Housing and tax tradeoff: Cary, North Carolina
Cary, North Carolina comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Cary vs Irvine on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 22 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
CaryIrvine
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Cary, North Carolina
Cary, North Carolina is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on affordability, weaker on sunshine.
Potential dealbreaker: Irvine, California
Irvine, California needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 159,769 | 256,927 |
| Center Elevation | 499 ft(152 m) | 56 ft(17 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $614,634 | $1,510,682 |
| Median Rent | $1,634 | $3,471 |
| Median Income | $125,317 | $122,948 |
| Rent Burden | 16% | 34% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 307 days/yr | 347 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 71°F | 73°F |
| Avg. Low | 53°F | 55°F |
| Comfort Score | 79/100Great | 96/100Excellent |
| Temp Swing | 38°F | 19°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 52"(132 cm) | 17"(43 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 3"(8 cm) | 0"(0 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 452024 modeled avg · 24 days > 100 | Typical: 482024 modeled avg · 4 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Walkability | N/A | 45 |
| Transit Score | 46 | 34 |
| Safety Score | 86 / 100 | 85 / 100 |
| School Rating | 8.2/10 | 8.8/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | N/A |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 92%Cable: 97% | Fiber: 44%Cable: 88% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 39.4 years | 33.8 years |
| College Educated | 70% | 70% |
| Remote Workers | 28% | 23% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Plan a first lookWays to plan a first visit or connect with a relevant local partner. | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Cary | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Irvine |
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