Should I Move To
Roughly 65,541 people live in Apex, North Carolina. Living here costs moderate relative to the rest of the country, essentially matching the national average. Median rent runs about $1,668/mo; the typical household pulls in $129,688. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 65/100 — a B-, putting it at #53 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Apex sits at 100 — moderate when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,668/mo against $129,688 median household income), housing eats roughly 15% of a typical paycheck — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Buying-side, the median home value is $458,200.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 89°F in summer, 33°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 46 inches. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods. Air quality reads good (AQI 38).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Apex is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 69/100 (grade B-) on the families profile. Strongest on education (94/100); weakest on walkability (26/100).
For retirees, Apex is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 59/100 (grade C) on the retirees profile. Strongest on education (94/100); weakest on walkability (26/100).
For remote workers, Apex is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 60/100 (grade C+) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on education (94/100); weakest on walkability (26/100).
For young professionals, Apex is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 63/100 (grade C+) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on education (94/100); weakest on walkability (26/100).
Apex, North Carolina pulls a 65/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade B-), currently ranked #53 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Apex's cost-of-living index is 100 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the moderate band — essentially matching the national average. Median rent runs about $1,668/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 89°F, winter averages around 33°F, with about 46 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 26/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods.
Apex has about 65,541 residents, 65% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 36.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Apex head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Apex stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Apex with other North Carolina cities scored on UrbRank.
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