City comparison
Apex, NC is about 125 miles (175 km) from Charlotte, NC in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Apex, NC to Charlotte, NC takes about 14 min, covering roughly 125 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Charlotte has a population of 875,045, vs 65,541 in Apex — about 13.4× larger by population. By land area, Charlotte covers about 310 sq mi vs 27 sq mi for Apex.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Apex | Charlotte | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,668/mo | $1,399/mo | 19.2% higher in Apex |
| Median home value | $458,200 | $312,800 | 46.5% higher in Apex |
| Median household income | $129,688 | $74,070 | 75.1% higher in Apex |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.8 | ≈ equal (Apex slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 89.5 | 89.7 | ≈ equal (Charlotte slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 98.4 | 98.4 | ≈ equal (Charlotte slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 97.9 | 97.9 | ≈ equal (Charlotte slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Apex, you'd need $96,985 in Charlotte to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Charlotte, NC is about 3% cheaper overall than Apex, NC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 7% higher in Apex than in Charlotte. If you earn $80,000 in Apex, you'd need about $77,588 in Charlotte to keep the same standard of living.