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    The 10 Best Cities in North Carolina

    [B]The 10 Best Cities in North Carolina[/B

    ...Simply watch a movie, to the best cities in our country in general, we are going state by state and giving it to you honestly.

    Which is fitting for today’s state, North Carolina
    If you’ve been reading our blog, you know the drill. In order to come up with our Top 10 Lists, we rely on certain criteria to objectively rank each city in order from best to worst. But more on that in a moment—here are the six criteria we used for NC.

    Cost of living (percent above or below state’s average)
    Crime rate
    Education
    Median household income
    Home value
    Amenities (including BBQ restaurants & churches)


    We started with a list of the 50 most populous municipalities (cities, towns, villages, and Census Designated Places) in North Carolina and ranked them from one to 50 in each of the criteria above, with one being the best. Then we averaged the numbers for each criteria and gave them an overall Big Deal Score—the lower the number, the higher it ranked.

    So how did these 10 cities make out list? North Carolina, whose state motto, “Esse quam viederi” means “to be rather than to seem.” North Carolina is nothing if not real, down to earth, and honest to goodness great place to live. So without further ado, here are the 10 best cities in North Carolina:

    1. Apex
    2. Wake Forest
    3. Matthews
    4. Morrisville
    5. Garner
    6. Clemmons
    7. Cary
    8. Chapel Hill
    9. Huntersville
    10. Mint Hill

    How did we come up with these 10? Did we simply pick Apex for the top because that seemed fitting? Did we “Garner” the names from a list of popular places? Of course not. Keep reading to find out just how we came up with our list and why each city made it to the top.

    And pardon the puns—but there are sure to be “Morrisville” where they came from.

    Here’s How We Did It

    If you’ve been reading our blog, you know the drill. In order to come up with our Top 10 Lists, we rely on certain criteria to objectively rank each city in order from best to worst. But more on that in a moment—here are the six criteria we used for NC.

    Cost of living (percent above or below state’s average)
    Crime rate
    Education
    Median household income
    Home value
    Amenities (including BBQ restaurants & churches)


    We started with a list of the 50 most populous municipalities (cities, towns, villages, and Census Designated Places) in North Carolina and ranked them from one to 50 in each of the criteria above, with one being the best. Then we averaged the numbers for each criteria and gave them an overall Big Deal Score—the lower the number, the higher it ranked.

    So how did these 10 cities make out list?

    1. Apex

    Perhaps fittingly, the word “apex” means “the top or highest point of something.” But that’s not why it came in at No. 1 on our list; it’s simply because Apex scored well in almost all of our criteria—an average median income 90 percent higher than the rest of the state; a crime rate 68 percent lower; and a high school degree attainment rate 25 percent higher.
    As Town Manager, Bruce Radford put it, “now the [Movoto] readers will find out what we already know about Apex—wonderful weather, proximity to the famed Research Triangle Park, world class universities, great schools, low crime, healthy financial position, plenty of recreational opportunities, and ACC collegiate and professional sports all combine to create an award-winning quality of life for residents of ‘Apex, The Peak of Good Living’.”
    No wonder this city is at the top!

    2. Wake Forest

    Not only did Wake Forest tie with Apex for some of the best weather in North Carolina, but they’ve got the parks and outdoor activities to really take advantage of that sunshine—hence their high rank in amenities. Falls Lake State Recreation Area, for example, stretches across 26,000 acres of woodlands and is home to the 12,000-acre Falls Lake.
    If the outdoors aren’t your thing, though, don’t worry—Wake Forest also ranked well in their number of barbecue restaurants and churches per capita, which was a portion of its amenities score.. Because like any good southerner knows, Sunday is made for two things: church and barbecue. Okay, three, if you add football.

    3. Matthews

    his suburban town just outside of Charlotte came in at No. 3 on our list for getting an A Plus when it comes to education. Here in Matthews, the high school degree attainment rate is 22 percent higher than that of the rest of the state.
    Matthews also has a beautiful historic downtown, a magnificent farmers market, and the Matthews Playhouse for theater. The Matthews Public Library is also one of the best in the state, complete with a historical mural of the town. A great place to study—perhaps why their public schools rank so well?

    4. Morrisville

    Morrisville is one of the two smallest towns on our list with a population of just over 20,000; but in this case, small certainly doesn’t mean a lack of things going on. In fact, the “small town feel, friendly neighborhoods, and parks and greenways appeal to generational residents and newcomers alike,” said Mayor Jackie Holcombe.
    Morrisville made the No. 4 spot largely because of its crime rate 60 percent below the state average, its high school degree attainment rate, 23 percent above the state average, and its high home values, 67 percent higher than North Carolina’s average!

