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Apex vs Fayetteville

Apex, North Carolina versus Fayetteville, North Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.

Overall livability

Apex

Solid · objective livability51/100

Fayetteville

Mixed · objective livability45/100

Apex edges out Fayetteville on overall objective livability (51 vs 45 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorApexFayetteville
Affordability
Median Household Income$130k$53k
Cost of Living$64k$50k
Home Value$458k$159k
Monthly Rent$2k$1k
Monthly Owner Costs$2k$1k
Property Tax Rate0.77%1.16%
Income Tax4.50%4.50%
Sales Tax7.00%7.00%
Estimated total tax burden9.55%10.27%
Unemployment4.1%8.4%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)41°F44°F
Summer Temp (Jul)79°F82°F
Annual Precipitation48.3 in47.9 in
Annual Snowfall4.8 in1.2 in
Sunny Days194 days239 days
Summer Humidity69°F70°F
Comfortable Days80 days79 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk23.525.6
Air Quality47 AQI49 AQI
School Quality45.439.9
Violent Crime592/100k2331/100k
Property Crime1148/100k3466/100k
Community
Population65,541208,697
Median Age35.930.5
Racial Diversity0.500.65
Male/Female Ratio0.961.03
Political LeaningD+27D+17
White (%)66.3%35.0%
Black (%)7.7%41.4%
Hispanic (%)6.4%12.9%
Asian (%)14.8%3.1%
Other / Multiracial (%)4.7%7.6%
Getting Around
Commute Time24 min19 min
Walkability9.5/207.7/20
Airport Distance12 mi55 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access96.5%88.8%
Amenities Nearby22.7310.25
Park & Nature AccessExcellentGood

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 Fayetteville more affordable?
Fayetteville has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Apex's $64k and Fayetteville's $50k. Median rent is $2k in Apex versus $1k in Fayetteville.
Is Apex or Fayetteville safer?
Apex has the lower violent crime rate. Apex reports 592/100k and Fayetteville reports 2331/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in Apex or Fayetteville?
The median home value is $458k in Apex and $159k in Fayetteville, so homes are more affordable in Fayetteville.
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