2024 Safe Places to Live in North Carolina

• Suburb of Raleigh, NC

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  Rating 4.21 out of 5  523 reviews

Current Resident: I have lived in Cary since 2013 and have never had any major problems. I love living here, the people are wonderful! It has the same charm as a small town while not being so small. I love how plants and nature are incorporated throughout all areas, it makes everywhere you go in Cary feel a lot more happy. The only things I would change are some improvements to the public transportation system and extra activities to spice up the nightlife here.... Read 523 reviews

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• Population 174,880

• Suburb of Raleigh, NC

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  Rating 4.3 out of 5  83 reviews

Current Resident: I love living in Morrisville, NC, for its perfect blend of modern convenience and small-town charm. The town's strategic location offers easy access to the bustling cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, yet Morrisville maintains its peaceful atmosphere and natural beauty. With its vibrant parks, diverse culinary scene, and excellent schools, Morrisville provides everything I need for a fulfilling lifestyle. Living in Morrisville is awesome because it's a cozy community with a friendly vibe. I love how easy it is to connect with neighbors and make new friends here. Morrisville's location makes it super convenient to access nearby cities while enjoying a quieter lifestyle—plenty of parks to explore, tasty restaurants to dine in, and great schools for families. Whether unwinding in nature or trying out a new eatery, Morrisville always offers something enjoyable.... Read 83 reviews

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• Population 29,756

• Suburb of Raleigh, NC

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  Rating 4.25 out of 5  241 reviews

Current Resident: Apex is a great place to live. It is a nice mix of being close to the city and still have more of a suburban atmosphere. There is a very cute downtown with cute stores a few good restaurants. There are many good schools in Apex, with great educators. Apex has everything you could need in one well kept town.... Read 241 reviews

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• Population 65,541

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC

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  Rating 4.47 out of 5  38 reviews

Current Resident: Davidson is such a nice place to live. You are close to so many other counties. Plus downtown Davidson is beautiful and it has the cutest little shops! The college campus is also fun to walk around.... Read 38 reviews

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• Population 15,199

• Suburb of Raleigh, NC

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  Rating 4.14 out of 5  21 reviews

Current Resident: Rolesville has provided me great opportunity in interacting with Town Government and my peers. The Rolesville Chamber of Commerce offered a Youth Leadership program in which I worked with students at local high schools in and around Rolesville. Here I got to meet with town government, engage in town history, and interact with local business owners. Additionally, it hosts many community events whether it be at town hall, or the local baseball fields. It is an engaging community that is continuing to grow. The main thing I want to see more of if high school/young adult activities and more publicity for the ones that do happen.... Read 21 reviews

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• Population 9,696

• Suburb of Raleigh, NC

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  Rating 4.16 out of 5  147 reviews

Current Resident: I lived in Apex, North Carolina for the first 10 years of my life, then lived in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina for about three years until moving to Holly Springs in 2021. Since moving to Holly Springs, I have fallen in love with the character of this town and the safety and fun it provides. As I'm going off to college this year, I won't get to continue to live in Holly Springs which makes me very sad however I hope to live in Holly Springs after I graduate.... Read 147 reviews

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• Population 42,023

• Suburb of Raleigh, NC

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  Rating 4.22 out of 5  200 reviews

Current Resident: Wake Forest is a wonderful town in North Carolina. My experience has been overall very good, but some notable areas of life could use improvement. The first that comes to mind is the amount of recreational activities is quite low, so many people get bored frequently. It is getting too crowded with not enough recreational facilities.... Read 200 reviews

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• Population 48,047

• Town in North Carolina

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  Rating 3.95 out of 5  41 reviews

Current Resident: I think Pinehurst is a good place. The town is very pretty and the people there are friendly. Also a nice place to take pictures and great food options!... Read 41 reviews

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• Population 17,653

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• Population 4,086

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC

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  Rating 4.03 out of 5  225 reviews

Current Resident: I grew up in Huntersville. I had a really great childhood with many friends and family, and everyone was so nice. The stores and other stuff was always close to you and it took 3-5 minutes to get there and have fun. I have seen some really bad things in other areas of North Carolina, like gang violence for example. However in Huntersville I have always felt safe and the community was welcoming. I ran my own lawn mowing business without any trouble and people loved me! I feel that I have taken for granted all of the things I have in Huntersville as I get older. I live in a house with a good sized lawn, I have nice neighbors, people who care about you, and farmland just up the road. Huntersville is the town that does not feel like a town. You get the rural country aspect and the city and urban aspect in one place, and you get to be close to a lake where you can hang out with friends on the weekends. No matter what happens in my life I will always visit Huntersville.... Read 225 reviews

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• Population 61,202

• Suburb of Raleigh, NC

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  Rating 4.02 out of 5  133 reviews

Current Resident: I moved to Fuquay-Varina (27526) when I was 11 years-old, 6 years ago. I love this town for its community and social opportunities. We have both downtown Fuquay and downtown Varina with the wonderful philosophy, "just a dash more." I have noticed that there is rich diversity in origins located at Fuquay. By simply reading the licence plates, you notice that many more people are shuffling into this town from the north and fortunately, Fuquay is no longer categorized as a "sleepy town." It is growing in popularity and new faces as well! Our wonderful slogan is "just a dash more," and that is exactly what you get when you live here.... Read 133 reviews

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• Population 35,428

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC

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  Rating 4.4 out of 5  112 reviews

