Cary, NC — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·North Carolina·Cary

Wake County · Raleigh-Cary · population 182,659

InvestorsRenter-friendly
Cary, NC
Image: Wikipedia · Cary, North Carolina
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
62
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Cary stands

Averaging 7.2% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $629,864
1-year -1.8%
5-yr CAGR +7.2%
vs 5-yr peak -2.1%
Population +1.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-01$630k$323k$438k$554k$669k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
35/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
75/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,716/mo$1,300$1,577$1,853202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent142124100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 30.6
Rent

At a 30.6 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Cary for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
41 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
75 · w22%
Distance from peak
77 · w18%
Population growth
67 · w16%
Rent YoY
42 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
69 · w10%
Long thesis

Cary has held up across the cycle: home values at $629,864 with +7.2% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Cary's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Cary

Cary is a city in Wake County, North Carolina, with an estimated population of 182,659. It anchors the Raleigh-Cary metro area. The population grew 1.1% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Cary is $629,864 as of 2026-04, down 1.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.2% annual growth (-2.1% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Cary average $1,716 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (-0.6%). The composite momentum score is 62 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +7.2% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Net positive migration: population up 1.1% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
●Held the highs: currently -2.1% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Cary (Wikipedia)

Cary is a town in Wake, Chatham, and Durham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is part of the Raleigh-Cary, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2020 census, its population was 174,721, making it the seventh-most populous municipality in North Carolina, and the 146th-most populous in the United States. In 2023, the town's population had increased to 180,010.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorRuss Overton
Area61.05 sq mi
Elevation410 ft
Founded1750
Motto"Live Inspired"
Density2915.03/sq mi
Named forSamuel Fenton Cary

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Wake County right now.

NWS active alerts (NC)North Carolina Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Wake County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Cary

56 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Copperleaf$1,830,063-2.7%
2Macgregor West$1,295,173+0.8%
3Southbridge$1,286,568-4.5%
4Ridgefield Farms$1,262,796-4.8%
5Weycroft$1,228,144-2.0%
6Preston Village$1,211,805-0.7%
7Macgregor Downs$1,158,865+0.0%
8Wessex$1,145,413-3.0%
9Toscana$1,129,320+0.5%
10Cameron Pond$1,055,684-2.1%
11Preston$978,715-0.8%
12The Reserve$950,873-2.6%
13Weatherstone$933,193+1.3%
14Highcroft$900,043-2.4%
15Windmere$891,558-0.9%
16Weldon Ridge$891,531-1.8%
17Regency$865,360+0.3%
18Cary Park$849,427-1.4%
19Picardy Pointe$843,027+0.2%
20Lochmere$819,384+0.9%
21Harmony$815,479-2.5%
22Tatton Place$810,980-1.4%
23Wellsley$793,192-2.2%
24Camden Forest$793,046-1.3%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Cary

Wilmington, NC68 · RisingChapel Hill, NC64 · RisingConcord, NC65 · RisingRocky Mount, NC59 · Stable

Run the numbers for Cary

ToolCan I afford Cary?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Cary rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Cary to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolCary cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
50° / 30°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
88° / 68°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
213
~58% of year
Annual precip
50″ rain
6″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
High
Tornado
Moderate
Wildfire
Low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Raleigh-Cary area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Cary listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
71%
Humid climate
Median household income
$67,500
North Carolina state median
Top industries (state-level)
Banking (Charlotte)Tech (RTP)Manufacturing

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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