Carpenter Historic District · Photo: KimWrenn · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Cary, NC: what to set up and who to call
The Town of Cary water system reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule), beginning May 2023. Cary has its own drop-off, Citizens Convenience Center, on 313 North Dixon Avenue.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Cary, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Cary.
Power comes from Duke Energy
Duke Energy (Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Cary. Its homes paid an average of 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025, about $134 a month (its average across North Carolina).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Town of Cary water system
The Town of Cary water system supplies Cary: about 86% of residents live in its service area. About 12% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws surface water (EPA lists City of Durham and City of Raleigh and Town of Apex and Town of Holly Springs as sellers) and serves 227,300 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule), beginning May 2023. 86% of the 332 systems serving 100,001–250,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. NC0392020.
5 home internet providers serve Cary
99% of 52,114 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 90% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 99% | 1,000/35 |
| AT&T | Fiber, DSL, Fixed wireless | 98% | 5,000/5,000 |
| Google Fiber | Fiber | 86% | 8,000/8,000 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 82% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 82% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Cary has its own drop-off: Citizens Convenience Center
Where to take trash and recycling in Cary, and where the rules are.
Citizens Convenience Center
313 North Dixon Avenue, Cary, NC, 27513
Before you go, check the rules on carync.gov.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026 (last edited Mar 2024). © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Cary (97%) is in Wake County Schools; parts are in Chatham County Schools (3%).
A−School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Feb 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Cary spans 6 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Cary residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Cary | ZIP’s residents in Cary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27519 | Cary, NC | 37% | 98% |
| 27513 | Cary, NC | 26% | 99% |
| 27511 | Cary, NC | 19% | 100% |
| 27518 | Cary, NC | 12% | 98% |
| 27539 | Apex, NC | 3% | 18% |
| 27560 | Morrisville, NC | 2% | 8% |
A few homes fall in 27606, 27607, 27523. 27512 is P.O. box or single-organization ZIP with no homes.
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Cary
Who supplies Cary’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Town of Cary water system (EPA ID NC0392020). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule). 86% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Cary?
Duke Energy (Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Cary?
Spectrum, AT&T, Google Fiber, T-Mobile, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Cary?
27519 (37%), 27513 (26%), 27511 (19%), 27518 (12%), 27539 (3%), 27560 (2%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Cary in?
Wake County Schools. Parts of the city are in Chatham County Schools.
How do I register to vote in Cary?
In North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before). Elections here are run by the Wake County Board of Elections. Check your registration at vt.ncsbe.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.