Cary is in the Raleigh metro area, 8 miles from downtown Raleigh, in the northeastern part of North Carolina. The North Carolina state capital, Raleigh, is 8 miles to the east of Cary. Beyond Raleigh, the next major market is Charlotte at 122 miles to the west. Among nearby covered cities such as Apex and Raleigh, Cary is one of the larger markets.
Cary has a population of 151,088, ranking 7th of 22 covered North Carolina cities and accounting for about 4.5% of their total population. Cary is in the northeastern part of North Carolina (the South Atlantic). Businesses in Cary compete for both Cary-specific searches — where Cary proximity and a complete local profile give them a direct advantage — and for the broader Raleigh-area queries where a strong Cary presence can still convert metro-area customers. Wake County also includes our covered cities of Raleigh, Apex, giving multi-location programs across the county a natural hub.
Cary (151,088) sits among covered cities like Apex (42,214), Raleigh (431,746), Durham (245,475). In Wake County, we also cover Raleigh (431,746), Apex (42,214) — creating natural multi-city program opportunities for businesses operating across the area. The Raleigh–Charlotte corridor (8 mi to 122 mi from Cary) represents the competitive metro backdrop that shapes what Cary businesses need to rank for.
Explore nearby markets we cover