    Residents of this town won’t be surprised to find it on our list, though; especially not Holcombe who knows full well of Morrisville’s charm. “Our quality schools, low cost of living, strong sense of community and low crime rate all combine to make Morrisville a highly desirable location to live and do business… We are proud to be ranked as the No. 4 town in the state."

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    #2
    5. Garner

    After garnering the information about this town just outside of Raleigh, we realized just how big of a difference a lower cost of living can make—in choosing a place to live and in making our list. Garner’s cost of living is 5 percent lower than North Carolina’s average, making it the least expensive spot on our Top 10.
    Garner also scored well on its number of churches per capita—a whopping 32 for its small population of 26,732 people. And if you’re not at church on Sunday? Head over to Angie’s Restaurant for some brunch. (Both a factor in Garner’s amenities’ score.) Residents can certainly afford to treat themselves with a median household income 37 percent higher than the rest of the state!
    To sum up in the words of Mayor Ronnie Williams: “It’s no surprise that Garner has won this latest accolade, which comes on the heels of being named an All-America City. With our great parks and cultural arts scene, and our nationally recognized schools, Garner is truly a great place to live and raise a family. We have a low crime rate and impressive range of housing options at various price points. Plus, we’re only 10 minutes from downtown Raleigh, which has great restaurants, performing arts venues and special events throughout the year. You just can’t beat Garner.”



    6. Clemmons

    Smaller even than Morrisville, Clemmons, with a population of just over 19,000 comes in at No. 6 on our list. How did Clemmons climb onto our Top 10? Well mostly because they ranked high in… pretty much everything.
    But here are some of the key characteristics that makes this town shine. Clemmons is safe, with a crime rate 37 percent lower than the state average; smart, with a high school degree attainment rate 16 percent higher; and doing pretty well economically, with a median household income 46 percent higher than the NC average.
    What do they do with all that money? Some of it probably goes to their churches, as this little southern city has an unholy amount of churches—21 for their small population– which boosted their amenities score overall.

    7. Cary

    This town certainly carries its weight when it comes to qualities for raising a family. Cary tied with Apex for the 2nd safest city on our list, with a crime rate 68 percent lower than the state average. Not only can parents feel safe sending their kids off to school here; they can also feel pretty proud of the education they’re receiving. Folks in Cary, NC have a high school degree attainment rate 24 percent higher than the rest of the state.
    And for those who still prefer private schools? Well, they can certainly afford it. Cary blows the rest of this list out of the water when it comes to median household income. Residents here make an average of 103 percent more than the rest of the state—that’s over $89,000 per year.

    8. Chapel Hill

    The first of two cities that took the No. 8 spot is Chapel Hill. This city of just over 58,4000 residents joins our ranks for its extremely impressive home values—124 percent higher than the state average; its high school degree attainment rate, 23 percent above average; and its low crime rate, 45 percent below.
    It is also home to the beautiful campus of the University of North Carolina and a booming creative scene, with the Ackland Art Museum, the Paul Green Theater, and the Kidzu Children’s Museum. For those looking for something beyond all that? Check out the Morehead Planetarium, by far one of the best in the state.

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      #3
      9. Huntersville

      With a population of more than 46,000, Huntersville tied for the No. 8 spot on our list of the best places to live in North Carolina. The town, located near Charlotte, placed well because of its high income and low crime rates. City residents have a median income that is 84 percent higher than the rest of the state, while its crime index is 55 percent lower. If you’re in the hunt for a home in North Carolina, this is one place to start.

      10. Mint Hill

      Rounding out our list at the No. 10 spot is Mint Hill, a town located near Charlotte. Mint Hill placed particularly well in our crime rating. The town of more than 23,000 has a crime rate that is 59 percent lower than the state average. Adding to the charm of the town is its emphasis on education. When compared to the state, Mint Hill’s high school degree attainment rate is 17 percent higher. All this makes Mint Hill a refreshing place to live.

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        #4


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          #5
          These Are The 10 Best Places To Live In Florida

          From its beaches to its theme parks and everything in between, the Sunshine State of Florida offers something for everyone. Floridians may argue over which place in the state is tops, but which actually deserves the fame that comes with being the absolute best?

