Wake County, NC

County

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2023 Population
1.15M
1.67% 1-year growth
US Senator
Thom Tillis
Republican Party
US Senator
Ted Budd
Republican Party
2023 Median Age
37.2
0.541% 1-year increase
2023 Poverty Rate
7.93%
3.15% 1-year decrease
2023 Median Household Income
$101,763
5.2% 1-year growth
2023 Median Property Value
$422,800
9.62% 1-year growth
2023 Employed Population
611,492
1.7% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Wake County, NC had a population of 1.15M people with a median age of 37.2 and a median household income of $101,763. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Wake County, NC grew from 1.13M to 1.15M, a 1.67% increase and its median household income grew from $96,734 to $101,763, a 5.2% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Wake County, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (57%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (18.9%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (8.08%), Other (Hispanic) (4.25%), and Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (3.74%).

None of the households in Wake County, 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.

92.2% of the residents in Wake County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Wake County, NC are North Carolina State University at Raleigh (10,697 degrees awarded in 2023), Wake Technical Community College (5,381 degrees), and MyComputerCareer at Raleigh (1,713 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Wake County, NC was $422,800, and the homeownership rate was 64.4%.

Most people in Wake County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Wake County, NC was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Neuse River Greenway in Raleigh, North Carolina
Photo by James Willamor
United StatesNorth CarolinaRaleigh, NC

Population & Diversity

Wake County, NC is home to a population of 1.15M people, from which 92.2% are citizens. As of 2023, 14.4% of Wake County, NC residents were born outside of the country (166k people).

In 2023, there were 3.01 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (657k people) in Wake County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 218k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 93k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.2%
2023 Citizenship
92.7%
2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 92.2% of Wake County, NC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Wake County, NC was 92.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wake County, NC
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    657k ± 1.36k
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    218k ± 1.99k
  3. Asian (Non-Hispanic)
    93k ± 1.24k
11.4%
Hispanic Population
131k people

In 2023, there were 3.01 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (657k people) in Wake County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 218k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 93k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

11.4% of the people in Wake County, NC are hispanic (131k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Wake County, NC as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    224,963 ± 11,520 people
  2. India
    83,219 ± 7,055 people
  3. Honduras
    48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

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Foreign-Born Population

14.4%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
166k people
13.7%
2022 Foreign-Born Population
155k people

As of 2023, 14.4% of Wake County, NC residents (166k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Wake County, NC was 13.7%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    14,501 ± 1,257
  2. Vietnam
    12,157 ± 769
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    10,722 ± 947

Wake County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.19 times greater than any other conflict.

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Economy

The economy of Wake County, NC employs 611k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Wake County, NC were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (109,459 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (72,069 people), and Retail Trade (56,790 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($103,247), Information ($96,431), and Finance & Insurance ($90,766).

Employment

Occupations

611k
2023 Value
± 7,508
1.7%
1 Year growth
± 1.7%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Wake County, NC grew at a rate of 1.7%, from 601k employees to 611k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wake County, NC, are Management Occupations (93,911 people), Sales & Related Occupations (58,386 people), and Business & Financial Operations Occupations (56,859 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wake County, NC.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

611k
2023 Value
± 7,508
1.7%
1 Year growth
± 1.7%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Wake County, NC grew at a rate of 1.7%, from 601k employees to 611k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wake County, NC, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (109,459 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (72,069 people), and Retail Trade (56,790 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Wake County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Wake County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$70,724
Median earning men ± $1,121
$49,777
Median earning women ± $918

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($110,304), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($105,656), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($101,799).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Information ($76,498), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($74,306), and Manufacturing ($71,224).

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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.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 4,010
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  2. 2,040
    Construction
  3. 1,745
    Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $7.59M
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  2. $4.62M
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. $4.13M
    Information

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Wake County, NC awarded 19,700 degrees. The student population of Wake County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 34,155 male students and 35,448 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Wake County, NC are White (10,837 and 60.1%), followed by Black or African American (2,902 and 16.1%), Hispanic or Latino (1,750 and 9.71%), and Asian (1,209 and 6.71%).

The largest universities in Wake County, NC by number of degrees awarded are North Carolina State University at Raleigh (10,697 and 54.3%), Wake Technical Community College (5,381 and 27.3%), and MyComputerCareer at Raleigh (1,713 and 8.7%).

