Cary, North Carolina
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Cary.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Cary compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 176,686City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $129,399Incorporated place (ACS)65% above U.S. avgU.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 147ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)47% above U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $525,200City limits (ACS)73% above U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,621City limits (ACS)20% above U.S. avgU.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 3.0%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 24 minNear U.S. avg (25 min)U.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 2544% below U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 66.1annualized per 100k · citywide89% below U.S. avgU.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 904.2annualized per 100k · citywide71% below U.S. avgU.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 89°F2.0°F above U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 33°FNear U.S. avg (34°F)U.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 46.1 in40% above U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 2477% below U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Cary with another city
Piedmont research corridors and coastal storm exposure both matter. Expect summer highs near 89°F and winter lows around 33°F. Average one-way commute time is about 24 minutes, and Walk Score estimates land around 25/100. A recent county unemployment reading near 3.0% suggests a relatively tight local labor market. Violent-offense rates near 66.1 per 100k compare favorably with many peer metros, though local blocks still differ.
Cary (pop. 176,686) sits in North Carolina. With median income around $129,399 and a cost index of 147, the market reads well above the national housing-cost baseline. Ownership is a high bar — typical values near $525,200 push many newcomers toward renting first.
Cary is compact enough that a single wrong neighborhood choice is easy to feel day to day — visit at commute hour before signing. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Cary with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Cary town, 1600000US3710740)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN371830000000003 (Wake County, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00013722 RALEIGH DURHAM INTL AP)
Last updated 2026-07-28
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