          The Movoto Real Estate Blog decided it was time to find out which place should get these bragging rights. We slipped on our shades and sandals (hey, we tend to have those handy out here in California) and set out to collect the data that would give us our results.

          What did we find? Coral Springs came out on top of our ranking, like a flag planted on top of a sand castle. Getting to the top wasn’t easy, since it had to outdo the rest of the 10 best places in Florida:

          1. City of Coral Springs
          2. City of Deerfield Beach
          3. City of Winter Park
          4. City of Pompano Beach
          5. City of Gainesville
          6. City of Cape Coral
          7. Town of Jupiter
          8. Town of Davie
          9. City of Coconut Creek
          10. City of Weston


          We realized that folks in Orlando and Tampa may be a bit bewildered at not seeing their cities on the top 10. Where did they rank, and how did we arrive at the top 10 above? You can find the top 50 best places in a chart at the end of this post, and as for our methodology, we’ll tackle that next.

          Fun In The Sun With Math

          As with all of our Big Deal List rankings, we started out by finding the most populated places in the state. In the case of a very large state like Florida, we looked the top 100. Once we had our list of places, we collected data across seven unique criteria for each:

          Total amenities
          Quality of life (cost of living, median home price, median rent, median household income, and student-to-teacher ratio)
          Total crimes
          Tax rates (sales tax and income tax)
          Unemployment
          Commute time
          Weather (temperature and air quality)

          We gathered this data from the 2010 U.S. Census, the FBI, and business listings. Then, we ranked each place from 1 to 100 in all of the criteria, with one being the best. The average of these individual rankings became our Big Deal Score, the lowest of which was our No. 1 place, Coral Springs. Why is this city so great? Let’s examine what factors gave us our top 10, as well as what other things our best places have to offer.

          1. Coral Springs

          Source: Flickr user Coral Springs Talk
          Coral Springs really does have “everything under the sun,” as its slogan claims. The 31st-place amenities include an arts museum, theater, golf club, and much more.

          There’s even an Our Town American festival every year, complete with games, food, and entertainment. When it comes to just finding a nice place to sit down and grab a bite, there’s always the Falafel Bistro & Wine Bar, where they have scrumptious hummus and a huge selection of wines.

          If we look beyond the cool things to see, do, and eat here, there were still some strong numbers saying that Coral Springs really is a great place. The taxes here were very low, and the employment was quite high at 91.1 percent. The median income is very high at $71,456, which ranks eighth on our list, so the only thing that workers really have to be concerned about is their grueling average commute of 31 minutes.

          The crime rate here was also very low, which makes this a safe, fun, and affordable place for workers and families alike.

          2. Deerfield Beach


          Source: Flickr user Sergio Monslave
          Deerfield Beach is home to 75,018 people as well as some pretty great attractions. From
          Renaissance festivals to outdoor concerts, this place has plenty to offer those looking for activity or just a little culture. There are parks like Quiet Water to relax in, and an arboretum to explore for those who need a little dose of nature.

          The commute time was low and the employment rate was high for all the working Janes and Joes, and the weather was generally pretty comfy. The crime was fairly low as well in this city at only 3,656 crimes per 100,000 people.

          Although it’s not the highest on our list for this ranking, Deerfield Beach placed a respectable 43rd for amenities, so you’re bound to be able to find something to entertain your mind or tastebuds around here.

          3. Winter Park

          Source: Flickr user Visit Florida Editor
          Winter Park is the smallest place in our top 10 at 27,852 residents. A little city doesn’t mean small time stats, however, and this city boasts the No. 3 quality of life, No. 13 commute time rank, and even a high No. 18 when it comes to amenities.

          Art fans will simply love this little city, considering it’s the home of one of the oldest outdoor festivals in the U.S. Visitors to the festival can peruse the work of local and national artists, sample wine and food, and have a grand cultured time. If that’s not quite your speed, there’s also boating, swimming, and fishing at locals lakes, and even one rather unusual and historic sinkhole-turned-lake to visit.


          4. Pompano Beach


          Source: Flickr user Garrett
          Whether you’re working or studying for your diploma, Pompano Beach has you covered. Parents will be pleased to see that Pompano Beach placed third when it came to student-teacher ratio, with 14 students to every teacher. Workers, on the other hand, will be pleased to see that the city ranked fifth when it came to employment and that the commute ranking wasn’t too bad, either.
          The other area this city excelled in was amenities, where it ranked 18th. The wide spectrum of amenities includes Pompano Beach Golf course, the Curtain Call Playhouse, and more. If you’re the festival type, this place has a little of everything, including the Pompano Beach Seafood Festival, the St. Patrick’s Irish Festival, the St. Coleman’s Italian Festival, a Holiday Boat Parade, and a Holiday Yuletide Parade. Basically, there’s something for you in this 100,154 population city.

