Independent Living in Cary, NC: Costs and Options

Three of the independent living choices in Cary, NC, are life plan communities on the North Carolina Department of Insurance's licensed list. A state law that took effect Dec. 1, 2025, sets their contract rules. For a monthly rate, Stoneridge posts one all-in starting rate of $3,595 a month and Jordan Oaks posts $3,695. Modena Cary lists one-bedroom prices starting at $6,995, while Searstone charges an entrance fee plus a monthly fee.

Independent living in Cary, NC. AI interpretation of Cary, NC, with approximate buildings and layout
Last Updated: October 2026
8-minute read| Author: Seth Burney
Published: October 2026
8-minute read | Author: Seth Burney | Date Published: October 2026 | Last Updated: October 2026

Key Takeaways

A bus, for getting around Cary, NC, part of our independent living guide
GoCary Door to Door rides close to a bus route are fare free through June 30, 2027.
Armchairs around a table, for life plan communities in Cary, NC, part of our independent living guide
Glenaire, Searstone and The Templeton of Cary are on the North Carolina Department of Insurance's list of licensed continuing care retirement communities.
A bookshelf, for North Carolina's continuing care rules, part of our guide to independent living in Cary, NC
Under North Carolina law, you have 30 days to cancel a continuing care contract and get your money back, less listed costs.
A market stand, for independent living prices in Cary, NC
Stoneridge posts an all-in starting rate of $3,595 a month and Jordan Oaks $3,695 (as published, checked Oct. 20, 2026).

All-In Rents, One-Bedroom Prices and Entrance Fees in Cary, NC

Chart of published independent living starting prices in Cary, NC: Stoneridge $3,595 a month, Jordan Oaks $3,695 a month, Modena Cary one-bedroom $6,995 as listed

Three of the 10 independent living communities on this list post a starting price.

At Jordan Oaks and Stoneridge, chefs cook three meals a day. Each one offers rides to scheduled appointments, shopping and outings. Live-in managers stay on site, and Jordan Oaks puts out snacks and drinks all day at no extra charge.

As published by each community, checked Oct. 20, 2026. CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey has no independent living figure.

Life plan communities set their prices another way. Searstone charges an entrance fee up front plus a monthly fee, and it describes a 100 percent refundable entrance fee. The Templeton of Cary rents its apartments with no entrance fee. Neither one posts its prices.

Life Plan Communities, Rentals and 62+ Apartments in Cary, NC

Profile card for The Templeton of Cary independent living: 198 apartments of 696 to 1,599 square feet, no entrance fee, on the North Carolina Department of Insurance list of licensed continuing care retirement communities, part of our guide for Cary, NC

The Templeton of Cary is a life plan community that rents its apartments with no entrance fee. It's on the North Carolina Department of Insurance's list of licensed continuing care retirement communities. You can choose from 198 apartments in 10 floor plans, from a 696-square-foot one-bedroom to a 1,599-square-foot two-bedroom with a den. Apartments have full-size washers and dryers, walk-in closets and 10-foot ceilings. Electricity, water and heat are included. Pets are welcome. On site you'll find a saltwater pool and hot tub, an art studio, a card room, a billiard room, and a salon and spa. The three places to eat are Ashworth Dining, the Crossroads Bar and Pub and Koka Café. Each new resident gets a personal fitness assessment, and classes run from yoga and barre to aquatic aerobics. The Templeton doesn't post its rents.

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Independent Living in Cary, NC

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Independent Living in Cary, NC

  • Acclaim at Cary Pointe, 2525 Morrisville Parkway. Rental apartments for adults 62 and older, on 12-month leases, with an indoor pool, an art studio and a community garden. Also on site: On-site care services through partnerships with licensed providers.
  • Glenaire Senior Living, 4000 Glenaire Circle. A life plan community that's part of Kintura, a nonprofit, with apartments and cottages. Also on site: Assisted living and nursing care.
  • Jordan Oaks Gracious Retirement Living, 10820 Penny Road. A community with three meals a day and rides to appointments. Also on site: Independent living only.
  • Modena Cary, 7000 Regency Parkway. Apartments with full kitchens, a washer and dryer and a built-in emergency system. Also on site: Independent living only.
  • Ryan Spring, 616 Ryan Road. 42 one- and two-bedroom apartments for adults over 55, with water included. Also on site: Independent living only.
  • Searstone Retirement Community, 17001 Searstone Drive. A life plan community with an entrance fee and a monthly fee. Also on site: Assisted living for people who already live there, plus memory care and nursing care.
  • Stoneridge Gracious Retirement Living, 105 Convention Drive. A community with three meals a day and rides to appointments. Also on site: Independent living only.
  • Waltonwood Cary Parkway, 750 SE Cary Parkway. Independent living apartments in a family-owned community. Also on site: Assisted living and memory care.
  • Woodland Terrace, 300 Kildaire Woods Drive. Apartments and cottages on 22 acres in the Farmington Woods neighborhood. Also on site: Assisted living and memory care.

Life Plan Contracts Under North Carolina's New Continuing Care Law

Three kinds of independent living in Cary, NC: life plan communities, senior communities and age-limited apartments, with how each is paid for

What a life plan community is. North Carolina calls these continuing care retirement communities. You live in an independent living apartment and can get assisted living or nursing care later, under a contract that runs for life. The state's Department of Insurance has to approve any company that offers that contract. In Cary, NC, the department's list shows three: Glenaire, Searstone and The Templeton at Cary.

