Cary, NC

Census Place

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2023 Population

176,686

1.03% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

39.8

1.02% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

5.28%

1.89% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$129,399

3.26% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$525,200

10% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

93,532

0.292% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Cary, NC had a population of 177k people with a median age of 39.8 and a median household income of $129,399. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Cary, NC grew from 174,880 to 176,686, a 1.03% increase and its median household income grew from $125,317 to $129,399, a 3.26% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Cary, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (58%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (20.4%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (7.3%), Two+ (Hispanic) (3.99%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.95%).

None of the households in Cary, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

88.7% of the residents in Cary, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Cary, NC are Shepherds Theological Seminary (39 degrees awarded in 2023) and Mitchells Academy (21 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Cary, NC was $525,200, and the homeownership rate was 66.3%.

Most people in Cary, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Cary, NC was 2 cars per household.

United States North Carolina Chatham County, NC Wake County, NC Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Raleigh, NC Wake County (Northwest)--Raleigh City (Northwest) & Morrisville Town PUMA, NC Wake County (West Central)--Cary Town PUMA, NC Wake County (Southwest)--Apex & Holly Springs Towns PUMA, NC Durham County (South)--Durham City (South) PUMA, NC Chatham & Lee Counties PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Cary, NC is home to a population of 177k people, from which 88.7% are citizens. As of 2023, 23.6% of Cary, NC residents were born outside of the country (41.8k people).

In 2023, there were 2.85 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (103k people) in Cary, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 36k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 12.9k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

88.7%

2023 Citizenship

89.8%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 88.7% of Cary, NC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Cary, NC was 89.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Cary, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cary, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
103k ± 2.67k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
36k ± 1.97k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
12.9k ± 1.29k

9.33%

Hispanic Population

16.5k people

9.33% of the people in Cary, NC are hispanic (16.5k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Cary, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
214,508 ± 11,254 people
India
79,868 ± 6,912 people
Honduras
39,759 ± 4,886 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 214,508 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 79,868 and Honduras with 39,759.

Foreign-Born Population

23.6%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

41.8k people

22.7%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

39.7k people

As of 2023, 23.6% of Cary, NC residents (41.8k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Cary, NC was 22.7%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Cary, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,776 ± 291
Gulf War (2001-)
1,519 ± 315
Gulf War (1990s)
1,426 ± 393

Cary, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.17 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Cary, NC employs 93.5k people. The largest industries in Cary, NC are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (23,746 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (10,257 people), and Manufacturing (9,911 people), and the highest paying industries are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($120,989), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($113,046), and Finance & Insurance ($109,375).

Males in North Carolina have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $57,464. The income inequality in North Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.47, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

93.5k

2023 Value

± 2,702

0.292%

1 Year growth

± 3.98%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Cary, NC grew at a rate of 0.292%, from 93.3k employees to 93.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cary, NC, are Management Occupations (15,743 people), Computer & Mathematical Occupations (13,945 people), and Business & Financial Operations Occupations (9,236 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cary, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

93.5k

2023 Value

± 2,702

0.292%

1 Year growth

± 3.98%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Cary, NC grew at a rate of 0.292%, from 93.3k employees to 93.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cary, NC, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (23,746 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (10,257 people), and Manufacturing (9,911 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cary, NC, though some of these residents may live in Cary, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$98,943

Median earning men ± $4,204

$57,341

Median earning women ± $3,019

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($130,109), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($123,511), and Manufacturing ($120,951).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($90,079), Information ($78,571), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($77,239).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Education

In 2023, universities in Cary, NC awarded 60 degrees. The student population of Cary, NC in 2023 is skewed towards men, with 165 male students and 60 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cary, NC are White (53 and 88.3%), followed by Black or African American (3 and 5%), Hispanic or Latino (2 and 3.33%), and Asian (2 and 3.33%).

The largest universities in Cary, NC by number of degrees awarded are Shepherds Theological Seminary (39 and 65%) and Mitchells Academy (21 and 35%).

The most popular majors in Cary, NC are Theological Studies (34 and 56.7%), General Cosmetology (21 and 35%), and Divinity & Ministry (5 and 8.33%).

The median tuition cost in Cary, NC for private four year colleges is $N/A.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 225 students enrolled in Cary, NC, 73.3% men and 26.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 182 records, of which 25.3% were women and 74.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Theological Studies

Most Common

34 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Cary, NC was N/A with N/A degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Masters Degree from schools in Cary, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Shepherds Theological Seminary
39 degrees awarded
Mitchells Academy
21 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Shepherds Theological Seminary with 39 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 30 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cary, NC, which is 1 times more than the 30 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 53 degrees mean that there were 17.7 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 3 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Measure

In 2022, 0.944% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.805% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.16M), Some college (1.84M), and Bachelors Degree (1.63M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Cary, NC was $525,200 in 2023, which is 1.73 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $477,400 to $525,200, a 10% increase. The homeownership rate in Cary, NC is 66.3%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Cary, NC have an average commute time of 22.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cary, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Cary, NC is $129,399. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Cary, NC was Census Tract 535.23 with a value of $228,750, followed by Census Tract 534.10 and Census Tract 536.04, with respective values of $193,621 and $191,696.

Housing

Property

$525,200

Median Property Value 2023

±$14,173

$45,082

Median Property Taxes

±$1,457

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Cary, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Cary, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

66.3%

Homeownership

2023

65.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 66.3% of the housing units in Cary, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 66.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Cary, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 535.23
Census Tract 534.10
Census Tract 536.04

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Cary, NC was Census Tract 535.23 with a value of $228,750, followed by Census Tract 534.10 and Census Tract 536.04, with respective values of $193,621 and $191,696.

The following map shows all of the places in Cary, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$129,399

Median Household Income

± $3,480

68k

Number of Households

± 2,073

In 2023, the median household income of the 68k households in Cary, NC grew to $129,399 from the previous year's value of $125,317.

The following chart displays the households in Cary, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Cary, NC is from North Carolina.

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2021 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0732% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (59.3%)
Worked At Home (32.4%)
Carpooled (5.18%)

In 2023, 59.3% of workers in Cary, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (32.4%) and those who carpooled to work (5.18%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cary, NC have a shorter commute time (22.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.68% of the workforce in Cary, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Cary, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Cary, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Cary, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

5.28% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cary, NC (9.31k out of 176k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Cary, NC is White, followed by Hispanic and Asian.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

94.6% of the population of Cary, NC has health coverage, with 67% on employee plans, 5.06% on Medicaid, 10.5% on Medicare, 11.4% on non-group plans, and 0.643% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Wake County, NC see 1159 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.13% increase from the previous year (1146 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1376 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 272 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Wake County, NC.

1,159 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Wake County, NC

Primary care physicians in Wake County, NC see an average of 1,159 patients per year. This represents a 1.13% increase from the previous year (1,146 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Wake County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.2% under 18 years, 17.8% between 18 and 34 years, 43.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.8% were men and 51.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.4%

Uninsured

67%

Employer Coverage

5.06%

Medicaid

10.5%

Medicare

11.4%

Non-Group

0.643%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cary, NC grew by 7.08% from 5.04% to 5.4%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Cary, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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