There are all types when it comes to being a snob in North Carolina. You’ve got your Wine Snobs, Book Snobs, and, of course, Clothes Snobs. Then there are the Technology Snobs, Car Snobs, and yes, even City Snobsas in, I’m better than you because I live in (insert snooty city here).
How can we tell which North Carolina cities are the snobbiest? By measuring snobby things, that’s how.
We used Saturday Night Science to look at things like expensive homes, high incomes, and overly educated populations by city in North Carolina. These are the criteria you’d argue with a friend over a foodie dinner about who’s snobbier.
After analyzing 136 of the state’s most populous areas over 5,000 people, we came up with this ranking of the ten snobbiest places in the state of North Carolina.
The North Carolinian in these places aren’t snobby, they just know they’re better than you.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Snobbiest Places In North Carolina
Don’t freak out.
What’s the snobbiest place in North Carolina? The snobbiest place in North Carolina is Marvin based on the data. If we had their wealth and lifestyle, we’d probably be a little snobby, too.
The most laid back? That would be Williamston.
We’re not so full of ourselves as to make this ranking up from nowhere. So here’s a look at the top ten and more on how we did it. And if you’re curious, North Carolina is the 19th snobbiest in the United States.
For more North Carolina reading, check out:
The 10 Snobbiest Places In North Carolina For 2026
/10
% Highly Educated: 80.0%
Median Income: $250,001
Median Home Price: $1,251,046
More on Marvin: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
% Highly Educated: 76.0%
Median Income: $166,556
Median Home Price: $655,967
More on Davidson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
% Highly Educated: 68.0%
Median Income: $190,766
Median Home Price: $1,074,643
More on Weddington: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
% Highly Educated: 71.0%
Median Income: $134,905
Median Home Price: $626,395
More on Cary: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
% Highly Educated: 70.0%
Median Income: $144,135
Median Home Price: $599,084
More on Apex: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
% Highly Educated: 67.0%
Median Income: $116,383
Median Home Price: $694,376
More on St. James: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
% Highly Educated: 66.0%
Median Income: $135,578
Median Home Price: $579,090
More on Holly Springs: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
% Highly Educated: 58.0%
Median Income: $155,385
Median Home Price: $599,278
More on Oak Ridge: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
/10
% Highly Educated: 59.0%
Median Income: $160,275
Median Home Price: $519,609
More on Summerfield: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How we determined the snobbiest cities in the Tar Heel State
Do you think wed just come up with this list willy-nilly? Not a chance – we only use Saturday Night Science around here.
We gathered up all of the places in North Carolina with populations of 5,000 people or more. This left us with a total of 136 places. Then, we looked at each place in terms of these snoot-er-iffic criteria (And no, its not a word. English snob.):
- Median home price (Higher is snobbier)
- Median household income (Higher is snobbier)
- Percent of population with a college degree (Higher is snobbier)
Incomes and college education levels come from the American Community Survey. Home prices come from Zillow.
Turned out this simple criteria was much better at sniffing out the snobby places then more snobby criteria like:
- Libaries per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Museums per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Private schools per capita (Higher is snobbier)
From there, we ranked each of our 136 places in each category with scores from one to 136. We then averaged each places ranking into one overall score, where the lowest score went to the snobbiest place in North Carolina. So lets all flip a table in honor of Marvin (with our pinkies up, of course.)
Before you get upset and ruin your blowout or something drastic here, lets remember that this is all in good fun. Would we live in one of these 10 places if we had the chance? Of course, we would.
And it’s not like your real estate agent would ever point out how snobby the town you’re moving to is. We’re here to keep you grounded, even if you’re wearing a monocle.
There You Have It – Now That You’re On Your High Horse
When it comes to snobbery, these places in North Carolina are heading ever upward. Residents in these communities are well educated, well paid, and appear to have all the sophisticated culture and entertainment of an Ernst Lubitsch film right at their fingertips.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The snobbiest cities in North Carolina are Marvin, Davidson, Weddington, Cary, Apex, St. James, Holly Springs, Oak Ridge, Whispering Pines, and Summerfield.
If you’re also curious enough, here are the most laid back places in North Carolina, according to science:
- Williamston
- Hamlet
- Kinston
For more North Carolina reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In North Carolina
- Cheapest Places To Live In North Carolina
- Most Dangerous Cities In North Carolina
- Richest Cities In North Carolina
- Safest Cities in North Carolina
- Worst Places To Live In North Carolina
- Most Expensive Places To Live In North Carolina
Table: The Snobbiest Cities In North Carolina For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Adult Highly Educated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marvin, NC | 6,692 | $250,001 | $1,251,046 | 80.0% |
| 2 | Davidson, NC | 15,660 | $166,556 | $655,967 | 76.0% |
| 3 | Weddington, NC | 13,805 | $190,766 | $1,074,643 | 68.0% |
| 4 | Cary, NC | 179,306 | $134,905 | $626,395 | 71.0% |
| 5 | Apex, NC | 70,630 | $144,135 | $599,084 | 70.0% |
| 6 | St. James, NC | 7,072 | $116,383 | $694,376 | 67.0% |
| 7 | Holly Springs, NC | 45,248 | $135,578 | $579,090 | 66.0% |
| 8 | Oak Ridge, NC | 7,744 | $155,385 | $599,278 | 58.0% |
| 9 | Whispering Pines, NC | 5,211 | $126,450 | $529,288 | 67.0% |
| 10 | Summerfield, NC | 11,116 | $160,275 | $519,609 | 59.0% |
| 11 | Waxhaw, NC | 22,275 | $131,894 | $628,812 | 56.0% |
| 12 | Rolesville, NC | 10,766 | $149,565 | $497,995 | 62.0% |
| 13 | Morrisville, NC | 31,422 | $125,396 | $480,925 | 73.0% |
| 14 | Huntersville, NC | 63,969 | $120,516 | $550,754 | 58.0% |
| 15 | Cornelius, NC | 32,783 | $113,767 | $527,117 | 63.0% |
| 16 | Chapel Hill, NC | 61,607 | $85,989 | $631,166 | 76.0% |
| 17 | Pinehurst, NC | 18,256 | $109,802 | $535,650 | 61.0% |
| 18 | Wesley Chapel, NC | 9,090 | $132,188 | $659,095 | 48.0% |
| 19 | Wake Forest, NC | 52,844 | $123,802 | $512,160 | 60.0% |
| 20 | Harrisburg, NC | 19,633 | $148,254 | $494,883 | 57.0% |
| 21 | Fuquay-Varina, NC | 40,485 | $115,497 | $525,746 | 55.0% |
| 22 | Hillsborough, NC | 9,724 | $98,163 | $472,961 | 61.0% |
| 23 | Matthews, NC | 30,577 | $108,611 | $501,847 | 54.0% |
| 24 | Carolina Beach, NC | 6,745 | $94,398 | $606,035 | 51.0% |
| 25 | Stallings, NC | 16,886 | $115,974 | $461,632 | 53.0% |
| 26 | Mills River, NC | 7,281 | $105,398 | $530,765 | 44.0% |
| 27 | Carrboro, NC | 21,204 | $85,743 | $429,674 | 69.0% |
| 28 | Belmont, NC | 15,546 | $94,883 | $432,564 | 51.0% |
| 29 | Kill Devil Hills, NC | 7,761 | $89,773 | $521,722 | 44.0% |
| 30 | Southern Pines, NC | 16,420 | $88,535 | $456,115 | 52.0% |
| 31 | Oak Island, NC | 9,030 | $85,872 | $568,671 | 43.0% |
| 32 | Lewisville, NC | 13,828 | $100,917 | $404,563 | 49.0% |
| 33 | Mooresville, NC | 52,381 | $89,647 | $482,315 | 46.0% |
| 34 | Mint Hill, NC | 27,556 | $100,860 | $513,193 | 40.0% |
| 35 | Raleigh, NC | 481,031 | $85,395 | $433,996 | 54.0% |
| 36 | Black Mountain, NC | 8,513 | $77,042 | $463,738 | 56.0% |
| 37 | Stokesdale, NC | 6,004 | $121,071 | $386,451 | 43.0% |
| 38 | Knightdale, NC | 20,214 | $103,220 | $370,204 | 48.0% |
| 39 | Durham, NC | 291,467 | $81,619 | $396,394 | 57.0% |
| 40 | Indian Trail, NC | 42,036 | $108,483 | $419,102 | 40.0% |
| 41 | Clemmons, NC | 21,871 | $87,655 | $387,813 | 49.0% |
| 42 | Asheville, NC | 94,535 | $71,102 | $460,993 | 54.0% |
| 43 | Charlotte, NC | 903,844 | $82,068 | $397,125 | 48.0% |
| 44 | Leland, NC | 29,607 | $91,977 | $376,599 | 43.0% |
