The 10 Best Raleigh Suburbs To Live In For 2024


The best Raleigh suburbs are Cary and Apex for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

While big cities like Raleigh offer culture, cuisine, and charisma, they also deliver terrible traffic, towering expenses, and a taxing quality of life.

With that in mind, we wanted to uncover the best suburbs around Raleigh. These burbs have all of the benefits of being near Raleigh without actually having to be in the city.

Of course, not all suburbs of Raleigh are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. Using Saturday Night Science, we delve into the factors that matter most, from commutes and housing costs to community vibes, to help you uncover the perfect suburban spots in the Greater Raleigh area.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


What’s the best suburb of Raleigh? Cary ranks as the best suburb of Raleigh for 2024 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Cary, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Raleigh ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.

Feel free to check out some more reading about North Carolina:

The 10 Best Raleigh Suburbs To Live For 2024

Cary, NC

Source: Flickr User James Willamor | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 174,880
Median Income: $125,317
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
Poverty Rate: 5.2%
More on Cary: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Cary is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Raleigh area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Cary.”

Everyone here is rich; families average $125,317 a year, which is the 4th highest in the Raleigh region. And only 3.36% are out of work. Homes average more than $600,101 each.

Review Of Cary by HomeSnacks User

I grew up in Cary and lived there until I moved away for college. It is a town that I would recommend to anyone for any reason. Cary is a place for everyone, great for seniors, great for raising kids, and great for young adults and professionals. The schools are fantastic, there is a great selection of food, activities, and experiences. It was a wonderful place for me to grow up and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for their forever home.

The schools in Cary were excellent, providing high quality education and service to the community. There are also various restaurants catering to different national cuisine. The only issue I’ve had as a young adult going back to Cary is that there is very little nightlife and the young adult population is on the lower end, mostly being kids coming home from college while on breaks. This is not unmanageable, as a city with a bustling nightlife is nearby, about 15 minutes away.

Apex, NC

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 65,541
Median Income: $129,688
Unemployment Rate: 4.1%
Poverty Rate: 2.9%
More on Apex: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Apex is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Raleigh for 2024.

It ranks 2nd for incomes in the area and only 4.15% of residents lack insurance, good for 2nd best.

Holly Springs, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Jon Harrison | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 42,023
Median Income: $127,755
Unemployment Rate: 3.5%
Poverty Rate: 4.9%
More on Holly Springs: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Here in Holly Springs, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Raleigh metro area.

The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.

But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Holly Springs.

Rolesville, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Mkrpowers | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 9,696
Median Income: $145,166
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%
Poverty Rate: 1.7%
More on Rolesville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Rolesville ranks as the 4th best suburb of Raleigh for 2024.

You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Rolesville and the schools are some of the best around.

Morrisville, NC

Source: Town of Morrisville
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 29,756
Median Income: $114,075
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
Poverty Rate: 5.8%
More on Morrisville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Coming in as the fifth best is Morrisville.

Morrisville gets kudos for having the 8th most expensive homes in the Raleigh area, where houses sell for an average of $486,190. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

Wake Forest, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Ildar Sagdejev (Specious) | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 48,047
Median Income: $115,159
Unemployment Rate: 4.3%
Poverty Rate: 3.0%
More on Wake Forest: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Wake Forest is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.

Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 4.34%.

According to online reports, Wake Forest is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Raleigh area, meaning you need to get in soon.

Chapel Hill, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Caroline Culler (User:Wgreaves) | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 58,919
Median Income: $85,940
Unemployment Rate: 4.7%
Poverty Rate: 18.6%
More on Chapel Hill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Chapel Hill.

Chapel Hill schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.

And, it’s only 23.1 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Carrboro, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Elizabeth B. Thomsen Ethomsen | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 21,242
Median Income: $76,933
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
Poverty Rate: 11.7%
More on Carrboro: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Carrboro is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.

A solid 5.47% of people lack insurance, good for 7th in the area.

Fuquay-Varina, NC

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 35,428
Median Income: $94,142
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
Poverty Rate: 10.6%
More on Fuquay-Varina: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Is ‘Everything Better In Fuquay-Varina?’

Almost.

It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.

Wendell, NC

Source: Wikipedia User Nicholas Oren Rawlings | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 10,575
Median Income: $91,316
Unemployment Rate: 0.4%
Poverty Rate: 5.7%
More on Wendell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

And rounding out the top ten for 2024 is Wendell.

This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Raleigh for 2024

Figuring out the best suburbs around Raleigh was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.

We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2018-2022 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:

  • Low unemployment rate
  • High median household incomes
  • Population density (lots of things to do)
  • High home values
  • A lot of college-educated people
  • Low poverty
  • High rate of insured families

We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Raleigh.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 27 suburbs to evaluate around Raleigh.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 27 in each category, where 1 was the “best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.

Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Raleigh.” We’re lookin’ at you, Cary.

This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.

We updated the data for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best Raleigh suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.

Summary: Welcome to the Best Raleigh ‘Burbs of 2024

We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.

The best suburbs of Raleigh are .

So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Raleigh but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.

For more North Carolina reading, check out:

Table: Best Raleigh Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income Average Home Price
1 Cary, NC 174,880 $125,317 $600,101
2 Apex, NC 65,541 $129,688 $591,542
3 Holly Springs, NC 42,023 $127,755 $550,787
4 Rolesville, NC 9,696 $145,166 $497,136
5 Morrisville, NC 29,756 $114,075 $486,190
6 Wake Forest, NC 48,047 $115,159 $513,842
7 Chapel Hill, NC 58,919 $85,940 $603,034
8 Carrboro, NC 21,242 $76,933 $438,237
9 Fuquay-Varina, NC 35,428 $94,142 $496,644
10 Wendell, NC 10,575 $91,316 $361,432
11 Garner, NC 31,684 $77,171 $374,654
12 Knightdale, NC 19,127 $79,364 $363,028
13 Youngsville, NC 2,421 $73,472 $402,931
14 Clayton, NC 26,837 $71,698 $366,122
15 Durham, NC 284,094 $74,710 $395,610
16 Creedmoor, NC 4,871 $78,750 $343,602
17 Archer Lodge, NC 4,894 $73,750 $323,187
18 Angier, NC 5,348 $54,936 $318,115
19 Franklinton, NC 2,477 $59,911 $342,186
20 Four Oaks, NC 2,269 $66,014 $275,597
21 Zebulon, NC 7,421 $50,934 $341,201
22 Coats, NC 2,324 $42,566 $230,306
23 Selma, NC 6,449 $29,325 $260,426
24 Louisburg, NC 3,099 $41,813 $298,160
25 Butner, NC 8,374 $68,604 $258,713
26 Smithfield, NC 11,527 $37,000 $283,417
27 Wilson’s Mills, NC 2,581 $59,309 $272,732
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.