Cary is a favorite choice for those who are looking for their first home to their dream home as it offers fantastic activities for nature lovers or athletes. Cary has something for everyone; from the peaceful greenway areas to the shaded public parks, the town has worked hard on giving its residents a place that they can feel proud of.
LOCATION
Cary is in Wake County, North Carolina, about 11 miles from Raleigh, the State Capital. State Highway 1 to the south and Interstate 40 to the north both lead east to Raleigh; and Apex is just 5 miles to the south. Just ten minutes drive from Research Triangle Park and eight minutes from Raleigh, Cary is a commuter’s paradise. In the heart of the Triangle, Cary is conveniently near the remaining Triangle cities, most are within 20 minutes drive.
BRIEF HISTORY
Europeans first settled in the Cary area around 1750, but it wasn’t until a century later that the colony became the town of Cary. Allison Francis "Frank" Page was Cary’s first developer, mayor, postmaster, and railroad agent. With his wife, Page bought 300 acres in 1854, naming his development after Samuel Fenton Cary, a leader in the prohibition movement. He built the first hotel, the Page-Walker, currently an arts and history center. Later that century, the Seaboard and North Carolina railroads built a junction in Cary, and the small community gradually became a small town. Cary was incorporated in 1871. It remained a quiet town with a few thousand residents until the development of the Research Triangle Park in the 1960s. The need for highly trained personnel drew people to Cary; its population nearly tripled in the 1970s, and it doubled during the 1980s, only to double again in the 1990s.
EDUCATION
Cary is served by the Wake County Public School system which has a reputation for excellence. Around 87% of graduates go on to higher education and the teacher-to-student ratios are kept below 1:25. A commitment to academic distinction led the Wake County Board of Education to adopt Goal 2008, a program to improve student participation and success. Cary has eight public elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school. Private school options include the Cary Christian School (elementary) and the Cary Academy (high). There are a number of superb colleges and universities close at hand. Options in Raleigh include Meredith College, Wake Technical Community College, Shaw University, and the North Carolina State University. Slightly further to the west, Durham has the Durham Technical Community College (about 14 miles away), North Carolina Central University (about 16 miles), and Duke University (about 20 miles).
WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT THIS AREA?
The January 2004 issue of Money Magazine voted Cary “the hottest town in the east” and one of six “hottest towns in America.” With employment levels at over 95%, above average median incomes, low residential housing costs relative to local income levels, and a high percentage of college educated workers, this news is hardly surprising. Cary is home to over 6,000 businesses, many in the technology sector, and the town also benefits from its proximity to the Research Triangle and Raleigh, the State Capital. With its low crime rate, Cary is the nation’s fifth safest large city to live in, and local government initiatives in environmental protection and preservation lead the rest of the state. Residential development has been planned to ensure that each neighborhood has its own parks, recreational facilities, and nature areas. Cary residents enjoy local cultural events and appreciate the arts and entertainments to be found in nearby Raleigh. All told, Cary is a great place to live and an excellent place to find satisfying work.
- NUMBER1EXPERTS™ 
