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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



Cary, NC Real Estate Market

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:
  • Home Values, Rents: Reflects Q2 2024. Updated quarterly.
  • Setting, Housing Stock, Homeownership: 2022 (latest available). Updated annually.

Methodology:   NeighborhoodScout uses over 600 characteristics to build a neighborhood profile… Read more about Scout's Real Estate Data

Cary, NC Housing Market Trends

With 180,388 people, 66,120 houses or apartments, and a median cost of homes of $700,646, Cary house prices are not only among the most expensive in North Carolina, Cary real estate also is some of the most expensive in all of America.

Single-family detached homes are the single most common housing type in Cary, accounting for 60.15% of the town's housing units. Other types of housing that are prevalent in Cary include large apartment complexes or high rise apartments ( 24.57%), row houses and other attached homes ( 12.63%), and a few duplexes, homes converted to apartments or other small apartment buildings ( 1.97%).

Owner-occupied, three and four bedroom dwellings, primarily in single-family detached homes are the most prevalent type of housing you will see in Cary. Owner-occupied housing accounts for 66.72% of Cary's homes, and 56.95% have either three or four bedrooms, which is average sized relative to America.

There is a lot of housing in Cary built from 1970 to 1999 so parts of town may have that "Brady Bunch" look of homes popular in the '70s and early '80s, although some of these houses were built up through the early '90s as well. There is also a lot of housing in Cary built between 2000 and later ( 45.58%). A lesser amount of the housing stock also hails from between 1940-1969 ( 3.91%).

Cary Home Appreciation Rates

In the last 10 years, Cary has experienced some of the highest home appreciation rates of any community in the nation. Cary real estate appreciated 122.02% over the last ten years, which is an average annual home appreciation rate of 8.30%, putting Cary in the top 20% nationally for real estate appreciation. If you are a home buyer or real estate investor, Cary definitely has a track record of being one of the best long term real estate investments in America through the last ten years.

Over the last year, Cary appreciation rates have trailed the rest of the nation. In the last twelve months, Cary's appreciation rate has been 4.92%, which is lower than appreciation rates in most communities in America. In the latest quarter, NeighborhoodScout's data show that house appreciation rates in Cary were at 1.27%, which equates to an annual appreciation rate of 5.19%.

Relative to North Carolina, our data show that Cary's latest annual appreciation rate is lower than 70% of the other cities and towns in North Carolina.

One very important thing to keep in mind is that these are average appreciation rates for the town. Individual neighborhoods within Cary differ in their investment potential, sometimes by a great deal. Fortunately, you can use NeighborhoodScout to pinpoint the exact neighborhoods in Cary - or in any city or town - that have the best track record of real estate appreciation, by the latest quarter, the last year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, or even since 2000, to assist you in making the best Cary real estate investment or home purchase decisions.

Average Home Values

Median Home Value

$700,646

Cary, NC Home Prices
> $1,439,000
$1,079,001 - $1,439,000
$720,001 - $1,079,000
$576,001 - $720,000
$431,001 - $576,000
$287,001 - $431,000
$144,001 - $287,000
$72,001 - $144,000
$0 - $72,000
4.4%
4.4%
10.0%
10.0%
29.6%
29.6%
20.2%
20.2%
19.7%
19.7%
10.7%
10.7%
3.2%
3.2%
0.7%
0.7%
1.5%
1.5%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes
Very High

for North carolina

Very High

for nation

Number of Homes And Apartments:

66,120

Cary Appreciation Rates

Rent & Ownership

Average Market Rent:

$2,795 / per month

Homeownership Rate

Owners
Renters
66.7%
66.7%
33.3%
33.3%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Vacancy Rate

Vacant
Occupied
6.6%
6.6%
93.4%
93.4%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Housing Market Details

Age of Homes

2000 or Newer
1970 - 1999
1940 - 1969
1939 or Older
45.6%
45.6%
50.2%
50.2%
3.9%
3.9%
0.3%
0.3%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Types of Homes

Single-Family
Townhomes
Small Apt. Buildings
Apt. Complexes
Mobile Homes
Other
60.2%
60.2%
12.6%
12.6%
2.0%
2.0%
24.6%
24.6%
0.7%
0.7%
0.0%
0.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Home Size

No Bedroom
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 Bedrooms
5 or more bedrooms
0.7%
0.7%
9.7%
9.7%
19.6%
19.6%
29.6%
29.6%
27.4%
27.4%
13.0%
13.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes