What it's like to live in Cary
Cary is a mid-size city in North Carolina with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Cary deals with rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
How Cary compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Cary
Based on Cary's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,476
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $69,520 a year
- 37% of Cary renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$116,040
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $58,020
- Homes cost 4.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 23% above US
$1,738/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,738 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $580,200. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $580,200 · 37% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 28% below US
3.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.1%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 77% below US
75 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 966/100k · Cary Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 13% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.5 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 37% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 33°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 96% above US
71% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
42 public schools inside the boundary
There are 42 public schools inside the boundary and 12 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (62 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Cary's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,738/mo) equals 15% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (37% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Cary
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