State place rankings
Best Places in North Carolina
Compare places by General Quality score or population. Each place links to its sourced facts, scores, and local summary.
General Quality score
Best overall places
- st
Cary, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 183,582
- Median home value
- $580,200
- nd
Apex, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 80,419
- Median home value
- $576,100
- rd
Morrisville, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 32,466
- Median home value
- $518,800
- th
Carrboro, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 20,962
- Median home value
- $539,400
- th
Chapel Hill, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 63,565
- Median home value
- $613,700
- th
- General Quality
- Population
- 50,288
- Median home value
- $535,800
- th
- General Quality
- Population
- 48,536
- Median home value
- $451,500
- th
Wake Forest, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 58,147
- Median home value
- $474,500
- th
Weddington, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 14,517
- Median home value
- $824,100
- th
Marvin, NC
Village
- General Quality
- Population
- 7,040
- Median home value
- $906,000
- th
Huntersville, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 68,535
- Median home value
- $472,900
- th
- General Quality
- Population
- 1,469
- Median home value
- $1,333,300
- th
Raleigh, NC
City
- General Quality
- Population
- 506,306
- Median home value
- $415,800
- th
Harrisburg, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 20,742
- Median home value
- $478,000
- th
Carolina Meadows, NC
Census-designated place
- General Quality
- Population
- 555
- Median home value
- $443,800
- th
Cornelius, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 35,094
- Median home value
- $559,400
- th
Matthews, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 32,769
- Median home value
- $445,100
- th
Rolesville, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 12,839
- Median home value
- $535,000
- th
Davidson, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 16,662
- Median home value
- $687,700
- th
Fearrington Village, NC
Census-designated place
- General Quality
- Population
- 2,356
- Median home value
- $472,600
- st
Knightdale, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 23,144
- Median home value
- $380,100
- nd
Avery Creek, NC
Census-designated place
- General Quality
- Population
- 2,887
- Median home value
- $412,900
- rd
Royal Pines, NC
Census-designated place
- General Quality
- Population
- 4,325
- Median home value
- $400,200
- th
Stallings, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 17,760
- Median home value
- $428,000
- th
Indian Trail, NC
Town
- General Quality
- Population
- 44,303
- Median home value
- $385,000
How this list is ranked
Places are ordered by General Quality score. General Quality is a balanced livability composite spanning safety, affordability, healthcare, climate, education, jobs, mobility, outdoors, taxes, and other core factors.
Largest to smallest
Population-ranked places
- st
Charlotte, NC
City
- Population
- 964,784
- Median home value
- $385,700
- Median rent
- $1,612
- nd
Raleigh, NC
City
- Population
- 506,306
- Median home value
- $415,800
- Median rent
- $1,572
- rd
Greensboro, NC
City
- Population
- 308,667
- Median home value
- $244,800
- Median rent
- $1,172
- th
Durham, NC
City
- Population
- 305,561
- Median home value
- $392,800
- Median rent
- $1,508
- th
- Population
- 257,271
- Median home value
- $233,800
- Median rent
- $1,087
- th
Fayetteville, NC
City
- Population
- 209,120
- Median home value
- $188,000
- Median rent
- $1,250
- th
Cary, NC
Town
- Population
- 183,582
- Median home value
- $580,200
- Median rent
- $1,738
- th
Wilmington, NC
City
- Population
- 126,809
- Median home value
- $383,800
- Median rent
- $1,395
- th
High Point, NC
City
- Population
- 120,571
- Median home value
- $235,800
- Median rent
- $1,116
- th
Concord, NC
City
- Population
- 114,598
- Median home value
- $353,700
- Median rent
- $1,451
- th
Greenville, NC
City
- Population
- 96,443
- Median home value
- $233,500
- Median rent
- $1,007
- th
Asheville, NC
City
- Population
- 93,523
- Median home value
- $440,000
- Median rent
- $1,402
- th
Gastonia, NC
City
- Population
- 87,067
- Median home value
- $277,600
- Median rent
- $1,204
- th
Apex, NC
Town
- Population
- 80,419
- Median home value
- $576,100
- Median rent
- $1,902
- th
Jacksonville, NC
City
- Population
- 72,732
- Median home value
- $210,100
- Median rent
- $1,321
- th
Huntersville, NC
Town
- Population
- 68,535
- Median home value
- $472,900
- Median rent
- $1,834
- th
Chapel Hill, NC
Town
- Population
- 63,565
- Median home value
- $613,700
- Median rent
- $1,613
- th
Kannapolis, NC
City
- Population
- 61,708
- Median home value
- $276,400
- Median rent
- $1,319
- th
Burlington, NC
City
- Population
- 61,496
- Median home value
- $199,200
- Median rent
- $1,051
- th
Wake Forest, NC
Town
- Population
- 58,147
- Median home value
- $474,500
- Median rent
- $1,596
- st
Mooresville, NC
Town
- Population
- 55,842
- Median home value
- $390,900
- Median rent
- $1,626
- nd
Rocky Mount, NC
City
- Population
- 55,120
- Median home value
- $165,700
- Median rent
- $957
- rd
- Population
- 50,288
- Median home value
- $535,800
- Median rent
- $2,021
- th
Wilson, NC
City
- Population
- 49,572
- Median home value
- $210,700
- Median rent
- $971
- th
- Population
- 48,536
- Median home value
- $451,500
- Median rent
- $1,720
How this list is ranked
Places are ordered by their latest available population estimate. Incorporated places and census-designated places are both eligible when they appear in the published location data.
Annual Census population estimates are used where available; ACS place estimates fill coverage gaps.