Study: Concord, Mooresville top best NC cities to move to

NORTH CAROLINA (WBTV) — If you’re moving to North Carolina, USA Today has compiled a list of the top cities in the state to which you should move.

The study ranked 22 cities in the state across 17 metrics to determine the best to live in. All the data on which the study was based can be found under the “methodology” section at the bottom of the article. The map below shows the best cities to move to in North Carolina:

Concord ranked second, as its population nearly doubled between 2000 and 2022. According to the study, it’s the sixth fastest-growing city in the state.

“Concord is such a great city,” said Brigitte Perry, a top North Carolina real estate agent with HomeLight. From the Charlotte Motor Speedway to Concord Mills, Concord has it all—plenty of entertainment, restaurants, shopping, and even great schools to boot.”

The city is an attractive place to live, with fewer than 11 crimes per 1,000 residents.

According to the study, Mooresville ranked fourth, with the third-highest number of activities per capita (two per 1,000 residents).

Aside from its affordable housing, Lake Norman and downtown Mooresville offer lovely recreational draws.

On the flip side, two of the state’s largest cities, Charlotte and Raleigh, scored lower due to comparatively higher costs of living and crime rates. For example, the study shows Raleigh experienced 29 crimes per 1,000 residents while Cary only experienced 12.

Complete data for the best and worst cities in North Carolina can be seen below:

Methodology

Walkability score from Walk Score
School district ratings on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high) from NeighborhoodScout
Number of restaurants from Tripadvisor per 1,000 residents
Number of activities from Tripadvisor per 1,000 residents
Primary care providers per 1,000 residents from U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
County-level life expectancies from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute’s County Health Rankings
Severe weather events from 2019–2023 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Number of violent and property crimes per 1,000 residents from NeighborhoodScout
Expected annual loss from natural hazards from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
National Risk Index scores from FEMA
Ratio of home values for single-family homes, condos and co-ops to median household income from Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) and U.S. Census Bureau 2022 American Community Survey 5-year Estimate. Cities are scored based on how close this ratio is to what we define as the “ideal home value ratio” of 2.5 value to income.
Ratio of typical rent for all home types to median income from Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) and U.S. Census Bureau 2022 American Community Survey 5-year Estimate
Percentage of renters who pay more than 30% of income to rent (“rent burdened”) from U.S. Census Bureau 2022 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates
Median annual homeowners insurance premiums from Quadrant
Unemployment rates at the county level from the NC Department of Commerce
Regional price parity: Values are a percentage of the overall national price level (a lower value is better) from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Percentage of the population with a bachelor’s degree from U.S. Census Bureau 2022 American Community Survey 1-year Estimates

For USA Today’s full report, click here.