Cary vs Fuquay-Varina
Cary, North Carolina versus Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Cary and Fuquay-Varina score about the same overall (50 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Cary | Fuquay-Varina |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $125k | $94k |
| Cost of Living | $64k | $64k |
| Home Value | $477k | $364k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.79% | 0.75% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.83% | 9.72% |
| Unemployment | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 41°F | 41°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.3 in | 48.2 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 | 29.1 | 46.6 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 47 AQI |
| School Quality | 45.4 | 45.4 |
| Violent Crime | 456/100k | 402/100k |
| Property Crime | 1108/100k | 843/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 174,880 | 35,428 |
| Median Age | 39.4 | 35.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.57 | 0.46 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.91 |
| Political Leaning | D+27 | D+27 |
| White (%) | 59.2% | 68.1% |
| Black (%) | 8.0% | 15.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.8% | 9.1% |
| Asian (%) | 20.8% | 1.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 31 min |
| Walkability | 8.8/20 | 7.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 8 mi | 19 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.5% | 94.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 25.33 | 37.54 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Excellent |
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 Cary or Fuquay-Varina more affordable?
- Fuquay-Varina has the lower cost of living: its index is $64k, compared with Cary's $64k and Fuquay-Varina's $64k. Median rent is $2k in Cary versus $2k in Fuquay-Varina.
- Is Cary or Fuquay-Varina safer?
- Fuquay-Varina has the lower violent crime rate. Cary reports 456/100k and Fuquay-Varina reports 402/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Cary or Fuquay-Varina?
- The median home value is $477k in Cary and $364k in Fuquay-Varina, so homes are more affordable in Fuquay-Varina.