Where Do I Move?

South · North Carolina · pop 176.7K

Cary, NC

Fit score

Good match

at the reference profile: one person earning $6,700/mo gross, default weights.

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After estimated taxes in NC, your $6,700/mo income nets about $5,173 — covering estimated essentials here (about $1,509 rent plus everyday costs incl. local sales tax) with roughly $1,119 left over.

Home prices are within reach relative to local pay — the median home ($525,200) is about 4.1× the median household income.

Expect summer highs near 89°F, winter lows around 30°F, and about 0 sunny days a year.

AFFORDABILITY84HOUSING77JOBS56SAFETY60CLIMATE69AMENITIES47

The Cary fit print

Est. monthly cost

$4,054/mo

Typical rent

$1,775/mo

Home value ÷ income

4.1×

Score breakdown

Affordability
84
Housing
77
Jobs
56
Safety
60
Climate
69
Amenities
47

The data behind the score

Money (Census ACS · HUD)

Median gross rent
$1,775/mo
Median home value
$525,200
Median household income
$129,399
Population
176,686

Work (BLS)

Unemployment rate
0.0%
Job growth (1yr)
0.0%

Safety (FBI CDE, per 100k)

Violent crime rate
0
Property crime rate
0

Climate (NOAA normals)

Avg. summer high
89°F
Avg. winter low
30°F
Sunny days / year
0
Days ≥100°F by 2050 (air temp)
≈10/yr
Dangerous humid days by 2050 (feels-like)
≈0/yr
Unhealthy air days
≈10/yr
Annual rain
47"
Annual snow
0"

Community & access (approx.)

2024 county margin
D+26
Bachelor's degree or higher
≈70%
Major airport
≈15 mi
Time zone
ET
Walkability
40/100
Transit
30/100
Disaster risk
60/100
Top natural hazard
Lightning
Local pay covers local costs. A typical Cary household earns about $129k — enough to cover the local cost of living (about $79k to break even here). Taking a local job here is realistic.
A citywide number is an average. Rent, safety, and everything else vary block by block — treat these figures as a starting point and research specific neighborhoods before committing.

Data vintage: acs2023-5yr+zori-2026-06-30. Sources & methodology

Natural-hazard risk

Wildfire

moderate risk

Hurricanes

high risk

Tornadoes

high risk

Flooding

high risk

Earthquakes

moderate risk

Severe winter

high risk

Per-hazard risk-index scores from FEMA's National Risk Index for this city's county, with any hazard FEMA doesn't score filled in by our model. Screen by hazard from search.

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Go deeper

Buy vs. rent the median home

Owning the median Cary home would run about $3,747/mo (mortgage, tax, insurance, upkeep) versus $1,775/mo to rent — about $1,972/mo more to buy at today's 6.60% rate.

To own$3,747/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
$2,683
Property tax
$319
Insurance (state avg)
$306
Maintenance
$438
To rent$1,775/mo

Buying costs about $1,972/mo more.

Median home $525,200 · $105,040 down

Estimate only: 30-year fixed, state-average property tax and homeowners insurance, ~1%/yr maintenance. Part of the mortgage payment builds equity, which a pure outlay comparison ignores; and the median home is typically larger than the median rental, which biases the gap toward renting. Ignores closing costs, HOA dues, PMI on low down payments, and the opportunity cost of the down payment. Not a lending quote.

What will the move cost?

Moving to Cary

About 429 mi from New York, NY.

DIY — rental truck

$650$950

One-way truck, mileage, and fuel. Your labor.

Full-service movers

$3,350$4,800

Pros load, drive, and unload. Packing usually extra.

Rough estimates from distance and household size — real quotes vary with season, access, exact inventory, and fuel. Get a few binding quotes before you book.

Find jobs in Cary

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