A new law since Dec. 1, 2025. On that date, North Carolina's Continuing Care Retirement Communities Act, Article 64A of Chapter 58, replaced the state's older continuing care law. It's the law that covers all three of Cary, NC's life plan communities.

What you get before you sign. The community has to hand you its disclosure statement before you sign a contract or pay anything beyond a nonbinding deposit to hold a spot. The Department of Insurance posts these statements online. After you sign, you have 30 days to cancel and get your money back, less some listed costs. The 30 days count from signing or from getting the disclosure statement, whichever is later, and you don't have to move in before they're up. The contract also has to spell out entrance fee refunds, how fees go up and whether you must keep long-term care insurance.

A say in how it's run. Residents of a life plan community have the right to organize, and the provider's board has to meet with residents in person twice a year. That holds at Glenaire, Searstone and The Templeton of Cary alike.

55+ and 62+ buildings. In Cary, NC, Ryan Spring is for adults over 55, and Acclaim at Cary Pointe sets its line at 62. Under federal fair housing rules, a 55+ community can limit who moves in if at least 80 percent of its occupied homes have someone 55 or older living there. The community checks ages through surveys and signed statements.

If care needs grow. A continuing care contract is built around getting assisted living or nursing care later, and Glenaire and The Templeton of Cary both have licensed assisted living beds on campus. Waltonwood Cary Parkway and Woodland Terrace also have assisted living and memory care on their grounds, without a continuing care contract. State licenses for each one are in the assisted living guide for Cary, NC.

Questions to ask on a tour:

  • Is this a rental, or does it take an entrance fee, and how much of that fee comes back?
  • May I have the disclosure statement now, before I pay anything?
  • Does the contract require me to keep long-term care insurance?
  • When does the board next meet with residents?
  • How does the building check ages for its 55+ or 62+ rule?

Entrance Fees, Rent and HUD Housing in Cary, NC

Whichever pricing model you pick in Cary, NC, the entrance fee or monthly rate is yours to cover, from savings, income or the sale of a house.

Highland Manor Apartments, also in Cary, NC, gets federal rent help through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Section 202 program, which is for households where at least one person is 62 or older when they move in. HUD lists it as housing for older adults, with 32 apartments.

Some people add paid help with chores while they live on their own. Eight licensed non-medical home care agencies with Cary, NC, offices are in the assisted living guide for Cary, NC, along with the area's hourly median.

GoCary, GoWake Access and Bond Park: Getting Around Cary, NC

  • Door-to-door rides. GoCary Door to Door gives shared rides that you book ahead. It's for Cary, NC, residents 60 and older and for people whose disability keeps them off the regular bus. Rides close to a bus route are fare free through June 30, 2027. Rides elsewhere in town go when there's space. Trips out of town are only for certain purposes, including medical visits. To sign up, you'll need proof of age and residency, and approval can take up to 21 business days.
  • County rides. GoWake Access, Wake County's door-to-door service, runs Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Riders book the day before, and one of its programs is for adults 60 and older.
  • Cary Senior Center. It sits inside Fred G. Bond Metro Park and offers classes, recreation, clubs and support services for older adults. You'll also find Medicare insurance counseling and a tech help desk for seniors. Households that qualify can get up to 95 percent off the Town's recreation programs.
  • Bond Park. At 310 acres, Bond Park is one of the largest town parks in Wake County. It has a boathouse on Bond Lake, a tree identification trail and an amphitheater. Its gates open by 7:30 a.m. and close at sunset.
  • Greenways. The Town of Cary built its earliest greenway in 1979 and is marking 100 miles of greenways in 2026. The two longest are White Oak Creek Greenway, at 7.4 miles, and Black Creek Greenway, at 7.1. The trails are open dawn to dusk to walkers, bikers and people using mobility devices.

Frequently Asked Questions

In Cary, NC, Stoneridge posts $3,595 a month and Jordan Oaks $3,695 (as published, checked Oct. 20, 2026). Modena Cary lists one-bedroom prices starting at $6,995. The life plan communities don't post their fees. CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, the source this article uses for care costs, has no independent living figure.

Yes. This list has 10 in Cary, NC. Three are life plan communities on the state's licensed list: Glenaire, Searstone and The Templeton of Cary. Others are communities with meals, such as Jordan Oaks and Stoneridge, plus apartment buildings for adults over 55 or 62 and older. Waltonwood Cary Parkway and Woodland Terrace also offer assisted living and memory care.

In Cary, NC, Ryan Spring is for adults over 55, and Acclaim at Cary Pointe draws its line at 62. A 55+ building can keep its age limit under federal fair housing rules only while someone 55 or older lives in 80 percent or more of its occupied homes. It shows that with surveys and signed statements.

In Cary, NC, the posted prices point that way, though they don't buy the same thing. Stoneridge and Jordan Oaks list all-in independent living rates under $3,700 a month. CareScout's 2025 assisted living median for the Raleigh-Cary area was $9,000 a month for a private one-bedroom. Assisted living adds daily personal care, and independent living rent doesn't.

It depends on the community. Searstone charges an entrance fee plus a monthly fee, and it describes a 100 percent refundable entrance fee. The Templeton of Cary rents with no entrance fee. Under North Carolina law, you can cancel a continuing care contract within 30 days of signing or of getting the disclosure statement, whichever is later.

At Stoneridge's posted starting rate of $3,595 a month, 12 months comes to $43,140. At Jordan Oaks' $3,695, it comes to $44,340. Those are starting rates in Cary, NC, as each community published them on Oct. 20, 2026. Where a life plan community charges an entrance fee, it's paid in addition to the monthly fee.

Sources

Checked Oct. 20, 2026.

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