Current Resident: Waxhaw is the perfect area to raise a family. Being in Waxhaw has created a slow paced area for teens and kids alike. There is easy access to Charlotte but not close enough for there to feel like there is all the hustle and bustle of uptown Charlotte. There is a cute part of Waxhaw called downtown waxhaw. Its the perfect area for shopping, dinning, and enjoyment. Teens can work one of the many small businesses or decide to skate in the nearby skate park. Kids are welcome at most dinning as well as there is access to a brewery, tap house, and distillery in downtown waxhaw alone. Waxhaw is a growing area with lots of new homes getting built as well as townhomes. Waxhaw is supported by mainly Cuthberson Middle School and Cuthberson High school, Parkwood middle and high school, Marvin Ridge Middle and High School, and Weddington Middle School and High school. Each school has it's own culture and ups and downs.... Read 112 reviews

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• Population 20,665

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC

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  Rating 3.67 out of 5  30 reviews

Current Resident: I like how everything is local so various activities are easy to access. There is also a great community within Stallings and super close to various restaurants and grocery stores, which is convenient.... Read 30 reviews

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• Population 16,193

• Suburb in North Carolina

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  Rating 3.83 out of 5  6 reviews

Current Resident: I've lived in Mars Hill for most of my life so I know no different. It's an old and small little college town, with the university taking up most of the town now. Like any other small town, there are only a few places to go and hang out, eat, shop, etc but you can really tell there is a sense of community. Everybody knows somebody and is willing to help if someone is in need.... Read 6 reviews

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• Population 2,843

• Suburb in North Carolina

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• Population 1,700

• Suburb in North Carolina

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  Rating 4.41 out of 5  17 reviews

Current Resident: I really like this town. It’s got a lot of nice shops and restaurants. It feels pretty safe to live here and I’ve never felt in danger before. Not much to do at night. Lots of great views of the mountains and trails to go hiking on. Very picturesque. Seems like a pretty good community as well. Lots of neighbors willing to help each other out. This town is also near to other good towns and cities including Asheville where you’ll find more to do. Just a small commute of 15 minutes or so.... Read 17 reviews

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• Population 8,430

• Town in North Carolina

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  Rating 4.18 out of 5  40 reviews

Current Resident: Moving to Swansboro was a fresh start for my family. Formerly I went to a private school and switching to public presented myself with tons of opportunities. Swansboro is such a lovely old town, and the people are the sweetest. Despite the urbanization Swansboro has kept its roots and specifically its famous downtown area. Preserving this old area has brought many people together for events, food, and live music. Without Downtown Swansboro the people of this town would not be as connected as they are today. One change I would like to see would be the clean-up of brush and old run-down areas. Some places are bear with no grass or have old cars rusted and covered in overgrown vegetation. Cleaning up these areas would help to bring beauty back into the town and provide for more areas to build new opportunities.... Read 40 reviews

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• Population 3,759

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC

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  Rating 4.06 out of 5  47 reviews

Current Resident: I like how close knit the community is, and how welcoming everyone is to newcomers. Belmont is a very safe place, almost everything is is within walking distance and there are plenty of places for families to go. I would like to see some more diversity among residents but even with the lack of diversity, everyone is still treated with southern hospitality and respect.... Read 47 reviews

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• Population 14,842

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC

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  Rating 4.07 out of 5  203 reviews

Current Resident: Mooresville is a very interesting place and it is known as Race City, USA. With that being the nickname, there are tons of people who come into town for Nascar and racing which means there has to be some entertainment value. There are a couple bowling alleys in the area along with two main strips of stores for everybody to get necessities while living here or visiting. This means people can come visit or live here and have a good time, with the experience not being too much of a difference in residents and visitors.... Read 203 reviews

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• Population 50,025

Current Resident: I feel at home in Valdese. There is many local businesses that make this town unique and a beautiful history to explore. Everyone I know that has visited or has lived in Valdese loves the town.... Read 20 reviews

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• Population 4,682

• Suburb of Greensboro, NC

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  Rating 4.43 out of 5  14 reviews

Current Resident: It's a small town that does a lot with the community it holds many events year round. The neighborhoods are all very friendly and nice. I feel like everyone is very interactive with eachother.... Read 14 reviews

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• Population 8,827

• Town in North Carolina

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  Rating 4.09 out of 5  32 reviews

Current Resident: Wendell has a very nice small town energy without being in the middle of nowhere. New development is causing some traffic though, which is unfortunate, but it is also bringing in some new stores to Main St... Read 32 reviews

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• Population 10,575

• Town in North Carolina

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  Rating 4.14 out of 5  7 reviews

Nearby Resident: Tryon is a very cute small town. It combines very well the "small town" vibes of familiarity and friendliness, while still being close to the big town conveniences of larger stores.... Read 7 reviews

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• Population 1,516

• Town in North Carolina

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  Rating 3.67 out of 5  30 reviews

Current Resident: Aberdeen is a great place to live and raise a family. There are alot of family functions. The school are good. The people in this town are very friendly and helpful.... Read 30 reviews

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• Population 8,674

• Suburb of Charlotte, NC

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  Rating 4 out of 5  8 reviews

Current Resident: Safe area, with a cute downtown area that includes a fantastic coffee shop. Goat Island Park is a great place for families, there's easy access to a grocery store, good schools, and close enough to Charlotte.... Read 8 reviews

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• Population 5,294