Best Cities for Young Professionals in North Carolina

High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  North Carolina

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Income · 20% Educated Peers · 15% Young Demographic · 15% Jobs · 15% Transit · 10% Safety · 10% Broadband · 15%

Top 12 Young Professionals Cities in North Carolina

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 72.3
Biltmore Forest, NC
1,536 residents
Income $172,500
Educated Peers 85.3%
Young Demographic 52 yrs
#2
Score 71.5
Chapel Hill, NC
59,889 residents
Income $85,825
Educated Peers 77.2%
Young Demographic 26 yrs
#3
Score 70.9
Davidson, NC
14,852 residents
Income $152,969
Educated Peers 75.6%
Young Demographic 41 yrs
#4
Score 70.1
Carrboro, NC
21,170 residents
Income $85,927
Educated Peers 70.4%
Young Demographic 34 yrs
#5
Score 69.5
Morrisville, NC
30,471 residents
Income $125,404
Educated Peers 73.9%
Young Demographic 35 yrs
#6
Score 68.6
Apex, NC
67,765 residents
Income $138,442
Educated Peers 66.6%
Young Demographic 36 yrs
#7
Score 68.2
Holly Springs, NC
43,429 residents
Income $132,435
Educated Peers 67.7%
Young Demographic 36 yrs
#8
Score 68.1
Rolesville, NC
10,200 residents
Income $148,250
Educated Peers 66.5%
Young Demographic 39 yrs
#9
Score 67.7
Cary, NC
176,686 residents
Income $129,399
Educated Peers 70.2%
Young Demographic 40 yrs
#10
Score 67.4
Wrightsville Beach, NC
2,679 residents
Income $167,273
Educated Peers 71.6%
Young Demographic 56 yrs
#11
Score 65.4
Waxhaw, NC
21,565 residents
Income $128,115
Educated Peers 54.9%
Young Demographic 37 yrs
#12
Score 64.7
Huntersville, NC
62,458 residents
Income $119,951
Educated Peers 57.3%
Young Demographic 40 yrs

Full Ranking, North Carolina

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Biltmore Forest NC 72.3
2 Chapel Hill NC 71.5
3 Davidson NC 70.9
4 Carrboro NC 70.1
5 Morrisville NC 69.5
6 Apex NC 68.6
7 Holly Springs NC 68.2
8 Rolesville NC 68.1
9 Cary NC 67.7
10 Wrightsville Beach NC 67.4
11 Waxhaw NC 65.4
12 Huntersville NC 64.7
13 Wake Forest NC 64.2
14 Holly Ridge NC 63.8
15 Whispering Pines NC 63.7
16 Fuquay-Varina NC 63.6
17 Cornelius NC 63.3
18 Elon NC 63
19 Boiling Springs NC 63
20 Matthews NC 61.8
21 Stallings NC 61.6
22 Swansboro NC 61.3
23 Banner Elk NC 61.3
24 Hillsborough NC 60.9
25 Trent Woods NC 60.6
26 Cramerton NC 60.4
27 Weaverville NC 60.1
28 Holden Beach NC 60.1
29 Knightdale NC 59.9
30 Durham NC 59.7
31 Mooresville NC 59.7
32 Raleigh NC 59.5
33 Pine Knoll Shores NC 59.1
34 Pinehurst NC 58.5
35 Youngsville NC 58
36 Gibsonville NC 57.8
37 Concord NC 57.8
38 Southern Pines NC 57.6
39 Wendell NC 57.4
40 Laurel Park NC 56.8
41 Emerald Isle NC 56.7
42 Mebane NC 56.7
43 Clayton NC 56.5
44 Mint Hill NC 56.5
45 Winterville NC 56.2
46 Belmont NC 56.1
47 Leland NC 55.9
48 Woodfin NC 55.8
49 Garner NC 55.7
50 Aberdeen NC 55.5

Biltmore Forest, NC tops the list with a composite score of 72.3 out of 100, followed by Chapel Hill and Davidson. NC dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for young professionals.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Income, Educated Peers, Young Demographic, Jobs, Transit, Safety, Broadband. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to young professionals, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

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Related Single-Metric Rankings

Highest Income → Most Educated → Youngest Cities →