North Raleigh or Cary NC, what's the difference?
In my many years of working with families relocating to the Triangle area of North Carolina, there has been a question that is a constant--should I move to North Raleigh or to Cary.
Obviously, only a home buyer can inevitably answer that question for him or her self, but here are a few differences:
North Raleigh is known for its established trees and wooded appeal; though you are very close to shopping and amenities in Raleigh, you may feel somewhat isolated from the rest of the world when you are actually in many of the neighborhoods.
Cary, North Carolina, for the most part, feels more compact--don't get me wrong, it is beautiful and very village like, but you can feel that shopping and restaurants are just outside most of the communities. The older neighborhoods have many towering trees but you don't get the feeling you are in the woods like you might in many North Raleigh Neighborhoods.
Another difference between North Raleigh VS. Cary is that it is rare to find community or neighborhood pools in the North Raleigh subdivisions; there are a select few that have community pools. Cary, on the other hand tends to have neighborhood pools in the majority of the communities, especially the subdivisions built in the late 1990's and after. Many North Raleigh residents belong to Seven Oaks Swim and Tennis Club.
If you are looking for a home on a bigger lot, you are more likely to find it in Raleigh (many are .5+ acres) whereas Cary tends to have lot sizes around .25 to .3 acres.
The schools on the Northwest side of Cary tend to have the best of the best end of the year outcomes, but North Raleigh Schools are great as well. Visit Wake County Public Schools.
Price wise, they are very comparable; the tax rates are very similar too, however, many homes in North Raleigh are not in city limits, especially homes on .5acres or more. Not being in city limits means the home is probably on a well and septic tank and may not have access to public natural gas. It also means the tax rate will be lower because city taxes will not be assessed--only Wake County Taxes.
Keep this in mind: if you speak to someone who lives in North Raleigh-they may speak poorly about Cary and vice versa (very likely to happen); take it with a grain of salt because both areas have much to offer and folks are prone to put down areas they don't know much about.
Hopefully, this article answers some of your questions; please feel free to call me if you have questions about these areas or want to see homes in the Triangle.
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Freedom Realty Firm is your total real estate resource for Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Raleigh, North Raleigh, Morrisville, Fuquay Varina, North Carolina Real Estate. Call us today at 919-349-6315 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
