Living in Apex NC Contents

Living in Apex NC Personality

Is Apex a suburban heaven or a nightmare of suburban sprawl?  It probably all depends on who you ask.  From our perspective the growth of Apex has created some of the dreaded sprawl, but it hasn’t created a nightmare.  Apex used to be Cary’s little sister.  It used to be that if you wanted to live in Cary, but couldn’t afford it, Apex was the next best thing.  Time has leveled the playing field.

Apex has come into its own, and people chose to move to Apex over other area communities because they like what they see here.

Apex is best known for its historic downtown.  Those who love living in Apex really love their downtown. The downtown is vibrant and growing, and along with its excellent commuting location, it makes Apex very attractive to those who both want a suburban life, but want the quaintness of an old downtown district.  Whether you are looking for coffee, dinner, or a boutique shopping experience, downtown probably has it.  

The subdivisions that have grown up around downtown provide a fine example of suburban life, with greenways, parks, and the town itself provides lots of recreational and educational opportunities.  There are also a few big box shopping centers, so you won’t have to drive far to get what you need.  Jordan Lake is close by making water-sports easily accessible.

The median age of Apex residents is 36, so you will find many of the town’s activities and events to be very family-oriented.  Keep reading to see if Apex meets your relocation standards!

Living in Apex NC: Location

Apex sits just southwest of Cary in Wake County and shares a border with both Cary and Holly Springs.  Apex is just a 30 minute drive from both Research Triangle Park and Raleigh.  Jordan Lake, with its water-sports, beaches, and picnic opportunities is just 10-20 minutes drive depending on where in Apex you live.  Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU) is about a 20 minute drive from most Apex locations.

Easy access to the I-540 toll road makes getting into RTP and Durham relatively easy.  Shopping at two of the area’s larger malls (the Streets of Southpoint in Durham or Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh) is less than a 30 minute drive.  But going to Southpoint means you get to drive through the country past Jordan Lake, while driving into Crabtree means more highway and more traffic.  

Getting to the new Fenton development in Cary can be less than a 15 minute drive.   While we always say that Cary can’t be beat for its location, Apex runs a not so distant 2nd place.

When it’s time for vacation, or just a day-trip, Apex is a 2 hour drive from Wrightsville Beach and about the same distance to Tryon Palace and the shops in downtown New Bern.  If mountains are your thing, Apex is also a 2 hour drive to Hanging Rock State Park (that’s the closest spot to get a view and a waterfall).  Boone and Blowing Rock are both around 3 hours away.  And if you’re new to North Carolina, you have to go see the Biltmore in Asheville at some point.  The drive to Asheville will take you about 3 hours and 45 minutes.  And of course, NC’s famous zoo in Asheboro is only about 1 hour and 15 minutes away. 

Living in Apex NC: Affordable Cost of Living

How much does it cost to live in Apex?  If you’re thinking about moving or relocating to Apex, that’s the first question you might ask.  And the truth is that living in Apex is not cheap.  With an overall cost of living score of 113.3, Apex is more expensive than the North Carolina average and more expensive than the national average.  Much of that cost of living score is influenced by the median home cost of $562,300.  Health care costs, utilities, and transportation costs are below the national average, but the housing score of 152.7/100 is more than 50% higher than the national average.

But those numbers don’t tell you everything!  Apex is less expensive than most major cities.  So if you’re relocating from somewhere like San Francisco, Boston, Washington, D.C., or even Austin, you’ll find home prices are cheaper in Apex.  But Apex isn’t a major city.  So why make the comparison?

Apex is a prime commuting location for work in Research Triangle Park, Raleigh, or even to the burgeoning life-sciences sector in Holly Springs.  People tend to choose Apex for the quality of life it affords while still being in close proximity to major employment centers in the Triangle.

Living in Apex NC: Jobs

Unemployment in Apex is low.  The current unemployment rate is just 2.8%.  Job growth projections for Apex range from a 12.6% job growth projection over the next three years to a whopping 58.1% projected job growth over the next ten years.

