10 Things to Know BEFORE Moving to Cary, NC

September 05th, 2023

Moving to | Life in Raleigh
10 Things to Know BEFORE Moving to Cary, NC

Living in Cary

Are you moving to Cary, NC? Here is why people love living in Cary! 

Are you planning on moving to Cary, NC? There is a reason it's on the Best Places to Live in North Carolina.

If you're relocating to Cary - contact us so we may help you with your move, and read on to learn more about this beautiful NC community.

Cary is a great city for anyone looking to live in a top-rated town with excellent schools, weather, and amenities. It's no wonder everyone is moving to Cary, NC. If you are considering a move to Cary, please feel free to connect with us to help with your relocation or any questions you may have.

10 Reasons to Love Living in Cary:

Check out the article below on moving to Cary, North Carolina.

Here are ten reasons why you will love living in Cary

There are many reasons someone would want to move to Cary, whether it's for the area, the great schools, the weather, or maybe the fact that Raleigh is ranked as the best place to raise a family.

Check out the available homes for sale in Cary.

Community - Living in Cary, NC

The community of people who live in Cary, NC, is part of what makes the area so unique. The city of Cary has tripled in size in the last 25 years. Cary has grown by more than 100,000 residents (up from 45,000 in 1990), creating a highly diversified community that people love to call home. With a population of over 180,388 people, Cary is a growing area that attracts families, young professionals, and retirees to the area. 

Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre hosts various events, including outdoor concerts, fun family movies, and the annual Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival. Downtown Cary is a quaint, picturesque part of town that also offers celebrations for every holiday and brings the community together on spring and summer nights. With a calendar of events that capture every interest, it is easy to meet your neighbors who turn into lifelong friends. 

The Town of Cary website is excellent for learning more about the community and its values.

People Who Live in Cary

Your neighbors matter, and the people who live in Cary, NC, are some of the best! Cary Real Estate and Chapel Hill Real Estate have some of the highest price points in the Triangle area and North Carolina.

With excellent schools and convenience to Research Triangle Park, Downtown Raleigh, Durham, and the Raleigh Durham International Airport, Cary is in a fantastic location near sought-after amenities. People are moving to Cary in bunches over the last 25 years as the population has grown from 45,000 to over 180,388 and is climbing fast. The people moving to Cary, NC, didn't typically grow up in the area and are instead moving from all over the world.

If you're moving to Cary from a state along the I-95 corridor or the Golden Coast, you'll love how generally happy the people are. The people who move to Cary usually seek a better quality of life, whether it's the weather, the affordability, or the great sense of community. If you're moving to Cary with a dog, check out these top-rated dog parks

If you are looking for your dream home, check out some of the best neighborhoods in Cary

Downtown Cary, NC on a sunny day with fountain

Education - Schools in Cary, NC

Education is the foundation of what makes a family community as strong as Cary's. The schools are some of the best in the nation and an excellent reason to make a move. Education is a priority for everyone in the Triangle area, with some of the world's outstanding universities nearby, including Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University. There are also several private schools in the area, like Cary Academy and Chesterbrook Academy, to name a few.

If you're looking for an excellent education, it's hard to beat the schools offered in Cary. Green LevelGreen Hope, and Panther Creek High School are two of the top schools in the area, and many home shoppers will search specifically within these school districts.

Tall bell tower at NC State with NC flag

Jobs in the Cary Area

The Raleigh-Cary area recently ranked #1 as the best place for jobs in the United States by Glassdoor. Many people are relocating to the area specifically based on job transfers. MetLife just placed its technology headquarters in Cary, and RTP is just down the street. The location of Cary to the airport makes commuting to other states easy. Cary is a 10-15 minute ride to Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

With a focus on technology, healthcare, and education, companies like Google, SAS, IBM, Cisco, Apple, and more are calling the area home. Part of the attraction is that there are better tax incentives for these companies in North Carolina.

Safety in the Town of Cary

Cary, North Carolina, is constantly being ranked as one of the safest places to live in the country. In 2013, Cary was ranked as the #1 safest city in the U.S.. This is after the town has spent years inside the top 5. Part of what makes Cary so safe is directly correlated with the area being great for jobs, schools, weather, and more.

When people can live a comfortable lifestyle, with great educational systems and opportunities, crime stays low. One of the priorities when moving to a new location is always safety, and Cary, NC, is about as safe as possible. With a crime rate of 10 per 1,000 residents, your chance of becoming a victim of crime in Cary is one in 95. 

Here are Cary's annual crime rates: 

  Violent Crime  Property Crime  Total Crime 
Number of Crimes  133 1,723 1,856
Crime Rate per 1,000 residents  0.75 9.74 10.49

Here are your chances of becoming a victim of crime in Cary vs. the rest of North Carolina: 

Crime Type  Cary  North Carolina 
Violent Crime  one in 1,331  one in 232 
Property Crime  one in 103  one in 45 

 *Data Sourced from NeighborhoodScout

Raising a Family in Cary

One of the main reasons people are moving to Cary, NC, is to raise a family. Forbes ranked the Raleigh area as the best place to raise a family. This aligns with everything the town of Cary stands for regarding its values. It's large enough to be a city, yet it keeps that small-town neighborhood feel.

