-city amenities of Charlotte- great schools and great neighbors! Affordability can be a concern, as well as traffic.
Read 22 Reviews

• A+

• A

• 12,325 Population

Apex

• Suburb of Raleigh, NC
• 178 reviews

Current Resident: Apex is a nice, little-but booming- town. Construction happens everywhere- new schools, supermarkets, and various buildings. One of my biggest concerns for this town is that it is growing too fast. There is lots of traffic in some areas, especially because of construction- and they have to widen the roads very often. However, the city itself seems beautiful. There are lots of parks and greenways. Culture is very diverse, people love to travel here from many different states-even countries! It is very family friendly, one of the best places to live in the world! There is just so much opportunity here.
Read 178 Reviews

• A+

• A

• 45,899 Population

Chapel Hill

• Town in North Carolina
• 169 reviews

Former Resident: It's a great college town that still has plenty of professional residents. I found an area that was mostly grad students (Finley Forest) and it is quiet, safe, and well-kept. Franklin Street is full of good food and places to drink. It's close to Raleigh and Durham, so there's always something to do. Being in the middle of the state allows for fairly easy access to the beach and the mountains. I loved living there and will miss it immensely!
Read 169 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• 59,234 Population

Carrboro

• Suburb of Durham, NC
• 33 reviews

Current Resident: It's a cool, graduate student and young family-friendly little town. You can find great restaurants and great community programs. It's a small town but there are different people from different many countries with complete different backgrounds and that's what I like about Carrboro, diversity! Also, they have a really good school system especially for ESL and EL(English learner students like myself).
Read 33 Reviews

• A+

• A+

• 21,099 Population

Clemmons

• Town in North Carolina
• 58 reviews

Current Resident: The Clemmons community is so strong and supportive of one another. You truly feel the love from all neighbors and surrounding store and restaurants. Everyone is very kind and friendly!
Read 58 Reviews

• A+

• A

• 19,844 Population

Holly Springs

• Suburb of Raleigh, NC
• 108 reviews

Current Resident: Positioned close enough to Raleigh yet far enough from the congestion of the medium metropolis, Holly Springs repeatedly ranks as one of the best places to live in the US based upon factors such as median household income, safety, average degree attainment as well as low unemployment rates. Although rapid growth is a trait of the area which includes Apex, Cary Morrisville and Fuquay-Varina; Holly Springs is a small hometown that is exceptionally family friendly and had remained a secret gem until recent times. We love our town and please do not spread the word of how sweet it is!
Read 108 Reviews

• A+

• A

• 31,827 Population

Huntersville

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC
• 181 reviews

Current Resident: I have lived in Huntersville NC for almost 15 years. The area is smaller than others, but is full of fun things to do! I went to school here, learned how to drive here and since my family still lives here, I visit in the summer and on holidays when I am home from school. It is the perfect place for starting a family. throughout my time living in Huntersville, I have watched newly married couples move in across the street and have their first, and sometimes even second, kid before wishing them farewell when they decided its time to move into a new home.
Read 181 Reviews

• A+

• B+

• 53,302 Population

Weddington

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC
• 39 reviews

Current Resident: I live on the border of Weddington & Marvin. I leave the uptown city of tall shiny buildings, past the sprawl of typical suburbs and then immediately sense the change into Weddington as I drive past horse pastures, farms, churches, sunflower fields, historical homes, and large lots. Weddington is the balanced position of being under 10 minutes from multiple excellent commercial centers and the highway, but far enough away to have a quiet county setting with clean air and water and good people. If I could change anything about Weddington it would be more trails, a library, a fast (few stops) rail line up providence road, and a couple wealthy businesses to lower the low taxes further. The biggest downside is the 30 minute commute, but I have an excellent place to raise my kids.
Read 39 Reviews

• A

• A

• 10,388 Population

Matthews

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC
• 129 reviews

Current Resident: I have lived in the town of Matthews my whole life. The schools that I have been to, the neighbors that surround me, and the local shops/restaurants that my family goes to have all been amazing! It is also a very safe community. There is no better place to live than Matthews NC!
Read 129 Reviews

• A

• A

• 30,760 Population

Wake Forest

• Suburb of Raleigh, NC
• 144 reviews

Current Resident: My name is Kimberly Noriega, a Puerto-Rican high school senior at Wake Forest High. I’ve lived here for roughly 4 years and loved each and every one of them. Wake County is an amazing area. There are so many events, shopping plazas, good restaurants, and places of entertainment. Bored? No problem! After school, I go with my friends to downtown Wake Forest and bowl, play pool at Shorty’s, and take a stroll.

Wake County also has delightful parks such as E. Carroll Joyner Park. Joyner Park is the perfect spot to jog, pick pecans, and go fishing! There are also many family-friendly events like concerts. Another park I recommend visiting is the H. L. Miller Park. This park is perfect for lounging and enjoying a picnic.

