This Triangle town is the No. 1 best place to live in NC, new report says
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Cary ranked as the No. 1 best place to live in North Carolina according to Niche.
- Cary scored an A+ overall and A+ in public schools and 'good for families'.
- Cary has grown to more than 180,000 residents, up nearly 40,000 since 2010.
The town of Cary is the best place to live in North Carolina, a new report says.
Cary, the second-largest municipality in Wake County behind Raleigh, ranked as the No. 1 best place to live in North Carolina, according to Niche, an organization that provides rankings and data on schools and places to live.
It scored an A+ rating for its overall grade, and in the “public schools,” “good for families” and “health and fitness” categories.
Niche’s rankings are an assessment of “overall livability” of an area, including several “grades” that look at the cost of living, housing, weather, jobs, walkability, crime, nightlife, health and fitness and outdoor activities.
Cary ranking
The town scored A grades for “jobs” and “diversity,” A- for “outdoor activities” and B grades (ranging from B+ to B-) for “housing,” “cost of living,” “crime and safety,” “nightlife,” “weather” and “commute,” according to Niche.
It also ranked first in the Best Suburbs to Live in North Carolina, and the second-best place to raise a family in the state behind its neighbor: Apex.
Latest news in Cary
Cary has grown to more than 180,000 residents, up nearly 40,000 since 2010, according to the U.S. Census.
The town recently faced controversy after its former town manager, Sean Stegall, resigned after reports of over-the-top spending and creating a toxic work environment. Several investigations are ongoing related to Stegall including an investigation by the North Carolina State Auditor and a criminal investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation.
Kane Realty, the developer behind North Hills and in downtown Raleigh, has branched out into the town with two newly announced mixed-use development projects, the latest in a recent flurry of growth in the town.
Two parking garages recently opened in downtown, following the new Cary Regional Library, which opened in 2019, and the Downtown Cary Park, opened in 2023. And it’s home to six of The News & Observer’s Top 50 best restaurants in the Triangle.
Best places to live in North Carolina
The rankings for the best places to live in North Carolina, according to Niche, includes several towns in western Wake County and neighborhoods in the Charlotte area.
Niche says these are the 10 best places to live in North Carolina:
- Cary
- Brookhill, a neighborhood in Charlotte
- Morrisville
- Apex
- Dilworth, a neighborhood in Charlotte
- Ballantyne East, a neighborhood in Charlotte
- Davidson
- Southside Park, a neighborhood in Charlotte
- Provincetown, a neighborhood in Charlotte
- Carrboro
This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 9:57 AM with the headline "This Triangle town is the No. 1 best place to live in NC, new report says."