If you're raising a family in the Cary, NC, area, you'll want to know the best neighborhoods. Apex, the neighbor to Cary, is another great place to raise a family. Both cities have great school systems and affordable homes and are constantly ranked as the top 10 places to live in the country.

Weather in Cary

The climate is important when choosing a place to live. Northerners tend to move to North Carolina to escape the grueling winters, and Southerners enjoy the change in seasons. Here in the Triangle, the warmer weather stays longer, and winters are generally mild.

Snowstorms are few and far between; sorry to the kids accustomed to many snow days. Fall makes having some of the best parks and outdoor recreational venues enjoyable. Check out Bond Park for incredible lake views, and the leaves changing color makes the trails more pleasing to walk or run around.

If it snows in Cary, there's a good chance it will be gone within a day, as it doesn't typically stay cold enough for snow to stick around for too long. The good news for snow sports folks is that the mountains are pretty close. A trip to Asheville and the Appalachian Mountains, and you'll know exactly what we are talking about.

The great weather is a reason people are moving to Cary, NC!

Affordability of Homes for Sale in Cary, NC

The homes in Cary may be less affordable than in most areas surrounding Raleigh, yet it remains affordable compared to the rest of the country. It's an excellent town with great family neighborhoods filled with amenities.

Real estate in Cary, NC, is the most desirable in the Triangle area, largely thanks to the convenience of traveling, the great schools, the area amenities, and more. Many people moving to the Raleigh, NC, area live in Cary. Some of our favorite neighborhoods in Cary are the Preston, MacGregor, and Regency neighborhoods.

Location of Cary

Cary, NC, offers an excellent location for almost everything you could want. It's the most centrally located area between Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and RTP. It's also conveniently located on several highways, making jumping on the interstate a breeze. You can be at the beach or mountains in less than two hours.

Part of the reason Cary is one of the most desirable towns in the Raleigh-Durham area is its location. This helps drive the prices of homes and all real estate in the Cary area. Plans to finish off I-540 will make traveling from West Cary easier. Cary is also located about 40 minutes to the east of the beautiful town of Pittsboro

Raleigh, NC Skyline in the spring with beautiful colorful crepe myrtles

Golf and Country Clubs in Cary

If you love golf, you're going to love moving to Cary. People live for golf in the Cary area, and the town is home to some of the best Country Clubs in the U.S. Additionally, Pinehurst, NC, is only an hour-long drive away (where the U.S. Open is held). Some of the golf course communities in the Cary area include MacGregor, Preston, and Lochmere

Golf club lining up with golf ball on a green

Living in Cary, NC

Life in Cary lives up to the town's accolades and national rankings. The large town is one of the best places to live in the country. Bond Brothers Beer Company is ranked the #1 Brewery in the Triangle, and the best restaurants in Cary are some of the best in North Carolina. Offering a family-friendly atmosphere, running clubs, and food trucks, it is a hot spot for locals to frequent any evening.

Breakfast lovers would enjoy La Farm Bakery since it is notorious for craft coffee beverages and a variety of bread, while Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen is the place to go for traditional Southern cooking. Whether you're looking for conventional shrimp and grits, pulled pork, or extensive salad and sandwich options, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Cary Crossroads Plaza is your one-stop shopping center for all of your needs. Target, Harris Teeter, Old Navy, Dick's Sporting Goods are just a few stores in the plaza. There's a lot to love about living in North Carolina, and Cary is one of the many reasons.

When Cary isn't winning awards, you can be sure the neighbors are, Apex was recently ranked as the #1 best place to live in the country by Money Magazine. Holly Springs is well on its way to stardom as the city continues to build out neighborhoods, schools, and amenities. The DNA that built both Cary and Raleigh into some of the best places to live is reaching Apex and Holly Springs, two neighboring cities.

The Cost of Living in Cary

Many people moving to Cary are wondering what the cost of living is. It's less than the national average in many categories, making Cary a great value relative to the average income. The Raleigh area was ranked #1 in the share of people earning over $100,000.

Final Thoughts on Moving to Cary, NC

There is a reason why the homes for sale in Cary go for more on average than in any other city in the Triangle. With proximity to RDU, RTP, Raleigh, and Durham, and only two hours to Charlotte or the beach, Cary is right in the middle of it all. 

The town's education system, location, and general desirability have increased real estate prices. There are many pros and only a few cons when it comes to moving to Cary, NC, especially for the folks who don't have a job. Cary will be one of the best places to find a job. Even with so many folks moving to the area, jobs have grown faster. 

When you're ready to talk to a Realtor, please contact us. We are here to help and answer any questions. 

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Ryan Fitzgerald

Ryan Fitzgerald

Hi there! Nice to 'meet' you and thanks for visiting our Raleigh Real Estate Blog! My name is Ryan Fitzgerald, and I'm a REALTOR® in Raleigh-Durham, NC, the owner of Raleigh Realty. I work alongside some of the best Realtors in Raleigh. You can find more of my real estate content on Forbes, Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and more. Realtor Magazine named me a top 30 under 30 Realtor in the country (it was a long time ago haha). Any way, that's enough about me. I'd love to learn more about you if you'd like to connect with me on Facebook and Instagram or connect with our team at Raleigh Realty. Looking forward to connecting!

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