The five most connected cities in North Carolina are Cary, Huntersville, Holly Springs, Indian Trail, and Apex.
In American Community Survey 2017 data recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau, these five cities with a population of 20,000 or more all showed the highest rates for households with both a computer and a broadband connection. Cary is 95.01 percent connected; Huntersville is 94.97; Holly Springs is 93.7; Indian Trail is 93.6; and Apex is 92.8. All five are suburbs of Raleigh or Charlotte. The American Community Survey is conducted annually as a supplement to the 10-year census, and a North Carolina spreadsheet is available.
Charlotte ranked 17th out of 44, at 87.3 percent. Nationally, about 87 percent of households have both a computer and a broadband internet connection.
The five worst connected cities in North Carolina, based on the same data, are Salisbury (73 percent), Rocky Mount (71.9 percent), Greensboro (69.1 percent), Lumberton (61.4 percent), and Shelby (56.5 percent).
Calculated a different way, based on whether households have a computer at all, the worst connected cities in North Carolina are Shelby (21.5 percent have no computer); Statesville (18.9 percent); Elizabeth City (17.2 percent); Goldsboro (16.3 percent); Lumberton (15.6 percent); and Salisbury (15.4). Without a computer, these households would need to rely on a mobile phone connection to the internet.