Atlanta vs Cary
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $439,600 in Atlanta and $580,200 in Cary.
- Households earn more in Cary ($134,905 vs $85,652 median).
- Commutes are shorter in Cary (23 vs 27 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Cary, NC | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 529,110 | 183,582 |
| Growth since 2020 | +6.1% | +5% |
| People per square mile | 3,911 | 3,011 |
| Median age | 34.2 | 40.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59% | 71% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $85,652 | $134,905 |
| Median home value | $439,600 | $580,200 |
| Home value to income | 5.1× | 4.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,711 | $1,738 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 100.1 | 98.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 111.0 | 103.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,000 | $73,600 |
| Homeowners | 46% | 67% |
| Top state income tax | 5.19% | 3.99% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.56% | 7.1% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 26.5 | 22.5 |
| Work from home | 30% | 37% |
| Take public transit | 6% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.9% | 3.5% |
| Poverty rate | 16.9% | 5.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 54° / 36° | 52° / 32° |
| July high / low | 90° / 72° | 91° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 50 in | 46 in |
| Snowfall per year | 2 in | 5 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 47 | 52 |
| Nights below freezing | 36 | 65 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 95.8 | 95.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 41% | 66% |
| Home prices, past year | +1% | +1.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +42.7% | +44.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Atlanta: April to May and September to November. Cary: April to May and October.
Full monthly tables: Atlanta weather by month and Cary weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $75,000 in Atlanta and $73,600 in Cary. Moving from Atlanta to Cary, you would need about $73,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Atlanta and Cary
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Atlanta and Cary.
Which would you pick?
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