This NC town is in the top 1% of best small cities in the US. Here’s why

Dozens of North Carolina cities made WalletHub’s 2025 list of the best small cities in the United States, but only one fell in the top 1% of the ranking.

Among the 18 places that comprise the 99th percentile, only one — Apex — is in North Carolina.

There are 1,318 municipalities on the WalletHub list, which compared cities and towns by 45 metrics within the categories of affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and safety.

Each city has a population between 25,000 and 100,000.

Why is Apex a good place to live?

WalletHub gave Apex a total score of 70.67 out of 100, the No. 3 score on the list, falling behind Carmel, Indiana, and Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Of all the cities, it has the highest rank for economic health, and it is No. 20 for affordability. Apex ranks No. 146 for safety, No. 244 for education and health, and No. 554 for quality of life.

The WalletHub study found that Apex has the 12th-lowest unemployment rate and 56th-lowest violent crime rate among the more than 1,300 cities analyzed. It also has the fifth-lowest share of residents living below the poverty line.

Apex, a town with a population of 58,780, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, also has the 14th-highest share of people with at least a high school diploma, WalletHub found.

Last year, SmartAsset named Apex No. 7 on a nationwide list of “Most Livable Small Cities,” a ranking based on factors including housing affordability, business offerings, unemployment rates, commute times and health care coverage.

Apex also ranked in the 99th percentile in WalletHub’s 2024 list of the best small cities in America.

Other NC cities on WalletHub list

Thirty-one North Carolina cities and towns made the WalletHub list, though some ranked low.

Here are the places in the Triangle, and which percentile they belong to:

• Apex: 99
• Fuquay-Varina: 98
• Wake Forest: 97
• Holly Springs: 95
• Morrisville: 87
• Garner: 62
• Chapel Hill: 59

Here are the cities and towns in the Charlotte area, and which percentile they belong to:

• Mooresville: 92
• Huntersville: 85
• Concord: 84
• Cornelius: 81
• Matthews: 74
• Mint Hill: 58
• Indian Trail: 57
• Kannapolis: 54
• Monroe: 34
• Gastonia: 14

Here are the other North Carolina cities and towns, and which percentile they belong to:

• Asheville: 75
• Hickory: 60
• New Bern: 46
• Jacksonville: 34
• Burlington: 32
• Statesville: 28
• Thomasville: 14
• Sanford: 10
• Asheboro: 10
• Greenville: 9
• Salisbury: 7
• Wilson: 5
• Rocky Mount: 3
• Goldsboro: 2

McClatchy real-time reporter Simone Jasper contributed reporting.

This story was originally published October 1, 2025 at 11:03 AM.

Renee Umsted

The News & Observer

202-383-6008

Renee Umsted is The News & Observer’s Affordability Reporter. She writes about what it costs to live in the Triangle, with a consumer-focused approach. She has a degree in journalism from TCU.