Apex vs Cary
Apex, North Carolina versus Cary, North Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Apex and Cary score about the same overall (51 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Apex | Cary |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $130k | $125k |
| Cost of Living | $64k | $64k |
| Home Value | $458k | $477k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.77% | 0.79% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.55% | 9.83% |
| Unemployment | 4.1% | 3.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 41°F | 41°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 79°F | 80°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.3 in | 48.3 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 4.8 in | 4.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 194 days | 194 days |
| Summer Humidity | 69°F | 69°F |
| Comfortable Days | 80 days | 80 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 23.5 | 29.1 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 48 AQI |
| School Quality | 45.4 | 45.4 |
| Violent Crime | 592/100k | 456/100k |
| Property Crime | 1148/100k | 1108/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 65,541 | 174,880 |
| Median Age | 35.9 | 39.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.50 | 0.57 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+27 | D+27 |
| White (%) | 66.3% | 59.2% |
| Black (%) | 7.7% | 8.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.4% | 7.8% |
| Asian (%) | 14.8% | 20.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.7% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 9.5/20 | 8.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 12 mi | 8 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.5% | 96.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 22.73 | 25.33 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Apex or Cary more affordable?
- Cary has the lower cost of living: its index is $64k, compared with Apex's $64k and Cary's $64k. Median rent is $2k in Apex versus $2k in Cary.
- Is Apex or Cary safer?
- Cary has the lower violent crime rate. Apex reports 592/100k and Cary reports 456/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Apex or Cary?
- The median home value is $458k in Apex and $477k in Cary, so homes are more affordable in Apex.