Cary, NC 193 Apartments for Rent

With the hot summers and mild winters, you might not think of Cary, North Carolina, as a hockey haven: but get ready to sit rinkside, as not one, not two, but three former NHL players call this city home.

A fast-growing municipality, Cary benefits from its close proximity to state capital Raleigh while still having plenty of room for its residents to breathe and live in peace.

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Moving to Cary

Getting to Cary is easy – the major international airport is RDU and is only a few minutes away. Major roads, such as Interstates 95 and 40, make driving into town a breeze. Learning your way around town is fairly straightforward as well, though you'll have to pay attention to road names: there's no discernible plan for the town's layout, since growth happened in fits and starts.

You won't find a lot of studio apartments in Cary. Most of the complexes are comprised of 3 or 4 bedroom units. Expect to pay at least $650 a month for a 1 bedroom apartment, while most rents for any size unit top out at about $1,500 a month.

Vacant apartments in Cary are rarer than a blizzard in July, so be prepared to search for a few weeks and to plop down your money the day you find your perfect spot. Landlords will want to see proof of income (usually 2 1/2 to 3 times the rent) and will require a background check. While you shouldn't have to pay for the background check, you should make sure there's nothing on it that will eliminate you. You can make yourself stand out from the crowd by also including references from your past landlords.

Neighborhoods in Cary

Each 'hood has its own feel. Here's a quick rundown on the different areas:

Downtown: Completely walkable, filled with restaurants, shops and cultural offerings. It's a small area, but extremely welcoming – you can spend weekend afternoons strolling the sidewalk with a coffee in hand, or feel transported to the past with a sandwich at the drug store lunch counter.

North Cary: Filled with a variety of homes and apartments. Nearby Reedy Creek Park, or hop on I-40 to be in Raleigh in just a few minutes.

Green Level/West Cary: A large, more rural area fits under this neighborhood heading. 540 (also known as the outer beltline) is the rough border, with everything falling west of it considered in West Cary. Rental prices vary greatly. Green Level is an in-demand area, but it should be easier (and cheaper) to find a rental the further west you go; just consider your commute time.

Regency Parkway and South Cary: A few apartment complexes and even more rental homes (of at least 3 bedrooms) exist in the area mostly close to Regency Parkway. Further south are strictly homes, a few available for rent. You'll need to move quickly to score a pad here, and with an almost bucolic setting and not-outrageous prices, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better spot.

Living in Cary

Cary is defined by its neighboring communities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. While Cary has plenty of shopping and entertainment options all on its own – Cary Town is a popular shopping center -- you will find yourself jumping on the inner and outer beltlines on a regular basis.

Like much of the South, Cary isn't set up in a way that allows you to forego the car. Downtown areas are certainly walkable. The town is trying to move towards being more of a bicycle town, however, and bike trails can be found throughout the area.