Raleigh named a Top 10 college town in new report. But why is Cary on the list?

Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska
·4 min read

Raleigh, the home of NC State University, was named a top-10 college town in the U.S. in a recent WalletHub report, out of a list of 415 towns and cities.

Other NC college towns like Durham, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Greensboro, Wilmington, Asheville and Boone all made WalletHub lists, which were divided into categories for large, midsize and small cities.

A surprising Top 25 city? Cary.

While our area’s nationally revered colleges aren’t in Cary, Wake Technical Community College’s Western Wake Campus on Kildaire Farm Road gave the town enough criteria to be considered in the report, WalletHub’s spokesperson Diana Polk told The News & Observer.

Cary was No. 9 on the list for mid-size cities, ranking ahead of Durham (No. 26) in the same category. Raleigh was No. 5 on the list for large cities, and Charlotte ranked No. 16. You can see all of the NC city rankings below.

WalletHub is a personal finance website that offers credit reports, credit scores and reviews for financial advisors. They have previously ranked Triangle cities highly among the best real estate markets and capital cities in the United States.

Here’s more about WalletHub’s college town rankings. You can read the report yourself at wallethub.com/edu.

Wake Tech Community College student Claire Broucek, left, places a DNA sample into an ANDE Rapid DNA machine cartridge with professor Janie Slaughter, right, in an Investigative Principles course at the school’s Public Safety Education Campus in Raleigh, N.C. on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021.
Wake Tech Community College student Claire Broucek, left, places a DNA sample into an ANDE Rapid DNA machine cartridge with professor Janie Slaughter, right, in an Investigative Principles course at the school’s Public Safety Education Campus in Raleigh, N.C. on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021.

Raleigh among the best college towns in the country

Here’s how Raleigh stacked up across these categories, compared to the other top college towns in the nation:

• Wallet Friendliness: Raleigh ranked 190th on the list (out of 415).

The top three spots went to Edinburg, Texas; Brownsville, Texas and Brookings, South Dakota.

• Social Environment: Raleigh ranked 28th on the list.

The top three spots went to Honolulu, Hawaii; Orlando, Florida and Ann Arbor, Michigan.

• Academic & Economic Opportunities: Raleigh ranked 74th on the list, but Cary took 3rd place.

The top two spots went to Coral Gables, Florida and Scottsdale, Arizona.

“In addition to its curriculum and social environment, a college’s geographical location can also have an impact on a student’s academic success and personal development,” the report reads.

Student expenses can reach over $35,000 in a yearlong period, so students should “try to find the most bang for their buck,” WalletHub says.

“It’s best for students to live in a city with a reasonable cost of living, as well as one that provides good academic and work opportunities. The ideal city should also provide a fun social environment to help students deal with the stress of college.”

Nov 23, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Casey Morsell (14) shoots against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Michelob Ultra Arena.
Nov 23, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Casey Morsell (14) shoots against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Best college towns in North Carolina

WalletHub’s report broke down college towns by size:

  • Raleigh was ranked as the 5th-best college town for a large city, and Charlotte came in 16th place.

  • Cary was ranked the 9th best college town for a midsize city. Durham came in 26th place and Greensboro in 75th.

  • Wilmington was ranked the 7th-best college town for a small city. Greenville came in 12th place with Chapel Hill in 22nd, Asheville in 26th and Boone in 75th.

Here are some other highlights from WalletHub’s reports about our state’s college towns:

  • Boone and Asheville were ranked as having the 3rd and 4th lowest costs of higher education, respectively. They were behind Savannah, Georgia and Provo, Utah.

  • Boone was ranked as having the 3rd-highest share of rental units, behind Isla Vista, California and New Brunswick, New Jersey.

The Avenue at the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Hillsborough Street is packed on Friday July 21, 2023 in Raleigh, N.C. The popular bar located in the former Snoopy’s location has transformed the parking lot into a popular outdoor gathering spot.
The Avenue at the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Hillsborough Street is packed on Friday July 21, 2023 in Raleigh, N.C. The popular bar located in the former Snoopy’s location has transformed the parking lot into a popular outdoor gathering spot.

Out of the 415 towns and cities on the list, here’s how other North Carolina spots stacked up overall:

  • Cary: #23

  • Wilmington: #25

  • Greenville: #37

  • Charlotte: #44

  • Chapel Hill: #59

  • Asheville: #70

  • Durham: #88

  • Boone: #185

  • Greensboro: #232

  • Winston-Salem: #325

  • High Point: #342

  • Fayetteville: #357

Masters student Thomas Clawson, left, and NCSU PhD graduate student and assistant research brewer Brandon Jones, right, work on a batch of Chancellor’s Choice IPA (India Pale Ale) in the Brewery in the Pilot Plant on the school’s campus in Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday, July 23, 2015.
Masters student Thomas Clawson, left, and NCSU PhD graduate student and assistant research brewer Brandon Jones, right, work on a batch of Chancellor’s Choice IPA (India Pale Ale) in the Brewery in the Pilot Plant on the school’s campus in Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday, July 23, 2015.

How did WalletHub determine the best college towns in the US?

WalletHub compared 415 U.S. cities of varying sizes based on 31 indicators of academic, social and economic opportunities for students, WalletHub wrote in their report.

The considered factors include cost of living, crime rate and quality of higher education in the city.

The only cities and towns selected had a college population of at least 7,500 students. Some cities that met this criteria were excluded due to a lack of data.

To read more about the methodology, visit wallethub.com/edu.

Raleigh artist Dan Nelson seemed to enjoy making his abstract color mural of the passing street scene at Hillsborough and Pogue Streets.
Raleigh artist Dan Nelson seemed to enjoy making his abstract color mural of the passing street scene at Hillsborough and Pogue Streets.

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