Apex and Cary are places in North Carolina. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Cary has the higher population (176,686 vs 67,765 in Apex). Apex has the higher median household income ($138,442 vs $129,399 in Cary). Cary has the higher median home value ($525,200 vs $514,800 in Apex).
Population, income & housing
| Apex | Cary | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 67,765 | 176,686 |
| Median age | 36.0 yrs | 39.8 yrs |
| Median household income | $138,442 | $129,399 |
| Median home value | $514,800 | $525,200 |
| Median gross rent | $1,784 | $1,621 |
| Housing units | 25,148 | 72,634 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.3% | 66.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 66.6% | 70.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.4% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Apex | Cary | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,370 → 67,765 (+31.9%) | 166,268 → 176,686 (+6.3%) |
| Median household income | $111,435 → $138,442 (+24.2%) | $104,669 → $129,399 (+23.6%) |
| Median home value | $327,800 → $514,800 (+57.0%) | $356,400 → $525,200 (+47.4%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,380 → $1,784 (+29.3%) | $1,246 → $1,621 (+30.1%) |
Apex
51,37067,765
$111,435$138,442
$327,800$514,800
$1,380$1,784
Cary
166,268176,686
$104,669$129,399
$356,400$525,200
$1,246$1,621
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Apex | Cary | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6.2% | 5.1% |
| 5 to 17 | 23.5% | 19.0% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.4% | 7.2% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.4% | 11.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 18.0% | 15.0% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.3% | 15.5% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.7% | 8.3% |
| 75 and over | 2.8% | 5.6% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Apex | Cary | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 63.3% | 58.0% |
| Black or African American | 8.1% | 7.3% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 16.5% | 20.4% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Two or more races | 4.4% | 4.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.1% | 9.3% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Apex | Cary | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 2.3% | 3.7% |
| High school graduate | 9.2% | 8.0% |
| Some college or associate's | 21.9% | 18.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 39.0% | 37.4% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 27.6% | 32.9% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Apex | Cary | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 58.5% | 59.3% |
| Carpooled | 5.8% | 5.2% |
| Public transit | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Walked | 2.1% | 1.2% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Worked from home | 32.5% | 32.4% |
| Other means | 1.0% | 1.3% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Apex | Cary | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 67.6% | 59.5% |
| 1-unit, attached | 14.8% | 12.8% |
| 2 to 4 units | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| 5 to 19 units | 6.4% | 13.9% |
| 20 or more units | 7.6% | 10.9% |
| Mobile home & other | 0.8% | 0.8% |
Poverty & households
| Apex | Cary | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 2.6% | 5.3% |
| Average household size | 2.83 | 2.59 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 24 | 23 |
| Median year structure built | 2007 | 1999 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
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- Highest median household income — cities in North Carolina
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