What it's like to live in Garner
Garner is a small city in North Carolina with unemployment below the national average, a highly educated workforce, a population that has grown fast since 2020, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Garner deals with crime rates above the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Crime above national average
- High rent burden for renters
- Above-average rainfall
How Garner compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Garner
Based on Garner's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,098
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $61,960 a year
- 52% of Garner renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$71,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $35,500
- Homes cost 4.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,549/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,549 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $355,000. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $355,000 · 52% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 19% below US
3.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.5%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 26% above US
416 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 3120/100k · Garner Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 24% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 29°F and snow a regular occurrence. 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. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 29% above US
47% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 47% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (75 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Garner's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are crime rates above the national average and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,549/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (24% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Garner
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