| 45 | Elon, NC | 11,032 | $84,773 | $350,879 | 50.0% |
| 46 | Garner, NC | 34,473 | $78,756 | $384,100 | 47.0% |
| 47 | Concord, NC | 108,719 | $86,921 | $382,592 | 41.0% |
| 48 | Wendell, NC | 13,064 | $95,787 | $369,603 | 39.0% |
| 49 | Fletcher, NC | 8,098 | $75,272 | $446,279 | 41.0% |
| 50 | Woodfin, NC | 8,048 | $71,384 | $427,001 | 45.0% |
| 51 | Archer Lodge, NC | 5,186 | $91,188 | $377,861 | 38.0% |
| 52 | Wilmington, NC | 120,805 | $66,738 | $416,159 | 46.0% |
| 53 | Unionville, NC | 6,954 | $96,028 | $419,700 | 26.0% |
| 54 | Pineville, NC | 11,055 | $69,354 | $403,663 | 45.0% |
| 55 | Cramerton, NC | 5,450 | $82,160 | $305,443 | 46.0% |
| 56 | Mebane, NC | 19,538 | $83,174 | $353,220 | 41.0% |
| 57 | Gibsonville, NC | 9,467 | $95,861 | $307,075 | 37.0% |
| 58 | Clayton, NC | 29,320 | $78,822 | $364,741 | 40.0% |
| 59 | Brevard, NC | 7,897 | $54,103 | $464,517 | 43.0% |
| 60 | Mount Holly, NC | 18,208 | $79,385 | $360,773 | 37.0% |
| 61 | Pleasant Garden, NC | 5,060 | $88,204 | $315,482 | 30.0% |
| 62 | Boone, NC | 20,032 | $30,065 | $483,788 | 57.0% |
| 63 | Winterville, NC | 10,725 | $83,193 | $278,291 | 41.0% |
| 64 | Zebulon, NC | 8,711 | $79,112 | $341,720 | 30.0% |
| 65 | Aberdeen, NC | 9,228 | $75,078 | $352,796 | 32.0% |
| 66 | Kernersville, NC | 27,830 | $71,918 | $322,446 | 37.0% |
| 67 | Hendersonville, NC | 15,408 | $53,449 | $405,675 | 39.0% |
| 68 | Carolina Shores, NC | 5,017 | $76,087 | $319,365 | 28.0% |
| 69 | Hickory, NC | 44,258 | $64,576 | $293,999 | 38.0% |
| 70 | Locust, NC | 5,840 | $76,504 | $384,686 | 22.0% |
| 71 | Kannapolis, NC | 57,890 | $73,836 | $279,707 | 30.0% |
| 72 | Monroe, NC | 36,759 | $72,540 | $356,519 | 24.0% |
| 73 | Greensboro, NC | 301,198 | $61,515 | $264,427 | 42.0% |
| 74 | Waynesville, NC | 10,502 | $54,923 | $355,351 | 34.0% |
| 75 | Butner, NC | 8,065 | $74,739 | $273,630 | 27.0% |
| 76 | Winston-Salem, NC | 252,037 | $59,268 | $264,332 | 40.0% |
| 77 | New Bern, NC | 32,734 | $61,031 | $281,327 | 29.0% |
| 78 | Angier, NC | 6,241 | $52,214 | $333,902 | 32.0% |
| 79 | High Point, NC | 116,245 | $64,561 | $249,820 | 33.0% |
| 80 | Gastonia, NC | 82,884 | $64,059 | $277,330 | 26.0% |
| 81 | Trinity, NC | 7,111 | $82,664 | $287,548 | 19.0% |
| 82 | Boiling Spring Lakes, NC | 6,347 | $62,676 | $315,222 | 23.0% |
| 83 | Salisbury, NC | 35,825 | $53,716 | $280,645 | 30.0% |
| 84 | Conover, NC | 8,580 | $65,972 | $277,411 | 24.0% |
| 85 | Statesville, NC | 29,894 | $52,880 | $297,069 | 26.0% |
| 86 | Graham, NC | 18,048 | $56,239 | $292,521 | 25.0% |
| 87 | Hope Mills, NC | 17,939 | $65,774 | $263,454 | 24.0% |
| 88 | Cherryville, NC | 6,226 | $70,625 | $249,357 | 25.0% |
| 89 | Mocksville, NC | 6,068 | $55,367 | $280,267 | 25.0% |
| 90 | Burlington, NC | 59,610 | $56,880 | $256,022 | 29.0% |
| 91 | Jacksonville, NC | 71,279 | $57,697 | $261,055 | 26.0% |
| 92 | Sanford, NC | 31,478 | $57,586 | $291,206 | 22.0% |
| 93 | Fayetteville, NC | 210,815 | $58,407 | $225,534 | 30.0% |
| 94 | King, NC | 7,408 | $57,817 | $276,085 | 23.0% |
| 95 | Greenville, NC | 92,857 | $49,748 | $235,821 | 39.0% |
| 96 | Smithfield, NC | 12,116 | $43,270 | $293,390 | 26.0% |
| 97 | Archdale, NC | 12,087 | $64,757 | $248,494 | 23.0% |
| 98 | Morganton, NC | 17,646 | $51,355 | $261,445 | 27.0% |
| 99 | Lincolnton, NC | 11,783 | $46,320 | $296,022 | 24.0% |
| 100 | Dallas, NC | 6,104 | $58,403 | $273,281 | 21.0% |