Common industries that Apex residents work in include biotech and pharmaceuticals, IT, and Healthcare.

Research Triangle Park is less than a 30 minute commute for Apex residents and Raleigh is also about 30 minutes away.  (You can take the I-540 toll road to RTP, but the drive into Raleigh up US-1 can be a little more hectic.  The road construction on I-440 can add to your commute time into Raleigh.  Now we love the fact that the road infrastructure around Raleigh is being expanded, but it can wreak havoc on your commute some mornings.)

Anyway. . . the top employers in Apex proper are the Wake County Public School system, the Town of Apex, Apex Tool Group, Dell Technologies, Super Target, Bland Landscaping, Costco (we love Costco, but honestly, it is very crowded!), ATI Industrial Automation, Walmart, and Lowe’s Home Improvement.

But like we said earlier, many Apex residents work in industries outside Apex proper.  GlaxoSmithKline, Biogen, and Novartis are big biotech and pharmaceutical employers.  IBM, Cisco, and Red Hat are large technology employers.  And Duke Health, UNC Health, and WakeMed are the big healthcare employers in the area.  

In 2023, the average salary in Apex is $89,392.  The median household income in Apex is $142,939.  This just means that the median household can well afford the median priced home in Apex, NC, all other things being equal.

Living in Apex NC: Culture and Community 

Apex is a historic town that got its name from being the highest point on the Chatham Railroad that passed through town.  (Just as an aside, the development of the Apex depot is what caused the economic decline of Holly Springs back in the late 1860’s.)  The town’s motto of “The Peak of Good Living” is appropriate both in a historical and cultural sense.  Money Magazine named it the number one place to live in America is 2015, and the amenities available have grown significantly since then.  

The population has also grown significantly.  In 2010 there were just over 37,000 residents.  In 2020 that number had grown to just under 59,000 residents.  But the population boom isn’t over yet! Early in 2023 the population was estimated at over 75,000.  There’s a reason so many people are moving to Apex.  Now, again, being honest, that kind of rapid growth does have its downsides.  We’ll get to those below.  But what attracts people to Apex?

Living in Apex NC: Parks

Apex has some great parks, and they’re almost always being used.  There are many town sponsored programs that take advantage of them.

Go to the Hunter Street Park on almost any weekend and you’ll find the soccer fields and baseball diamonds full of youth sports programs in full swing.  There is also a really cool skate park adjacent to the fields, and they’re all easily walkable from the historic downtown area.  

The Apex Community Park surrounds a 50 acre lake that is open to fishing and non-motorized boats.  This park has paved walking paths around the lake, playgrounds (including a ninja-warrior type course for the kids), several tennis courts, basketball courts, an entire baseball complex complete with batting cages, and picnic shelters.

The Apex Jaycee Park has more soccer fields and a baseball diamond.  Kelly Road Park has a truly great playground.  The playground is this huge wooden structure with walkways between turrets.  When our kids were little, they called it the “Castle Park”.  

The Apex Nature Park is right next to the Seymour Athletic Fields.  The Nature Park has an amphitheater that often hosts community events and concerts.  It also has an 18 hole disc golf course and a large dog park.  There are trails for walking or biking and the requisite picnic shelter.  The Seymour Athletic Fields complex houses basketball, tennis, pickleball, and volleyball courts, as well as lighted multi-use fields.  And yes, there’s a picnic shelter and playground too.

Living in Apex NC: Festivals and Events

Apex is a historic southern town complete with a bevy of annual festivals and events.  There are few things quite as fun as a downtown festival, and Apex has plenty to keep you busy throughout the year.  There is a pattern to the festivals listed below: food, beer, and music!

