4 North Carolina Cities Among The Best Big Cities To Live In America
Admittedly I am a country girl. I love driving to York from Clover, South Carolina and being the only car on the road on Hwy 161. However if you love…
Charlotte USA uptown skyline and park.
Getty ImagesAdmittedly I am a country girl. I love driving to York from Clover, South Carolina and being the only car on the road on Hwy 161. However if you love the big city life here is some good news. Four North Carolina cities are among the best big cities to live in America.
We are getting this information from Stacker and they dug deep to look into 50 of the best big cities to live in in the United States of America. And by big cities they mean towns with a population over 200,000.
So what were the criteria? Here is a few. They looked at the high quality schools in the area, are there any major universities, how is the health care or major airports. And how is the fun in these big towns. What are the quantity and quality of things like festivals and entertainment venues.
The good news for North Carolina is there are four listed among the best big cities to live in America.
#15 Charlotte, #7 Raleigh, #30 Durham and #31 Winston Salem. Here is what Stacker had to say about Charlotte. "Charlotte is home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and is one of America's motor-racing capitals. Going for a dip in swimming holes is a popular recreational pastime in Charlotte, and pottery and arts and crafts lovers can find many options to flex their creativity. Cato Middle College High is recognized as one of the state's best high schools." Hey, Thanks Stacker! To learn more get details here on the survey.
Carowinds Ranks As One Of America’s Most Loved Theme Parks
Looking to head to a theme park this spring or summer? Sure you could pack up and head to Florida but we also have a pretty great park here in the Carolinas. And not that we needed confirmation of that, but its still nice to hear! Our friends at AirportParkingReservations.com recently compiled a list of America's Most Loved Theme Parks and shared those results with us. And local favorite Carowinds is very close to the top of that list!
The rankings were calculated based on multiple factors including ticket prices, the number of roller coasters and rides, as well as popularity on social media. These are just some of what makes theme parks exciting to visit! I'm definitely a ride person, but other people go for the food, the shows, or simply the atmosphere. Nope- I just want to ride as many rides as many times as possible. The other stuff? It can be an added bonus but it's not why I am there. So these rankings, with an emphasis on rides, are made for me.
I'll give you a hint one of the major Florida theme parks topped this list, while another is shockingly absent. Keep reading to see where Carowinds ranked among the most loved theme parks. Are you surprised by the major parks it beat? Or is Carowinds your number one? You can see the full list and study here.
8. Disneyland Resort
State: California (Anaheim)
Cost of Ticket: $104.00
Number of Roller Coasters: 8
Number of Rides: 50
Number of Instagram Posts: 678,690
Index Score: 30.3
7. Busch Gardens
State: Virginia (Williamsburg)
Cost of Ticket: $89.99
Number of Roller Coasters: 9
Number of Rides: 53
Instagram Posts: 838,147
Index Score: 30.9
6. Six Flags America
State: Maryland (Bowie)
Cost of A Ticket: $29.99
Number of Roller Coasters: 9
Number of Rides: 54
Instagram Posts: 20,361
Index Score: 31.3
5. Dollywood
State: Tennessee (Pigeon Forge)
Cost of Ticket: $89.00
Number of Roller Coasters: 9
Number of Rides: 50
Number of Instagram Posts: 399,519
Index Score: 32.2
4. Kings Dominion
State: Tennessee (Doswell)
Cost of Ticket: $39.99
Number of Roller Coasters: 13
Number of Rides: 48
Number of Instagram Posts: 166,239
Index Score: 33.6
3. Carowinds
State: North Carolina (Charlotte)
Cost of Ticket: $39.99
Number of Roller Coasters: 14
Number of Rides: 39
Number of Instagram Posts: 243,823
Index Score: 41.0
2. Universal Studios Hollywood
State: California (Universal City)
Cost of Ticket: $109.00
Number of Roller Coasters: 2
Number of Rides: 10
Number of Instagram Posts: 782,178
Index Score: 43.1
1. Walt Disney World
State: Florida (Orland0)
Cost of Ticket: $109.00
Number of Roller Coasters: 8
Number of Rides: 173
Number of Instagram Posts: 108,818,420
Index Score: 58.3
