Cary, North Carolina
Encyclopedia : C : CA : CAR : Cary, North Carolina
Cary is the second largest city in Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 94,536. Town records show a population of 110,227 as of April 2005.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the City has a total area of 43.5 mi² (112.6 km²). 42.1 mi² (109.0 km²) of it is land and 1.4 mi² (3.6 km²) of it (3.17%) is water.
Government
Cary has a council-manager government; the mayor and council members serve a term of four years, with half of the council seats being up for election each odd-numbered year. Four of the six council seats are elected by district; the remaining two seats are at-large representatives.The current town council consists of Mayor Ernie McAlister and Representatives Jennifer Robinson (District A), Nels Roseland (District B), Jack W. Smith (District C), Marla Dorrel (District D), Michael A. Joyce (at-large), and Julie Aberg Robison (at-large).
Mayors
- A. F. Page, 1871
- J. P. H. Adams, 1884
- R. J. Harrison, 1887
- John Nugeer, 1897
- T. F. Wilkinson, 1902
- R. J. Harrison, 1903
- H. B. Jordan, 1904
- N. C. Hines, 1910
- J. M. Templeton, Jr., 1912
- T. H. Taylor, 1916
- W. G. Crowder, 1921
- E. P. Bradshaw, 1921
- W. H. Atkins, 1921-25
- G. H. Jordan, 1925
- E. P. Badshaw, 1925
- Dr. F. R. Yarborough, 1927-28
- A. N. Jackson, 1928-29
- H. H. Waddell, 1929-33
- Dr. J. P. Hunter, 1933-35
- M. T. Jones, 1935
- T. W. Addicks, 1935
- L. L. Raines, 1935-37
- R. W. Mayton, 1937-47
- Robert G. Setzer, 1947-49
- H. Waldo Rood, 1949-61
- Dr. W. H. Justice, 1961-62
- James Hogarth, 1962-63
- Dr. E. B. Davis, 1963-69
- Joseph R. Veasey, 1969-71
- Fred G. Bond, 1971-83
- Harold D. Ritter, 1983-87
- Koka E. Booth, 1987-1999
- Glen Lang, 1999-2003
- Ernie McAlister, 2003-present.
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 94,536 people, 34,906 households, and 25,132 families residing in the town. The population density was 867.2/km² (2,246.0/mi²). There were 36,863 housing units at an average density of 338.2/km² (875.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 82.17% White, 6.15% African American, 0.27% Native American, 8.08% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.47% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.28% of the population.There were 34,906 households out of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.3% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 38.6% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $75,122, and the median income for a family was $88,074. Males had a median income of $62,012 versus $38,819 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,974. About 2.1% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
Culture
The town's reputation as a bedroom community for transplants from outside the South has led to humorous backronyms for its name such as "Concentrated Area of Relocated Yankees" or "Containment Area for Relocated Yankees." [link] Some observers have noted this as Cary's crisis of identity, especially when compared with its neighbors in the Research Triangle. Chapel Hill has a reputation as a bastion of liberal academia, Durham as a blue-collar post-boom industrial city, and Raleigh as the state's center of arts and government, but Cary has yet to come into its own identity, despite or perhaps because of its meteoric rise in population. One of the major reasons for its large population of residents immigrant to North Carolina is the town's proximity to the Research Triangle Park and the many other localities hosting biotech, pharmaceutical and high tech companies, making it an ideal location for people moving to the Research Triangle area for work.
Cary has many restrictive ordinances. These include the banning of neon signs on the exterior of restaurants and instructing residents on what they can and cannot plant in their yards. The town also restricts the use of certain colors on buildings and architectural styles, and limits development near drainage channels. The town recently annexed an area containing the home of an eccentric gentleman of some local fame whose yard contained an antique cannon and an abundance of signs and posters expressing his opinions. In a rare compromise, the town council said the man was allowed to keep his yard's ornamentation as long as he did not add to it further.
Compared to many other cities of a similar size, Cary has extensive and restrictive zoning. Cary grew from a small downtown area. It adopted zoning and other ordinances on an ad-hoc basis to control growth and give the city structure. The city has small areas, located throughout, called Planned Development Districts. These districts are not planned so much in the traditional sense of planning, which is layout, but are zoned to restrict the land uses in the district.