1. PeakFest: This is one of the biggest festivals in Apex and takes place annually in May. It features live music, arts and crafts vendors, food trucks, and children’s activities.  Just picture the historic downtown closed off to traffic and filled with residents just having a lot of fun.
2. Apex Music Festival: This festival takes place annually in September and features local and regional musical acts, food vendors, and a beer garden.
3. Apex Farmers Market: The Farmers Market takes place every Saturday from April to October and features fresh produce, handmade crafts, and local artisanal products.
4. Apex Latino Arts Festival: This festival takes place annually in September and celebrates Latin American culture with music, dance, food, and art.
5. Peak City Pig Fest: This is a two-day event features a barbecue competition, live music, and a beer garden.

If that isn’t enough for you, you could try some of these:

1. Apex BBQ and Bands Festival: This festival takes place annually in September and features live music, barbecue vendors, and children’s activities.
2. Apex Christmas Nativity Celebration: This is a free annual event that takes place in December and features a live nativity scene, music, and refreshments.
3. Apex Peak-Tique Festival: This festival takes place annually in October and features arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, and children’s activities.
4. Apex Music and Movies in the Park: This is a free annual event that takes place during the summer months and features live music and outdoor movie screenings.
5. Apex Touch-a-Truck: This is a free annual event that takes place in May and features various types of vehicles for kids to explore, including fire trucks, police cars, and construction vehicles.  The kids just have an absolute blast at this thing.

You can keep up to date on the happenings in Apex here.

Living in Apex NC: Arts Center

The Halle Cultural Arts Center was built in 1912 to serve as the Apex Town Hall.  Today, it has two galleries that display local art, a classroom, and a theater that seats 150 people.  And yes, when it was the town hall, they used the theater for screening silent movies!  Today it still shows movies, free – no tickets required.  The Halle hosts classes throughout the year and space can be rented.

Living in Apex NC: Greenways

Apex currently maintains 11+ miles of public greenways.  That’s a far cry from neighboring Cary’s 70+ miles of greenways, but some Apex greenways connect to Cary’s, and you can walk from the west side of town into downtown on a combination of greenways and sidewalks.

Living in Apex NC: Weather 

What is the weather like in Apex?  That depends on what day it is.  Like the rest of the Triangle, Apex has mild winters and humid summers, with beautiful Springs and Falls thrown into the yearly mix.  

Summer Weather

During the heat of the summer, daily highs average 89 degrees in July with nighttime lows around 71 degrees.  Now, those data points are undoubtedly accurate, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t see some scorchers in late summer.  Last July (2022) Apex saw a high temp of 102 degrees on July 6th, and most of the month was above 90 degrees.  

But what you might suffer in the summer you get rewarded for the rest of the year. (And let me just say that if you’re coming from Texas – the heat here in the summer doesn’t even compare!)

Fall, Winter, and Spring Weather

Everyone rejoices when that first taste of Fall finally hits, generally in September.  The humidity drops off.  High temps drop into the 70’s by late September and the nighttime lows hit the low 60’s.  The leaves begin to turn and everyone gears up for Fall activities that necessarily include pumpkins.  The Fall weather generally lasts past Thanksgiving, and it isn’t uncommon to see 70 degree days even in December.  By Christmas it is definitely winter, but it’s still reasonably mild.

January and February is when it does gets cold.  Average highs during these months are in the low 50’s, average lows are in the low 30’s.  Most everyone hopes for a snowfall, but some years most everyone is disappointed.  I’m no meteorologist, but is seems that when the cold from the north reaches us here, it pushes the moisture away (no snow).  And when the warm and wet air reaches us from the south, it pushes the cold away (no snow).

But, even when the snow falls, it really doesn’t stick around for very long.  You might need a snow shovel, but you won’t use it very much.  

Hints of Spring follow in March, when the daffodils and crocuses come up.  But it isn’t all that unusual for those flowers to also experience an ice storm.  By April, we’re done with the winter for good and even 80 degree days can show up.

Living in Apex NC: Education

All Apex schools are a part of the Wake County Public School System.  For a good understanding of the Wake County system (and it’s not as simple as you might expect) you should read our blog post about it, or just watch the video!  

