Cary median
~$650K
Months of supply
~2.5
Sale-to-list ratio
~98%
Median DOM
~59 days
Data last updated:
Overview
Cary is a 170,000-person Wake County town west of Raleigh, anchored by SAS Institute's global headquarters, MetLife, John Deere Financial, and — notwithstanding the stalled Epic Games campus — a deep professional-services employer base. Top-rated public schools. Median household income around $110,000. This is a town where a dual-earner first-time buyer household often makes $160K–$220K and still has to stretch for an SFH.
The 2026 market signals: months of supply 2.52 (up from 3.87 a year prior, meaning inventory is building); median DOM 59–69 days; sale-to-list ratio around 98%. Active listings are up 20% year over year. The price trend is softer than the headline — individual neighborhoods move differently. Condos (median $527,500) are softening; SFH (median $652,000) is holding; new-construction townhomes in Amberly and Cary Park are actively incentivized by builders with rate buy-downs and closing credits.
Three filters: price band under $650K; product type that's genuinely entry-level (condo, townhome, smaller SFH); and a development trajectory that protects resale. Here are four neighborhoods worth a first-time buyer's attention.
Downtown Cary has been the town's success story of the last five years. The anchor is Downtown Cary Park — seven acres, $68M, opened November 2023 — with an amphitheater, splash pad, dog parks, elevated Skywalk, and 500+ annual programs. Around it: the Cary Arts Center, new restaurants on Chatham Street, and a growing condo/townhome inventory. First-time-buyer product lands in the $450K–$650K range; newer condo stock starts around $400K. Walkability here is genuinely rare for the Triangle. Commute to RTP: 15 minutes. Commute to Uptown Raleigh: 20 minutes.
Amberly is a 1,100-acre master-planned community on Cary's western edge — mixed product from custom estates to townhomes. The Village Square section of Amberly is where first-time buyers find the most realistic entry points: townhomes in the $400K–$600K band, new-construction inventory from multiple builders, and amenity-heavy (pools, trails, clubhouses) for a reasonable HOA. Commute to RTP: 12 minutes. Cary schools throughout. The Amberly Library opened in 2024 and anchors the walkable core.
Cary Park (not to be confused with Downtown Cary Park) is a newer master-planned community on Cary's north side. Detached SFH in the $500K–$700K range; newer construction skews to the higher end. Strong pool-and-trail amenity base, family-focused, easy access to I-540 and the northern arc of RTP. Commute to RTP: 15 minutes. Best fit for two-earner families who want a yard and don't need walkability.
Carpenter Village is the quieter, family-focused alternative to Amberly — established 2000s-era master-planned community with a village green, library, and top-rated elementary. SFH runs $500K–$650K; smaller starter homes do exist in the lower $500Ks if you're patient. This is the neighborhood for a first-time buyer prioritizing school zone and established community over brand-new construction.
New supply
Three 2020s projects define Cary's current development story. Downtown Cary Park opened November 2023 as the anchor of downtown revitalization — and has the resale numbers to back the investment. Fenton, a 70-acre mixed-use development opened in 2022 on Cary Towne Boulevard, combines Class A office, retail (Whole Foods, RH, Target), restaurants, and residential — locals just say "Fenton" or "the Fenton." The third, Epic Games's planned 980,000-square-foot Cary Towne Center conversion into a global HQ, stalled — Epic's rezoning request was withdrawn in December 2024 after the company paused progress for six-plus months amid its Fortnite-related FTC settlement. The Cary Towne Center site remains undeveloped.
What's actually being built in 2026: new-construction townhome phases throughout Amberly, continued vertical delivery in and around Fenton, and a steady stream of SFH deliveries in outer Cary Park and West Cary. Building-permit data lives in the Town of Cary's permit portal.
| Product | Median | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family home | $652,000 | Range from ~$500K outer Cary to $1.2M+ Preston/MacGregor. |
| Townhome | ~$500,000 | Amberly Village Square, Cary Park, downtown infill. |
| Condo | $527,500 | Downtown and Fenton-adjacent inventory. |
Source: Houzeo, March 2026.
Supply & demand
Cary is at roughly 2.5 months of supply — just below balanced, but way off the 1.5-month squeeze of 2022. DOM at 59–69 days. Sale-to-list ratio near 98%. On inventory that's sat more than 30 days, a 2–4% below-asking offer is reasonable, with 1–2% in seller-paid closing costs. On new construction, builders run the real incentives: rate buy-downs to 4.99–5.25%, $10K–$25K in upgrades, closing-cost credits. Ask every builder for the current incentive sheet before locking a rate with an outside lender.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index / local realtor association (quarterly, smoothed). Values in $ thousands.
