North Carolina city profile

Living in Cary, North Carolina

What it costs to live in Cary, and how it compares with other North Carolina cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

64

15th best value in North Carolina

How much you get for what you pay, versus other North Carolina cities.

Overall livability

82

2nd overall in North Carolina

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Cary is home to about 171,603 people. A typical home runs $404,300 and a household earns around $113,800, a price-to-income ratio of 3.5. Among North Carolina's largest cities, it ranks 15th for value and 2nd overall.

Cary at a glance

Median home price

$404,300

50th in NC of 71

Median rent

$1,392/mo

Median household income

$113,800

Home price to income

3.5x

Unemployment

3.7%

7th in NC of 71

School rating

10/10

2nd in NC of 71

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in NC of 71

Walk score

20/100

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‹ See all top North Carolina cities ranked  ยท  North Carolina state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within North Carolina only. Updated 2026.