Cary is also surrounded by several major highways, which allow for quick access to many surrounding areas.  Interstate 40 runs on the east side and can take you to either the beach or the mountains in about 3 hours.  

I-540 borders to the west, which provides you quick access to Durham and northern parts of Raleigh, US-1 runs to the south and can quickly take you to I-440 that surrounds the heart of Raleigh.

One amazing benefit of Cary is its’ proximity to the world famous Research Triangle Park, which is the largest technological research park of its’ kind hosting over 170 companies, and will soon have Apple and Google to add to its’ resume.  

This technology hub provides many well paying jobs, and it’s clear that many who work in RTP call Cary home as the average annual house income in Cary is just over $130k, the highest of the area.

But Cary doesn’t only rely on RTP for its’ jobs, as it is home to several major companies.  Most everyone by now has heard of the video game Fortnite, and for many, it would be a dream job!  Well the developer, Epic Games, is headquartered in Cary and plans to build its’ new campus in Cary’s old CaryTown Center Mall.  

Cary is also home to SAS, the industry leader in analytics through artificial intelligence and data management.  It’s earned a multitude of accolades, such as the top employer in NC, America’s Best Employers for Diversity, the Best Work Place for Parents, and one of theWorld’s Top Female Friendly Companies.

Cary’s weather involves all four seasons.  The summer can get hot and humid with highs in the 80s and 90s, while the winter typically has highs in the 30s to 50s with normally 1 to 2 snow, possibly ice, events occurring each year.  Spring and fall weather is perfect though, and Cary has plenty of outdoor spaces to take full advantage of it.

LIFESTYLE

OK, now that we have the basic facts down, let’s get into general lifestyle.

Cary has built up the accolades over the past few years, as it has been named as the best place to raise a family, the safest place to live in the US, one of the happiest cities in the nation, and among the top in the highest quality of life.  You’ll understand the hype as we move through this section.

Cary is known for it’s beautifully landscaped roadways, shopping centers, and neighborhoods.  It’s a more upscale community in general that has high standard for aesthetics of both residents and businesses.  

Cary would mostly be described as suburban living, and Cary’s neighborhoods are some of the best in the area.  It has high end neighborhoods with built in country clubs, like Prestonwood, MacGregor Downs, and the lake house style neighborhood, Lochmere.  These neighborhoods have their own, unique charm, but are beautiful and offer amazing amenities, especially for those who enjoy golf.

Western Cary and its’ neighboring town Morrisville, have master plan communities with newer homes as well.  Amberly and Cary Park are two of the more popular communities, and have top notch amenities.  

Many of these communities host their own social events, but Cary also has quite a few events in its’ quaint downtown and parks, and the Koka Booth Amphitheater is a 7000 seat outdoor theatre that hosts concerts, symphonies and large events throughout the year like the South’s largest Diwali festival, the NC Chinese Lantern Festival, and the triangle’s Asia Fest with the dragon boat festival.

Cary is possibly most well known for its’ park system though, which is AMAZING.  With over 39 interconnected greenways spanning over 80 miles, and 34 parks with over 2700 acres of natural area, Cary is dedicated to ensuring its’ residents have access to the best of the outdoor world. 

Lake Crabtree and Bond Park are both large lakes that allow for kayaking, canoeing, and sunfish sailing, and have a large network of walking and mountain bike trails themselves.  And if you want larger lakes for motor sports, Jordan Lake and Harris Lake are 25-30 minutes away.  

Cary’s playgrounds are creative and well kept, and provide great places to wear the kids out.  Many of the playgrounds are either naturally or artificially shaded as well, so you can still have fun throughout the summer.

For those who love sports, Cary has access to some of the best youth sports around, as there are plenty of programs of varying levels around and accompanying fields to play on.  

Cary is home to the WakeMed Soccer Park, where the professional soccer teams NCFC and Carolina Courage play, and it also has training fields for the USA baseball team.  The NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes play less than 20 minutes away, and Triple AAA baseball’s Durham Bulls are 25 minutes away as well. 

Perhaps the most popular sports in the area though from the area’s college teams, where Cary is located in the middle of NC State, UNC and Duke.  Tailgating in the area is a sport of its’ own, and each of the schools has a rich history of winning making the rivalry’s some of the best in the nation.  

UNC and Duke anchor the amazing Healthcare system in the area, so you be comforted by knowing some of the best doctors and facilities in the nation are right in your backyard. 

Beyond these amazing universities, Cary is also known to have an excellent public school system.  So excellent, that many some of the more popular schools are known to cap enrollment due to the vast number of people moving into those districts.  We will explain more about this in another video.

For food, Cary is not necessarily the foodie capital of the area; however, it has some pretty great spots, especially downtown.  Di Fara’s Pizza brought its’ authentic New York Style Pizza to downtown, and the Academy Street Bistro is a fun environment.  

There are multiple breweries and bars in the area as well, such as Bond Brothers and Cotton House, which have really cool spaces downtown.

There are also quite the variety of grocery stores around.  Harris Teeter and Food Lion are two of the main stores, but there are quite a few other stores popping up like Publix, Wegmans, Trader Joes, and Aldi.

Cost of Living in Cary NC

Next, let’s talk about the cost of living in Cary NC, as in general, Cary is a more expensive place to live.

The overall cost of living in Cary NC measures around 15% higher than the national average, but driven up completely by the housing costs coming in at over 60% higher than the national average.

The average home value is typically in the mid-600ks during the summer time, with the average price per square foot at just over $250.  

Why is Cary housing more expensive?  In addition to the amazing amenities of the neighborhoods, its’ all about location.  The perfect spot in the triangle that’s right next to RTP, AND has great schools, you can imagine how the demand has driven up prices.

For those renting, expect to pay around $2500 per month for a roughly 2000 square foot house, while 1 bedroom apartments go for around $1700, and 2-3 bedroom apartments range from $1900 to $2200.  

Another thing to consider is taxes, and Cary actually has the lowest taxes of any of Raleigh’s suburbs, mostly due to the significant population of the area.  Cary’s property taxes, which are paid on houses, boats and most other large, motorized vehicles, is $0.9645 per $100 of property value.  So, for the average $630,000 house, expect to pay close to $6,100 in property tax per year.

North Carolina has a state income tax of 4.75%, so for those not used to that coming out of your paycheck, make sure you account for that when calculating take home salary.  There’s also a 7.25% sales tax on all goods and services.

For those who live in a community with amenities, expect to pay another $100-150 per month on average in HOA dues, while golf memberships typically cost extra on top of that and can be quite pricy for some of the premium clubs in the area.

Gas currently costs around $3.30 per gallon, and while it has gone down from the historic highs we recently experienced, prices averaged in the mid-$2 range per gallon prior to those hikes. 

Food costs here are on par with the area and national average, with a gallon of milk running around $3 per gallon for non-organic whole milk as a measuring stick.  Fast food style restaurants are around $8-12 per meal, while sit down restaurants are closer to $15-25 per meal on average. 

Maybe I’m biased because I grew up here, but Cary is truly one of the best places to live in the area.  If you decide you want to make Cary your new home, you will not be disappointed. 

If you would like to know more about Cary, please check out our other blogs on the best neighborhoods in Cary NC and the pros and cons of Cary NC.

If you need help finding the perfect location in the Triangle for your next home, our team here at the W Real Estate Group would LOVE to help!  

Please reach out via our contact information in the description below, and one of our experienced team members will be in touch.

Please reach out via our contact information below:

Phone:  919-504-5265

Email:  Alison@thewgroupraleigh.com

Website:  www.thewgroupraleigh.com