Apex has two high schools: Apex Friendship on the west side and Apex High on the north side.  Both are given an “A” rating by niche.com.  There are four middle schools: Apex Friendship Middle, Apex Middle, Lufkin Middle, and Salem Middle.  And, there are five elementary schools.  If you want to search for homes by school assignment, you can use our website and our predefined school searches here.  (Just a word of warning – because Wake County’s population is growing so quickly, school reassignments do occur.  Be sure to check on the current school assignments for any home you are looking to purchase if schools are an important factor for you.  Don’t worry, we can help you with that!)

There are currently four charter or private schools in Apex: Peak Charter Academy, Peace Montessori, St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School, and Thales Academy.  Thales has become a popular choice for many in the area.  Its curriculum is classically based, but it is non-religious.  Thales is also very reasonably priced for a private school.  

There are no higher education institutions in Apex.  Of course, given Apex’s location between Raleigh and Durham, they’re not far away. NC State, Meredith College, Peace University, St. Augustine’s, Shaw University, NC Central, Duke, and UNC Chapel Hill are all about 30 minutes away (or less).

Crime

Is Apex a safe place to live? Apex, North Carolina’s crime rate for violent crime is less than half of the US average (10.3 to 22.7 on a 100 point scale).  Property crime in Apex NC is rated as 20.9 compared to the national average of 35.4  Comparing the numbers to Raleigh proper we see that once again Apex’s crime is about half of what is seen in Raleigh.  (Apex violent crime = 10.3; Raleigh violent crime = 20.3 / Apex property crime = 20.9; Raleigh property crime = 44.4)  

We hate to compare everything to Cary, but since Cary is regularly lauded as one of the safest cities in the country, I guess we can do it here.  Apex is slightly higher than Cary in both categories, but not by much.  Cary’s violent crime is ranked at 8.9/100 and property crime at 19.8/100.  The short of it?  Apex is a very safe place to live.

Sports & Recreation

Like we said earlier, Apex has many town-sponsored sporting activities for the young.  You can check them all out here.  There is baseball, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball in the Spring and Summer.  You’ve got baseball, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball in the Fall.  Basketball and Tennis run through the winter.

But it’s not all just for the kids!  The town has basketball, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball programs for adults as well.

Of course, the town also has dedicated activities for the senior, 55+ crowd as well.  You can download the program guides here.

There are two dog parks in town, one at the Hunter Street Park close to downtown and another at the Apex Nature Park on the west side of town.

The John M. Brown Community Center (also near downtown and the Hunter Street Park and Skate Park) has an indoor gym and offers programs across age groups.  This is where you go to get your fishing permits and dog park passes.  (Yes, the dog parks are locked and require a key card for entry.  Costs are $30/year for residents for a single dog, $50/year for two furry friends.)  There are open gym times at the Community Center, and times reserved for seniors.  You can also rent space here for your own events.

Parts of Apex

While Apex is not a large town there are a few area distinctions that can be made.

Downtown

There are, of course, historic homes attached to the downtown area, but unlike some other Triangle towns there aren’t many grand old homes in this area.  Apex grew up around the train depot where farmers brought their goods to be transported.  It wasn’t a manufacturing center which is usually what created the wealth necessary to produce streets filled with large homes.  

But in recent years some new homes have been built in this historic district.  But if you want to be within walking distance of downtown, several subdivisions exist that are about a 25 minute walk from downtown (around a mile).  Haddon Place, Salem Oaks, The Villages of Apex, and the Villages of Apex South all give you easy access to downtown.  The downtown area is also home to the Community Center, the Hunter Road Park, and the Skate Park.

Apex/Cary

There are parts of the town of Apex that lie north of US 64.  They feel a little disconnected from Apex proper, and honestly you would be forgiven for thinking that they were in Cary.  The Apex Community Park is on this side of town, along with the Costco.

