Morrisville and Cary have been named the best places to live in North Carolina.
The two Western Wake towns were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, according to a published article on the data website Stacker. Apex deserves kudos as well, coming in at No. 4 on the recent list.
The towns were ranked by Stacker, which used data from the neighborhood tool Niche. Using data from the U.S. government, reviews and other sources, Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation and weather.
“On the list, there’s a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks,” Stacker said in its report, published Nov. 15. “Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history.”
Morrisville’s amenities helped it rise to the top of the list. The town received an overall A+ after getting high scores for public schools, diversity, a family-friendly environment, health, jobs and home values, according to Niche. The website also placed the town of roughly 26,000 residents at the top of its list of best places in the state to raise a family.
Cary also earned an A+ overall score from Niche, with high marks for public schools, outdoor activities, jobs, diversity, family-friendly environment, and health and fitness amenities. With a population of more than 166,000, the town was named No. 2 on the website’s list of best places to raise a family.
Apex, with a population of more than 51,000, also earned great reviews for its amenities and received an overall A+ score from Niche. The town ranked third on the website’s list of best places to raise a family.
On Stacker’s recent list of best places to live, most of the other top-ranking North Carolina cities were in the Triangle or Charlotte areas. Rounding out the top 10 were: Davidson at No. 3, Chapel Hill at No. 5, Carrboro at No. 6, Biltmore Forest at No. 7, Cornelius at No. 8, Marvin at No. 9, and Weddington at No. 10.
