This NC town ranks as one of nation’s best small cities to call home. Why it’s special
North Carolina has plenty of towns to love — but where’s the best place to settle down?
The Raleigh suburb of Apex ranks No. 7 on a nationwide list of “Most Livable Small Cities,” according to results published Thursday, July 11.
“Housing affordability, the spread of business offerings, financial standing and unemployment levels, average commute times and healthcare coverage can all affect the well-being and comfort of the community as a whole,” the personal finance website SmartAsset wrote in its report.
To determine the best places to call home, SmartAsset “compared 281 cities with a population between 65,000 and 100,000.” It then analyzed U.S. Census Bureau survey results for quality-of-life metrics.
Apex, southwest from Raleigh, says it’s home to about 75,000 people. The town had one of the lowest poverty rates at 2.6%.
Also, housing costs were about 16.6% of Apex residents’ income, lower than many other cities considered.
Despite ranking high in other categories, the town didn’t fare as well when it came to residents’ average commute time, determined to be 22.1 minutes. It also was near the middle of the pack in the category that weighed the “concentration of arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses.”
The Raleigh suburb earned the top honor after travel-related lists recently gave nods to the small mountain towns of Brevard and Blowing Rock. Both of those rankings considered destinations with smaller populations than Apex, McClatchy News reported.
So, where did other North Carolina cities land in the latest SmartAsset rankings? Here’s how they fared:
- Asheville at No. 97
- Greenville at No. 167
- Gastonia at No. 187
- Jacksonville at No. 249
Across the country, SmartAsset said the most livable town was Troy, Michigan, a roughly 20-mile drive north from Detroit.
This story was originally published July 12, 2024 at 11:40 AM with the headline "This NC town ranks as one of nation’s best small cities to call home. Why it’s special."
