Apex, NC
Census place 3701520 · pop 70,630
Nicknamed 'The Peak of Good Living'—a pun on sitting at the high point of the old Chatham Railroad.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$576,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,041/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
46 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
94/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.69% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
76.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.9% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
6.0% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
26.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
13.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
8.2% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.37 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
97.0% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$144,135 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
69.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
14.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+37.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
2.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
Not measured for Apex: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Apex, NC a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Apex scores 68/100 — a C (Solid) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is poverty rate and its weakest is housing cost. North Carolina overall ranks #16 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Apex, NC expensive to live in?
- Apex has a median home value of $576,100 and typical rent around $2,041/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Apex, NC?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($576,100) — 15/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Apex, NC best at?
- Its strongest measured area is poverty rate (2.2%) — 98/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Nicknamed 'The Peak of Good Living'—a pun on sitting at the high point of the old Chatham Railroad.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.