City safety & data profile

CaryNC

Cary, NC is a 160K-resident city in Wake County with a median household income of $134,905.

Wake County, North Carolina. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Cary, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Cary has a population larger than 96% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $580,200, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

160K
Population
Top 4%
By size
$134,905
Median income
$580,200
Median home
5.7%
Poverty rate

The read on Cary

Cary posts a median household income higher than 89% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Cary area.

Top 11%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Cary

Where Cary income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$134,905 Top 11% higher than 89% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. NC $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Cary, NC beyond the headline numbers

Cary sits inside Wake County, North Carolina, at roughly 35.79°N, -78.78°W. Population 159,769, $134,905 median household income. Median home value $580,200, median rent $1,738. Poverty rate 5.7%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Cary's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 30.1%, then short sleep duration at 29.7%. 1 hospital in/around Cary, 5/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Cary from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
159,769
Cary
Median Income
$134,905
+98% vs avg
Median Home Value
$580,200
+155% vs avg
Median Age
40.2
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Wake County) - Cary's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
1.2M+27%
Median Income
$105,768+60%
Median Home Value
$461,300+101%
Poverty Rate
8.1%-26%
Unemployment
4.1%-47%

Economics

Economics indicators for Cary, NC
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,738/mo
Poverty Rate
5.7% -60% vs avg
Unemployment 3.4%
Bachelor's Degree+ 70.5%
Work From Home 36.5%
Public Transit 0.3%

Population

White 58.3%
African American 7.9%
Asian 20.4%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.9%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
30.1%
Short Sleep Duration
29.7%
Obesity
25.3%
Physical Inactivity
15.7%
Binge Drinking
14.3%
Frequent Mental Distress
12.8%
Current Asthma
9.2%
Diabetes
8.6%
Frequent Physical Distress
8.4%
Current Smoking
7.7%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 73.5%
Annual Checkup 80.7%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
6.2%
Coronary Heart Disease
4.3%
Stroke
2.3%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
1
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
5/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
WAKEMED, CARY HOSPITAL
CARY · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★★

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Cary, NC? ▼
Cary, NC has a population of 159,769 people, located in Wake County, North Carolina.
What is the median household income in Cary? ▼
The median household income in Cary, NC is $134,905 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 5.7%.
What is the median home value in Cary? ▼
The median home value in Cary, NC is $580,200. Median rent is $1,738/month.
What are the top health concerns in Cary? ▼
The top health indicators in Cary include High Blood Pressure (30.1%), Short Sleep Duration (29.7%), Obesity (25.3%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Cary? ▼
Cary has 1 hospital with an average rating of 5/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Cary? ▼
The median age in Cary, NC is 40.2 years. 70.5% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Cary, NC is located in Wake County, North Carolina. With a population of 160K and a $134,905 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 5/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Cary area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - North Carolina

Real-time AQI for every monitored North Carolina location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Morrisville, NC 24K Apex, NC 46K West Raleigh, NC 339K Raleigh, NC 482K Holly Springs, NC 31K Garner, NC 28K Fuquay-Varina, NC 24K Durham, NC 258K
All cities in North Carolina → Compare Cary vs Morrisville → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Cary's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Cary area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Cary against North Carolina peers on any ranking lens. Explore North Carolina

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Wake County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.