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            #6
            5. Gainesville


            Source: Flickr user Matthew Paulson
            Locals truly have something to gain from living in this city. The unemployment rate here was the third lowest on our list at 7.9 percent, and the cost of living ranked 10th best.
            The commute time here was pretty phenomenal as well at a mere 20 minutes. With the weather here, working folk might even consider walking to their jobs, seeing as the average summer temperature was only 79 degrees.
            Gainesville also had a pretty sunny outlook as far as things to do. Home to the University of Florida, this place has a college town vibe offering great music venues, bars, art festivals, and local improv groups. If it’s fun and lively and takes a lot of heart, this city is probably into it. It’s not surprising Gainesville’s slogan is “every path starts with passion.”

            6. Cape Coral


            Source: Flickr user Abigail King
            Next in our three-way tie for fifth place is the largest spot in our top 10, Cape Coral. This city is known as the “waterfront wonderland” and we’d say that’s pretty appropriate considering all the great things it offers.
            Art festivals, independence day festivals, and even a massive Oktoberfest are held here annually, all nearby a huge number of canals, more than any other city in the world. That proximity to water also means some great seafood at places like Pete’s Fish and Chips.
            Residents are free to breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to the weather, considering that the average summer temperature is nice and the air quality was the second best on our entire list. Financially, residents enjoy a low tax rate and a high quality of life, as well as the No. 16 crime rate with only 2,701 crimes per 100,000 people annually.

            7. Jupiter

            Source: Flickr user Dan DeChiaro
            This town is simply out of this world with some over-the-moon stats. Those concerned about safety will be relieved to know that this place had the seventh lowest crime rate on our list with a mere 2,252 crimes per 100,000 people annually.

            While this may be a slightly larger location for our list at 55,156 people, it also offers big bucks for workers, with a median household income of $67,905. The air quality here was great and ranked sixth, and the weather was fair with summer temperatures averaging 82 degrees.

            During the spring, locals can enjoy the Jupiter Seafood Festival, which consists of three days of food, rides, music, and more. The rest of the year, history fans and those who love some epic scenery are able to check out the Jupiter Inlet lighthouse, which is a registered historical landmark.

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              #7
              8. Davie

              Source: Town of Davie
              The most highly populated town in Florida, Davie showed some pretty great rankings across the board. Low taxes and very high employment rate made this a fairly affordable place to be, in addition to the numerous 38th ranked amenities.
              The quality of life here was also good and ranked 29th for that criterion. Davie also had some very livable weather, which ranked 22nd overall.
              Davie also packed with things to see and do. From the historic Old Davie School to the many parks, this is a very pretty place. For more active types, there are also plenty of sports facilities, including an aquatic center, and a yearly Independence and Family Fun Day festival that includes a massive fireworks show.

              9. Coconut Creek

              Source: Flickr user bobdole369
              Coconut creek is home to some 52,909 people as well as one of the most amazing butterfly aviaries in the nation. Butterfly World is home to over 5,000 butterflies, as well as beetles, moths, and mantises. However, it’s not the only fantastic animal-centric part of the city. Millpond Farm offers riding lessons, special horse-related events, and a specialized clinic for our equine friends.
              The quality of life was none too bad here for people, too, and ranked a comfy No. 23 for that criterion. The crime rate was a fairly low 21st overall, and the unemployment rate was tied for fifth best. Combining that with low taxes makes this an obvious choice for our top 10.

              10. Weston


              Source: Flickr user JeffWicklein
              Culture hounds are going to love it in Weston, as there are many different historical places to explore. From an 8,000 year old native American burial mound, to local museums for kids, there’s a lot to be learned around these parts. There are also lots of beaches and biking, and even a parade or two throughout the year for those who like to have fun in the sun.
              Speaking of which, the weather here is actually quite comfortable, with summer temps staying at around 82 degrees. The unemployment rate was very low, as was the tax rate, and there are a fair number of amenities to enjoy.
              The median household income was very impressive at $93,553, but where this city really shone was in the safety department, due to the fact that the crime rate here was only 1,232 crimes per 100,00 people. That was the lowest crime rate on list, making this a safe and financially friendly place to call home.

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                #8


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