Source: Redfin Data Center / local realtor association. The slope through 2025 reflects the buyer-favorable shift.
Source: local realtor association / Redfin Data Center. Balanced markets sit at 4–6 months.
Forecasts
Zillow projects roughly 2–3% appreciation in Cary for 2026. Redfin puts the directional call at 3% with balanced inventory. The NAR 2026 Forecast Summit calls national +4%; Wake County 3–5%. Fannie Mae's February 2026 commentary projects 30-year rates ending 2026 near 5.9% — meaningful purchasing-power recovery vs. 2024 peaks.
For a Cary first-time buyer specifically, the frame is: Cary's long-term resale strength is built on Wake County's best school zones and RTP-adjacent employer base. That doesn't go away in 2026. If the math works at today's rates, the forecast debate matters less than it sounds.
Affordability & DPA
A $550K Cary townhome, 5% conventional down ($27,500), 30-year fixed at 6.1%: P&I roughly $3,170/month; all-in PITI including Wake County tax, insurance, HOA, and PMI lands around $4,050/month. At 30% DTI that points to household income near $162,000. A $425K Cary condo runs closer to $3,050 PITI, pointing to ~$122K income. Both are typical ranges for dual-earner Cary professional households.
The Wake County Affordable Homeownership Program excludes Cary — federal-funding restrictions. Cary buyers lean on state programs and conventional paths. If the traditional path works for you, start a pre-qualification at ownify.com/mortgage.
| Program | Level | Amount | Forgivable? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC Home Advantage + 1st Home DPA | State | 3% of loan + $15,000 | Yes, 15 yr | NCHFA |
| NC Home Advantage MCC | State | Up to 30% interest tax credit | Annual | NCHFA |
| Conventional 97 / HomeReady | Private | 3% down | No | Fannie/Freddie |
| FHA | Federal | 3.5% down | No | HUD |
| VA loan | Federal | 0% down | No | VA |
| Builder incentives (new construction) | Private | $10K–$25K typical value | n/a | Ask builder |
Cary's income caps on DPA exclude most dual-earner households, and the $495K price cap on NC Home Advantage rules out most Cary SFH. For Cary first-time buyers caught between "too much income for DPA" and "not enough savings for 20% on a $620K home," the Ownify Fractional Ownership Program is a different path. It replaces the need for a traditional down payment and DPA combination. Apply at app.ownify.com/applications/new.
Success stories
A couple in their early 30s (combined household income $175,000, both in banking) purchased a new-construction Amberly townhome for $525,000 in late 2025. 3% conventional (Fannie Mae HomeReady) down ($15,750), builder rate buy-down to 5.25%, $15,000 in upgrades, $5,000 in closing credits — roughly $30,000 in total incentive value. Commute to RTP: 12 minutes. Pattern is typical for Cary new-construction in 2026 per local realtor coverage.
A single UNC Health employee (early 30s, $118,000 income) closed on a downtown Cary condo at $425,000 in spring 2026 using FHA 3.5% down and the NC Home Advantage $15,000 deferred DPA. Seller paid $7,500 in closing costs on a unit that had been on market for 49 days. Walk to Downtown Cary Park, 18-minute drive to Duke Health.
An Army veteran (mid-30s, $155,000 household income with working spouse) purchased a starter SFH in Cary Park for $555,000 in early 2026 using a VA loan (0% down, no PMI). Seller paid $10,000 in closing costs after the home had sat 38 days. VA loan was the single biggest factor in getting into Cary schools at this price point.
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FAQ
By Frank Rohde · Founder & CEO, Ownify
Not financial, legal, or real-estate advice. This report is published for informational purposes and does not constitute a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any real property, security, or financial product. Housing market data was collected from publicly available sources including Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, the National Association of Realtors, and Fannie Mae; dates of each data point are cited inline. Third-party forecasts are attributed to their authors and reflect those authors' views, not Ownify's.
Real estate investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. You should consult a licensed real estate professional, mortgage loan originator, or financial advisor before making a home purchase decision.
Ownify, Inc. is a financial services company operating in North Carolina. Mortgage services, when offered, are provided through licensed NMLS-registered mortgage loan originators.
Data last updated: April 20, 2026.
Data last updated: .
