United States › North Carolina › Cary CITY · 2020 ACS
Cary North Carolina · 174,721 residents · 60.1 sq mi
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The short version
Cary is a city of 174,721 people in North Carolina. This is an unusually credentialed place: 69% of adults have a four-year degree. That is roughly 90% ahead of the North Carolina median. The population has more than doubled since 2000, adding 80,185 people. Households take in $107,463 a year at the median, 62% more than the country as a whole. The typical home is worth $376,600, having more than doubled since 2000.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 38.8
US median: 38.8
More educated
69% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 30%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth from 33.7 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
30K 71K 112K 152K 193K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Cary Age distribution, 2020
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Section 02
Income & economy $107,463
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $75,122 in 2000
US average: $66,278
from $32,974 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
from 57.4% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
from 3.4% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Public administration 6.6%
Arts, entertainment, food 3.4%
Professional, scientific, technical 2.7%
Transportation & warehousing 2%
Education & health services 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.2%
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$376,600
+30%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $193,000 in 2000
US average: $265,253
$1,312
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $826 in 2000
US average: $1,124
from 72.8% in 2000
35.3% rent
from 2.73 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
from 3.1 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 79.7%(75,299)
Hispanic / Latino 4.3%(4,047)
2020
White, non-Hispanic 56.9%(99,357)
Hispanic / Latino 8.2%(14,376)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data Asian origin
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data from 60.7% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
from 95.1% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
from 23.0% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 13.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
from 81.3% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07
Work & employment from 4.8% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
from 73.2% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
US average: 73.3%
from 60.0% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08
People & community from 16.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
from 10.0% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
US average: 91.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 27.6%(19,587)
Women 15+
Never married 25.7%(19,300)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 10.0% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Direct-purchase
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
US average: 2.3%
Any private
US average: 68.1%
Any public
US average: 35.2%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later) 18.9%(1,261)
Gulf War (1990s) 31.4%(2,097)
Share of the 6,686 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Cary Head to head
Compare Cary to nearby cities CARY VS
Morrisville
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CARY VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Cary, North Carolina? Cary, North Carolina has about 174,721 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Cary, North Carolina? The typical household in Cary, North Carolina earns about $107,463 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Cary, North Carolina expensive? In Cary, North Carolina, the median home is worth about $376,600, and the typical rent is about $1,312 a month.
How educated are people in Cary, North Carolina? About 68.6% of adults age 25 and over in Cary, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Cary, North Carolina? About 4.7% of people in Cary, North Carolina live below the federal poverty line.
Has Cary, North Carolina grown since 1990? Yes, Cary, North Carolina has grown since 1990. The population has added about 130,863 residents, a change of about 298 percent over that period.
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