What Are The Pros And Cons Of Living In Cary, NC?
North Carolina is the ninth largest state in the US. With its abundance of beautiful state parks, thriving cities, and growing population, North Carolina has diversity and culture.
Cary, NC is the seventh-largest city in the state, located right outside of Raleigh. This suburban city has new residents moving in consistently. With a population of 166,000, it’s an up-and-coming place that offers a lot to its residents.
Cary has been ranked consistently as one of the safest places to live. Some of the pros for living in Cary, NC are the outstanding community, great weather, job availability, and top-tier entertainment. With top-ranked colleges and school districts as well, this community has been ranked one of the best places to raise a family. Over the years, it has been a booming city with continuous growth. The cons of living in Cary, NC are having construction constantly, little to no nightlife entertainment, and the cost of living can get a bit high for those just starting out.
Cary, NC has many small businesses including coffee shops, boutiques, restaurants, and service-based businesses. Its residents stay active in the community and with each other. The growth of Cary has not hindered its ability to be welcoming and supportive to all newcomers.
Read on to find out more about Cary, NC!
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What Are The Pros Of Living In Cary, NC?
Cary, NC is loved by its residents and visitors who come from all around. This small city has grown a lot over the last few years and even as it grows, the community stays close. The city of Cary continues to hold social events for its residents and guests to enjoy.
Great Weather
Cary, NC has great weather that northerners will come down to visit during the winter months to escape the harsh cold. While NC gets cold during the winter, it usually stays fairly temperate.
Most of the time in the South, you don’t see much of the changing seasons. However, in Cary, NC you do. You get to see all seasons here, fall, summer, winter, and spring. It doesn’t get too much snow during the winter. Most of the time, it gets none at all.
During the summer months, it gets warm enough to enjoy many outdoor activities. Weather in Cary, NC stays consistent throughout the year, and you usually know what to expect.
Safest Place To Live
Cary, NC has held its spot in the category of “Safest Places to Live” for years now. The crime is low, and the people are friendly. Community is important, and that can be felt throughout the city.
The schools, jobs, and neighborhoods thrive in this area. Not only is this the safest area, but it also ranks as one of the best places to raise a family. The values that the community of Cary, NC have made this area a great environment for children and families to grow.
Find out if Rocky Mount, North Carolina is a good place to live.
Top Educational Support
Education is always an important factor when looking at moving to a different city. Cary ranks top in the nation. The area referred to as the “Triangle” has some of the top colleges and schools.
“The Triangle” reaches from Raleigh to Durham and Chapel Hill. Within this triangle, you can find top-ranked public universities and amazing smaller private schools as well. Well known schools include:
- University of North Carolina
- Duke University
- North Carolina State
- Meredith College
- Campbell University
For high school aged students, Cary has prestigious schools such as Cary Academy and Chesterbrook Academy.
Job Opportunity
Many individuals move to Cary for a better job or a new opportunity. This city is noted as one of the best areas for jobs.
With the growing population and thriving economy, more and more job opportunities are popping up everywhere. All jobs have decent income brackets and allow their employees to live comfortably.
Some of the main industries for jobs are healthcare, education, and IT. You can choose to commute to work in Raleigh, NC or find a job in Cary.
Large Companies in Cary, NC
There are many large companies in Cary, NC. This is what drives the thriving job market and business growth.
Many residents will come from other states to find a new job or move up the career ladder. Some of the larger companies in Cary, NC are listed below.
- SAS Institute – Analytics Software Developer
- Ply Gem Industries – Building Products Manufacturer
- Vectra – Cyber Security Company
- PowerTeam Services – Utility Company
- Austin Quality Foods- Food Manufacturer
There are many more large companies like this one offering opportunities to Cary residents and surrounding residents.
Cost Of Living
Living in Cary is very affordable compared to other small cities. The cost of living is 5% higher than the national average, which puts the city right in the middle for overall cost to live there.
Considering the growing community, business opportunities, and job growth, residents find this city very affordable.
Real Estate Market
Home costs continue to grow every year. Since Cary is growing so quickly and thriving economically, this boosts up the home value prices. Which means that if Cary continues to grow over the next few years, the housing prices will continue to grow as well.
The average home price is $345K and rental rate is $1,200/month. This fluctuates with the market but it is predicted to continue to climb.
Lots Of Entertaining Things To Do
With Raleigh right around the corner and the entertainment Cary has to offer, you will be plenty busy. The city hosts all types of different festivals throughout the year.
There are sporting events, theatre events, and many nature trails. If you love to go golfing, Cary also has some highly reviewed country clubs. Golfing is very popular to the residents in this community.
Festivals In Cary, NC
What the city may lack in nightlife, they make up for with festivals and events for their residents. Cary holds multiple local festivals a year for its residents and visitors. Listed below are just a few of these events.
- Beer and Bacon Festival
- Chinese Lantern Festival
- Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival
- Southeast Crab Fest
- Diwali Celebration
If you are looking for more festivals and events like these, check out their city page to see more upcoming events throughout the year.
Nature Trails To Try
If you love the outdoors and hiking through terrain, you need to try out these trail heads. North Carolina is known for having National Parks such as the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Located all around North Carolina though are smaller terrain and mountains with trails to explore. These are some of the trails the city has for its residents and visitors to enjoy.
- Hemlock Bluffs Nature Reserve
- Old Reedy Creek Road Nature Trail
- Black Creek Greenway Trail Head
- East Coast Greenway in Cary
More trails are available to you in Cary and also in Raleigh. You can travel around the area and find lots of great trails like these listed above.
What Are The Cons Of Living In Cary, NC?
Cary has some amazing qualities and great reviews from long-time residents. It has a lot to offer but there are a few downsides when looking at Cary, NC.
No Nightlife Entertainment
This city is very family-oriented, which means it isn’t meant for the night owls and party-goers. Most restaurants and businesses will close up around 8 pm or 9 pm, leaving not too much else to do in the evening. So if you are a young couple, individual, or student looking for some fun places to go after 11 pm, Cary wouldn’t be the place for that.
Expensive Costs For Families That Are Just Starting
Although we talked about Cary being affordable, it can get pretty costly depending on your financial status. While Cary is affordable compared to other surrounding cities, its average median costs are still higher for those just starting out after college or graduate school.
The average median costs for Cary are reasonable, considering the area, but still a bit over the comfort zone of some just starting out.
Always Under Construction
Since Cary is growing so quickly, there is a higher demand for more housing and business development. This causes more construction and new buildings going up all over the city. In response, the construction causes lots of traffic to build up. With more residents moving in the area, that means more cars on the roads, more buildings being built, and more construction during your daily commute.
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Summing It Up
Cary is a great city offering its own unique touches and support. It is a great place to grow a family, start a new career, and have a strong and supportive community around you. You get to enjoy small city life, affordable living, and lots of recreational activities.
Unfortunately, if you are looking for a fun place to hang out with friends in the evenings, you won’t be able to find one until you get closer to Raleigh. With the constant growth, you will be looking at a lot of unwanted construction and traffic back-up daily.
Overall though, Cary is a wonderful place to live and a highly rated place to raise a family. Rocky Mount, NC is a good place to live, and so is Cary.
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Paige is an elementary school librarian with a passion for writing. Her hobbies include reading an exorbitant amount of fantasy, slowly teaching herself to draw, and home decor. While she isn't the most talented artist or interior designer, what she lacks in skill she more than makes up for in enthusiasm. When she's not curled up with a book, you can certainly find her curled over the keyboard.
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