Cary, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Cary, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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A
Income Above average
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Cary | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 159,804 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2574.2 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.52% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.4 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 62,701 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Cary grew by 59.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 159,804 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Cary is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.5% of residents. That is 3.1 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 31,077 19.4% -2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 39,128 24.5% +3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 37,193 23.3% +2.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 21,291 13.3% -3.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.5% of the people living in Cary and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 49.5% North Carolina 48.9%
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100% of everyone living in Cary
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Economy
Cary has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Cary | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $129,912 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.45% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Cary is about 79% higher than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Cary | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $445,474 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,726 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.8% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Cary is about 21.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,726 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Cary spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 176 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Cary | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.1 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.2 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 176 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,450 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 35.7% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 19,360 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,069 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Cary is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Cary has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Cary | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 65.7% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.54 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Cary has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Cary | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.4 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 7.5% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.4% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Cary, NC Compared With Nearby Cities
Cary, NC is the 2nd largest of the 6 cities compared here, 159,804 residents against a local median of 29,205. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest cities, which makes Cary, NC an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is median home price, 11% below the local median at $445,474 against $499,841. Cary, NC has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cary, NC | 159,804 | $129,912 #4/6 | $445,474 #4/6 | 21.1 min #3/6 |
| Morrisville, NC | 22,339 | $136,940 | $566,521 | 20.1 min |
| Apex, NC | 47,941 | $140,025 | $859,712 | 23.0 min |
| Holly Springs, NC | 29,205 | $133,074 | $420,064 | 30.2 min |
| Raleigh, NC | 423,734 | $86,293 | $402,287 | 21.0 min |
| Fuquay-Varina, NC | 24,602 | $108,365 | $499,841 | 32.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cary, North Carolina.
What is the population of Cary, North Carolina?
About 159,804 people live in Cary, North Carolina, in 62,701 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 38.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Cary, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Cary, North Carolina has 2,574 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 30 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Cary, North Carolina?
The median home costs 3.4 times the median household income ($445,474 against $129,912), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,726 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Cary, North Carolina?
Unemployment in Cary, North Carolina is only 3.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Cary, North Carolina have a college degree?
65.7% of adults in Cary, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 7 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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