Cary is a very quiet and peaceful community with a very low crime rate. In 2004 the town of Cary was declared the ninth safest of 354 large cities in the nation. It is the only North Carolina municipality listed in the top 10 as well as the only southern city in the top 25. This was the sixth year in a row that Cary has been ranked in the top 10 safest cities in the U.S. [link].
It was recently announced that Cary would be the site of a new housing development from KB Home designed by the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia team.
Cary was listed in Money Magazine as [one of the best places to live in the Eastern United States in 2003] and [#5 place to live in the United States in 2006]. In addition to the low crime rate and close proximity to the Research Triangle and many local universities, Cary can also boast having the most Ph.D.s per capita in the U.S. for towns larger than 75,000 people.[[Citing sources citation needed]]
Interesting facts
- Cary's most prominent former citizen was Walter Hines Page, former ambassador to the UK.
- Cary Academy (no relation to the current school of the same name) is considered to be the first public high school in North Carolina, having opened in 1896.
- The town's forced annexation policy of surrounding rural land spurred a grassroots campaign named ["Stop Cary"].
- Ashworth Drugs is the oldest running pharmacy/soda fountain in Cary and has been in business since 1957. Its location is at the intersection of the two main roads in downtown Cary: Chatham St. and Academy St. Ralph Ashworth and his son Paul Ashworth work there. Upstairs, Daphne Ashworth and her son, Gary, run the Lynn's and Daphne's Hallmark card shops located throughout North Carolina and in Virginia.
Schools and Universities
Primary and Secondary Education
- [Cary High School]- It was established back in 1907 and is the first public high school in North Carolina. It has an enrollment of 2,500 students (2005-2006)
- Green Hope High School (and Elementary School)
- [Middle Creek High School]
- Panther Creek High School (opening Fall 2006)
- [West Cary Middle School]
- [Reedy Creek Middle School] Formally East Cary Middle School
- [Davis Drive Middle School]
- Cary Academy
- [Cary Christian School]
Major Roadways
- Interstate 40
- US 1
- US 64
- State Highway 54
- State Highway 55
- Cary Parkway
- Kildaire Farm Road
- Walnut Street
- High House Road
- Harrison Avenue
- Maynard Road Loop
- Davis Drive (links to Research Triangle Park)
Sister cities
Cary has four sister cities, as designated by [Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI)]:Cary is also paired with:
Apex, North CarolinaRaleigh, North Carolina
Transportation
Like many other suburban areas, Cary is dependent on large thoroughfares to transport its people. In fact, many outsiders remark how easy it is to get lost in Cary, due to the sheer number and complexity of what were once farm roads. However, there are alternatives:
- Local Bus: C Tran is Cary's bus system. Information can be found here: http://www.townofcary.org/ctran/ctranoverview.htm. The Triangle Transit Authority operates fixed-route buses that serve the region and connect to municipal bus systems in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.
- Passenger Rail: Amtrak's Richmond; Washington, DC and Miami
- Bicycle: The League of American Bicyclists has designated Cary one of the fourteen recipients of the first Bicycle-Friendly Community awards for "providing safe accommodation and facilities for bicyclists and encouraging residents to bike for transportation and recreation".
- Walking: A network of sidewalks and a network of dirt, gravel, and paved trails, greenways, connects neighborhoods and parks in Cary. Most walking is recreational or for exercise rather than commuting or shopping, since it is virtually impossible to reach any locale in Cary without a vehicle.
Business
Major Employers in Cary- SAS Institute
- MCI Worldcom
- [Cotton Inc], industry tradegroup
- Western Wake Medical Center
- American Airlines Reservations Center
- Kellogg's Snacks
- John Deere Worldwide Commercial & Consumer Equipment Division
- Inveresk Research
- Global Knowledge Network
See also
External links
- [Wake County Real Estate Records]
- [Official town of Cary website]
- [Cary Chamber of Commerce]
- [27513: Suburbia Unbound Ntl. Geographic Article]
- [Stop Cary website]
- The LAB [announces] its designation of Cary, NC as a bronze recipient of the Bicycle-Friendly Community award
- [CaryPolitics.org] is a website "Committed to intelligent debate about issues that affect all of us".
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