Carpenter Historic District · Photo: KimWrenn · CC BY-SA 3.02,119 homes sold in Cary in the last year, at a typical $630K
About one sale in 3 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Cary homes are listed.
Every place Cary homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Cary.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
6% of Cary’s sales are condos, at $321K less than a house
1474 houses and 117 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 1474 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $269NC $207
- Days to sell
- 30
- Sold over asking
- 26%
- Listings with a price cut
- 37%
typical sale · 117 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $285NC $275
- Days to sell
- 64
- Sold over asking
- 15%
- Listings with a price cut
- 33%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 7 sold, typical $561K
Townhouses: 521 sold, typical $486K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than a decade ago, at 1.8 times the 2016 price
2,119 sales in the last year, against 3,263 in 2017 and a low of 1,800 in 2024. The typical sale went from $342K in 2016 to $630K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $650K buys in Cary
Check a listing against what Cary homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Cary are rarer than before the pandemic, but a third fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Cary’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 2,119 sales.
If you’re buying in Cary
- Shop in March. It brings about 305 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (37% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 35% of listings have cut their price, against 21% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.9% of the list price on average; 22% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 42% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 36 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 344 a month), but April is the most competitive: 45% of April sales close over asking. March offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (37%). January has the least competition (27%) but only about 190 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and hotter than North Carolina
| Cary now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | NC now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 22% | 30% | 67% | 17% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 42% | 35% | 66% | 30% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 35% | 21% | 7% | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.9% | 99.4% | 104.6% | 97.8% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 36 | 55 | 36 | 62 |
471 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2024 low (229), 37% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 1051.
1 in 3 listings has cut its price
35% in the last year, against 21% in 2017–19 and 27% across North Carolina. More sellers are pricing high and coming down.
Since 2019, houses are up 67%, condos 129%
A house typically sold for $740K in the last year (1474 sales), a condo for $420K (117).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Cary ranks 34th of 224 busy North Carolina markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Cary is one of the state’s hottest markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Cary home costs about $3,662 a month
Price: Cary’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Cary’s 0.7% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Cary is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 112.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $630K home, about $4,500 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Cary, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in CaryCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Morrisville, Apex, Holly Springs, Raleigh and Governors Village sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Cary, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh | 5,301 | $433K | $230 | 16% | 43 |
| Cary | 2,119 | $630K | $261 | 22% | 36 |
| Apex | 1,258 | $607K | $242 | 16% | 41 |
| Holly Springs | 724 | $611K | $231 | 19% | 30 |
| Morrisville | 194 | $548K | $246 | 11% | 49 |
| Governors Club | 40 | $1.1M | $264 | 10% | 96 |
| Governors Village | 20 | $591K | $250 | 15% | 42 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Cary, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Cary. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Cary with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Cary
What do homes sell for in Cary, NC?
2,119 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $630K, $261 a square foot. Houses sold for about $740K, condos for about $420K.
Is Cary a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 464 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 227 sold, about 2 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.9% of asking on average, and 35% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Cary?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Cary?
About 0.7% of a home’s value a year. On a $630K home that’s near $4,500.
Where can I see homes for sale in Cary?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Cary’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Cary.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).