Living a Biking Lifestyle in Cary, North_Carolina

Cary is located in the heart of North Carolina's Research Triangle Park, west of Raleigh and southeast of Chapel Hill. This city of 120,000 grew 44% between 2000 and 2009 and is one of the fastest growing towns in the U.S. The League of American Bicyclists named Cary as one of the fourteen recipients of the first Bicycle-Friendly Community awards for "providing safe accommodation and facilities for bicyclists and encouraging residents to bike."  U.S. Bicycle Route #1 passes through town, as does NC Bicycle Route #2 (Sea to Mountains). Many of those moving here are people from the northeast.  Locals often joke that Cary stands for "Containment Area for Relocated Yankees". The employment market here is one of the strongest in the nation.  Photo of Page-Walker Hotel (now a museum) courtesy of Wikipedia and HeavenlyHedgehog.

Where to Retire in Cary and Home Prices

There are many active adult communities in the area, including surrounding towns like Apex, Raleigh, and Durham. Check out those towns and see Cary Active Communities link at left.
According to Zillow, housing prices in Cary have been on the rise the last several years, with the median home value at $598,737 in mid-2022, up 37% over the past year.

What Is Special about Cary

Being in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina makes Cary a desirable place to live. Money Magazine has chosen Cary as one of the 10 best places to live (2006), it also won an award as one of America's safest cities. In addition to being named bicycle-friendly, Cary has an extensive network of parks and greenways.

What Is Not Special about Cary

For the south, real estate prices in Cary are fairly high. To date there has been no housing correction.

Climate and Physical Environment

Cary is located in the central Piedmont section of NC. The average July high temp is 89 and the average Jan low temp is 30. The wettest month is July with about 4" of precip.

Restaurants & Cultural Scene

Here in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, there are 3 large universities - NC State, the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and Duke University in Durham. The Lazy Daze Arts Festival is always fun. Sports is a form of culture in Cary, and there is plenty of that with fields, golf courses, tennis courts, and nature trails. There is a wide variety of restaurants from just about all of the national chains to some interesting local ones. Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh all tend to merge together so there are many cultural and gastronomic choices.

Crime

Crime rate is very low.

Medical Facilities

Wakemed - Western Wake Medical Center serves Cary.  Hospitals are also available in nearby Raleigh.

Transportation

There is public transit available throughout the area. Cary has Amtrak service to just about anywhere in the country. The Raleigh-Durham Airport is very convenient. Cary has been designated a bicycle friendly city.

Valuable Links

Town of Cary

Cary Chamber of Commerce

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