One thing I would like to seek change in is keeping Wake County’s trees and environments for animals. Currently, there is deforestation in Wake Forest. It is saddening to see new buildings being made on top of forests thriving with plant and animal life.
Read 144 Reviews

• A

• A

• 38,473 Population

Cornelius

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC
• 31 reviews

Current Resident: I have lived in Cornelius all of my life and have enjoyed living in this southern small town greatly. I grew up around the city either going on Lake Norman in the summer time with my family, or bundling up for the occasional snow day, which any amount of snow would cancel school, we received in the winter. Cornelius is located right outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, where I go frequently for sporting events, group gatherings or just for dinner and a night out on the town. The people of Cornelius are very welcoming and always love to meet the new neighbors coming every year!
Read 31 Reviews

• A

• A

• 28,052 Population

Oak Ridge

• Town in North Carolina
• 22 reviews

Current Resident: Love our small town! Great access to grocery store, hair cut, dance, eye doctor, dentist, fast food, urgent care, gas, dry cleaning and so much more. Schools are excellent and neighborhoods are friendly.
Read 22 Reviews

• A

• A

• 6,728 Population

Avery Creek

• Town in North Carolina

• A

• B+

• 2,320 Population

Marvin

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC
• 7 reviews

Current Resident: Marvin is a great community for individuals who want their kids to be given a great education. All of the schools in Marvin have amazing teachers who create a fantastic learning environment. One factor I would change about Marvin is its diversity. Most of the individuals in the Marvin suburb are primarily of the Caucasian race. I would love to see more races present in Marvin, so individusls could be exposed to other cultures, which would enhance their knowledge of the world.
Read 7 Reviews

• A

• A+

• 6,174 Population

Harrisburg

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC
• 38 reviews

Current Resident: I love Harrisburg, it's such a cute and quint place to live. It's on the road of expansion now, and if I could change anything, I would say the traffic in the intersection on Highway 49 and Veteran's Bridge. It's nearly impossible to drive in that area from like 3:30-6:00. It's also a bit dangerous too. Since most of the left turning lanes don't get green lights for very long, people will take any small chance they get to turn and it's so dangerous.
Some places also need extra entrances so that it doesn't get super busy. They did that at the high school, and it's helped so much.
I'm very excited for the Chick Fil A that's in the process of being built right now. I just hope it's built and opened by the time I graduate.
Read 38 Reviews

• A

• A

• 14,856 Population

Lewisville

• Town in North Carolina
• 34 reviews

Current Resident: Lewisvillle is a wonderful place to live. The downtown area is very quaint, and there are a number of family-friendly activities, including live theatre, available year-round in the town square. It’s a safe, quiet area, and it’s not polluted with the usual fast-food franchises and chain stores, but those are minutes away for anyone interested!
Read 34 Reviews

• A

• A

• 13,516 Population

Knightdale

• Suburb of Raleigh, NC
• 72 reviews

Current Resident: My family moved to Knightdale about 3 years ago and we absolutely love the lifestyle here. It is filled with up and coming suburban neighborhoods with such affordable prices. Everyone from Raleigh is moving to the Knightdale area because it's nice, peaceful, and close to Raleigh and any other small town in the triangle area. It's easy to get to and from the highways, which makes commuting to work easy if you work in nearby cities. Knightdale Blvd. has everything you might need for all your grocery shopping needs, retail, food, the gym, banks, and more. It's a very nice place to live with easy access to anywhere you want to go, whether that is in Knightdale or nearby cities!
Read 72 Reviews

• A

• B

• 14,363 Population

Royal Pines

• Town in North Carolina

• A

• B+

• 4,829 Population

Rolesville

• Suburb of Raleigh, NC
• 15 reviews

Current Resident: When I first moved to Rolesville, it was one of the smallest towns in North Carolina. Since I've lived here, it has grown tremendously. It's still a small town, but it's much more lively now. The growth of businesses is evident as new neighborhoods are being built and traffic through town increases. There are still certain areas of Rolesville that are very "country", but there are also plenty of things to do while in town. At the moment, it's not as diverse as it should be, but it's definitely getting there as it continues to grow.
Read 15 Reviews

• A

• B+

• 6,308 Population

Biltmore Forest

• Town in North Carolina

• A

• B+

• 1,517 Population

Pineville

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC
• 14 reviews

Current Resident: I liked that the mall and downtown Pineville are minutes away from one another. The rec center has free memberships for the residents that include a workout facility, park, rental facilities, dance classes, etc. The Pineville police are hands on and respectful of all residents.
Read 14 Reviews

• A

• A-

• 8,418 Population

Waxhaw

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC
• 68 reviews

Current Resident: I love living in Waxhaw, and overall, I'd say it's been a very family friendly experience. There are year-round seasonal festivals and activities, and around Christmas time they string up lights on all the trees and offer horse and carriage rides across town. It may not be the most exciting place to live, and the commute time can be a bit inconvenient at times (especially during rush hour), but it's a lovely place to raise your family and the people are always willing to lend a helping hand. Despite its shortcomings, I wouldn't live anywhere else.
Read 68 Reviews

• A

• A-

• 13,343 Population

Fearrington Village

• Town in North Carolina

• A

• A

• 2,784 Population