West Apex

Apex has primarily grown west out the US 64 corridor towards Pittsboro.  On the west side of town you will see lots of newer subdivisions like Smith Farm as well as neighborhoods like Scott’s Mill and Abbingdon that helped put Apex on the map.  The developers of Scott’s Mill brought a new aesthetic to the Triangle area when they built new homes with a decidedly southern historic character (they also catered to those with a more Victorian taste).  

If people complain about sprawl in Apex, they’re probably talking about the many farms in this area that have given way to new housing developments.  Bella Casa, another large and recent development, is right next to the Apex Nature Park.  Kelly Road Park and The American Tobacco Trail are also here on the west side.  The American Tobacco Trail is a 22 mile rail-to-trail project that runs from Apex north to Durham.  Bicyclists, walkers, runners, horse riders and baby carriage pushers enjoy the trail year-round. 

Food & Shopping in Apex

The Beaver Creek area at the intersection of US 55 and US 64 has the largest concentration of box stores in Apex.  Here you’ll find your Lowes Home Improvement, Super Target, Khols, TJ Maxx and Home Goods.  There is a Walmart Supercenter on the south side of town.  From downtown its a 20 minute drive to Crabtree Valley Mall and North Hills in Raleigh, and a 25 minute drive to the Streets of Southpoint in Durham.

Downtown Apex has several boutiques such as the Perky Lady, Bella+Mauve, CharleyMadelyn Faith and Fashion, and Glam Soldier Boho.  The Rusty Bucket is a local gift shop, and you might find a treasure at Antiques on Salem Street.  If getting outside is your fashion, check out Apex Outfitters.

But downtown really comes alive when people come out for dinner.  You’ll find pizza at Anna’s Pizzeria, Mexican at La Rancherita, pub grub at Salem Street Pub, ice cream at Fresh. Local Ice Cream, farm to table meals at The Provincial, great atmosphere and chef-created meals at the Peak on Salem, southern fare at Scratch Kitchen and Taproom, and sushi at Sushi SUYU.  When you need your cup of joe, Common Grounds has you covered.

Of course, not all of Apex’s best restaurants are downtown.  Rudy’s Pub and Grill and Doherty’s Irish Pub & Restaurant are also local favorites, (and parking might not be as much of a problem there!)

Local History

Like we said before, Apex got its name from being the highest point on a railway line that connected Raleigh with points south.  The development of that depot after the Civil War brought merchant traffic away from the nearby village of Holly Springs.  That left poor Holly Springs as little more than “a deserted village”.  The pine forests that had covered the area around Apex were cut down for farmland, and the trees were shipped off as lumber from the new depot. Tobacco farmers eventually moved to the Apex area from Granville county north of Raleigh.  

Two fires in Apex in 1905 and 1911 convinced merchants in the town to rebuild with brick.  In 1994, the downtown area was designated a historic district.  At that time, Apex had just about 8,000 residents.  The growth of the Triangle in general contributed to Apex’s growing population.  By 2000 the population had more than doubled, and almost doubled again over the next ten years.  Currently, Apex boasts over 75,000 residents.

Cons of Living in Apex

What’s not to like about living in Apex?  We always tell our clients that they need to drive through an area to see if it “feels right” to them.  There is no doubt that some people don’t care for Apex as much as other Triangle towns.  The most common complaints we hear about Apex is:

1. The downtown, while quaint, can be crowded at times.  The town has created some newer parking areas, but it’s true; it can be crowded and sometimes difficult to find a place to park.
2. The development of amenities and shopping has lagged behind the growth of new neighborhoods on the west side of town.  It is true that if you purchase in a newer neighborhood on the west side of town, you will have to drive further to get your groceries.  But, we’re only talking about a 6 minute drive from Smith Farm to the Publix on Kelly Road – or a 13 minute drive from Jordan Point to the same Publix.  Is that too far?  Only you can decide!
3. It’s all about the kids’ sports!  While not entirely true, it is true that recreational activities are a dominant feature of life for many who live in Apex.  If that’s what you’re looking for, Apex might be for you.