Southwest Wake · 2026 comparison
Apex vs. Holly Springs vs. Cary: what $800K+ buys
Above $800K, Holly Springs has the lowest median sale price of the three ($930,000) and the lowest combined tax rate. Apex gives you the most heated space for the money: a median of 3,841 square feet at $260 per square foot, the lowest of the three, with the highest rate. Cary costs the most, at a $1,025,000 median and $284 per square foot, but has the biggest typical lot (0.31 acre), and its homes are mostly older: the median year built is 2006, and 15.6% were built in 2025–26.
By Leonna Weiss, Weiss Choice Realty at KW Legacy · Last updated:
Homes
What sold for $800K and up in the past year
| Single-family homes, inside town limits | Apex | Holly Springs | Cary* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales, $800K and up, past 12 months | 240 | 175 | 526 |
| Median sale price | $956,750 | $930,000 | $1,025,000 |
| Middle half, sale price | $852,500–$1,244,750 | $860,000–$1,075,000 | $886,250–$1,250,000 |
| Median heated sq ft | 3,841 | 3,576 | 3,713 |
| Middle half, heated sq ft | 3,324–4,407 | 3,142–4,013 | 3,198–4,325 |
| Median price per heated sq ft | $260 | $272 | $284 |
| Median lot | 0.23 acre | 0.26 acre | 0.31 acre |
| Middle half, lot | 0.18–0.31 acre | 0.20–0.37 acre | 0.23–0.42 acre |
| Median year built | 2020 | 2020 | 2006 |
| Share built in 2025–26 | 30.8% | 36.6% | 15.6% |
Wake County qualified sales, sale price $800,000 and up, Oct. 27, 2025 – Oct. 26, 2026 (file dated Oct. 31, 2026). Single-family detached homes inside each town's limits, single-parcel deeds, with heated area and acreage recorded. Square footage is Wake's heated area, which can differ from MLS; acreage is deeded acreage. *Cary figures cover the Wake County portion only. The Chatham County portion is not included. Middle half means the 25th to 75th percentile.
Taxes
Property taxes at FY 2026-27 rates
| Wake County + town, per $100 of assessed value | Apex | Holly Springs | Cary* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined tax rate per $100, FY 2026-27 | 0.9106 | 0.8806 | 0.9046 |
| Wake County portion | 0.5371 | 0.5371 | 0.5371 |
| Town portion | 0.3735 | 0.3435 | 0.3675 |
| Town rate change from FY 2025-26 | +0.0175 | No change | +0.0275 |
| Yearly tax on $800K of assessed value | $7,284.80 | $7,044.80 | $7,236.80 |
| With Wake's $20 waste reduction fee | $7,304.80 | $7,064.80 | $7,256.80 |
| Town vehicle fee, per vehicle (not property tax) | $30 | $25 | $30 |
Assessed value, before the 2027 revaluation and before any exemptions. Current assessed values reflect market value as of Jan. 1, 2024, so a home bought for $800K today may be assessed higher or lower. Homes inside town limits pay no fire district tax. Wake County's rate rose from 0.5171 to 0.5371 this year. Town utility fees are not included. *Wake County portion of Cary.
Reading the numbers
How the three towns differ above $800K
Apex
The most heated space for the money, at a median of 3,841 square feet and $260 per square foot, the lowest of the three, but on the smallest typical lots (0.23 acre). 30.8% were built in 2025–26. It has the highest combined rate after a 1.75-cent town increase this year.
Holly Springs
The lowest median sale price of the three, at $930,000, and the biggest share of new construction, at 36.6% built in 2025–26. It's the only town of the three that didn't raise its rate this year.
Cary
The highest median sale price ($1,025,000) and price per square foot ($284), with the biggest typical lots (0.31 acre). Homes are mostly established, with a median year built of 2006 and 15.6% built in 2025–26.
The numbers are a starting point, and the right town comes down to your commute, the kind of home you want and how you spend your weekends. The neighborhood match scores the Triangle against your priorities in about three minutes.
FAQ
Apex, Holly Springs and Cary: common questions
Apex vs. Holly Springs vs. Cary: where does an $800K+ budget go furthest?
On space, Apex. Single-family homes that sold for $800,000 or more inside town limits in the 12 months ending Oct. 26, 2026 had a median of 3,841 heated square feet in Apex, 3,713 in Cary and 3,576 in Holly Springs. The median price per heated square foot was $260 in Apex, $272 in Holly Springs and $284 in Cary. On price, Holly Springs had the lowest median sale, at $930,000, vs. $956,750 in Apex and $1,025,000 in Cary.
Which town has the lowest property taxes: Apex, Holly Springs or Cary?
Holly Springs. The FY 2026-27 combined Wake County and town rates are 0.8806 per $100 in Holly Springs, 0.9046 in Cary and 0.9106 in Apex. On $800,000 of assessed value, that is $7,044.80, $7,236.80 and $7,284.80 a year, before exemptions and before Wake's $20 waste reduction fee.
How much are property taxes on an $800K home in Cary vs. Apex?
On $800,000 of assessed value at FY 2026-27 rates, the Wake County portion of Cary comes to $7,236.80 a year and Apex to $7,284.80, a difference of $48. Add Wake's $20 residential waste reduction fee for $7,256.80 and $7,304.80. These figures are before exemptions and before the 2027 revaluation.
Is new construction more common in Apex, Holly Springs or Cary at $800K+?
Holly Springs and Apex. Of the single-family sales at $800,000 and up in the 12 months ending Oct. 26, 2026, 36.6% in Holly Springs and 30.8% in Apex were homes built in 2025 or 2026, compared with 15.6% in Cary, where the median home in that price range was built in 2006.
Which town has the biggest lots at $800K+?
Cary, at a median of 0.31 acre for sales of $800,000 and up, compared with 0.26 acre in Holly Springs and 0.23 acre in Apex. The middle half ran 0.23 to 0.42 acre in Cary, 0.20 to 0.37 in Holly Springs and 0.18 to 0.31 in Apex.
Will property taxes change in 2027?
Wake County's next revaluation takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, with notices of value expected around Jan. 22, 2027 and a planned appeal deadline of Apr. 30, 2027. Towns set new rates afterward. After the 2024 revaluation, Apex, Cary and Holly Springs all lowered their rates.
Still deciding between Apex, Holly Springs and Cary?
I'll show you specific neighborhoods in each town at your budget, and what recent sales there say. Relocating? See the relocation guide or how I represent buyers.
Sources
- Wake County Tax Administration, tax rates and fees, FY 2026-27: wake.gov, and the rate history, FY 2017 to current (PDF).
- Wake County 2027 revaluation: wake.gov.
- Wake County qualified sales, past 24 months (file dated Oct. 31, 2026; sales through Oct. 26, 2026): services.wake.gov.
Weiss Choice Realty, brokered by Keller Williams Legacy
1483 Beaver Creek Commons Dr, Apex, NC 27502 · Call or text (919) 648-0458 · leonna@weisschoicerealty.com