The most popular majors in Wake County, NC are Computer Systems Networking & Telecommunications (1,752 and 8.89%), General Business Administration & Management (1,594 and 8.09%), and Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,423 and 7.22%).

The median tuition costs in Wake County, NC are $11,688 for private four year colleges, and $6,535 and $29,407 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Wake County, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 41.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 28.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 69,603 (49.1% men and 50.9% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 69,603 students enrolled in Wake County, NC, 49.1% men and 50.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 37,733 records, of which 49.9% were women and 50.1% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Psychology
    371 degrees awarded
  2. General Business Administration & Management
    1,014 degrees awarded
  3. General Biological Sciences
    505 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Wake County, NC was General Psychology with 371 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. North Carolina State University at Raleigh
    10,697 degrees awarded
  2. Wake Technical Community College
    5,381 degrees awarded
  3. MyComputerCareer at Raleigh
    1,713 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was North Carolina State University at Raleigh with 10,697 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 9,970 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Wake County, NC, which is 1.02 times more than the 9,730 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 10,837 degrees mean that there were 3.73 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 2,902 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($11,688) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,360) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,808) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

In 2023, 0.995% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.855% of women were in the same situation.

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

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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 2023 were High School or Equivalent (2.18M), Some college (1.81M), and Bachelors Degree (1.69M).

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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Wake County, NC was $422,800 in 2023, which is 1.39 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $385,700 to $422,800, a 9.62% increase. The homeownership rate in Wake County, NC is 64.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65%.

People in Wake County, NC have an average commute time of 25.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Wake County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Wake County, NC is $101,763. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Wake County, NC was Census Tract 538.03, Wake County, NC with a value of $242,647, followed by Census Tract 535.23, Wake County, NC and Census Tract 537.21, Wake County, NC, with respective values of $228,750 and $197,115.

In 2024, 11.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Wake County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 2.5%.

Housing

Property

$422,800
Median Property Value 2023
±$4,330
$287,109
Median Property Taxes
±$4,475

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 Wake County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

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Rent vs Own

64.4%
Homeownership
2023
67%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2023

In 2023, 64.4% of the housing units in Wake County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 64.3%.

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

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Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.
Race/Ethnicity
Highest Median Household Income (Total)
  1. Census Tract 538.03, Wake County, NC
  2. Census Tract 535.23, Wake County, NC
  3. Census Tract 537.21, Wake County, NC

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Wake County, NC was Census Tract 538.03, Wake County, NC with a value of $242,647, followed by Census Tract 535.23, Wake County, NC and Census Tract 537.21, Wake County, NC, with respective values of $228,750 and $197,115.

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

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$101,763
Median Household Income
± $1,289
446k
Number of Households
± 6,219

In 2023, the median household income of the 446k households in Wake County, NC grew to $101,763 from the previous year's value of $96,734.

The following chart displays the households in Wake County, 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Wake County, NC is from North Carolina.
0.467
2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina
0.47
2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023
  1. Drove Alone (64.4%)
  2. Worked At Home (26%)
  3. Carpooled (6.06%)

In 2023, 64.4% of workers in Wake County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (26%) and those who carpooled to work (6.06%).

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.

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Commute Time

25.3 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wake County, NC have a shorter commute time (25.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.63% of the workforce in Wake County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 11.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Wake County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 2.5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

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Poverty & Diversity

7.93% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wake County, NC (89.6k out of 1.13M 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 Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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.

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Children in Poverty

In 2024, 8.3% of the children was living in poverty in Wake County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 7.1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

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Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 115 in Wake County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 159 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

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Health

91.8% of the population of Wake County, NC has health coverage, with 59.3% on employee plans, 8.96% on Medicaid, 9.27% on Medicare, 13% on non-group plans, and 1.28% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Wake County, NC see 1,157 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.173% decrease from the previous year (1,159 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1344 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 253 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,157 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Wake County, NC

Primary care physicians in Wake County, NC see an average of 1,157 patients per year. This represents a 0.173% decrease from the previous year (1,159 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.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25% under 18 years, 21.8% between 18 and 34 years, 40.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

8.16%
Uninsured
59.3%
Employer Coverage
8.96%
Medicaid
9.27%
Medicare
13%
Non-Group
1.28%
Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wake County, NC declined by 1.71% from 8.31% to 8.16%.

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

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Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2024, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 45 in Wake County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Wake County, NC.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2024, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 31.6% in Wake County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Wake County, NC.

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Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2024, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 9.17% in Wake County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Wake County, NC.

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