Wake County · North Carolina · South · 179k residents
Cary, NC: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Cary: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the North Carolina median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,560/wk. North Carolina's corporate income tax rate is 2.25%. Commercial electricity averages 10.6¢/kWh.
Compare Cary side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,560/wk
Corporate income tax
2.25%
Bachelor's degree or higher
70.5%
Commercial electricity
10.6¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Cary's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
60/100
Steady
Ranks Cary's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $580,200 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $190 |
| Property tax rate | 0.82% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,470/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,699/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.15% |
| Sales tax | 7% |
| Corporate income tax | 2.25% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,560/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70.5% |
| Commercial electricity | 10.6¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 42.5/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $132,770 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $84,830 |
| Wage: General manager | $114,940 |
| Wage: Customer service | $41,900 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $35,220 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $52,110 |
| Wage: Electrician | $56,800 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $33,100 |
| Cost of living index | 114 |
| Groceries index | 98 |
| Utilities | $155/mo |
| Transit pass | $55/mo |
| Gas price | $3.05/gal |
| Healthcare index | 100 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,050/mo |
| Median household income | $134,905 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% |
| Population | 179k |
| Crime index | 48/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 96/100 |
| Avg. commute | 25 min |
| Sunny days / year | 213 days |
| July high | 88°F |
| January low | 31°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | -2.0% |
| Home price MoM | -0.3% |
| Rent YoY | -1.1% |
| Rent MoM | -0.2% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +1.9% |
| Building permits YoY | -34.7% |
| Ocean coast | 121 mi |
| Big lake | 71 mi |
| Mountains | 166 mi |
| Major airport | 8 mi |
| Ski resort | 150 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Apex, NC · 71k
- Morrisville, NC · 31k
- Raleigh, NC · 481k
- Holly Springs, NC · 45k
- Fuquay-Varina, NC · 40k
Similar size
- Fayetteville, NC · 211k
- Wilmington, NC · 121k
- High Point, NC · 116k
- Concord, NC · 109k
- Winston-Salem, NC · 252k
Real listings in Cary
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Cary a good place to run a business?
- North Carolina's corporate income tax rate is 2.25%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,560/wk; commercial electricity averages 10.6¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Cary, NC?
- Cary indexes at 114 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,699/mo and a acs median home value of $580,200.
- How much does a house cost in Cary?
- The acs median home value in Cary is $580,200 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Cary?
- A two-bedroom in Cary rents for about $1,699/mo.